After conducting an extensive and competitive recruitment, the City of Los Alamitos City Council is pleased to confirm the appointment of Chet Simmons as its next City Manager. Appointed on a unanimous 5-0 vote at the January 21 Council meeting, Mr. Simmons is set to join the City in February.
Mr. Simmons comes to the City of Los Alamitos by way of the City of Westminster. During his thirteen-year tenure with the City, Simmons served in numerous capacities, most recently as the City’s Assistant City Manager and Director of Community Development. During this time, Simmons has been the point person for a number of high-profile initiatives in the City, including the City’s recently adopted General Plan, the public/private partnerships that brought Infiniti, Airstream, and a Costco Business Center to the City, the planned redevelopment of its Civic Center property, and the City’s new community engagement initiatives.
Simmons has been also largely credited with initiating the City’s new Development strategy that has resulted in some of the City’s newest development successes. Chief among these are the approved Bolsa Row development, which will bring a five-star 150 room boutique hotel, luxury condo and retail development to the City’s cultural business district, and the newly approved mixed-use developments along Westminster Avenue and Beach Boulevard. Most recently, Simmons also served as the City’s negotiations with the owners of the Westminster Mall in order to allow for the redevelopment of the 104-acre site into a regional lifestyle/entertainment development.
Mayor Richard D. Murphy says, “We are delighted to welcome Chet to the City of Los Alamitos and to have him lead our Executive team. Chet brings with him a wealth of experience and we look forward to working with him.”
“This is a great opportunity and I want to thank the Mayor and the City Council for the confidence and trust they have placed in me,” stated Simmons. “Los Alamitos is an outstanding community with great residents and an unequaled staff. I am truly excited to see what we are able to accomplish together.”
Simmons holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Gonzaga University and is an active member of the Urban Land Institute, International City Management Association, and the California City Management Foundation.
For additional information on the City of Los Alamitos, visit www.cityoflosalamitos.org or call (562) 431-3538.
