City of Newport Beach
Paul Blank has extensive experience in technology and management across various industries, serving as Harbormaster for the City of Newport Beach since May 2021, where responsibilities include overseeing harbor services and safety. Prior roles include Vice President of Information Technology at St. John Knits and Interim Chief Technology Officer at Drunk Elephant Skin Care, where strategic IT initiatives supported company growth and infrastructure improvements. Paul also held a significant role as VP of Information Technology at Urban Decay Cosmetics, contributing to the brand's rapid expansion from under $100 million to $1 billion in retail sales. Additional experience encompasses positions in project management, hospitality, and consulting, complemented by a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from UCLA.
City of Newport Beach
The City of Newport Beach operates under a Council-Manager form of government. Its seven City Council Members are elected by district, but are voted on by the population as a whole and are responsible for policy-making, passing local ordinances, adopting the budget, appointing committees and hiring the City Manager, City Attorney, and City Clerk. The City has approximately 725 full-time employees and hundreds of part-time and seasonal employees. Newport Beach is located in the coastal center of Orange County, with Los Angeles County to the north and San Diego County to the south. It has an estimated permanent population of 86,738, but during the summer months, the population grows to more than 100,000 with 20,000 to 100,000 tourists daily. The city is known for its fine residential areas, modern shopping facilities, strong business community and quality school system. It surrounds Newport Bay where more than 9,000 boats of all types are docked within the 21-square-mile harbor area. The bay area and the City’s eight miles of ocean beach offer outstanding fishing, swimming, surfing, and aquatic sports activities.