Dana Reed sworn-in as mayor of Indian Wells

Dana Reed is the new mayor of the city of Indian Wells.

Reed was sworn in during Thursday's city council meeting. He takes over for Richard Balocco, who received a plaque commemorating his time as mayor.

Every December, the city council elects a mayor from its membership to serve as its presiding officer for a one-year term.

Reed has resided in Indian Wells since the mid-80s. He was first elected to the city council in 2014. This will be his second time serving as mayor of the city.

For more than 50 years, he has worked in several government positions. It all dates back to 1967 when he was appointed as assistant secretary of the Business and Transportation Agency by then California Governor Ronald Reagan.

He contemporaneously served as Executive Director of the California Toll Bridge Authority.

Reed was also appointed as Undersecretary of the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency by Governor George Deukmejian and to the California Transportation Commission by Governor Pete Wilson. Reed served as Chairman of the California Transportation Commission from 2001 to 2002.

Prior to that, Reed served as a member and Chairman of the Orange County Transportation Commission and a member of its successor organization, the Orange County Transportation Authority.

Reed is of counsel to and founding partner of Reed & Davidson, LLP, a Los Angeles-based law firm specializing in election, political, governmental ethics and non-profit law. He graduated from Loyola Law School in 1974 with a Juris Doctor degree.

Donna Griffith was sworn-in as Mayor Pro Tem. She is next in line to take over as mayor next year.