A local leader with a passion for public service will join the City of San Mateo as its top executive as the City Council selects Alex Khojikian to serve as the new city manager.
This important position is responsible for overseeing an organization with a $317 million annual budget and over 600 City staff who serve the 105,000 residents that comprise the largest city in San Mateo County. Alex has over 20 years of public sector experience and a strong track record of addressing complex policy issues while prioritizing public input. He was selected after a nationwide recruitment and will begin as San Mateo’s city manager on Aug. 21, 2023. He currently serves as Redwood City’s assistant city manager and acting Community Development and Transportation director.
“San Mateo has a great reputation as a high‐performing organization with a dedicated City staff team serving the community. I am excited to engage and work with the community, City Council and City staff on major priorities and initiatives around housing, homelessness, transportation, infrastructure, economic vitality and sustainability. San Mateo is a dynamic and inclusive City with diverse neighborhoods and business districts, and my goal is to support people of all backgrounds so everyone in the community can thrive,” Alex said. “I look forward to the work ahead and know that collaboration and engagement with residents, businesses, regional partners, community‐based organizations and stakeholders is key to achieve community priorities.”
Prior to sharpening his skills in Redwood City for the last seven years, Alex served four years with the City of Half Moon Bay where he rose to deputy city manager and six years with the City of Paramount. He earned a master’s in Public Administration from California State University Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a minor in Public Policy from University of California, Berkeley. Alex’s numerous accomplishments span a broad cross section of public services including overseeing the development of a new library, negotiating a land swap that enabled the County to create a new navigation center, managing a transition from at‐large to by‐district council elections, developing economic vitality plans and championing several housing, homelessness and anti‐displacement initiatives.
“We’re excited to have Alex join our team. He is a proven leader in San Mateo County and he’s prepared to hit the ground running on day one. Alex’s passion for community engagement stands out and will be an asset to our organization and community,” said San Mateo Mayor Amourence Lee. “Our outgoing City Manager Drew Corbett embodied San Mateo’s core values of collaboration and innovation in public service. His dedicated leadership guided our City through the pandemic and it’s thanks to his tireless efforts that our City has a strong foundation. I am grateful for all of the City employees who are dedicating their careers to public service.”
The city manager and city attorney are the only two positions appointed directly by the City Council. The city manager oversees San Mateo’s 10 departments including Community Development, Finance, Parks and Recreation, Police, Public Works and other administrative departments. City Manager Drew Corbett is retiring on June 30. Community Development Director Christina Horrisberger will serve as interim city manager until Alex begins on Aug. 21, 2023.
Alex lives in Mountain View with his wife and takes great pride in raising their three young daughters. When not working, he enjoys spending quality time outdoors biking, fishing and beekeeping.