Ara Mihranian

City Manager

City of Rancho Palos Verdes

Ara Mihranian, a veteran urban planner and longtime employee of the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes, was appointed City Manager in February 2020.

Soon after graduating from Arizona State University in 1994 with a Bachelor of Science degree
in urban planning from the School of Architecture, he began his career in the public sector as an
unpaid intern in the Planning Department for the City of Malibu and the Chief Executive Office
for the City of Culver City. Three months into his internship, he was hired as an Assistant
Planner for the City of Malibu and served the City from 1995 to 1998.

Ara’s first day at the City of Rancho Palos Verdes was September 28, 1998, when he started as
an Associate Planner in the Planning Division of the Community Development Department. He
went on to hold the positions of Senior Planner, Principal Planner, Deputy Director, and was
named Director of Community Development in 2016. During his tenure in the Community
Development Department, Ara was responsible for overseeing some of the most high-profile
development projects in Rancho Palos Verdes, including Terranea Resort, the Marymount
College Campus Master Plan, the creation of the Palos Verdes Nature Preserve and adoption of
the City’s Natural Community Conservation Plan/Habitat Conservation Plan, and the 2018
General Plan Update, to name a few. He was also involved in various residential construction
projects, the renovation of the Golden Cove Shopping Center, park improvement projects, and
Citywide trails, including the City’s segment of the California Coastal Trail.

Ara was appointed Interim City Manager in November 2019. Shortly after being named
permanent City Manager a few months later, he led the City’s emergency response to the
COVID-19 pandemic. Over the years, he has built many close relationships in the community.
He is a familiar face to residents at homeowners association meetings, Chamber of Commerce
functions, and local events.

He is a member of the International City Managers Association (ICMA), California City
Management Foundation (CCMF), American Planning Association, and American Institute of
Certified Planners (AICP), and has served as chairperson for the South Bay City Councils of
Governments (SBCCOG) City Managers Group since February 2022.

Ara is the son of Armenian immigrants and was raised in Santa Monica and Northridge. He is
active in the Armenian community and was honored by the Los Angeles County Board of
Supervisors during Armenian History Month in April 2019. When not in the office, he can be
found at the gym, enjoying a run on some of the most beautiful trails in the City and Los
Angeles, on a plane traveling to obscure places around the world (time permitting), baking
sugary delights, or cooking traditional Middle Eastern dishes from his mom’s recipe box.