By Jorge Casuso

December 14, 2020 -- Interim City Manager Lane Dilg -- who has steered the City through the coronavirus pandemic -- announced she would leave her post next spring, City officials announced Monday evening.

The announcement came shortly after Dilg, who previously served as City Attorney, told the City Council and staff that her family will relocate for public service outside of Santa Monica.

The City provided no specifics, but the announcement comes as the Electoral College confirmed Joe Biden as the nation's next president.

Dilg was a member of Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris’ transition team after she was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2016.

"Across my career, I have been immensely proud to dedicate myself to the public good," Dilg said in a statement Monday evening. "Serving the City of Santa Monica as Interim City Manager during the pandemic has been no exception.

“In the months to come, I remain fully committed to our ongoing work together to craft a thriving, more equitable Santa Monica as the pandemic subsides and the economy lifts," Dilg said.

"But I also know that finding the right leader for this uniquely talented city organization requires a deliberate, thoughtful search. To allow time for that search, I am letting the Council know now that my family plans to leave Santa Monica in the Spring of 2021.”

Dilg has been serving as chief executive officer and Director of Emergency Services since replacing City manager Rick Cole after his abrupt resignation on April 17 ("City Attorney Lane Dilg Tapped to Run Santa Monica During Historic Crisis," April 18, 2020).

Before being hired as City Attorney in June 2017 -- a post she had never held -- Dilg held a wide array of jobs during her extensive history of public service.

She had no experience running a City government when she was thrust into the top post in the midst of a lockdown that crippled the City's economy, forcing the Council to lay off some 250 employees and slash programs and services.

“Lane’s love of this city, her intellect, and her capacity to inspire hope in our darkest hours are the benchmarks of her leadership,” said Mayor Sue Himmelrich.

“That Lane accepted this position at the City’s most desperate moment is a testament to her commitment to public service.

"She has built a foundation that will allow Santa Monica to thrive in years to come, and I look forward to working with her and the Council to establish a thoughtful, deliberate process for the City to identify its next City Manager,” Himmelrich said.

The Council will begin an executive search in early 2021, City officisls said.