Hermosa To Vote On Appointing Suja Lowenthal As New City Manager

HERMOSA BEACH, CA – The Hermosa Beach City Council announced Wednesday that it will vote next week to appoint Suja Lowenthal as Hermosa Beach’s City Manager. Luwenthal, DPD, is a former Long Beach City Councilmember and currently the Senior Advisor to Santa Monica’s City Manager, the Hermosa Beach press release said.

Lowenthal would bring more than 20 years of government, municipal and community engagement experience to the job, having served in leadership positions in Long Beach and Santa Monica City governments and in local water districts. Since 2017, Lowenthal has been responsible for analyzing and addressing high-profile issues surrounding the Santa Monica Airport and has served as co-chair of the City’s mobility strategic goal, the press release said.

She served as Transit Planning and Community Engagement Manager for the City of Santa Monica from 2012 to 2017, where she was responsible for regional intergovernmental transit planning and all other aspects of transit planning and community engagement for the Big Blue Bus regional transit agency. She also served as a member of the Long Beach City Council from 2006 to 2016 and as the City’s Vice Mayor from 2010 to 2012 and 2014 to 2016. She also served as an alternate member of the California Coastal Commission from 2007 to 2009.

“We are thrilled to have found such a great fit for our City at such a pivotal time in our development,” Mayor Jeff Duclos said in a statement. “Suja’s extensive knowledge of all the various facets of local government, her experience as a Coastal Commissioner, her work in the fields of transportation, education and water management, and her experience in business development and public/private partnerships will be of great benefit to us. In addition to her management skills, she is unquestionably one of the most impressive individuals I have had the pleasure of meeting in a long time.”

Lowenthal would fill the position left vacant by the departure of former City Manager Sergio Gonzalez, who accepted another position, the press release said. Retired Santa Monica City Manager John Jalili has been serving as Interim City Manager since March.

“Hermosa Beach is such a special place, and I am so excited to have the opportunity to become a part of the community and work with its residents and business and community leaders,” Lowenthal said in a statement. “I am also enthusiastic about the prospect of serving the community and getting to know City staff – all of whom have committed themselves to making Hermosa an incredible place to live, work and play. Having spent time studying Hermosa’s City government and its strategic plan, I am ready to get to work on implementing the City’s long-range plans and enhancing City services.”

Lowenthal was born in Madras, India and came to the United States in 1977, when she was 17-years-old. She earned a Bachelor of Economics degree from the UCLA; a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Doctorate in Policy, Planning and Development from USC.

As Hermosa Beach’s City Manager, she would be responsible for the day-to-day administration of the City, which includes implementation of City Council ordinances and policies, as well as oversight of 130 full-time employees and an annual budget of approximately $40.8 million, the press release said. Lowenthal’s annual salary would be $219,000 if her appointment and contract are approved by the Council. She lives in Long Beach with her husband, Tom Andrus, and their five children.

Photo courtesy of the City of Hermosa Beach