Who will pick up the mantle of L.A.'s civic leadership?

Los Angeles' dreamers--the entrepreneurs, corporate heads and philanthropists who envisioned Walt Disney Hall, revitalized museums, endowed charitable organizations, created jobs and strengthened our economy--are ready for the next generation to pick up the mantle. Who will take it?

The myriad demands on accomplished Angelenos put civic responsibility to the test. Sandwiched between the needs of aging parents and those of our children, growing our careers and businesses, we struggle for work/life balance. At times we succeed, albeit without a moment to spare.

Other challenges to civic participation are more complex. Traditionally, civic leadership was dominated by scions of business: the leaders of large corporations. Today's Los Angeles has shallower Fortune 500 pockets to draw from than New York, Atlanta or Chicago. While our base of "new economy" jobs is expanding and our manufacturing sector is the largest in the U.S., our businesses tend to be smaller, entrepreneurial enterprises.

And they are growing fast. Minority- and women-owned businesses in California have grown at more than twice the national average for all businesses combined from 1997 to 2002, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, But while these firms are growing in number and revenues, their civic involvement is far more likely to be felt on a grass-roots or local level than in large-scale, citywide causes.

Core group

To be sure, there is a core group of citizens and firms consistently giving their time and money to support a host of broad-based causes, and I can attest to their dedication. But where are the rest? Are the demands of our personal lives and businesses too much to overcome?

I believe not. Great people think in terms of opportunity, and LA is filled with extraordinary people and extraordinary potential. And for me, the thrill lies in using that potential to create a legacy that reflects our shared values and mirrors our diversity. How?

Let's challenge those who have yet to engage in civic life-business owners, entrepreneurs, and academics representing this city's full diversity--to own their role in designing our future. Ownership requires two assets: You must have the courage to act and the faith that sustained action will make a difference.

Let's ask Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, the City Council and civic boards to reward that courage and faith by fostering an atmosphere of inclusiveness for those who venture into the fold. Let's repay their sustained actions by implementing their new ideas and harness the power of shared opportunity.

Let's require Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, our mayor and the City Council to implement a plan for bringing Fortune 500 firms to LA. Beyond increasing jobs for our citizens and tax revenue for our state, large corporations bring a social responsibility mandate that could endow the next Walt Disney Hall or California Science Center. No amount of private investment can match the corporate sponsorship these firms provide--sponsorship that other cities around the country currently benefit from.

Employer support

Let's call on all of our companies to increase their community engagement. Employer support can put boots on the ground in civic organizations, an investment that infuses the community with new ideas, provides leadership and skill-building experiences for volunteers, and channels back first-hand information about how corporate financial support is used. Employers also win by gaining employee loyalty and commitment, instilling greater company pride, providing teambuilding experiences outside of the workplace, increasing visibility and forging stronger civic-employer bonds.

And let's continue our commitment to developing diverse bench strength whose contributions will be felt in our businesses and our city. True commitment means expanding awareness, mining our ranks and championing possibilities, and mentoring members of a generation--who may have little or no experience in broad civic life--to fully participate.

All of us have the opportunity, the responsibility and the power to design the future Los Angeles.

Tony Anderson is managing partner, Ernst & Young Pacific Southwest Region, and chairman of Town Hall Los Angeles.