By Jorge Casuso
January 26, 2026 -- Former City communications director Debbie Lee returned to Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.'s Promenade office Monday to run the agency she re-branded 15 years ago.
Lee assumes the CEO post as as Downtown struggles to recover from the coronavirus shutdown six years ago, bring down a high vacancy rate and fight a public perception that crime and homelessness persist.
Lee will be paid an annual salary of $318,000, or some $70,000 more than her predecessor Andrew Thomas, after being hired by a Board overhauled by the City Council four months ago ("Council Fills Downtown Board Seats," September 11, 2025).
Two of the new Boardmembers are former mayors Richard Bloom and Gleam Davis, who were on the Council during Lee's tenure as marketing director for the City.
"Debbie’s extensive experience in public affairs, community engagement, and strategic planning, paired with her long-standing connection to Santa Monica, make her exceptionally qualified to lead the organization forward,” said DTSM Board Chair Michele Aaronson.
“She brings both vision and pragmatism," Aaronson said in a statement Friday. "She understands the complexities of our Downtown and the opportunities ahead.”
As CEO, Lee will oversee "programs that support place making, economic development, ambassador services, marketing, and stakeholder collaboration," City officials said.
"She will partner with the businesses, property owners, residents, and community leaders at a pivotal moment for the district."
As Director of Marketing and Communications for DTSM's predecessor agency, the Bayside District Corporation, Lee oversaw an 18-month process that resulted in the public-private agency's name change to Dowtown Santa Monica, Inc.
Lee left the post after she was hired by former City Manager Rick Cole in July 2014 as Santa Monica's Chief Communications officer.
Under her watch, the communications Department grew from a staff member who handled communications and public affairs and a City TV manager to a Department that by June 2016 included a marketing team, a public information team and a Web Developer.
Two years later, the City Council approved a $1 million contract to create a new municipal website to replace the one created in 2000.
After the coronavirus shutdown in March 2020 forced the City to eliminate nearly 500 positions, the Communications Department saw a significant reduction in staffing.
During the shutdown, Lee established the We Are Santa Monica Fund and Advisory Board, which raised more than $1.3 million to "support vulnerable residents and businesses, and launched new efforts around public-private partnerships," officials said.
Lee left the City post in May 2022 to become Senior Managing Director at Actum LLC, where she "advised public, private, and nonprofit organizations on public affairs, strategic communications, crisis communications, and community engagement."
She returns at a time when the City is launching a "Realignmet Plan" that focuses on tackling crime and homelessness, investing in major improvements and launching large digital billboards on the Promenade.
Her predecessor, Andrew Thomas, advocated for zoning changes made by the Council to enhance the Promenade's offerings and establish Southern California's first Entertainment Zone ("Downtown Agency CEO to Step Down," July 14, 2025).
“Our Downtown is entering a formative period that offers real opportunity to renew a district that reflects the creativity, resilience, and spirit of Santa Monica,” Lee said in a statement.
“There is meaningful work already underway, supported by dedicated teams within the public and private sectors," Lee said. "I am grateful to return to DTSM as CEO with that foundation in place."
“This district has always held a special place in the imagination of California and a special place in my heart.”