Alissa Roston has announced her candidacy for the Beverly Hills City Council and is hoping that her 35 years of public service will win her favor with voters in the 2024 election.
Roston’s track record of local leadership includes her service as president of the Beverly Hills Unified School District Board of Education, chair of the Parks and Recreation Commission, chair of the Charitable Solicitation Commission and president of the Rotary Club of Beverly Hills, among several other roles.
“My desire to serve on the Beverly Hills City Council is driven by my dedication to addressing the unique challenges and opportunities facing Beverly Hills in the next five years,” she said in her campaign announcement. “With major developments like the Metro Purple Line Extension, 2028 Olympics and 2026 World Cup, I firmly believe that Beverly Hills has to be proactive in shaping the future of tourism, transportation, and safety in our city and region.”
If elected, Roston’s top three priorities would be ensuring innovative community safety, collaborative city planning and transparent financial accountability.
She would like to see the city continue to embrace new technologies to increase safety, fully staff the police and fire departments and establish a new police substation by the soon-to-open La Cienega metro stop.
She is eager to see Beverly Hills receive state approval on its “housing element” plan to meet Sacramento’s ambitious housing goals in order to ensure the city can uphold local zoning laws. In addition, she wants to focus on developing walkable streets, a vibrant retail community and sustainable infrastructure.
Roston also seeks to establish a Vendor Oversight Committee where residents with financial experience can help review the city’s contracts with outside vendors and consultants.
“I think it’s really important that we have that kind of oversight and we can let our constituents know that the money the city raises in taxes and fees is being well spent,” she told the Courier.
Roston feels that her financial acumen, honed through years of working in banking and economic analysis, would be an asset to the council. In her professional career she served as the financial manager of the Los Angeles Pulmonary Medical Group, the assistant vice president of Union Bank in Beverly Hills and an economic analyst in the U.S. Department of State.
She also has strong experience in governance both through her many leadership positions in the city and as a current trustee of Pitzer College.
“Alissa Roston and I have collaborated for many years, through both good times and financially challenging ones,” said Donald P. Gould, chair of the Pitzer College Board of Trustees and chief investment officer of Gould Asset Management. “I have always appreciated Alissa’s diligence and her thoughtful approach to problem solving.”
“She finds common ground across multiple constituencies while ensuring all voices are heard,” he added.
Roston is a graduate of Pitzer College, where she received her B.A. in International Relations before obtaining her M.A. in International Studies at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.
Roston’s love for Beverly Hills runs deep. She and her late husband Warren Roston first moved to the city 41 years ago where they went on to raise their four children.
“I’ve been blessed to live in a city where it’s safe, and where they have wonderful schools and where one can get involved,” she told the Courier. “That’s why I’ve always wanted to give back.”
