Pat West is a veteran city manager and transformative public sector leader with nearly four decades of experience in California municipal government. As Joint Venture Partner at EKA, Pat brings unmatched expertise in redevelopment, entitlement processes, and the inner workings of city government, particularly during times of crisis and economic uncertainty.
Throughout his 39-year public service career in the Gateway Cities region of Southeast Los Angeles County, Pat has served in both small contract cities and large charter cities, holding a wide range of department head positions and serving 23 years as a City Manager. He earned national recognition for his innovative and community-focused leadership.
As City Manager of Paramount, Pat helped reverse the city’s status as one of the most distressed in the nation, leading an award-winning transformation through creative zoning and redevelopment strategies. In 2005, he was appointed Executive Director of the Redevelopment Agency and Director of Community Development for the City of Long Beach—California’s sixth-largest city—at a time when Long Beach was facing its most significant economic crisis in a generation. The collapse of the aerospace industry, once the region’s dominant economic engine, left vast tracts of land vacant and thousands unemployed. Simultaneously, the closure of the Long Beach Naval Base by the federal government further devastated the city’s economy, creating widespread blight, soaring unemployment, and a significant shortfall in city revenues.
Amid these challenges, Pat led efforts to stabilize and revitalize the city, eventually serving as Long Beach City Manager. Under his leadership, the city achieved its lowest-ever crime and unemployment rates and successfully completed a $520 million Civic Center development through a groundbreaking public-private partnership.
Widely respected for his vision, calm under pressure, and ability to unite stakeholders, Pat now applies his knowledge to help clients navigate complex challenges at the intersection of policy, politics, and economic development.
