TITLE
Recommendation to receive and approve Commission appointments and reappointments for Non-Charter Commissions.
DISCUSSION
APPOINTMENTS:
New Appointments
Airport Advisory Commission
1. Phyllis Arias (CD5) - At Large - effective 07.01.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Phyllis has served the past 7 years on the Long Beach. She has enjoyed the experience and found it to be fulfilling and rewarding. She believes being committed to the greater good of the city has inspired her to continue to serve.
She served as Department Head for Learning and Academic Resources at Long Beach City College for 22 years and Director of Title V for 4 years. She has a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Santa Barbara, a Master of Arts from Claremont University and has Doctoral Studies in Education: Community College Leadership from Walden University.
2. Mark Christoffels (CD5) - At Large - effective 07.01.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Mark is a Registered Civil Engineer and Land Surveyor with over 40 years of experience managing capital improvement programs and projects primarily as the City Engineer and Public Works Director for several cities in both Los Angeles and Orange Counties, including 11 years as City Engineer for the City of Long Beach. Mark served as the San Gabriel Valley Council of Government Joint Power Authority’s CEO/Chief Engineer responsible for the $420 million SR 57/SR 60 Project as well as the $1.8 billion
Alameda Corridor East program. Mark was inducted into UCI’s Engineering Hall of Fame in 2017 and has guest lectured at USC, University of La Verne, San Jose State, Cal State Long Beach, and Cal State Los Angeles on topics ranging from the formation and management of JPAs, public project delivery and
government innovation to transportation and urban planning.
Mark has served the last 11 years on the Planning Commission for the City of Long Beach and in the community he is Chair of the Board of Directors for the Rancho Los Alamitos Foundation, on the Board for the Operation Jumpstart Program in Long Beach, and on an Advisory Board for CSULB. Mark is currently employed as an associate vice president with HDR Inc, a national engineering firm of over 11,000 employees. Mark has a BS in Civil Engineering from UCI and an MBA from Pepperdine University
3. Randy Zarn (CD4) - At Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Randy was born in Iowa but grew up in the suburbs of Chicago. He attended Western Illinois University completing a Bachelors in Communications and a Masters in Counseling and Student Personnel. He then spent 38 years working in student services in various positions at several colleges and universities including Augusta College 6 years, College of Notre Dame 3 years, 15 years at California State University, Long Beach and finally California State University, Dominguez Hills where he was Associate Vice President of Student Life. He retired from the CSU in 2010 at which time he started work as a consultant. As a consultant, he worked on several special projects at CSU Long Beach and at CSU Los Angeles. He also consulted with Carmelitos Housing, Tomorrow’s Aeronautical Museum and several other non profits.
Eleven years ago Randy began volunteering for Partners of Parks, the non profit supporting Long Beach Parks, Recreation and Marine. In 2016 he was appointed Executive Director and served in that role for two years and currently is the Associate Director. He also volunteered for the YMCA Community Development Branch and served on the Board of Managers for 9 years and as the chair for 3 years. For 12 years he has volunteered for Food Finders a food recovery program providing food for food banks and shelters. Finally for the past 5 years, he has been a volunteer for the Long Beach Airport volunteering for special events, serving as an escort for tours and attending airport staff meetings. He is married to Rosemary Zarn a graduate of Cal State Long Beach and is in leadership for the Assistance League and has one son who graduated from CSULB with a B.A. and a masters from CSU Dominguez Hills and currently is a special ed teacher for LA Unified. Randy looks forward to serving as a commissioner for the nationally recognized Long Beach Airport, “where the going is easy.”
Board of Health and Human Services
4. Paula Clark (CD5) - Registered Nurse - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023
- June 2025
Ms. Paula Ann Clark has been a Long Beach Resident for fifteen years. She was born at Harbor City Kaiser in a family of seven children raised by strong,
resourceful, and professional parents, Irene and Wilburn Clark. Paula has three
lovely and intelligent daughters-Kelci, Keli,and Kaela who are active members of the Long Beach community and are working on their university degrees. Paula received her Associates of Science Nursing degree at Cypress College, her Bachelor’s of Science Nursing at California State University Dominguez Hills, and her Master’s of Science Nursing with a concentration in Anesthesia from California State University Fullerton.
She was a single mom who raised three productive and intelligent young women. She is a Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA) who works for the Long Beach Tibor Rubin Veteran’s Affairs Medical Center (VA) and as a Chief CRNA
at the Digestive Care Consultants (DCC). She has been recognized as an advocate collaborator, a successful anesthesia provider, and an exemplary CRNA at both the VA and DCC. Paula Clark has been an active part of Teenshop, Inc. where she received the Mother of Distinction Award, the Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority/Epsilon Eta Omega Chapter, and founder of Compassion for Skid Row Nonprofit Nurse Anesthetist. She belongs to the First Lutheran Church in Carson where she is actively involved in community-based activities. She had been highly active in the Drum Corps Long Beach when her children were in secondary school. Paula Clark values honesty, loyalty, growth, and commitment and strives to be her best self.
5. Dr. Alex Red Eagle (CD9) - Hospital or Healthcare Organization - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Dr. Alexander Red Eagle, MD is a board certified internal medicine physician in Long Beach who works as a hospitalist in the Veterans Affairs Long Beach <https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ca/va-long-beach-hospitals-6931390> Healthcare System <https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ca/va-long-beach-hospitals-6931390>. Previously, he worked as a resident physician at the Stanford Health Care-Stanford Hospital <https://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/area/ca/stanford-hospital-and-clinics-6932330>. He received his medical degree and a PhD in Genetics from the Stanford University School of Medicine in 2012 and has been in medical practice for over 10 years.
Dr. Red Eagle grew up in North Long Beach and is proud to be doing work back in his hometown.
Cultural Heritage Commission
6. Marco Pizzo (CD5) - At Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Marco Pizzo has been an active, proud Long Beach resident for over 23 years. A
graduate with honors in Environmental Design from the Art Center College of
Design in Pasadena, California, Marco has produced noteworthy residential and commercial design and architectural projects of various styles and periods for over
30 years. His motto is “creative concepts, fresh solutions.” He maintains his credentials as a California Certified Interior Designer and has a small business interior design studio practice in Long Beach established in 2003.
Marco has been a board officer in the 501(c)(3) nonprofit Bluff Park Neighborhood Association since 2017. Beginning in 2014, he has served as the co-lead for the Bluff Park Historic Lamppost Project, a collaborative community based interactive partnership with the City, entering its third phase this year. He and the resident group he helped lead received a Long Beach Heritage Preservation Award for the 2013 Paloma Centennial Celebration which recognized multi-generational homes turning 100 years old. On a personal note, Marco enjoys living in one of city’s historically designated districts with his husband and small dog, enjoys gardening, and, for more than 20 years, is a nationally recognized competitive adult figure skater
Equity and Human Relations Commission
7. Cheryl Koll (CD3) - CD3 - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Homeless Services Advisory Commission
8. Pam Chotiswatdi (CD2) - CD2 - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Pam Chotiswatdi is a 20-year-Long Beach resident. She lives in District Two in the Zaferia neighborhood with her partner, Long Beach-born, Chris Mancini and their menagerie of rescued cats and dogs. She is the co-founder of a budding non-profit, Peer Education Community Center, also known as PECC, bringing community support, life-skills, and alternative approaches to community education such as harm reduction, and by collaborating through community activism such as Project Dignity in MacArthur Park.
She holds experience as an OB/GYN medical assistant, mortuary director, learning-differences English tutor, project manager, operations director, publishing editor, community volunteer, educator, and writer. She is a life-long student with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from California State University, Long Beach, a Master of Public Health degree in Health Education from National University, and various certificates. Outside of PECC, Pam is a
consultant at her own small business, Offbeat Olio, and working with the Long
Beach Collective Association leading education, advocacy, and cannabis curriculum at Long Beach City College. She is also on the Board of Directors for the Long Beach Community Table.
9. Mary Simmons (CD6) - CD6 - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Mary Simmons is a community leader that has dedicated herself to serving the city of Long Beach for over two decades. Her passion and determination to make a difference led to the formation of the AOC7 Neighborhood Organization, which has achieved remarkable accomplishments. Some of which include: planting four hundred trees, providing forty thousand books to children, feeding thousands of families during the pandemic, supporting the Long Beach Health Department with outreach, vaccine clinic support and helping to count our community during the 2020 US Census.
Mary's leadership has been recognized with numerous awards, including the 2021 California NonProfit of the Year Award, which is a testament to the impact that AOC7 has had on the community. Her involvement in various organizations and committees, such as the Long Beach Covid Task Force and the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion Food Network, Cambodia Town Thrives Zone In: City Core Advisory Committee shows her commitment to making a positive difference in people's lives.
Long Beach Transit Board of Directors
10. Eduardo Angeles (CD3) - Directorship 7 - effective 05.02.23, Term: January 2023 - December 2026
Eduardo (“Eddie”) Angeles currently serves as the Director of State and Local Government Affairs for American Airlines in the Western Pacific States which includes California, Oregon, Washington State, Alaska, and the Hawaiian Islands. Prior to this position Eddie was the Managing Director and Senior Counsel of the Los Angeles Office Government and Regulatory Affairs practice group. Eddie also served as a Senior Assistant City Attorney for the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office assigned to the Los Angeles World Airports (“LAWA”) Legal Division providing in-house legal services to LAWA which is responsible for the oversight and governance of LAX and Van Nuys Airports in Los Angeles County. Prior to his LAWA position, Eddie served as a Presidential Appointee as the Federal Aviation Administration’s Associate Administrator for Airports.
Eddie earned his undergraduate degree from University of California at Santa Barbara and his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. He is a member of the Board of Governors of the U.C. Hastings Alumni Association. He has served as an Adjunct Faculty Member at Loyola Law School and California State University of Los Angeles and served on the State Bar of California’s Committee of Bar Examiners.
11. Tunua Thrash-Ntuk (CD8) - Directorship 1 - effective 05.02.23, Term: January 2023 - December 2026
Tunua Thrash-Ntuk is the Executive Director of The Center by Lendistry. She is a seasoned community and economic development practitioner of more than 15- years with both non-profit and private sector experiences. Her strengths range from community advocacy to asset and real estate development around neighborhood revitalization. She has already led a number of important urban initiatives in Los Angeles focused on affordable housing and commercial development as well as transit-oriented projects. Prior to joining LISC, Tunua served as Executive Director of West Angeles Community Development Corporation, during her tenure she was responsible for the asset management and oversight of the WACDC real estate portfolio valued at $150 million. Tunua led the growth of WACDC’s real estate portfolio, in part by brokering a breakthrough in the development, construction and opening of West Angeles Plaza, a 24,000 square foot commercial office project.
Tunua was named LA’s 2021 Impact Makers to Watch by Stratiscope and received the Wells Fargo Diversity, Inclusion and Equity Award by Los Angeles Business Journal. She serves as a board member or advisory board member to many entities, including Federal Home Loan Bank San Francisco’s Affordable Housing Council, Housing California, City of LA Measure HHH Citizens Oversight Commission, Southern California Edison’s Consumer Advisory Panel, Greenlining Institute, Union Bank’s Community Advisory Board, Frontier Communications Community Advisory Board and the Los Angeles Development Fund, which is the City of Los Angeles’ New Market Tax Credit implementation group. Tunua is a graduate of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) where she earned her Master’s in City Planning as well as an alumna of UC Berkeley where she received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies. She lives at home with her husband in two children in North Long Beach.
Marine Advisory Commission
12. Avis Atkins (CD1) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Avis Atkins, a political activist and social justice advocate, is originally from Long
Beach, California. With a deep passion for social justice, she started her advocacy work as the president of her college council and as a senator of her college, fighting tirelessly for the rights of marginalized communities and students.
Avis has a wealth of board experience, having served on the boards of the Urban League of Young Professionals and Mothers Against Drunk Driving. Her extensive experiences have equipped her with the necessary skills to navigate complex issues and work towards sustainable solutions that benefit everyone.
She holds a Bachelor's of Arts degree from California State University Long Beach, with majors in Psychology, Sociology, and Human Development.
Additionally, she pursued her education at Harvard University, earning two Master's degrees. Her passion for social justice continues to inspire her work, pushing her towards a fair and equitable society where everyone has equal access to opportunities and resources.
13. Gordana Kajer (CD3) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023-June 2025
Gordana has lived in Long Beach since 1988 in Belmont Heights and is self- employed as an import/export consultant. She learned early, as a new property owner, that Long Beach is defined by neighborhoods. And recognized over time that her neighborhood really relied on residents who did important work - identifying local issues, educating residents, making change - by volunteering with their time, and contributing on issues with their skills and knowledge. Great things get done with neighborhood volunteers, and you also get to meet some incredible people who just happen to live near you. It was an important lesson for her and over the past 25 years she has had the great honor - and pleasure- of volunteering with the Long Beach Chapter of Surfrider Foundation, the Belmont Heights Community Association, the Los Cerritos Wetlands Land Trust, and as a member of the City of Long Beach Sustainable City Commission. She looks forward to many more years of volunteering in my neighborhood.
Port of Long Beach’s Community Grants Advisory Committee
14. Natalie Hernandez (CD9) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Natalie Hernandez is a specialist in environmental policy and community planning. She currently works at a local nonprofit, Climate Resolve. In her role as Director of Resilience & Organizational Strategy, she has co-authored climate change policy and research reports, led community outreach to prepare residents for the effects of heat waves, and provided technical expertise on various grant programs. She is knowledgeable about government processes, funding, and stakeholder engagement. Natalie has a strong passion for environmental justice and climate equity, which she attributes to growing up in various parts of Long Beach and studying the intersection of land use and public health.
Natalie holds a Master of Urban Planning degree from USC and a BA in Urban Studies and Spanish from Loyola Marymount University. Her experience includes positions at the California Natural Resources Agency, California Air Resources Board, and USC Equity Research Institute. She is a proud District 9 North Long Beach resident where she lives with her partner and two puppies. In her spare time, she enjoys running along the LA River and eating tacos and sushi from Long Beach’s food scene.
15. Davida Hopkins-Parham (CD1) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Davida Hopkins-Parham is a retired educator, whose professional career in higher education spans more than three decades. A native of New Jersey and a graduate of Douglass College, the former women’s college at Rutgers University, at an early age, Davida’s parents insured her knowledge of the history and struggle for equality, civil and voting rights for generations of Black, Indigenous, people of color, and women in America. This was her family legacy. This knowledge fueled her interest in civil rights advocacy, and community and civic engagement. Upon graduating college, she chose employment at a state civil rights agency with responsibility for investigating and resolving complaints of discrimination in employment, housing, and public accommodations. Davida is especially proud to have worked on the seminal case that preceded enactment of Title IX, and which resulted in a change in Little League’s national policy of only allowing boys, and not girls, to play and compete on their teams. She subsequently did similar work at the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).
Davida’s higher education experience includes the University of Pennsylvania (PENN), California State Dominguez Hills, Cal State Fullerton, and the University of California, Irvine. The proud mother of two beautiful, talented adult daughters, and the spouse and life-long partner of Cal State Dominguez Hills President, Thomas Parham, Davida emerged from “retirement” five years ago, and has been engaged with CSUDH students, faculty, staff, and alumni in myriad ways that support student success and the advancement of the university. As a Long Beach resident, she is now “ready to serve” in this beautiful and progressive City of Long Beach.
16. Deveney Pula (CD3) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Deveney Pula is a Southern California native who is deeply rooted in Long Beach. In 2013, she completed her studies at Cornell University and began her professional journey managing and working with construction trade associations. Throughout her career, Deveney has demonstrated remarkable leadership abilities and strategic planning skills, with a focus on developing impactful initiatives that empower, transform, and elevate organizations. Deveney looks forward to serving and enhancing our community as she becomes part of the esteemed Port of Long Beach Grants Advisory Committee.
Beyond her professional pursuits, Deveney enjoys spending her leisure time outdoors, playing beach volleyball, exploring new restaurants, and unwinding with competitive board game nights with her loved ones.”
Technology and Innovation Commission
17. Lauren Lyons (CD2) - Technology - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Lauren is a space engineer, executive, strategy consultant, and stealth startup founder. She recently served as the Chief Operating Officer of Firefly Aerospace, and before that, worked in engineering leadership on Blue Origin’s lunar lander and space station programs. Before Blue, she was a senior engineer at SpaceX where she worked on Dragon, Starlink, and Falcon 9 while moonlighting as host for the launch webcasts, including the Emmy Award-winning Demo 1.
She currently serves as an advisor for space and climate technology startups, is a member of the XPRIZE Space Domain Brain Trust, and a mentor for the Creative Destruction Lab and the Patti Grace Smith Fellowship. She earned her bachelor's degree from Princeton University in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering with certificates in Engineering Biology and Robotics & Intelligent Systems. Her master's degree is in Business & Government Policy from the Harvard John F. Kennedy School of Government.
The Long Beach Community Investment Company
18. Hakim Chambers (CD2) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Hakim possesses 24+ years of experience in the strategic planning, program management, and implementation of a variety of different project types (i.e., higher education, public, private, charter, K-12, university housing, student centers, athletic & recreational facilities, public parks, emergency operations centers, specialty spaces, and libraries) throughout the country. Currently, he
serves as the Program Director for Long Beach City College. Most recently, he
was previously the Deputy Program Director for Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD). Its the largest community college district in the country, the Los Angeles Community College District’s (LACCD) with the Nations largest Community College Bond Program at $14.9B. I have successfully planned and implemented the modernization of numerous public and private projects nationally. In previous roles, I was instrumental in supporting the ongoing management of the District of Columbia Public Schools’ $3.7B construction and modernization program. I’ve also managed the Detroit Public Schools $505M Bond Program.
As a proud family man and resident of Long Beach, he is extremely proud of our City. He believes he is teaching both of his young girls about the importance of public service and giving back. He wants his children to grow up in a City with strong values and an administration that will stand behind and uphold those values. What better way to ensure that our City is moving in the right direction, by serving on one of the many Commissions.
Transactions and Use Tax Citizens’ Advisory Committee
19. Rolando Cruz (CD2) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
20. Robert Emigh (CD3) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
21. Jan Hower (CD2) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Veterans Affairs Commission
22. Kenneth Osborn (CD3) - At-Large - effective 05.02.23, Term: July 2023 - June 2025
Reappointments
Long Beach Transit Board of Directors
23. Randy Rawlings (CD4) - Directorship 3 - Reappointment to First Term through December 2026
24. David H. Sutton (CD4) - Directorship 4 - Reappointment to Second Term through December 2026
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
[Timing Considerations]
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal impact.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
Respectfully Submitted,
MAYOR REX RICHARDSON