TITLE
Recommendation to receive and approve Commission/Board/Committee Appointments to Non-Charter Commissions.
DISCUSSION
Citizens' Advisory Commission on Disabilities Pamela Lewis - 6th District Resident
Pamela Lewis - Ms. Lewis is with the office of Economic Development and Workforce Education for Los Angeles City College, where she works with at risk youth and developed a boot camp to provide career exploration in the arts. She serves on the Board of Directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness and is a co-leader of the Train the Trainers College Awareness and Preparation Program.
Commission on Youth and Children
Victor Campos - 1st District Resident, Youth Commissioner
Roman Rhoads - 7th District Resident, Youth Commissioner
Victor Campos - Mr. Campos is a student at Cabrillo High School and volunteers with Winter in Willmore, the Children's Gateway Garden and the Willmore Heritage Garden Expansion.
Roman Rhoads - Mr. Rhoads is a student at Cabrillo High School and volunteers with Rancho Los Cerritos, Admiral Kidd Park and Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church.
Human Relations Commission
Elaine Bernal - 4th District Resident
Veronica Quincy - 7th District Resident
Elaine Bernal - Ms. Bernal is a lecturer at California State University long Beach working with the Educational Opportunity Program supporting the acclimation of first year, underrepresented minority students into the university setting. As a doctoral candidate, her research includes increasing access to educational technology and studying its use in math and science instruction at the long Beach Boys and Girls Club.
Veronica Quincy - Ms. Quincy is the Senior Regional Coordinator of Affiliate Member Services for the National Council of la Raza which is the largest national Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization in the United States. Her role includes developing strategic communication for the region and she is a liaison to more than 60 affiliate nonprofit organizations. She also volunteers for A Woman Like Me Mentoring Program and the Sexual Assault Crisis Agency.
Long Beach Transportation Company Board Of Directors
Mary Zendejas - 2nd District Resident
Mary Zendejas - Ms. Zendejas is the Director and Founder of the DisABLED Professionals Association, is the former chair of the Citizens' Advisory Commission on Disabilities, and is the Director of Community Relations for Accessible Connections Exchange. A former Ms. Wheelchair California and long-time outspoken advocate for disability rights, she also served on the Mayor's Transition Team. She holds a communications degree from California State University, long Beach.
Economic Development Commission
Kristi Allen - 3rd District Resident
Becky Blair - 2nd District Resident
Blair Cohn - 5th District Resident
Frank Colonna - 3rd District Resident
Randal Hernandez - 2nd District Resident
Ralph Holguin - 9th District Business Owner
Walter Larkins - 3rd District Resident
Michelle Molina - 3rd District Resident
Robert (Bobby) Olvera, Jr. - 2nd District Resident
Cyrus Parker-Jeannette - Educator CSULB
Paul Romero - 5th District Resident
Kristi Allen - Ms. Allen is Vice President of Hotel Operations at Ensemble Hotel Partners in Long Beach and oversees two hotel properties including the Hotel Maya, a DoubleTree by Hilton in Long Beach, where she is also General Manager. Allen is currently a director and chair-elect of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, and a board member of the Long Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau. She is a former board member and served as chair of the Downtown Long Beach Associates and also served on the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board.
Becky Blair - Ms. Blair has been a commercial real estate broker in Long Beach for more than 30 years, representing hundreds of buyers and sellers in sales and leases. She is active in local and state commercial real estate groups. Blair has served on the Board of Directors for Los Angeles County Workforce Investment, the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Long Beach Associates, and the Long Beach Symphony, and as a City Planning Commissioner for 6 years, including as Chair.
Blair Cohn - Mr. Cohn is the Executive Director of the Bixby Knolls Business Association, which has helped to revitalize business corridors and neighborhoods. Cohn also chairs the Council of Business Associations (COBA), and is the Event Director for the annual Tour of Long Beach that benefits Miller Children's Hospital. He serves on the Advisory Board for the ArtXchange, and will be the Cycling Competition Manager for the Special Olympics World Games to be held in Long Beach in July 2015.
Frank Colonna - Mr. Colonna was the 3rd district Councilmember for Long Beach for 8 years, including 2 years as Vice Mayor. As Councilmember he was Chair of the Federal Legislation Committee and served on the Alameda Corridor Board, where he was also chair for 3 terms. He is past president of the Belmont Shore Business Association and a gubernatorial appointee to the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy. He was President of the Gateway Cities Council of Governments from 1996-1998. Colonna is a long time real estate broker and former National Guard officer.
Randal Hernandez - Mr. Hernandez serves as Managing Director of Government Relations for Union Bank, where he is responsible for building relationships with civic and business leaders. Hernandez served as Chief of Staff to former Long Beach Mayor Beverly O'Neill in her first term in office (1994-1999). On behalf of the mayor, Hernandez focused on economic development, international trade, the city budget and intergovernmental relations activities. Hernandez served on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors and served on the California Green Jobs Council. He is a former member of the Long Beach Planning Commission.
Ralph Holguin - Mr. Holguin is the Chief Executive Officer of RMD Group, Inc., a North Long Beach small business with more than 100 employees, specializing in experiential marketing campaigns, data capture and analysis, display design and fabrication, social media and web integration, event and promotional staffing, and large format printing sublimation. He also sits on the Board of Directors for Westerly School in Long Beach.
Walter Larkins - Mr. Larkins has founded a number of companies, including Endosurgical Development Corp., which developed devices and strategies for minimally invasive heart surgery, and CDR Financial Services, LLC. He is currently President of CDR Benefits, LLC, offering life and health insurance for businesses, non-profits and governmental agencies. He serves as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles County Workforce Investment Board, chairing the Business Services Committee, and participates on a number of non-profit boards and organizations including Long Beach Rotary, California Council of Equality and Justice, Long Beach Community Foundation, LA Job Corps and the E=O2 Foundation.
Michelle Molina - Ms. Molina is managing partner of Millworks, which creates sociallyresponsible investment, development and property management, and is located in downtown Long Beach. She serves on the Downtown Long Beach Associates, a nonprofit organization operating on behalf of the tenants and commercial and residential property owners of the Business Improvement District, as the Chair-Elect. Molina is a founding member of the Historic Old Pine Association, and organizes and sponsors many North Pine charitable and arts projects. In 2014, she helped create the Friends of Lincoln Park, a support and advocacy group for Downtown Long Beach's largest public park.
Robert (Bobby) Olvera, Jr. - Mr. Olvera is the current President of the International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 13 and represents more than 20,000 part-time and full-time longshore workers who discharge cargo at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach. In his 25-year history with the ILWU, he has served on the Executive Board and as a Caucus Delegate on the local level. His career as an officer included terms as a Chief Dispatcher, Business Agent, and four years as Vice-President, ultimately leading to his election as President in 2013. Bobby serves on the Board of Directors for the Miguel Contreras Advocacy Foundation, a non-profit organization promoting social and labor justice, and on the Board of Directors for the United Way of Greater Los Angeles, Labor Community Services.
Cyrus Parker-Jeannette - Ms. Parker-Jeannette is Dean of the College of the Arts at California State University, Long Beach. In that capacity, she oversees one of the largest arts programs on the West Coast. She serves on the Board of Directors of the Arts Council of Long Beach, and Wooden Floor, an arts and social services non-profit for youth. She was the recipient of the 2006 New Leaders in Arts award from the Los Angeles Music Center.
Paul Romero - Mr. Romero is the Senior National Sales Director with the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau (LBCVB), which he joined in 2005. Romero is responsible for bringing conventions, meetings and special events to the City of Long Beach. His geographic sales territory is the association rich market of Washington, D.C., where many national organizations are based. Prior to joining the LBCVB, Paul was with Hilton Hotels, bringing with him nine years of hotel sales experience working at properties in Anaheim and Long Beach.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MAYOR ROBERT GARCIA