Mayor Gloria Names New City of San Diego Chief Financial Officer

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, Oct 7, 2025

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SAN DIEGO - Mayor Todd Gloria announced the appointment of Rolando Charvel as the City of San Diego's next Chief Financial Officer (CFO), subject to confirmation by the San Diego City Council. A 26-year veteran of public finance and a long-serving City executive, Charvel currently serves as the City's Director of Finance and City Comptroller, where he oversees the City's $6 billion budget and provides financial leadership for more than 13,000 employees.

"Rolando has demonstrated exceptional financial stewardship, a deep commitment to public service, and the strategic leadership we need to guide San Diego's fiscal future," said Mayor Todd Gloria. "His track record of driving innovation, improving transparency, and delivering results makes him the ideal candidate to serve as our Chief Financial Officer."

As CFO, Charvel will lead the City's financial strategy, overseeing critical operations including budgeting, accounting, treasury, risk management, debt financing, and procurement. He will also serve as the Mayor's principal advisor on financial policy and long-term fiscal planning.

Charvel will fill the role being vacated by Matt Vespi, who accepted a position as the Chief Administrative Officer at the Port of San Diego.

Since joining the City in 1999, Charvel has held numerous leadership positions, including City Comptroller, Director of Financial Reporting and Chief Financial Officer from 2017-2020. His tenure has been marked by key reforms that have enhanced financial accountability, operational efficiency, and public trust.

Throughout his career, Charvel has:

• Directed the development and monitoring of the City's multi-billion-dollar annual budget.
• Led the successful consolidation of the City's accounting, budgeting, and debt management functions-integrating over 140 finance professionals and saving the City more than $900,000 annually.
• Championed the modernization of the City's financial systems through the implementation of a SAP-based Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system.
• Founded the City's Finance Academy, a professional development initiative that has trained more than 100 embedded finance professionals across departments.
• Oversaw the preparation of the City's Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR), strengthened internal controls, and improved financial transparency for residents, investors, and rating agencies.

Charvel is a Certified Public Accountant (inactive) and holds a COSO Internal Control Certification. He currently serves as Chair of the California Society of CPAs Committee on Municipal Accounting and is an active member of several professional organizations, including the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers (CSMFO) and the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA).

Charvel holds a Bachelor of Science in Accounting from San Diego State University, graduating cum laude.

"I'm honored by the Mayor's confidence and grateful for the opportunity to continue serving the people of San Diego," said Charvel. "Fiscal responsibility is the foundation of public trust, and I look forward to continuing our efforts to strengthen transparency, modernize systems, and ensure the City's long-term financial health."

The City Council is expected to consider the appointment in the coming weeks.

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