Freddy Puza
Wave Staff Report
CULVER CITY — The city marked a historic moment Dec. 8 as the City Council selected new leadership for the coming year.
City Councilman Freddy Puza was unanimously voted to become Culver City’s mayor for 2026, becoming the first openly LGBT mayor in the city’s 108-year history. Puza was first elected to the City Council in 2022.
City Councilman Bubba Fish was unanimously voted to become vice mayor, forming the city’s first openly LGBT leadership duo. Fish was first elected to the City Council in 2024.
The City Council also unanimously approved Odis Jones as the city’s next city manager. He will succeed John Nachbar, who served the community for 15 years. Jones brings more than 30 years of executive leadership experience across local and state governments, in Texas, Ohio, Michigan and New Jersey.
His career reflects expertise in economic development, public finance, organizational leadership and major infrastructure and redevelopment initiatives.
“This is a new day in Culver City and I’m honored to work with the new city manager to create new opportunities and way of operating in the city,” Puza said. “The past, the present and the future, they’re all right here, right now.
“Every decision made before us created the city we love today. We honor that. But we also remember what we were,” Piza said. “We were a sundown town. That’s our history. We don’t get to forget it. We don’t get to pretend it didn’t happen. We’re not responsible for the sins of the past. But we are absolutely responsible for the future we build.
“And the decisions we make this year will echo for decades,” he added. “That’s not hyperbole. That’s the job. And I promise you, I will treat it with the seriousness it deserves. To everyone who has ever lived here, worked here, invested in this city: you’re part of Culver City’s story. You matter.”
In his remarks, Puza emphasized that Culver City stands firmly with immigrant families, LGBT residents and tenants, pledging that the city will actively protect civil rights and human dignity.
He outlined his three major priorities for the coming months: advancing affordability and sustainability through stronger housing and climate initiatives, strengthening fiscal responsibility with clearer budgeting and public transparency, and raising Culver City’s profile by promoting the city as a true destination. He emphasized that each effort is aimed at ensuring stability, belonging and opportunity for all residents.
“It’s a new day in Culver City. Let’s meet this moment with courage. With conviction. With a unified vision of what this city can be,” Puza said.
