Kevin J. Jackson Appointed Deputy City Manager

Long Beach, CA

The search for a new City of Long Beach Deputy City Manager has come to an end. Read more about the new addition to the City’s Senior Leadership Team!

City Manager Patrick H. West today named Kevin J. Jackson, Neighborhood Services Director for the City of Champaign, Illinois as Deputy City Manager for the City of Long Beach. Mr. Jackson’s appointment will be effective on June 26.

“Kevin has a proven history of providing exemplary leadership during his 21-year public service career,” said Mr. West. “His strong community development, organizational management, and service innovation skills will be a great addition to our Senior Management Team and help us make Long Beach an even better city.”

Mr. Jackson is currently responsible for overseeing the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services Department, which includes community engagement, affordable housing services, grants administration, economic development, capital improvement and more. He previously held the positions of Neighborhood Partnership Administrator and Senior Management Assistant with the City of Glendale, Arizona; and Project Management Assistant, Neighborhood Preservation Inspector, and Case Worker for the City of Phoenix.

“I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to become a member of and working with the City of Long Beach,” said Mr. Jackson. “My expectation is to continue offering strategic, collaborative and inclusive leadership to help advance the City’s priorities, values and traditions in support of the City Council’s mission.”

Mr. Jackson received his Bachelor of Arts Degrees in Psychology and Sociology and his Master of Public Administration Degree from Arizona State University. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

Over the past months, Anitra Dempsey has been serving as Interim Deputy City Manager.

Ms. Dempsey will return to her current position as the Executive Director of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC), which investigates allegations of police misconduct and reviews the service provided by members of the Long Beach Police Department.

“Anitra has done a fantastic job as Interim Deputy City Manager, and I want to thank her for her service,” said Mr. West.

The Deputy City Manager is an externally-focused position responsible for ensuring that policies and programs approved by the City Council are implemented throughout the organization in a collaborative and consistent manner. The position oversees the Office of Governmental Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Citizen’s Police Complaint Commission, and initiatives such as water quality, transportation, regional planning, grant development, violence prevention initiatives, and state and regional funding issues. This position is also responsible for various special projects and the City’s administrative efforts in the licensing and regulation of medical marijuana.