ARROYO GRANDE, CALIFORNIA – At their September 8th regular meeting, City Council appointed Whitney McDonald as Arroyo Grande’s new City Manager.
Ms. McDonald has served as the City’s Community Development Director since February and also as the City’s Acting Deputy City Manager after the departure of Jim Bergman in April. Ms. McDonald has several years of public service, recently serving as General Counsel to the Nipomo Community Services District, Contract Assistant City Attorney to the City of San Luis Obispo, and Deputy County Counsel for the County of San Luis Obispo serving the Planning and Building Department on a full range of land use issues.
Ms. McDonald holds a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Law and a B.A. with High Honors, from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
“I am deeply honored by the opportunity to serve this wonderful community as its City Manager, and am grateful for the support of the City Council, Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director Bill Robeson, and our entire team of dedicated staff” says Whitney McDonald. “It has been my true pleasure to serve in my roles as Community Development Director and Acting Deputy City Manager, and I am excited to build upon the work that we and my predecessors have begun and to lead our organization into the future together.”
City Council also created the position of Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director and appointed the City’s current Public Works Director, Bill Robeson. Mr. Robeson has served as the City’s Public Works Director since 2017 and also served as the City’s Acting City Manager after the departure of Mr. Bergman. Mr. Robeson has 26 years of public service, including 23 years at the County of San Luis Obispo where he served as Deputy Director of the Planning and Building Department. Mr. Robeson’s role as the Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director will support the City Council and City Manager in high priority/profile project management, organizational leadership, oversight of city departments and ensuring efficient and effective program, policy and problem solving implementation.
Mayor Ray Russom and each Council Member commended Ms. McDonald and Mr. Robeson on the extraordinary job they both performed in their Acting City Manager roles and their efforts to move Arroyo Grande forward during very difficult circumstances this year.
Ms. McDonald’s and Mr. Robeson’s positions are effective immediately. Recruitment for a new Community Development Director will begin in the coming weeks.
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CONTACT INFORMATION:
Whitney McDonald, City Manager
wmcdonald@arroyogrande.org
Bill Robeson, Assistant City Manager/Public Works Director
brobeson@arroyogrande.org