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By Lookout Staff
December 14, 2023 -- Christopher Smith, who has worked at City Hall for 13 years, will assume the post of Deputy City Manager as part of a restructuring of local government, City officials announced Wednesday.
Christopher Smith (Courtesy
City of Santa Monica) |
Smith -- who served as chief of staff for the City Manager's office for eight years -- will oversee the City’s internal services departments. the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) team and the new chief of staff.
The move will "establish greater efficiency" and "enhance coordination and alignment" across the Human Resources, Information Services and Finance departments, officials said.
It also will help further the City's strategic goal of "bringing (DEI) principles into city hiring, training and organizational culture." |
“The purpose of this modification is to align our internal services departments to work collaboratively and efficiently for the organization," City Manager David White said in a statement.
It also will "help coordinate and facilitate significant projects in each of the departments.”
The move comes after the City Council earlier this year voted to restructure City Hall ("Council Creates Department to Focus on Housing and Homelessness," March 13, 2023).
The major reorganization resulted in the creation of a Housing and Human Services Department to focus on homelessness services and programs and a Recreation and Culture Department.
Smith will assume the title held by Anuj Gupta, who was named the City's new transportation director in July ("Santa Monica Taps Interim Transportation Director," July 17, 2023).
As Deputy City Manager, Gupta spearheaded the development and implementation of policy initiatives and managed special projects ("Santa Monica Taps Former White House Aide for Deputy City Manager Post," August 31, 2017).
A longtime Santa Monica resident, Smith has served since May as acting chief information officer heading the Information Services Department.
The top tech post remains unfilled on a permanent basis after the chosen candidate withdrew her acceptance this month ("Officer Tapped to Head City Tech Department Turns Down Job," December 4, 2023).
Before joining he City, Smith spent ten years working for the Judicial Council of California, leading statewide court technology strategic planning and policy development to support the implementation of e-filing and e-access services.
He will assume his top post on Monday with an annual salary of $226,212.
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