Huntington Beach City Council unanimously promotes acting city manager to permanent role

Travis Hopkins was appointed as Huntington Beach’s city manager at Tuesday night’s City Council meeting.

Hopkins, 56, becomes the city’s first permanent city manager in more than a year. His appointment was unanimously approved 7-0 by the council.

He started working with the city in 2006 as a civil engineer and was the public works director from 2007-2019, when he was promoted to assistant city manager.

Huntington Beach Police Chief Eric Parra served as the interim city manager for a year after Al Zelinka resigned from that position in 2023. In November, Hopkins became acting city manager.

Travis Hopkins, then assistant city manager, hands signed papers to City Council member Gracey Van Der Mark during a Mobile Home Advisory Board meeting in 2023.

(Don Leach / Staff Photographer)

“I love this community, and I’ve enjoyed serving this community for over 18 years,” Hopkins said in an interview following Tuesday night’s meeting. “Definitely, I wanted to be a public works director, then the more time I spent in this community, I looked for the opportunity to become assistant city manager and city manager. I’m honored and humbled to become the city manager here.”

Hopkins grew up in Idaho and holds a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Idaho. He moved to Huntington Beach in 1992, he said, and holds a Master of Public Administration degree from Cal State Long Beach. He is also a registered civil engineer in California.

“I hope to work with our city and bring our city together,” he said.

Hopkins’ contract runs for four years, beginning on March 15. His annual salary will be $311,750. There are no salary increases built into the contract, but the council may approve merit-based increases.

If the council votes to terminate him without cause, he will be eligible for six months pay and benefits unless at least six months’ notice is given.