The Gold Standard: Beverly Hills' Future
Meet Beverly Hills Mayor Julian Gold
Written by Arielle Harris | Photography by Circumpunct Studio
Beverly Hills’ Mayor Julian Gold moves back to the center seat in city hall this month after extensive careers and positions in medicine and politics. Known for his work advancing technological innovations in health and green energy, Gold is ready to return to the Mayor’s office for his third time - this term focusing on strong fiscal policies, public health services, and building greener energy. Whether it be new technology or developing the next generations of leaders, Gold wants to make sure Beverly Hills is a city that can support that future.
A New York native, Gold attended college at the City College of New York before studying medicine and anesthesiology at New York University. Going into college, he had a passion for building airplanes, but with the Vietnam War in full force at the time, he decided medical school would be a better option. After two years of surgical training, he changed paths and resurrected the airplane dream briefly. Considering a career as a flight surgeon, Gold tried to enlist in the Navy, but it was not meant for him. Instead, he returned to postgraduate training, this time in Anesthesiology. He finished training in New York, practiced in the city for some time, and then moved to Los Angeles. Upon moving to Los Angeles in the 1980s, Gold went to work at the renowned Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he would begin his successful 40-year anesthesiology career. In 1991, he became Co-Chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology and Co-Managing Partner of General Anesthesia Specialists Partners Medical Group and served in these roles until his retirement in April 2019. Post-retirement, Gold has been a consultant to Med-Tech startups through the Cedars-Sinai Accelerator program and worked with the Children’s Hospital of Los Angeles and many private medtech startups. He served as an Associate Professor of Clinical Anesthesiology at the USC Keck School of Medicine. One of Gold’s proudest achievements is creating the “Innovation Prize” award. He created this at Cedars-Sinai, where a $10,000 prize goes to the person or team with the most innovative medically related idea. “The goal is to stimulate creative thinking,” says Gold. “To encourage people who otherwise might not want to spend the time to bring us the next great idea. I have no idea what that might look like, but I am excited to see what the future will bring.”
Mayor Julian Gold sworn in by his wife Michele and long-time friend & community leader Judie Fenton on April 4, 2023 (Photo courtesy City of Beverly Hills)
While still a practicing physician, Gold started getting involved in local government. “Judie Fenton [President and Founder of FTA Events and Marketing] asked me to get involved working for a candidate’s political campaign - Willie Brien,” Gold reminisces. “Willie and I worked together in the hospital (he is an orthopedic surgeon), he won his election, others asked for my help, and then one day, it was my turn to run.” Prior to his 2011 election to City Council, Gold served on the Beverly Hills Traffic and Parking Commission and the Recreation and Parks Commission. Gold served as Beverly Hills Mayor from 2015-2016 and 2018-2019. Now in 2023, he is ready for his third term.
“This is my third time as mayor,” he says. “Each time has brought different opportunities. In the next year, I want to focus on ensuring we have a strong fiscal plan for the next ten years. I want to support, grow, and reshape the delivery of our public health services, and I want us to investigate how we can be more electrically independent. I want to ensure we maintain our focus on public safety and I want to strengthen and reimagine our relationship with the school district.”
He also wants residents, members, volunteers, and philanthropists to be seen and appreciated, as they drive much of the positive change the city requires. Through a program called “People Helping People,” Gold hopes to honor those who spend time and money contributing to making the city and world better.
As a 29-year resident of Beverly Hills, Gold cares deeply for his local community and home. “For all the international fame, at our heart, we are a small town. My daughter went through the schools here, and she, and we made wonderful lifelong friends along the way. We have been fortunate that when our family needed help, the community responded. We have always tried to give back. That is, in large part, the reason I initially ran for Council.” Gold is avidly involved in local community organizations like the Beverly Hills Rotary Club, a service organization that does local and international charitable work. A recent new project, Gold describes, is “a non-profit called ‘WINweb3’” that he is helping his friend develop. “‘WIN’ is ‘Women In Need.’ The idea is to use mostly digital art to both generate money to help women but also, by displaying and selling their art, to empower them in the online marketplace.”
While Gold is dedicated to the city of Beverly Hills, he is also involved in larger-scale initiatives that could affect California at large. Gold states that “many challenges are coming from the State legislature. We need to work with other cities to protect each city’s ability to control its own zoning, to build the environment they want and to protect its residents.” Gold is set to serve as President of California Contract Cities Association this month, representing 80 cities and their nearly 8 million residents. He is also the Board Chair of the Clean Power Alliance, the largest of California’s clean energy electricity providers serving cities across Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.
Michele Gold with her grand baby Mikaela in Beverly Canon Gardens on April 5, 2023
Though Gold loves medicine, policy, green energy, and new technology, he cherishes simple moments at home with his family. In his personal time, he loves spending time with his wife, Michele, his daughter Becca (a graduate of the Beverly Hills school system), his son-in-law Chris, and their 15-month-old daughter Mikaela. Gold also dabbles in photography and loves listening to 60s music, country western music, and Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah.”