Arroyo Grande announces new city manager — and he’s a familiar face in South County
Arroyo Grande announced the selection of a new city manager Thursday afternoon, and he’s something of a familiar face in South County.
According to a release from the city, if the City Council votes to approve his employment agreement at its Dec. 12 meeting, Matthew Downing will start as the new city manager on Jan. 8, 2024.
A search to replace former Arroyo Grande city manager Whitney McDonald started in August when the City Council selected public agency hiring company Mosaic Public Partners to find the right candidate. McDonald left to become San Luis Obispo’s new assistant city manager.
The search process included 32 candidates before selecting Downing, who graduated from Cal Poly with a bachelor’s degree in social science and a master’s degree in city and regional planning.
A Central Coast resident for 35 years, Downing has lived in South County the past 10 years, the release said.
He previously worked for Arroyo Grande’s Planning Department, finishing his tenure as a planning manager in 2019, and spent the past three years as Pismo Beach’s director of community development.
Downing is part of the League of California Cities as a member of the Environmental Quality Policy Committee and the Coastal Cities Group, is a member of the Municipal Management Association of Southern California and the American Institute of Certified Planners and currently chairs the Shell Beach Elementary School Site Council, according to the release.
“I am incredibly humbled and honored to return to Arroyo Grande and serve as its city manager,” Downing said. “From the moment I began working for the city in 2010, I felt a deep connection to this community. Arroyo Grande holds a special place in my heart, and I am committed to dedicating my unwavering effort to achieving the City Council’s goals and advancing the community’s well-being.”
This story was originally published December 7, 2023 at 2:17 PM.
