Lifelong sailor Brad Avery selected as Newport Beach’s 2021 mayor
February 4, 2021
Avery was appointed to the position at the Newport Beach City Council meeting on Dec. 8, 2020 as part of the annual reorganization of the seven-person council.
NEWPORT BEACH—Newport Beach City Council member and lifelong sailor Brad Avery was selected by the council to serve as the city’s 2021 mayor. Avery was appointed to the position at the Dec. 8, 2020 City Council meeting as part of the annual reorganization of the seven-person council. Council member Kevin Muldoon was selected as the mayor pro tem.
“I’m honored to be mayor among seven equals.” said Avery at the City Council meeting.
Before being selected to the City Council in 2016, Avery served on the Newport Beach Harbor Commission from 2011 to 2016. He grew up sailing on Newport Harbor and spent three years as a professional sailor. He also serves as the director of Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing and Seamanship.
In his remarks after being appointed, Avery compared sailing in a storm to this challenging time amid the COVID-19 pandemic. He said sailing in storms in the Southern Ocean he learned resiliency, to protect your crew, shorten sail, work hard to manage the ship, remain optimistic and focus on staying the course.
“We’re in the tenth month of our storm and we can see calm waters in the distance but sometimes it feels we will never reach safety.” said Avery. “Now is the time to double down on taking care of our city and each other, this is the time not to let up in our resolve to be resilient and to reach the shore.”
Avery will give the annual State of the City address on Feb. 10. The address would typically be given at the annual Newport Beach Mayor’s Dinner, which normally draws more than 400 community and civic leaders. The 40th annual Mayor’s Dinner, hosted by Speak Up Newport, scheduled for Feb. 5, was postponed due to COVID-19 restrictions and will be rescheduled for later in the year.
Avery will still deliver his remarks on the state of the Newport Beach and relate his goals for the city in 2021 in a Zoom webinar hosted by Speak Up Newport on Feb. 10 from 4 to 5 p.m. Attendees will have the opportunity to submit questions during the webinar, which is free and open to the public. For more information or to register visit speakupnewport.com/.
