San Luis Obispo names new city manager
Whitney McDonald.
Whitney McDonald appointed city manager by San Luis Obispo council
– The San Luis Obispo City Council announced the appointment of Whitney McDonald as the new city manager, following a competitive nationwide search. McDonald, who has been serving as interim city manager, will now fill the permanent role.
“During our very thorough recruitment process, it became clear that Whitney is the right person to lead and elevate our organization into the future,” said San Luis Obispo Mayor Erica A. Stewart. “She brings an impressive breadth of experience serving public sector agencies for the past 17 years and has a depth of knowledge in housing, land use, development, and environmental issues. Her local expertise and action-oriented, problem-solving style will help us address the most important challenges facing our city as well as implement our ambitious major city goals.”
The city manager is one of two key staff roles appointed directly by the city council, along with the city attorney. The city manager is responsible for hiring city staff, managing the city’s budget, overseeing day-to-day city operations, and carrying out the policy direction of the city council. In her new role as city manager, McDonald will lead a staff of over 480 employees and manage a total budget of about $225 million.
McDonald initially served as assistant city manager before stepping into the interim city manager role after the departure of former city manager Derek Johnson in April. An ad hoc committee appointed by the city council conducted the nationwide search for the new city manager. Mayor Stewart and Council Member Michelle Shoresman served on the committee, considered community feedback, worked with an executive recruiter, reviewed 59 applications from candidates across multiple states, and provided recommendations to the full council, which ultimately selected McDonald.
“Whitney distinguished herself in that impressive pool and gained the unanimous support of the council to serve as the San Luis Obispo’s next city manager,” Mayor Stewart said. “We are excited to work with Whitney to continue engaging and serving our community well.”
McDonald has signed her conditional offer, and the final employment contract will be formally adopted by the city council at its regular public meeting on Aug. 20.
“I am truly honored to serve in this role as San Luis Obispo’s city manager and look forward to deepening partnerships with community members, businesses, and regional partners,” McDonald said. “We have a lot to do together, and I am eager to continue working with the community, the city council, and city staff to accomplish our strategic goals.”
McDonald joined the San Luis Obispo leadership team in August 2023 as the assistant city manager. In this role, she oversaw the city’s community services group, which includes the departments of public works, utilities, community development, and parks and recreation. She used her extensive knowledge and leadership skills to ensure that the city delivered efficient and effective services and capital projects to the San Luis Obispo community.
Prior to joining the city team, McDonald served as the community development director and then the city manager for Arroyo Grande. She holds a juris doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a bachelor of arts degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
The city will provide more information on the recruitment for the assistant city manager position later this summer.
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