Anuj Gupta selected as Department of Transportation director
October 17, 2023 11:10 AM
SANTA MONICA, Calif. (Oct. 17, 2023) — City Manager David White announced the appointment of Anuj Gupta as director of the city’s Department of Transportation (DOT), following a nationwide recruitment.
Gupta, who has been serving in an interim capacity since former Director Ed King retired in August, will assume the permanent director position on Oct. 23. Gupta will manage a team of 472 employees and oversee a $110 million budget.
“Anuj brings a wealth of experience to the table and proven track record of leadership and collaboration,” White said. “I am confident he can build upon the strong foundation of the department to cultivate innovative, accessible, safe and sustainable mobility options.”
Gupta has 15 years of public service experience at both the local and federal levels. Before joining DOT, he served as Santa Monica’s deputy city manager for six years, leading the city’s legislative and intergovernmental advocacy work, while managing the communications team to engage and inform the community through the challenges and crises of recent years.
Gupta has led several complex interdepartmental policy projects, including the city’s pioneering framework for shared mobility, while playing a crucial leadership role in the City’s economic recovery, homelessness and business engagement initiatives. Prior to joining the city, he worked for the Mayor of Los Angeles, the U.S. Department of Justice and President Obama’s White House.
“I am thrilled to lead the extraordinary team at the Department of Transportation into the future with a focus on safety, sustainability, innovation and outstanding customer service,” Gupta said. “One of the many reasons my family and I love Santa Monica is that we can navigate this amazing community by taking a Big Blue Bus, walking or biking instead of always getting in a car — and I look forward to accelerating our city’s work to make these modes safer and more accessible. DOT will continue advancing transformative projects and services that provide an unparalleled array of mobility options in the city, shaping a future that is more equitable and sustainable for all.”
Gupta, who lives in Santa Monica with his wife and two young children, will earn an annual salary of $252,792.
Santa Monica’s DOT combines Big Blue Bus planning, operations and maintenance, traffic engineering, multi-modal transportation planning, programming and design, shared mobility and micromobility regulation, transportation permitting and parking operations and management under one administration.
For more on the Department of Transportation, visit santamonica.gov/departments/samodot.
Media Contact
Lauren Howland
Communications and public information manager
lauren.howland@santamonica.gov
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