The City of Culver City has appointed Lea Eriksen as its new senior assistant city manager, effective April 6.
In the role, Eriksen will serve as the city manager’s principal deputy, providing leadership across major initiatives that advance council priorities, as well as overseeing Culver City’s Innovation & Infrastructure portfolio.
Eriksen currently serves as the director of technology and innovation and chief information officer for the City of Long Beach.
“Culver City is a vibrant, engaged community with a strong sense of identity and purpose,” Eriksen said. “I am truly honored to serve a community that cares so deeply about its future. I look forward to listening, learning and working alongside residents, businesses and staff to ensure our public services reflect community values and enhance everyday life. Together, we can build on Culver City’s strengths and create lasting impact for generations to come.”
As director of technology and innovation and chief information officer in Long Beach, Eriksen led a 208-member department and managed a $90 million annual budget, contributing to Long Beach’s record five consecutive years as the top digital city in its population category. Prior to the role, she was the city’s assistant finance director, where she oversaw development of the $2.6 billion budget.
She also served as budget director for the City of Cincinnati, Ohio, managing a $1.4 billion budget and leading major cross-departmental initiatives.
Alongside her Long Beach roles, Eriksen serves as vice chair of Innovate@UCLA.
As senior assistant city manager, Eriksen will oversee five key leadership positions, the city said:
• Assistant to the City Manager/Process Improvement
• Chief Information Officer
• Chief Transportation Officer
• Public Works Director/City Engineer
• Planning and Development Director
She will oversee infrastructure modernization and organizational innovation, leading the city’s Innovation & Infrastructure portfolio, as well as long-range fiscal planning and performance management.
According to the city, she will strengthen alignment across departments.
Eriksen is a graduate of Miami University and holds an MBA from Xavier University.
She is bringing to the organization more than 25 years of local government experience and a nationally recognized track record in technology leadership, fiscal stewardship and organizational innovation.
“Lea’s budgeting and process improvement expertise were important factors in my decision,” said City Manager Odis Jones. “As we work collaboratively with our executive team to move toward a balanced budget, it is important to have leadership with strong experience in capital improvement planning and long-range fiscal strategy. I worked with Lea when she served as budget director in Cincinnati and saw firsthand her ability to manage the Capital Improvement Program process and align resources with organizational priorities. She later brought that same financial discipline to Long Beach, and I look forward to her partnering with our leadership team to support Culver City’s priorities.”