Pictured at right: Wodynski with wife Michelle and daughter Sophia
6:10pm | Long Beach Goverment Affairs Advisor and close friend Tom Modica has issued the following statement on behalf of the Wodynski family:
On July 24, 2010, David Wodynski passed away from sudden natural causes while enjoying a Saturday night with his family in the South Bay. Dave was 40 years old.
Dave was an amazing human being and his family and friends are deeply saddened and shocked by his passing. This is such a tragic situation and words cannot describe how much we will miss Dave in our lives. He was an incredible person who was unbelievably kind, generous and incredibly devoted to his family and his friends. He will always be loved and he will be deeply missed.
Dave is survived by his wife Michelle and daughter Sophia. In lieu of flowers, the family is asking for donations to a college fund for Sophia. Further information will be made available shortly, and you may call Tom Modica at (562) 570-5091 for more information.
9:45am | David Wodynski, the manager of the Budget and Performance Management Bureau for the City of Long Beach, died suddenly this weekend. He was 40 years old.
City Manager Pat West this morning called his death “A tremendous loss to the City of Long Beach.”
Wodynski had built an impressive list of accomplishments over the course of his short career. After achieving a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of San Diego in 1992, he joined the Peace Corps and served as a volunteer in Tunisia until 1994. That experience led to his decision to join the International City/County Management Association’s (ICMA) International Municipal Programs team, where he developed municipal programs for European nations like Bulgaria, Slovakia, Kazakhstan and more until 2000.
After receiving his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government, Wodynski became the Public Finance Advisor for the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. He came to Long Beach as a Management Assistant in 2002 and became the Budget Management Officer in 2003. Another promotion followed in 2007 when Wodynski was named manager of the Budget and Performance Management Bureau. There, he helped develop and implement the annual $2.3 billion operating budget. Wodynski played a key role in molding the budget proposal that was recently unveiled on Friday for Fiscal Year 2011.
“He was always the smartest person in any room he was in, and has always been a driving force behind getting our financial scheme in order,” said West. “That was his skill set, and it will be missed. Just a wonderful, wonderful human being and a wonderful family man.”
Wodynski had a young child and had recently purchased a new home.
“All of us are just shocked, it’s a tragic shock,” said West. “You just realize how precious life is.”