SANTA MONICA—On Tuesday, August 13, the city of Santa Monica disclosed that City Manager David White announced the appointment of Dana Brown to lead the Human Resources Department, following a nationwide recruitment.
Brown started working in human resources at Los Angeles World Airports and has over four decades of public service experience.
She recently worked as general manager of the Personnel Department for the city of Los Angeles, where she oversaw over 600 full-time employees engaged in recruitment, examining, hiring and training, including for employees in public safety and the Department of Water and Power.
She served as the chief employee relations officer, general manager of the Department of Animal Services and human resources director at both the L.A. Zoo and Los Angeles Fire Department.
“Leading the recruitment, hiring and retention of our workforce is a vital role in delivering high quality services to our community,” White said. “Dana’s leadership and experience will strengthen the great work of the department and set Santa Monica up for success in building a strong and resilient workforce.”
As director of human resources, Brown will serve as a member of Santa Monica’s executive team and lead policy direction of the department, which oversees labor contract negotiations and administration, employee relations, recruitment and selection, classification and compensation, training, organizational development, succession planning and employee benefits. She will also serve as secretary for the Santa Monica Personnel Board.
“I am thrilled to join the team of incredible public service professionals with the city of Santa Monica,” Brown said. “The Human Resources Department plays a crucial role in bringing city services to life and I look forward to the teamwork and embracing working with people all across the organization.”
Brown’s position will start on October 6 with an annual salary of $253,680.
