Wave Staff Report
CULVER CITY — The city has appointed Lea Eriksen as its new senior assistant city manager, 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.
Eriksen will serve as the city manager’s principal deputy, providing executive leadership across major citywide initiatives. In her capacity, Eriksen will advance council priorities, coordinate complex cross-departmental efforts, and oversee Culver City’s innovation and infrastructure portfolio.
“Lea’s budgeting and process improvement expertise were important factors in my decision,” City Manager Odis Jones said. “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.”
As senior assistant city manager, Eriksen will oversee five key leadership positions: the assistant to the city manager/process improvement, chief information officer, chief transportation officer, public works director/city engineer, and planning and development director.
She also will oversee infrastructure modernization, organizational innovation, long-range fiscal planning, performance management and strategic policy support to the City Council. In this role, she will strengthen alignment across departments to ensure infrastructure investment, technology advancement, and fiscal stewardship are coordinated in support of Culver City’s long-term community goals.
“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.”
Eriksen joins Culver City from the city of Long Beach, where she serves as director of technology and innovation and chief information officer, leading a 208-member department and managing a $90 million annual budget. She has advanced digital equity, cybersecurity and enterprise modernization, contributing to Long Beach’s record five consecutive years as the top digital city in its population category.
Previously, she served as assistant finance director in Long Beach, overseeing development of the city’s $2.6 billion budget, and as budget director for the city of Cincinnati, managing a $1.4 billion budget and leading major cross-departmental initiatives.
Eriksen also currently serves as vice chair of Innovate@UCLA, connecting Southern California’s technology community with academic and industry leaders. She previously served as a city representative on the Board of Long Beach Transit and held leadership roles with Twinless Twins Support Group International, including three years as board president. She has also contributed extensively to committees of the International City/County Management Association and the Urban Land Institute.
A graduate of Miami University, where she earned her degree cum laude, Eriksen also holds a masters in business administration from Xavier University.
Eriksen will begin her new role on April 6, 2026.
