Some day when I grow up....

Jim Hankla achieved his dream to become city manager of Long Beach - and (fortunately) he even cold-shouldered an MTA plum that later went rotten

Jim Hankla lives for a good challenge.

That's one reason, even though he had dreamed of being city manager of Long Beach since he was a college student, he considered leaving the job in 1993 to become chief executive of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

"It (the MTA post) is an even more challenging job," he says. "It was appealing to put together the pieces from the wreckage of the RTD (Southern California Rapid Transit District) and the LACTC (Los Angeles County Transportation Commission)."

He competed for and almost got the job heading the MTA, but it went to Franklin White instead. Considering what happened over the next two years. Hankla was very fortunate to have lost out to White.

The MTA was hammered by a string of controversies, construction disasters and investigations. Late last year. White was fired.

Long Beach is prospering economically - with an expanded convention center filling hotels; an aquarium and other waterfront projects, collectively known as the Queensway Bay Development, under construction; and the Queen Mary docked for a good long while. And all of this is visible in glorious panorama through the glass wall of Hankla's office atop Long Beach City Hall in the Civic Center.

Although every inch of space on the opposite wall is covered with plaques and awards (explains Hankla: "My wife won't let me have them at home"), it's clear Hankla is far prouder of his success outside his windows.

As for the MTA job that got away, a job some MTA board members wish he'd consider again, Hankla says: "It has lost its appeal."

"I have a number of high priority projects here now, and I feel honor-bound to carry them through," he says, looking out his window wall. "And I now have a very positive, pro-growth, pro-business City Council. Cities never stand still; they either go forward or go backward."

And Hankla is content to preside over the going forward of Long Beach - at least for another four years or so. After all, it was his dream job.

Bill Gross, Hankla's best friend and the former president of Douglas Aircraft, says it is Hankla's ability to work with both politicians and the business community and balance everyone's interests that has helped make him a success.

"He has contributed a great deal to the growth and development of Long Beach," says Gross. "He is honest and loyal. He has the ability to tell people what he thinks."

Hankla started working as an intern at the City of Long Beach 35 years ago. For a young man who grew up in a small town in New England, Long Beach was "upscale," Hankla recalls.

"People came here to shop," he says, pointing to the retail area that has since been anchored by a glitzy mall. "Since I was a senior in college, I wanted to be city manager of Long Beach. ... I felt Long Beach was the right size city that you could get your arms around."

Even when he left Long Beach in 1980 to become the first executive director of the new Virginia Peninsula Economic Development Corp., where he says he "fell in love with the challenge," Hankla says he figured he'd be back.

Edwin Joseph, president of Great Atlantic Real Estate Co. in Hampton, Va., recalls recruiting Hankla to head the Virginia EDC when Joseph was its first president.

"He (Hankla) is just a very bright, dynamic guy, and he has integrity," said Joseph. "He's focused. Nobody else is. Intensity and focus is everything." But no matter how focused Hankla was on the task at hand, he always had one eye on California. He returned to the Golden State in 1982, working for a few months as general manager for Cameau Construction's Northern California Housing Division in San Francisco before taking a job as executive director of the L.A. County Community Development Commission. In 1985, he was promoted to chief administrative officer of the county.

A lot of people would consider the CAO job at the county the pinnacle of a career in public administration, but in 1987, Hankla took a pay cut to come back to Long Beach and be city manager.

"Long Beach has always been a passion of mine," he says. "And I can't imagine a more challenging job. I'm never bored. Things go very fast."

Still, in about four years, Hankla figures on retiring and having a second career. He says he may join his sons in their mortgage banking business, teach college or become a consultant, especially to start-up cities.

"I like starting things from the ground up," he says.

He points out the window again at some vacant property and adds: "We've still got three more hotel sites to market. There's about four years worth of work left - for me."

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Jim Hankla

Age: 56 Native of: Louisville, Ky. Resident of: Long Beach Education: Bachelor of Arts, political science, California State University at Long Beach, 1961; Master's in public administration, Cal State Los Angeles, 1967 Spouse: Jorene