City of Long Beach Announces Departure of Director of Technology and Innovation Department

Long Beach, CA ~ The City of Long Beach has announced the departure of Lea Eriksen, Director of the Department of Technology and Innovation (TID), who has accepted a new position as Senior Assistant City Manager for the City of Culver City. Ms. Eriksen has been a valuable member of the Long Beach community since 2014, initially serving as Budget Manager in the Financial Management Department before becoming Assistant Finance Director. In 2018, she took on the role of TID Director and has since led the department through a period of significant growth and transformation.

City Manager Tom Modica praised Ms. Eriksen's leadership, stating that she has positioned Long Beach as a national model for digital equity and technology-driven public service. Her vision and strategic focus have strengthened the city's technology infrastructure and improved service delivery to its residents. Mr. Modica expressed gratitude for Ms. Eriksen's service to Long Beach and wished her success in her new role.

During her time as TID Director, Ms. Eriksen oversaw nearly 200 employees and managed an annual budget of $90 million. She spearheaded major infrastructure modernization efforts, strengthened cybersecurity measures, and expanded access to digital services, particularly in vulnerable communities where barriers to internet access were reduced significantly.

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Despite facing challenges such as the pandemic, civil unrest, and a major cybersecurity incident, Ms. Eriksen's team maintained continuity while also enhancing data transparency, cybersecurity resilience, and emergency response capabilities.

One of Ms. Eriksen's notable achievements was coordinating an $80 million technology infrastructure modernization program for the city. She also supported 19 information technology tracks for Long Beach's $900 million Civic Center project. Additionally, she is proud of community-centered programs such as the Digital Inclusion Initiative, Digital Rights platform, LB Co-Lab, and Love Your Block that empower residents to drive positive change in their neighborhoods through digital equity, collective impact, and trust building.

Ms. Eriksen expressed her gratitude for the opportunity to serve the Long Beach community, stating that it has been one of the greatest honors of her career. She is proud of the work accomplished by her team in building a connected, secure, and future-ready Long Beach. This includes strengthening cybersecurity measures, modernizing technology infrastructure, expanding digital equity and access, responsibly exploring emerging technology, and fostering a culture of innovation and service. Ms. Eriksen also shared that Long Beach is her home, and she will remain a resident with her family even after leaving her position.

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Under Ms. Eriksen's leadership, TID received sustained national recognition for its achievements. This includes five consecutive No. 1 Digital City rankings in its population category, eight consecutive years as a Digital Inclusion Trailblazer, and recognition in the AI 50 for promoting responsible adoption of artificial intelligence. In 2024, the city was awarded the Southern California CIO ORBIE Award for technology leadership in the Large Enterprise category. In 2022, Ms. Eriksen was named one of the top 25 Doers, Dreamers and Drivers in Government Technology for her efforts in advancing digital equity and using emerging technology and data to address civic challenges in Long Beach.

Ms. Eriksen's last day with the City will be April 3rd, 2026. The City will announce interim leadership and a national recruitment plan in the coming weeks to fill her position as TID Director.

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