SANTA MONICA—On October 26, the city of Santa Monica announced that Oscar Santiago was chosen as the Director of the Finance Department. His appointment follows the retirement of Gigi Decavalles-Hughes.
As finance director, Santiago will lead a team of 67 staff in 6 divisions, including Budget, Financial Operations, Procurement, Revenue and Risk Management. He will oversee the development of an annual citywide budget of $745 million, ensuring the continuation of public services to residents, visitors and businesses through the protection of financial resources.
“Oscar brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and skill to the finance director role,” said City Manager David White. “His unique perspective and insights will be a tremendous benefit to Santa Monica as we continue to push full steam ahead in our economic recovery.”
Santiago was born in Santa Monica, and worked for the region for over 32 years in various departments. He recently served as the budget manager overseeing the operations, policy development and implementation of the budget and procurement divisions.
He served as a senior administrative analyst for the former Community & Cultural Services Department, a principal budget analyst in the Finance Department and principal administrative analyst and administrative services officer for the Information Services Department, leading administrative and fiscal functions for those departments.
“I grew up in Santa Monica, and was a direct recipient of city services, so I know first-hand the kind of impact the services we provide has on an individual’s quality of life,” Santiago said. “The stewardship of public funds is a critical component to the wellbeing of our community, a responsibility that I take seriously. I look forward to continuing to serve the community and the city organization in this new role.”
Santiago holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and a master’s in public administration from California State University, Northridge. He will begin on December 27, with an annual salary of $223,836.
By Trevor