Five candidates are vying to fill a vacant seat on the board of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., (DTSM) following the resignation of longtime board member Julia Ladd. Ladd stepped down after the sale of Santa Monica Place by Macerich, the company she represented. The open seat is one of six designated for downtown property owners, who elect their representatives through a weighted voting process that gives one vote per property parcel owned within the district.
The election will determine which candidate joins the 13-member board, which also includes six City Council appointees and the city manager or their designee. Each applicant was asked to submit a written statement outlining their background, experience and interest in serving on the board. The responses, varied in tone and focus, offered a glimpse not only into the candidates’ qualifications, but also into how each chose to frame their role in the downtown community.
Charles Western
Western is Chief of Staff at XYZ LLC, which manages more than 100,000 square feet of retail and mixed-use property on the Promenade. His application reads like a polished cover letter, blending civic idealism with corporate strategy. He highlighted a background that spans public administration, legal advocacy for unhoused veterans, and digital asset management. “I operate at the intersection of strategic planning, operations, and civic engagement,” he wrote. Western holds a master’s in public administration from Syracuse and described himself as “a collaborative, solutions-oriented voice” with an interest in sustainability, culture, and public good. “Santa Monica is more than where I work, it’s where my partner and I intend to spend a life together.”
Chris Gorbos
Gorbos, co-owner and general manager of M.i.’s Westside Comedy Theater, offered a direct and conversational pitch rooted in 16 years of small business experience and community-building in the downtown area. He emphasized cultural activation, local hiring, and the need for creative spaces. “Small businesses, specifically those that offer much-needed ‘third spaces’ are the backbone of any vibrant community,” he wrote. Gorbos highlighted efforts to bring Netflix’s “Is a Joke” festival to Santa Monica and argued that DTSM needs more board members who’ve “built something here from scratch and still show up every day to run it.”
Evan Pozarny
Pozarny, a commercial broker with Muselli Commercial Realtors, focused on experience and longstanding civic ties. He listed two decades of leasing and sales work in Santa Monica and a long résumé of Chamber of Commerce service. “I work in close proximity with landlords, tenants, sellers, and investors,” he wrote, noting past committee roles in government affairs, land use, and business leadership development. While his application emphasized institutional continuity, it was light on policy direction or specific ideas for DTSM’s future.
Jeremy Bachrach
Bachrach is a senior director at Tishman Speyer, which recently completed a 100 percent affordable housing project downtown and owns seven more development sites in the area. His application took a planner’s tone, emphasizing timelines, financing, and delivery. “I aim to bring this vision to the DTSM board by promoting a resilient and economically thriving downtown that supports merchants, residents, and visitors alike,” he wrote. Bachrach pointed to his “strong financial background and deep expertise in multifamily development” as tools for guiding DTSM’s approach to housing, business, and public space.
Stanley Iezman
Iezman, a longtime Santa Monica resident and property owner, submitted the most credential-heavy application, listing roles with more than a dozen real estate, civic, academic, and philanthropic institutions. “I understand firsthand Santa Monica’s evolving dynamics and community needs,” he wrote. As founder and CEO of American Realty Advisors, which manages over $11 billion in assets, Iezman positioned himself as a strategic thinker with institutional depth. He previously served on DTSM’s strategic planning committee and stressed his commitment to “sustainable and resilient retail, office, and multifamily growth” in the downtown core.
According to CEO Andrew Thomas, the nomination period ended on Friday June 20 and then voting will take place some time after that. “And hopefully [we’ll have] a new board member to join us for our July meet,” Thomas said in the June board member meeting.