After two years as Huntington Beach’s city manager, Oliver Chi is set to switch over to Irvine for the same job title.
The city of Irvine announced on Nov. 3 that they intend to appoint Chi as their city manager, a position currently held by Interim City Manager Marianna Marysheva, which she has held since 2020.
“While I am deeply honored that the City of Irvine is considering my appointment, I can’t begin to describe what a genuine privilege it has been for me to serve Huntington Beach these past two years,” Chi said in a statement.
“I have been so blessed to have had the chance to work with Mayor Carr and an outstanding team of thoughtful City Council Members. ... In reflecting back on the past few years, I do feel such immense pride at what we have been able to do together.”
Chi is set to be formally hired after a vote at Irvine’s Nov. 9 city council meeting.
After being formally voted in, Chi will be Irvine’s sixth city manager and receive a salary of $301,246 per year, a jump from the $260,000 he made in Huntington Beach.
Chi was chosen due to his 22 years of government experience at the state and local levels and has been credited with accomplishing a number of goals during his term at Huntington Beach, including the development of Be Well OC, addressing homelessness, instituting sustainability initiatives, establishing housing programs, and more.
“Oliver has done tremendous work for the city of Huntington Beach,” said Huntington Beach Mayor Kim Carr. “Thanks to Oliver’s leadership, we find our city in a budget surplus and stronger than we were in the past. Oliver’s leadership has been critical in overcoming COVID, civil unrest, and most recently, the oil spill. While I will greatly miss Oliver in Huntington Beach, I have no doubt he will do fantastic things for the city of Irvine.”
The Huntington Beach City Council will hold a closed session meeting Nov. 16 to determine how to find its next city manager, as well as to appoint an acting city manager for the time being.
Chi has ensured that he will do everything he can to coordinate a smooth transition process.
