Lori Ann Farrell Harrison was appointed as the City Manager of Costa Mesa in May of 2019, becoming the first woman to hold the job in the city’s history. She is a local government expert with 30 years of experience in both the public and private sectors. With a population of 115,000 and a budget of nearly $170 million, Costa Mesa is home to the OC Fair & Event Center, South Coast Plaza and the Segerstrom Center for the Arts.

Prior to becoming the City Manager of Costa Mesa, Lori Ann served the City of Huntington Beach for nine years, most recently as the Assistant City Manager, where she was the second in command at City Hall and worked with the City Manager to oversee the operations of the 4^th largest City in Orange County, and previously served as the Chief Financial Officer.

As the Chief Financial Officer in Surf City USA, Lori Ann was responsible for the financial oversight of the City's $344 million budget. She was instrumental in financing the construction of the City's new 50,000-square-foot Senior Center.  Her leadership and financial acumen led to numerous awards for the City, and a "AAA" bond rating for the city from Fitch Ratings in 2015.

She previously served as the City Controller, and later, Chief Financial Officer, for the City of Long Beach, overseeing a department of 136 employees and a budget of $2.3 billion.  Lori Ann also served as the president of the Board for the Port of Long Beach, the second largest port in the country, responsible for $180 billion in international trade. 

She has been featured on Bloomberg News, ABC News, and National Public Radio for her strategies to address local government challenges. 

Lori Ann received her Master's Degree in Public Administration from Columbia University and has a Bachelor's Degree from Barnard College of Columbia University. 

Cecilia Gallardo-Daly was appointed the Assistant City Manager of Costa Mesa in December of 2023, bringing more than two decades of government, executive and development services experience to the City’s senior leadership team.

Cecilia previously served the City of San Clemente as the Assistant City Manager, and prior to that as the Community Development Director, where she was responsible for implementation of San Clemente’s vision and policy as it relates to land use, economic development, environmental and historic preservation and coastal resiliency.

She is experienced in land-use planning, development project facilitation, architectural review, historic and environmental preservation, General Plan implementation, social service and housing programs and climate and adaptation planning.

Cecilia is known as a thoughtful leader, team member, and strategic thinker who thrives in an environment that embraces an innovative spirit, sets and exceeds high expectations, values public service and embraces customer service.

Prior to joining the City of San Clemente in 2015, Cecilia worked as a Planning and Environmental Permitting Consultant for local agencies.

Before that, she served in several capacities with the City of San Diego, holding the titles of Deputy and Assistant Director of the Development Services Department, Program Manager for the City Planning and Community Investment Department and Senior Planner.

She has also held planning roles for the cities of Austin, Texas and Rancho Cucamonga, Rosemead and Sierra Madre in California.

Cecilia has a Master of Arts Degree in Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science from UCLA.

Alma Reyes is currently the Deputy City Manager for the City of Costa Mesa. She has worked for the City of Costa Mesa since 2011 when she was hired as a Management Analyst.

In her subsequent years with the City, Alma has served in several roles, including Senior Management Analyst, Recreation Supervisor, and Management Analyst in various departments, including Public Works, Parks and Community Services, Fire and Rescue, and City Manager’s Office.

As the Assistant to the City Manager, she supports the City Manager on a variety of intricate matters. Her work encompasses overseeing budget development and implementation, legislative analyses of state and federal policies, and project management of special capital improvements. Most notably, she played a key role in the recent completion of a multi-year project, the Lions Park Project, which includes the construction of a new state-of-the-art, LEED Gold certified, 20,000 square foot library, a 1-acre park, and the renovation of a community center.

Prior to her work in Costa Mesa, Alma served the City of Hawaiian Gardens for a decade as the Administrative Analyst in the Office of the City Council and City Manager. With over two decades in public service, her experience extends across various areas of municipal government operations such as Administration, Finance, Human Resources and Risk Management, Public Services, Public Safety, Parks and Community Services, and Public Relations. Collaborating with several departments has afforded her the opportunity to develop an extensive understanding of municipal operations to provide multi-pronged solutions to complex issues.

Her solid municipal experience has refined her civic engagement expertise to develop and enhance city programs and services for its residents. In addition to her astute understanding of a community’s unique needs, her excellent bilingual skills have contributed to her success in engaging members of the community on civic matters, programs, and services. This has led to various recognitions for Alma; her honors and distinctions include the City Manager’s Leadership Award (2016); Costa Mesa Fire & Rescue Team Member of the Year (2016); graduate of Leadership Tomorrow Class of 2017, and a graduate of Orange County’s first CORO Women in Leadership 2020 Cohort.

Alma holds a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Public Policy from California State University, Long Beach, and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Public Administration from California State University, Fullerton.