Laguna Beach leaders have selected the city’s new top manager from within, after conducting a national search and interviewing six other candidates.
Assistant City Manager Shohreh Dupuis, who was first hired as the city’s director of Public Works in 2016, was the City Council’s unanimous selection for city manager.
Dupuis has worked hand-in-hand with City Manager John Pietig for several years. Pietig, who first came to the city as an assistant city manager to longtime City Manager Ken Frank, announced his retirement earlier this year.
Dupuis’s selection will be confirmed by the City Council on May 4 and she is expected to begin her new job on June 12.
“Shohreh Dupuis brings strong, experienced leadership to Laguna Beach during a critical time when we need to address quality-of-life issues for our residents, advance our economic recovery, make responsible budget decisions and take steps to protect the unique character of our community,” Laguna Beach Mayor Bob Whalen said in a city press release. “After an extensive search, the City Council selected Shohreh and is confident that she possesses the background, skills, passion, determination and work ethic needed to meet these challenges and move the city forward as its next city manager.”
Dupuis has more than 30 years of experience in municipal government. Since joining Laguna Beach, she has helped lead projects critical to the city’s improvement, officials said. Among those are leading the city’s response to the coronavirus, development of the Laguna Beach CARES program that provided grant funding to the community, resiliency efforts such as the Forest Promenade and working with the art festivals to help them open safely this summer.
She also spearheaded council projects such as the long-awaited Village Entrance Project, the development of the Wildfire Safety and Mitigation Plan, the resident-serving Neighborhood and Environmental Protection Plan and the city’s transit and parking programs.
“I’m incredibly honored and overwhelmed with gratitude that the City Council has selected me,” Dupuis said in the release, adding that she has a deep love for the city, residents and organizations. “I look forward to collaborating with all the voices of our city.”
Pietig, who leaves after working in the city for nearly two decades, follows three other recent retirements of top city officials: City Clerk Lisette Chel-Walker, who worked for the city – first at the Police Department – for 37 years, retired in December; Police Chief Laura Farinella, who led the department for five years, retired on Dec. 4; and Greg Pfost, director of community development, who led his department for five years, retired in July.
Pietig also commended the selection of Dupuis in the city’s release, extolling her “excellent ability to analyze difficult and complex situations, formulate solutions and build consensus.”
Beyond that he pointed out her passion for the city and commended her energy, adding she is well-suited to help the community recover from the pandemic.
Earlier this year, the city hired a recruiter and undertook a national search. The council also sought feedback from the community via a public online survey on what sort of city manager they hoped to see and what qualifications they looked for.
Dupuis previously worked as director of public works for Irvine and with the Orange County TransportationAuthority and county of Orange.
This post first appeared on ocregister.com
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