Alum Peter Kraut Named Mayor in California

From left: Councilmember Edward Albrecht, Mayor Peter Kraut, Councilmember Alicia Weintraub, Councilmember David J. Shapiro, and Councilmember James R. Bozajian

Wentworth Institute of Technology alumnus Peter Kraut is the new mayor of Calabasas, California.

Kraut was officially sworn in last night during a meeting of the Calabasas City Council. The Council is composed of five members elected at large on a non-partisan basis to serve four year overlapping terms.

The mayor is selected by the City Council, from one of its members, for a one-year term and serves as the official representative of the City for all legislative and ceremonial purposes. Kraut will be the presiding officer at City Council meetings and executes legal instruments and documents.

Kraut earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Architectural Engineering Technology from Wentworth in 1991.

In addition to his work with the City Council, he works as a mechanical engineer, specializing in the design of plumbing systems. His project experience includes schools, universities, hospitals, convention centers, aquariums, stadiums, museums, sound stages, amusement park rides and more. He founded South Coast Engineering Group in 2001 and opened his first office in Calabasas where he employs dozens of engineers, designers and draftspersons.

Kraut began his Calabasas civic involvementin 2008 serving on the Calabasas General Plan Advisory Committee. Volunteering for 18 months, he helped write the 2030 General Plan, the basis for the Development Code that the city uses today.

He served as a Calabasas Planning Commissioner from 2016-2020 and served as the Vice-Chairperson for the latter two years.