UPDATE: Introducing Monrovia's Next City Manager

Here's a look at Monrovia's next city manager. The announced the .

Name: Laurie Lile

Age: 50

Education: Graduate of UC Davis, MBA from Pepperdine University.

Replacing: Scott Ochoa, Monrovia's city manager who . The city's finance director, Mark Alvarado, has served as the .

Experience: Lile spent 24 years working in Palmdale's city government, starting as an assistant planner. She later became the city's planning director before serving as the assistant city manager for the last five years. With a population of 152,000, Palmdale is roughly four times the size of Monrovia.

Hiring Process: Lile, who applied two months ago, beat out dozens of other applicants and was one of three finalists considered. She said she went through four different interviews before ultimately accepting an offer from the City Council on Tuesday. "It's been a long, arduous process," she said.

First Impression of Monrovia: "I thought it was just a a beautiful, wonderful community."

Expectations: Palmdale also had a redevelopment agency, so Lile said she is familiar with the council's ongoing efforts to dismantle it following a state law that desolved the agencies. "A lot of the issues that Monrovia is facing are similar to those facing Palmdale," Lile said. "I don't think it's going to be that much of a change."

Starts: Lile will take over Monrovia's city manager job on Apr. 30.

The Council Says (in a statement):

• “We interviewed some very qualified individuals during this process, and I feel extremely confident that we have chosen the best candidate. I look forward to working closely with Laurie on realizing all of Monrovia’s goals and objectives as we move forward." --Mayor Mary Ann Lutz
• "Laurie has moved through the ranks in Palmdale, and we feel she possesses the right skills to lead our city for a long time." --Councilman Joe Garcia
• "We’re excited to have Laurie leading our city and our staff into the future."--Councilman Tom Adams
• "Laurie was the unanimous choice for our council and we are pleased to have her join our team." --Councilwoman Becky Shevlin
• "Laurie will bring a nice balance and good leadership to our city." --Councilman Larry Spicer