Lane Dilg - Interim City Manager

lane.dilg@smgov.net

Lane Dilg was appointed Interim City Manager for the City of Santa Monica in April 2020 in the midst of the COVID19 public health emergency. As Interim City Manager, Lane is responsible for the day-to-day administration of the City of Santa Monica, with a residential population of approximately 92,000, implementation of City Council policies, and oversight of the City’s fourteen departments and operational budget. Prior to her appointment as Interim City Manager, Lane led the City Attorney’s Office as City Attorney.

Lane joined Santa Monica as part of a distinguished career in public service. As an attorney, she has served as a close advisor to executive leadership at UCLA and UCLA Health, advised U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein as Counsel on the Senate Judiciary Committee through two Supreme Court confirmation hearings and in the aftermath of the 2007 financial crisis, advised the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit and the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California on matters of judicial administration, prosecuted federal public corruption and human trafficking offenses as an Assistant U.S. Attorney, and led litigation and negotiations for public and private entities. Lane’s prior appointments include serving as a member of U.S. Senator Kamala Harris’s Senate Transition Team, as the President of the Los Angeles County Prosecutors Association, as the President of the Federal Bar Association of Los Angeles, and as a Lecturer in Law at UCLA School of Law. Lane is a graduate of Yale Law School, Harvard Divinity School, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

At every stage of her education and career, Lane has focused on questions of how communities best live and thrive together. She lives in Santa Monica with her family.

Anuj Gupta - Deputy City Manager

anuj.gupta@smgov.net

As the Deputy City Manager, Anuj is deeply involved in the executive leadership at City of Santa Monica. While involved in day-to-day operations at the City, Anuj is primarily tasked with spearheading the forward-looking policies and initiatives for an innovative and progressive municipal government. The most substantial initiatives Anuj is tasked with are defined under Council’s Strategic Goals.

During the implementation of the Strategic Goals, Anuj will be working with intergovernmental agencies, community partnerships, neighborhoods, businesses, educational institutions, and other stakeholders to accomplish the goals set by City Council. Anuj is also overseeing the City’s efforts to transition to a Performance Management model to better oversee resource disbursements for future programs and projects.

Anuj previously served in the administrations of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the General Counsel in the Office of Immigrant Affairs and under President Barack Obama as an Associate Staff Secretary. Anuj holds a BA in Public Policy from Stanford and graduated from NYU School of Law. 

Debbie Lee - Chief Communications Officer

debbie.lee@smgov.net

In the capacity of Chief Communications Officer, Debbie is the City’s chief spokesperson and oversees the Office of Communications. Debbie and her team manage the City’s integrated communication strategy which includes everything from print publications to web management, including social media. In the event of media coverage, Debbie will coordinate the City’s response across departments and personnel.

Debbie develops and maintains media relations to ensure optimal coverage of City programs, special events, public announcements, and other projects. Working closely with the City Manager and City Attorney, Debbie also manages the contracts for federal and state lobbyists and tracks issues or pending legislation pertaining to the City or Council.

Debbie joined the City of Santa Monica after holding executive leadership positions at Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. and the Santa Monica Convention and Visitors Bureau. Debbie studied English Literature at UC Riverside.

Lindsay Barker – Chief Resilience Officer

lindsay.barker@smgov.net

In the capacity of Chief Resilience Officer, Lindsay is responsible for leading the efforts of the Office of Emergency Management, which includes Public Safety Dispatch and Emergency Preparedness. In the event of any type of emergency, natural or manmade, Lindsay’s team will be directing the City’s resources in response.

For the days we are fortunate enough not to have a disaster, Lindsay is preparing and overseeing proactive efforts to mitigate future disasters. This includes creating disaster recovery plans for residents, businesses, employees, and with other agencies. Lindsay coordinates with local, state, and federal agencies on a regular basis to ensure that Santa Monica is prepared for any type of disaster at all times.

Lindsay previously worked for Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, where she held the position of Director of Emergency Management and Public Safety. She holds a BA in International Service at American University and a Master’s Degree in Public Health from UCLA. 

Christopher J. Smith – Chief of Staff/LGBTQ Liaison

christopher.j.smith@smgov.net

In the capacity of Assistant to the City Manager, Christopher is responsible for providing administrative support to the City Manager, Assistant City Manager, and Deputy City Manager. This includes overseeing and coordinating the staff report approval process with internal departments for presentation to City Council.

Christopher is also responsible for representing the City Manager’s Office in interdepartmental meetings along with certain boards and commissions, as assigned.

Christopher holds a BA in English and Political Science from University of Washington and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Cal State Long Beach.