West Hollywood Assistant City Manager David Wilson will succeed Paul Arevalo, who is retiring this summer after 22 years as top administrator. Wilson was selected by the City Council Monday, May 17, in a unanimous vote. Approval of an employment agreement is expected June 7.
Wilson is a seasoned government professional with over 20 years’ experience in West Hollywood. He has served as Assistant City Manager since 2018. Before that, he was West Hollywood’s Director of Finance and Technology Services; City Treasurer and Risk Manager; Budget and Compensation Manager; Senior Management Analyst in the City Manager's Department; and Project Development Administrator for the City's redevelopment and housing functions. He began his career as an intern with the city.
Wilson holds a bachelor's degree in Political Economy of Industrial Societies from the University of California at Berkeley and a master's degree in Planning from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at the University of Southern California. He has also earned numerous certificates from Harvard, the International City/County Management Association, and the University of Virginia's Senior Executive Institute.
"I am honored to have been selected by the City Council to serve as the next City Manager," Wilson said in a statement. "West Hollywood is an extraordinary place to live, work, and play, and I look forward to my new role working collaboratively with the City Council, West Hollywood's various communities, and City staff. Some of my initial priorities will be recovery from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, reopening City facilities to the public, and moving forward with the visioning process for the next 30 years of cityhood."