PRESS RELEASE

Long Beach, CA – During the Dec. 12, 2023, meeting, the Long Beach City Council approved with a 7 to 0 vote to ratify the City Manager’s appointment of April Walker as the City of Long Beach’s new Assistant City Manager. Section 301 of the City Charter provides the authority for the City Manager to appoint an Assistant City Manager, contingent upon confirmation by the City Council. Ms. Walker, who currently serves as the City’s Administrative Deputy City Manager, will begin her new role as Assistant City Manager on Dec. 31, 2023.

“Ms. Walker is an amazing public leader, devoted to service for all within our City organization and our community," said City Manager Tom Modica. “She approaches every topic and challenge with enthusiasm and professionalism, and has her heart set on finding solutions, regardless of the topic. She will serve us well as our next Assistant City Manager.”

The Assistant City Manager is a member of the Executive Management Team and supports the City Manager and various functions within the Office of the City Manager. Per the City Charter, the Assistant City Manager is empowered to perform all duties of the City Manager in the event of the absence or disability of the City Manager. The Assistant City Manager works closely with the Mayor and members of the City Council and their offices, management staff, department directors, media, representatives of community groups, and elected and appointed officials in other governmental agencies. The position plays an active role in overseeing the City's finances, management planning, policy making, and coordination of high-priority projects between departments. The Assistant City Manager also plays an integral role in the implementation of several key areas of the City's 2030 Strategic Vision.

“Working for the Long Beach community where I grew up and am raising my family is an immense honor and responsibility,” said Ms. Walker. “The City team is among the best in the nation, and I am proud of the work we do every day to serve and improve our community. We have proven we can tackle any challenge head-on, while also bringing a lot of fun, exciting, and equitable opportunities to Long Beach.”

Ms. Walker has served as the Administrative Deputy City Manager since October 2021 where she leads various critical administrative support functions including Mayor, City Manager and City Council relations and coordination of successful City Council meetings, City Council staff reporting and meeting management, review of Administrative Regulations and memorandums, and Public Records Act compliance. Other major duties include development of the City’s 2028 Olympic Games Strategic Plan and oversight of its implementation, lead for the Office of Ethics and Transparency, Administrative Regulations overhaul, and support of the Latino Cultural Center.

Before joining the Office of the City Manager, Ms. Walker served in several roles within the Department of Public Works. Additional accomplishments during her tenure with the City include: established a Change Management structure and Move Coordination Plan for the Civic Center project to ensure staff were informed and ready for the move between City Hall buildings; oversaw Citywide parking operations and supported on-street parking policy review and improvements, including procurement, contract management, and financial analysis; managed the citywide Energy Efficiency Capital Improvement Program including Assembly Bill 32 funding; collaborated with external partners to leverage funding to support and streamline infrastructure implementation; developed standardized communication strategy for Measure A projects; and oversight of Bureau procurement processes including Request for Proposals and Invitation to Bid development and contract management.

Ms. Walker holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of California, Irvine, Paul Merage School of Business and bachelor’s degree in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine. She has worked for the City of Long Beach since 2015. Prior to her service in Long Beach, Ms. Walker worked for the University of California, Irvine.

After announcing the retirement of former Assistant City Manager Linda Tatum in September, the City conducted an internal recruitment to permanently fill the position. The opportunity was open to current City employees holding the position of Deputy City Manager, Department Head, Deputy Director or Bureau Manager.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube.