Whitney McDonald has officially been named the new City Manager of San Luis Obispo.
She took the oath of office at a City Council meeting on Aug. 20, 2024.
“It’s really just the deepest honor of my life to be here in front of you all accepting this role and taking the oath of office,” said McDonald at the meeting.
City Manager is one of the two key staff roles appointed directly by the City Council, according to city officials; the other role is 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, McDonald will lead a staff of over 480 employees, and manage a total budget of around $225 million.
City officials say she was selected because of "her local expertise, breadth of experience serving public sector agencies for the past 17 years, and depth of knowledge in housing, land use, development, and environmental issues."
McDonald has already served San Luis Obispo for several months as both Assistant City Manager and Interim City Manager.
Her appointment follows the departure of previous City Manager Derek Johnson.
Johnson left the position in April to become the first Chief Executive Officer for the County of Marin.
