Polachek is no stranger to Santa Monica, having served the city for nearly 20 years in various capacities
The Santa Monica City Council named Elaine Polachek as interim city manager to replace David White, who announced his departure in December after more than three years in the position. Polachek steps into the role as the city begins a national search for a permanent city manager.
Pending final contract approval by the City Council, Polachek will officially join the city on Feb. 3 to facilitate the transition, becoming full-time city manager on Feb. 21 at a rate of $197.41 per hour.
Polachek is no stranger to Santa Monica, having served the city for nearly 20 years in various capacities, including as Assistant City Manager from 2010 to 2017.
Her previous roles in the city include open space manager, director of the Department of Community Maintenance, deputy city manager, and interim city manager. After leaving the city, she served as interim executive vice president at Santa Monica College and founded Kings Road Consulting, a firm specializing in government, community, and legislative affairs.
Before her tenure with Santa Monica, Polachek worked as operations manager for the Santa Monica Pier Restoration Corporation and held leadership positions at the West Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and the Pacific Design Center. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UCLA and a master’s in public administration from USC.
“I am confident that together we can make progress in achieving the goals of the council and community,” Polachek said in a release.
