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The Garden Grove City Council has chosen Assistant City Manager and Community and Economic Development Director Lisa L. Kim as Garden Grove’s next city manager. Kim’s new position becomes effective pending approval of her employment agreement by the Garden Grove City Council, scheduled for consideration at the Tuesday, February 28 regular meeting of the Garden Grove City Council.
“I am deeply honored and excited to take this meaningful step in my Garden Grove career and lead an amazing group of people dedicated to serving our residents, businesses, and visitors. My sincerest appreciation to the Garden Grove City Council for the incredible opportunity to work together to meet the current and future needs of the community and keep Garden Grove moving forward as a leading Southern California city,” said Kim.
Born in Hong Kong and raised in London, England, Kim joined the City of Garden Grove in 2016 as Community and Economic Development Director, following more than 20 years of development experience with the cities of Pomona, West Covina, and Orange.
Since 2019, Kim has carried out dual roles as Assistant City Manager while overseeing one of the most crucial departments in the City comprised of the Office of Economic Development, Planning Services, and the Building and Safety Division.
In addition to attracting several key developments and new businesses to the city, Kim also developed the 2021 Comprehensive Plan to Address Homelessness that included the launch of the Be Well OC in Garden Grove Mobile Response Team, a street medicine initiative currently in the works with CalOptima, and the creation of the future Central Cities Navigation Center. During COVID-19, Kim implemented the Garden Grove Business Resource and Resiliency Plan to help business owners achieve financial recovery. She also initiated community engagement efforts for the proposed relocation of the Garden Grove Police Department headquarters in the Garden Grove Civic Center.
“Lisa’s proven track record for maintaining our city’s strong economic development and successfully implementing key city council priorities such as our vital homeless initiatives, gives the city council reason for furthering its trust in her leadership abilities. I know Lisa is well known and highly regarded in our community and throughout the county, and I’m confident that she will do an outstanding job as our next city manager,” said Garden Grove Mayor Steve Jones.
Kim holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and an undergraduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning. She is affiliated with several professional and service organizations such as the American Planning Association – Orange County Chapter, the Korean American Chamber of Commerce of Orange County, the Vietnamese American Chamber of Commerce, the Orange County Asian Pacific Islander Community Alliance, and United Way of Orange County.
Kim replaces outgoing city manager Scott Stiles. She is married and has two children.
