Making a mark: in a region as massive as this, 25 stand out for their potential to shape lives .SETTING all agenda for public policy is one thing--making it happen quite another. Given its size and diversity, Los Angeles Los Angeles (lôs ăn`jələs, lŏs, ăn`jəlēz'), city (1990 pop. 3,485,398), seat of Los Angeles co., S Calif.; inc. 1850. often has had a tough time galvanizing galvanizing, process of coating a metal, usually iron or steel, with a protective covering of zinc. Galvanized iron is prepared either by dipping iron, from which rust has been removed by the action of sulfuric acid, into molten zinc so that a thin layer of the zinc a leadership base that can take ideas and translate them into action. The very notion of a small group of power brokers running the city runs counter to the sensibilities of many Angelenos. That said, there are people who stand out, whether they're from political, business or civic backgrounds. Those named here are among those worth watching over the next few years. Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor California ELECTED last year in a recall election that ousted Gray Davis, he has managed to defy conventional wisdom in almost every way. Through both charm and political deftness, the governor has already pushed through a workers' compensation workers' compensation, payment by employers for some part of the cost of injuries, or in some cases of occupational diseases, received by employees in the course of their work. package and convinced voters to pass a massive bond measure that keeps the state's finances in check. He is also cutting deals directly with interest groups to prevent the Democrats from launching an assault on his policies. In doing all this, he has become the state's most popular governor in years (and even a possible presidential candidate if an amendment to the Constitution passes allowing foreign-born Americans to seek that office). We'll see if it lasts. James Hahn Mayor City of Los Angeles
L.A.'s longest-serving elected official, with one term as City Controller and four terms as City Attorney before running for Mayor in 2001. Hahn used the name of his father--former Supervisor Kenneth Hahn--to win black support and then forged a coalition with San Fernando Valley San Fernando Valley Valley, southern California, U.S. Northwest of central Los Angeles, the valley is bounded by the San Gabriel, Santa Susana, and Santa Monica mountains and the Simi Hills. voters to win a hard-fought election. He stunned Angelenos in 2002 with the decision to dump L.A. Police Chief Bernard Parks and lost the support of many black leaders as a result. But the selection of William Bratton as Parks' successor has proven popular. The focus now is on his $9 billion plan to overhaul Los Angeles International Airport--a plan that has run into significant opposition. In recent months, the administration has also been rocked by "pay-to-play" allegations surrounding city contracts and commissions. Even so, he remains the most powerful force in local government--and will continue in that role if he's re-elected next year. Jose Huizar President Los Angeles Unified School District The Los Angeles Unified School District (the "LAUSD") is the largest (in terms of number of students) public school system in California and the second-largest in the United States. Only the New York City Department of Education has a larger student population. Board THE 35-year-old Huizar presides over the school board during the most extensive building campaign for Los Angeles public schools in 30 years. Tapping roughly $9 billion from state and local bonds, the district has set out to construct 160 new schools and add 162,000 new student seats by 2012. At the same time, the system is besieged be·siege tr.v. be·sieged, be·sieg·ing, be·sieg·es 1. To surround with hostile forces. 2. To crowd around; hem in. 3. by critics challenging both its structure and effectiveness. The board last week voted to cut the number of sub-districts from 11, but further changes may be needed and improving the relationship between the board and Superintendent Roy Romer is a priority. Terry Tamminen Secretary California Environmental Protection Agency The California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) was created in 1991 by Governor Pete Wilson, through an executive order.[1] The agency combined six board, departments, and offices into one cabinet-level office:[2] APPOINTED late last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to head the California Environmental Protection Agency, Tamminen has already taken stands on several issues that have a direct impact on the quality of life in the region. He recently joined a coalition that backs allowing fuel-efficient hybrid vehicles in carpool car·pool n. also car pool 1. An arrangement whereby several participants or their children travel together in one vehicle, the participants sharing the costs and often taking turns as the driver. 2. lanes. Tamminen is also spearheading a plan to better manage state waters and beaches. Schwarzenegger wants the plan on his desk in the next three months. Dean Baquet Managing Editor Los Angeles Times Los Angeles Times Morning daily newspaper. Established in 1881, it was purchased and incorporated in 1884 by Harrison Gray Otis (1837–1917) under The Times-Mirror Co. (the hyphen was later dropped from the name). THE former national editor at The New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Times, Baquet was brought in by Editor John Carroll, himself a big part of the paper's mostly successful makeover. Baquet is routinely mentioned as heir apparent heir apparent n. the person who is expected to receive a share of the estate of a family member if he/she lives longer, or is not specifically disinherited by will. (See: heir) to Carroll, who is expected to resign in a few years. Some, however, question his long-term interest in remaining in L.A. Maria Elena Durazo Maria Elena Durazo is the current executive secretary–treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor. She was appointed the interim executive secretary–treasurer following the resignation of Martin Ludlow in February 2006, and was voted as the permanent President Hotel Employees and Restaurant Employees Local 11 SHE has been instrumental in opposing hotel chains efforts to cut worker benefits, pushing hotels to increase health care contributions to keep pace with rising costs. In representing nearly 4,000 L.A. hotel employees, Durazo is a force on living wage issues and potential job actions. Politically connected in a town where such things count, she is married to Miguel Contreras, head of the local AFL-CIO AFL-CIO: see American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations. AFL-CIO in full American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations U.S. affiliate. Rick Caruso Chief Executive Caruso Affiliated WITH the success of the Grove shopping complex--and before that the Calabasas Commons--he's become everybody's favorite retail developer. Head of the Police Commission when Bernard Parks was turned down for a second term as chief, Caruso is not afraid of the spotlight (he briefly entertained running for mayor). Success gives him considerable influence on local issues. Casey Wasserman Owner Los Angeles Avengers The Los Angeles Avengers is an Arena Football League (AFL) team based in Los Angeles, California and they began play as a 2000 expansion team. History The Los Angeles Avengers Arena Football team YOUNGEST person to own a professional league team, Wasserman has been a big supporter of bringing a National Football League team back to Los Angeles and has made his voice known in the business community. Wealthy in his own right (his grandfather was MCA MCA in full Music Corporation of America Entertainment conglomerate. It was founded in Chicago in 1924 by Jules Stein as a talent agency. In the 1960s it bought Decca Records and Universal Pictures, and today it produces films, music, and television shows. studio head Lew Wasserman), he has access to even more money through his connections. Tim Leiweke President Anschutz Entertainment Group The Anschutz Entertainment Group (AEG) is a sporting and music entertainment presenter and a subsidiary of The Anschutz Corporation. The company owns or operates several major entertainment/sporting venues, including Staples Center and The Home Depot Center and beginning in DENVER billionaire Philip Anschutz's man in L.A. has been instrumental in Anschutz Entertainment Group's purchase of the 40 percent stake in Staples Center held by Fox Entertainment Group, clearing the way for development of its long-planned entertainment and hotel complex next door. A relative newcomer to Los Angeles, Leiweke is considered the area's most influential sports executive. Roger Snoble Chief Executive Metropolitan Transportation Authority of Los Angeles County A major voice behind the effort to prioritize transportation projects, he has aggressively gone after limited state and federal funds Federal Funds Funds deposited to regional Federal Reserve Banks by commercial banks, including funds in excess of reserve requirements. Notes: These non-interest bearing deposits are lent out at the Fed funds rate to other banks unable to meet overnight reserve . Snoble, who joined the MTA (1) (Message Transfer Agent or Mail Transfer Agent) The store and forward part of a messaging system. See messaging system. (2) See M Technology Association. 1. (messaging) MTA - Message Transfer Agent. after turning around the Dallas transit agency, is getting mostly positive reviews for trying to get past bureaucratic logjams. Specifically, he has looked to decentralize de·cen·tral·ize v. de·cen·tral·ized, de·cen·tral·iz·ing, de·cen·tral·iz·es v.tr. 1. To distribute the administrative functions or powers of (a central authority) among several local authorities. MTA operations with "mini-districts" (still a work in progress) and expanded the very successful Rapid Bus program. Miguel Contreras Executive Secretary Los Angeles County Federation of Labor THE most powerful labor official in L.A. County, he has helped revive the previously moribund movement with an aggressive threefold strategy of organizing immigrant workers, campaigning for labor-friendly politicians and cutting deals to move big public works projects forward. But he was on the sidelines On the sidelines An investor who decides not to invest due to market uncertainty. on the sidelines Of or relating to investors who, having assessed the market, have decided to avoid committing their funds. in two of region's biggest labor disputes: the supermarket workers' and port workers' strikes. Now, he's an influential figure on the city Airport Commission and a backer of L.A. Mayor James Hahn's $9 billion plan to overhaul Los Angeles International Airport “LAX” redirects here. For other uses, see LAX (disambiguation). “KLAX” redirects here. For other uses, see KLAX (disambiguation). Los Angeles International Airport (IATA: LAX, ICAO: KLAX, FAA LID: LAX . Thom Mayne Director Morphosis morphosis /mor·pho·sis/ (mor-fo´sis) the process of formation of a part or organ.morphot´ic mor·pho·sis n. pl. ONE of the nation's most renowned architects, Mayne will have a hand in how downtown Los Angeles Downtown Los Angeles is the central business district of Los Angeles, California, located close to the geographic center of the metropolitan area. The sprawling, multi-centered megacity is such that its downtown core is often considered just another district like Hollywood or looks like in the coming years. A member of one of the two remaining teams bidding for the Grand Avenue redevelopment program, he is the architect for the $171 million Caltrans regional headquarters now under construction. He was a co-founder of the highly regarded Southern California Institute of Architecture The Southern California Institute of Architecture (SCI-Arc), was founded in 1972 by Ray Kappe. Thom Mayne was among its founding instructors and Michael Rotondi among its first students. , also downtown. His Santa Monica architecture firm Morphosis was chosen to design the athletes' residences for a proposed future Olympics in New York, a $1.5 billion project. Eric Garnetti Councilman City of Los Angeles THE City Council's progressive voice, Garcetti has pushed controversial measures to require developers to provide affordable housing and ban Wal-Mart-style supercenters in the city. As chair of council's economic development committee, he has taken a lead role in reforming the city's cumbersome business tax. He is the son of former L.A. County District Attorney Gil Garcetti and considered among the most articulate members of the council. Robert Hertzberg Former Speaker, California State Assembly The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members to the Assembly, representing a relatively equal amount of constituencies, with each district having a population of at least 420,000 citizens. Candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles A power player who relishes the opportunity to plunge into tough public policy issues, Hertzberg is eager to work with leaders on both sides of the aisle to reach consensus, in the secession debate, he put forward a boroughs proposal as an alternative and has served as moderator/negotiator in the complex water policy talks between Imperial Valley farmers and urban water users. While well-known in government/public policy circles, Hertzberg is far from a household name, which could hold up his mayoral chances. Antonio Villaraigosa Councilman, City of Los Angeles Former Speaker, California State Assembly A powerful coalition builder who rose out of the local union movement to become the state's most powerful Latino official, Villaraigosa first ran for mayor in 2001, placing first in the primary with an impressive coalition of Westside liberals and Latinos. But his efforts on behalf of a convicted drug dealer came to light in the general election and that helped sink his campaign. He spent a year in the private sector working for billionaire businessman and philanthropist Eli Broad and reemerged politically with a surprisingly strong campaign against incumbent City Councilman Nick Pacheco--and was elected to City Council last year. An early supporter of Sen. John Kerry, he could be in line for a cabinet post if the Massachusetts senator wins the presidency. Eli Broad Civic Leader, Cultural and Education Philanthropist Chairman, AIG AIG addressee indicator group (US DoD) AIG American International Group, Inc AiG Answers in Genesis (religious group in defense of Scripture) AIG Artificial Intelligence Group AIG Australian Industry Group Retirement Services Inc. THE billionaire businessman emerged in the 1990s as a powerful civic force as one of former Mayor Richard Riordan's closest advisors--and three years after Riordan left office Broad remains a force to be reckoned with. Focusing his energies on trying to revitalize downtown, he championed Disney Concert Hall when funding appeared on life-support and now he is behind an effort to remake Grand Avenue into a cultural and commercial center. A major figure in Democrat circles, Broad led the effort to bring the 2000 Democratic Convention to L.A. He's 'aim a major art collector and benefactor, co-founding the Museum of Contemporary Art and leading an effort to revamp the L.A. County Museum of Art. Fabian Nunez Speaker California State Assembly A rapid rise to the speaker's post makes Nunez one of most powerful Democrats in California. He immigrated with his family to the U.S. 30 years ago and plunged into politics and the labor movement. In 2002, at age 35, he won an Assembly seat on his first try for elected office. Now he must greach a budget deal with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger while facing opposition to cuts from core constituencies. Assuming he wins re-election, be could become the longest-reigning speaker since legendary Willie Brown. Wendy Greuel Councilwoman City of Los Angeles SHORTLY after winning election in 2002, she came out with a proposal for boroughs in the city of Los Angeles as an alternative to secession, and while the idea went nowhere, Greuel hasn't been shy about coming up with novel solutions to thorny problems. She has been an advocate for affordable housing, business tax reform and for giving the San Fernando Valley more of voice. She unsuccessfully challenged Alex Padilla for the council presidency last year, but remains a powerful voice on the council and some see her as mayoral material down the road. Bernard Parks Councilman, City of Los Angeles Former Chief Los Angeles Police Department "LAPD" and "L.A.P.D." redirect here. For other uses, see LAPD (disambiguation).  This article or section is written like an . HAS managed to remake himself (some would say in the Tom Bradley tradition) by moving from police chief to city councilman, and perhaps to mayor--he's exploring a run. A generally distinguished career was dampened by the Rampart scandal, which lowered morale on the force and, critics charge, contributed to an increase in crime in certain sections of the city. Mayor James Hahn came out against renewing his contract; the decision was upheld after contentious hearings at the Police Commission and City Council. A few months later, he re-emerged as a candidate for the South L.A. seat vacated by Mark Ridley-Thomas and won handily hand·i·ly adv. 1. In an easy manner. 2. In a convenient manner. Adv. 1. handily - in a convenient manner; "the switch was conveniently located" conveniently 2. . Since then, he has clashed frequently with Hahn on budget issues and led council opposition to Hahn's plan last year to expand the police department. Karen Bass Community Activist Clinical Instructor, USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. School of Medicine SHE helped start the Community Coalition after the 1992 civil unrest with an agenda that focused mostly on shutting down liquor stores and cheap motels. The organization has since broadened its scope, added 35 professionals to its staff and Bass herself won a decisive victory in the Democratic primary for the 47th state Assembly district (making her a shoo-in for the general election). Many consider her representative of a new movement in grassroots community organizing. Gail Ruderman Feuer Attorney Natural Resources Defense Council The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is a New York City-based, non-profit non-partisan international environmental advocacy group, with offices in Washington, D.C., San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Beijing. Founded in 1970, NRDC today has 1. A big voice in a battle for clean air, Feuer is leading the charge to force strict anti-smog regulations on public vehicle fleets. In April, she was dealt a setback when the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the South Coast Air Quality Management District The South Coast Air Quality Management District (SCAQMD), formed in 1976, is the air pollution agency responsible mainly for regulating stationary sources of air pollution for most of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside County, and all of Orange county. , which regulates air quality in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, overstepped its authority by making roles specific to Southern California. Feuer's impact in the coming years could be felt as she leads the challenge to a recent directive from the Bush administration allowing Mexican trucks and buses onto U.S. highways without reviewing the vehicles' effects on air quality. Marcy Carsey Partner, Co-Founder Carsey-Werner-Mandabach KNOWN for producing hit sitcoms ("The Cosby Show," "Roseanne," etc.), she and partner Tom Werner have been making noises about selling the business and its valuable library. A sale could generate in excess of $1 billion, giving the 59-year-old Carsey--whose net worth is estimated at close to $600 million--a massive political and philanthropic platform. She recent donated $2.5 million to the University of California, Santa Barbara History The predecessor to UCSB, Santa Barbara State College, focused on teacher training, industrial arts, home economics, and foreign languages. Intense lobbying by an interest group in the City of Santa Barbara led by Thomas Storke and Pearl Chase persuaded the State , for the new Center for Film, Television and New Media and has given $1 million to groups focused on defeating President Bush. Haim Saban Chief Executive Saban Capital Group Inc. THE billionaire investor who made his money with "Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers" has shown a growing interest in philanthropy and political fundraising (he's a staunch Democrat). He and his wife have pledged $100 million to health and education entities last year, including $40 million to Childrens Hospital Los Angeles. Saban is also a member of the UC Board of Regents An independent governing body that oversees a state's public Colleges and Universities. All 50 states have governing bodies that oversee the administration of public education. . His foundation has been active in making donations to both Jewish causes and hunger issues. Cheryl Saban, his wife, is on the board of Childrens Hospital and of United Friends of Children/Bridges. Sharon Papa Assistant Police Chief Los Angeles Police Department THE top female official at the Los Angeles Police Department, Papa joined the force in 1997 when the LAPD 1. LAPD - Link Access Procedure on the D channel. 2. LAPD - Los Angeles Police Department. subsumed the Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police The Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police is the police agency of New York's Metropolitan Transportation Authority, or MTA. Officers of the MTA Police are fully empowered under the New York State Public Authorities Law and are commissioned in the state of Connecticut. Department. The first woman promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief for the LAPD, she oversees a variety of units, including technology, facilities and the jail. Considered a candidate to replace former Chief Bernard Parks after his contract was not renewed, Papa's influence in the department continues to grow. Nina Jacobson President Buena Vista Motion Pictures Group BEYOND the control she can exert in her capacity as the top executive developing scripts and overseeing production for Walt Disney Pictures, Touchstone Pictures and Hollywood Pictures, Jacobson is in a position to wield influence in other areas. A contributor to Democratic candidates, she has recently begun talking about her role as a mother and a lesbian in a long-term relationship. Navigating the tricky waters between espousing family values as a parent and playing a role in redefining the "family" in family values, her influence will be felt both directly and indirectly. And as a top lieutenant to Disney studio chairman Dick Cook, Jacobson could see her Disney star rise higher if Chief Executive Michael Eisner departs. |
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