George Chavez, who has been the Beverly Hills city manager since 2019, announced Wednesday he will retire in December.
Chavez has worked for the city since 1988, starting as a building inspector and moving on to posts including assistant director of community development, director of public works and assistant city manager. He became city manager in June 2019.
“For more than three decades, he has been the fiber of our community,” Mayor Lili Bosse said in a statement. “As city manager, his calm and strong leadership and heartfelt connection to the essence of what makes Beverly Hills so special has always made him a cherished leader. On behalf of the city council and our entire community, we are deeply grateful to him for being the heart and soul of our community and wish him the very best in his well-deserved retirement.”
In a statement, Chavez thanked the city and said he “could not have predicted” the issued the city faced during his tenure as city manager, including the COVID-19 pandemic and protests over racial injustice.
“From civil unrest to the global pandemic and its financial impacts to our city, it was the commitment and resilience of our city council, employees and community that helped us emerge stronger and ready for the future,” he said. “I leave the city in very good hands and will treasure the friendships I’ve made for the rest of my life.”