News

After a 30-year career in local government, Newport Beach City Manager Grace K. Leung has announced that she plans to retire in late December 2025.

Leung has served as Newport Beach’s city manager since September 2018, guiding the City of Newport Beach through a period of fiscal stability, strategic infrastructure investments and organizational improvements.

“Grace has provided strong, steady leadership for Newport Beach over the past seven years and will be greatly missed,” said Mayor Joe Stapleton. “She leaves the City in excellent shape as we prepare for the next chapter in our leadership.”

The Newport Beach City Council will discuss the selection process for her successor during a closed session at its July 8 meeting, Stapleton said.

During Leung’s tenure, the City consistently maintained balanced budgets and high levels of service while paying down future debt obligations and investing in long-term infrastructure needs. She led organizational changes that improved efficiency and customer service, and placed a strong emphasis on public safety, technology and innovation.

Her accomplishments in Newport Beach include managing the City’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic and state housing mandates, reducing homelessness, modernizing operations within the Police Department, and overseeing major infrastructure projects such as the Sunset Bridge, Newport Bay Trash Interceptor and the new Junior Lifeguard Headquarters.

Leung joined Newport Beach following more than two decades of public service in municipal administration, finance and budgeting. She previously held leadership roles with the cities of Sunnyvale and Irvine that included finance director, director of administrative services, assistant city manager, and interim city manager.