Tag: New Mayor

BEVERLY HILLS—On Tuesday, April 14, the city of Beverly Hills announced that Craig A. Corman was elected Mayor of Beverly Hills at the Beverly Hills City Council’s reorganization meeting on Tuesday. He succeeds Sharona R. Nazarian, PsyD who completed her first term as Mayor and has served on City Council since 2022.

“I am honored to serve as Mayor of Beverly Hills,” said Mayor Corman. “Our community is a remarkable one that has helped shaped who I am and been a strong foundation for my family. Throughout my term, I’ll be committed to delivering thoughtful leadership, responsible stewardship, and making changes for a future that reflects the best of what Beverly Hills stands for.”

Mayor Corman was first elected to the Beverly Hills City Council in 2024. He formerly served on the Beverly Hills Planning Commission from March 2009 until June 2016 and the Cultural Heritage Commission from January 2019 until April 2024. Mayor Corman is an attorney, earning his Bachelor of Arts degree from Stanford University and his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School.

Mary N. Wells was named Vice Mayor by the City Council. Vice Mayor Wells, who was first elected in 2024, previously served as a member and President of the Beverly Hills Unified School Board of Education.

Vice Mayor Wells earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from the University of Southern California, specializing in Finance and Accounting. Vice Mayor Wells previously worked at the Walt Disney Company in Brand and Account Management and with Beezley Management in Construction Management.

The Mayor and Vice Mayor serve one-year terms and are selected by their Beverly Hills City Council colleagues at the annual reorganization meeting.

 

By Danny Jones

SANTA MONICA—The city of Santa Monica posted on its website that on Tuesday, December 9 that Caroline Torosis will be sworn in as the next mayor of Santa Monica and Jesse Zwick will take the position of Mayor Pro Tem.

Torosis was elected to the Santa Monica City Council in 2022 and served as mayor pro tem for the past year. She previously served as commissioner on the Santa Monica Rent Control Board. She will take the helm from outgoing Mayor Lana Negrete, who has served in the position since 2024.

Born and raised in Santa Monica, Negrete owns Santa Monica Music Center. She previously served on the Public Safety Reform and Oversight Commission.

During her tenure, Mayor Negrete served as part of the city’s response to the Palisades Fire, including recovery efforts focused on business support. She focused on involving young people in government and on educating community members about the city’s processes. She was appointed to the SM City Council in 2012 and was Mayor Pro Tem from 2022-2024, and will transition back to the role of councilmember.

Torosis is a UCLA alumna and is a government affairs attorney and workforce and economic development expert with a juris doctorate from Washington University. She has a full-time job as the Policy Director for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, Supervisor Mitchell. She is also a member of the County’s Women’s Leadership Council.

Zwick was elected in 2022. He grew up in Santa Monica, graduated from Harvard University, and worked as a journalist in Washington D.C. before returning home to write for film and television. He currently works as Southern California Director for the Housing Action Coalition.

Under council rules, the longest continuously serving councilmember will serve as mayor for a one-year term. If two or more councilmembers were elected in the same election, the councilmember receiving the higher number of votes shall be considered as having served longer for purposes of the rule.

A reception will be held in the City Hall lobby on December 9 from 4:30 – 5:30 p.m. with light snacks and refreshments. The reception is free and open to the public.

 

By Danny Jones