Huntington Beach City Manager Fred Wilson announced Friday, Feb. 22, that he will step down after 11 years in the position. His last day at City Hall will be May 10.
Wilson, 60, joined Huntington Beach in 2008 after serving as San Bernardino’s city manager for 12 years.
Over the past decade, Wilson has been at the helm during several major events in the city.
In 2010, Huntington Beach annexed then-unincorporated Sunset Beach, an 85-acre neighborhood to its north. Two years ago, the city opened its long-awaited, $21.5 million Senior Center at Central Park. At around the same time, homes at Pacific City – a mixed-use development on 31 acres of former oil fields – finally welcomed residents after years of disputes over ownership and entitlements.
Wilson oversees a budget of $350 million and nearly 1,200 employees in 13 departments.
“He has provided a steady hand and strong leadership, attacking such difficult issues as unfunded pension liabilities,” said City Councilman Patrick Brenden. “He does a good job of balancing competing priorities and keeping everyone happy.”
Councilwoman Barbara Delgleize called Wilson “collaborative and receptive to new ideas.”
“Not only does he work well with the city council, he reaches out to other cities,” she said. “He left Huntington Beach an even better place than when he came here.”
As an example of Wilson’s willingness to listen, Delgleize recalled that during her first year on the city council in 2015 she suggested forming a Citizen’s Academy.
“I heard from some, ‘Oh, we tried that in the past and it didn’t work,’” she said. “But Fred said, ‘Let’s give it a go.’ Now we’re in our third year of offering a full-on Citizen’s Academy.”
Delgleize called Wilson “patient and even-keeled.”
“I appreciate his humility,” she added. “He is not an egomaniac saying, ‘Look what I did.’ He supports others for shared accomplishments.”
The city soon will begin conducting a search for a new manager, Brenden said.
“I feel it’s incumbent upon us to do a nationwide search, even if it turns out the best candidate is already here,” he said. “Huntington Beach is in good shape fiscally, and it’s in a phenomenal location. There are plenty of reasons city managers from all over would want to come here.”
Wilson has taken a job with Ralph Andersen & Associates, an executive search firm for public sector agencies.
In the city’s announcement about his impending departure, Wilson echoed Brenden’s sentiment about Huntington Beach. His family will continue to call the city home, he said: “We enjoy living here and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.”