Holly Mitchell joins the prestigious and powerful board of five, all-female Los Angeles County Supervisor’s Board making history in Los Angeles. Mitchell replaces outgoing Supervisor and now 10th District Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. Over the second supervisorial district, she will be over the largest African American population within all of Los Angeles County, covering some of the most diverse parts of Los Angeles, including the Wilshire Center and the Miracle Mile, south to Carson & Compton west to Mar Vista, and east to Lynwood.
Cynthia McClain Hill was appointed for the role of President of the Los Angeles of Water and Power Commissioners in July, by Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti. He spoke highly of McClain Hill, Garcetti said, “from the Police Commission to the DWP, Cynthia McClain-Hill has been unafraid to tackle our toughest challenges, giving her time, energy, resolve, and experience to the cause of a fairer, safer, more equitable Los Angeles.” McClain has always reflected strong traits of leadership throughout her life, her inspiration to be the best stemming from her parents.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appoints Brenda Shockley as chief equity officer. In her new role, Shockley looks to build bridges that allocate resources and leverage within city hiring, promotion, and construct a solid platform for meaningful change. She is now sitting with dual roles as Deputy Mayor for Economic Opportunity and Chief Officer of Equity as she addresses the unsheltered pandemic, community revitalization, education, and equal employment opportunity. One of the first items on the agenda that Shockley will unsheathe is reform to police tactics. This will coincide with the Mayor’s declaration of 250-million dollars of the city’s budget being funneled back into the Black Community, towards social services, youth development, health, housing, and the overall recovery of underserved communities.
Byron McLain was named to the Los Angeles Police Commission’s Advisory Committee on Building Trust and Equity by Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. The 16-member commission is comprised of policy specialists, legal experts, and community leaders who will assist the Police Commission in conducting a comprehensive review of the Los Angeles Police Department policies and procedures and delivering recommendations for reform. The Advisory Committee is expected to focus its work on a review of discipline and accountability; assessing current policing reform proposals being considered throughout the country; evaluating the implementation of past LAPD reform proposals; examining the LAPD’s recruitment, hiring, retention and training process; and analyzing data collection and retention practices.
Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated Attorney Capri Maddox as the first executive director of the newly designed, newly developed Civil and Human Rights Department. As the first executive she is cultivating a stronger resource to be available for underserved communities. The mission behind the Civil and Human Rights Department is “Protecting Angelenos and anyone who works or visits the City of Los Angeles from discrimination that denies equal treatment in private employment, housing, education, or commerce.” The disparities found in any community will be faced head on, with investigation and enforcement of the L.A. Civil and Human Rights Ordinance.
Drake Dillard, 70, of Los Angeles, was appointed to the California Commission on Disability Access. Dillard has been an architect at Perkins & Will since 2014. Dillard was Design Manager at Parsons from 2007 to 2013. He earned a Master of Arts degree in architecture from Howard University. Dillard is a member of the American Institute of Architects and the National Organization of Minority Architects. This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Dillard is registered without party preference.
President-elect Joe Biden will nominate retired four-star Army general Lloyd J. Austin to be secretary of defense, according to four people familiar with the decision. If confirmed by the Senate, Austin would be the first Black leader of the Pentagon. Biden selected Austin over the longtime front-runner candidate, Michele Flournoy, a former senior Pentagon official and Biden supporter who would have been the first woman to serve as defense secretary. Biden also had considered Jeh Johnson, a former Pentagon general counsel and former secretary of homeland defense.
Councilwoman Nury Martinez became president of the Los Angeles City Council in January of 2020, becoming the first Latina City Councilwoman to serve in this position in the history of the city. Martinez has always been about her community; at a young age, she learned that it was Black and Brown and communities of color that were often disenfranchised and needed the most help. This inspires her to bring resources into her community and communities of color. She says she sees and knows first-hand how Black and Brown people are often the last communities to receive the desperately needed resources from the city and the federal government. Through all of the challenges she’s faced in 2020, she continues to provide and direct as many resources as she and her colleagues can to those most in need.
The California Assembly elected the first woman to serve as chief clerk and Parliamentarian Jan. 9 for a two-year term. The 80-member lower house of the state legislature voted for, then confirmed and swore in Sue Parker, a long-serving African-American public official, to the Assembly’s non-member, non-partisan role. Parker, who lives in Elk Grove, is the 40th person to serve in the role since it was first created in 1849. She succeeds E. Dotson Wilson, who is also African American, after he retired in September.
Mark Ridley Thomas (File Photo)
Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Martin Jenkins, a San Francisco native and a former prosecutor and judge, to the California Supreme Court. If confirmed, Jenkins, 66, would be the third African American to serve on the state’s highest court. The governor nominated Jenkins, who his peers describe as a moderate Democrat, to replace Justice Ming W. Chen, a Republican Gov. Pete Wilson appointed in 1996. Chen retired in August.
Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D- Lakewood) announced the formation of the Select Committee on Police Reform and appointed committee members. Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson was appointed Chair of the Select Committee. The committee will continue California’s leadership in police reform and seek measures to ensure public safety.
Known to many as “one of the most powerful women in American politics today,” Democratic Congresswoman Maxine Waters was reelected to U.S. House in California’s 43rd Congressional District. With much at stake, voters had made their choice, and with 75% of the votes recorded at press time, Waters is in the lead. With 72.5% of the votes in her favor, Waters aims to ensure that the nation feels confident in their decision.
October 15, The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California (MWD) voted to have West Basin Municipal Water District President Gloria D. Gray to serve another two-year term as chairwoman of the MWD board. Gray holds the title of being the first African American woman to be at the helm of the Metroplitan Water District. In response to her re-election, Gray said, “I am deeply honored to be voted chairwoman once again, and to provide continuity as Metropolitan navigates a time unlike any other,” she continued, “I am proud to represent West Basin and Metropolitan to advance our common commitments to ensuring reliable, high quality water supplies, and prepare for the needs of tomorrow today.”
The California Department of Public Health announced that California Surgeon General Dr. Nadine Burke-Harris will chair the state’s Community Vaccine Advisory Committee. The group Burke-Harris leads will help guide the state’s decision making about vaccine distribution. “While the COVID-19 vaccine is new, we are not starting our planning process from scratch. This is an area of expertise we have strong partnerships in building on lessons learned from previous vaccination campaigns, including H1N1 and the seasonal flu,” said Gov. Newsom.
U.S. Congressman James Clyburn (File Photo)
Former Assemblymember Dr. Shirley N. Weber (D-San Diego) was nominated by Gov. Gavin Newsom and elected to become the first-ever African American to serve as Secretary of State of California. Weber, an Assemblymember since 2012, is a former President of the San Diego Board of Education and a retired Africa Studies Department professor for 40 years at San Diego State University. Her nomination is subject to confirmation by the California State Assembly and Senate. A decision must be made within 90 days.
Senator Steven Bradford (D-Gardena) has been elected as Chair of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC). The Caucus has had over a 50-year legacy of advocating for transformative legislation on behalf of African Americans and other marginalized people in California. Senator Bradford was elected to the legislature in 2009 making him the longest serving member of the Caucus and currently the only Black senator in the state senate. He also serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Public Safety and Chair of the Select Committee on the Status of Boys and Men of Color. The Executive Board will also include: Vice-Chair, Assemblymember Kamlager (AD 54); Secretary, Assemblymember Kevin McCarty (AD 7); and Treasurer, Assemblymember Jim Cooper (AD 9).
As part of President-elect Joe Biden’s “Build Back Better” plan, Biden tapped former Ambassador Susan Rice to lead the White house Domestic Council. With over 20 years experience in foreign policy, many on Capitol Hill doubt her strengths will be exercised in the position of Domestic Council. As the leader in that position, the ideal candidate would work directly with the president to keep the administration aligned with its set agenda. Although knowing her background in foreign affairs, Biden is confident in Rice can be an valuable asset in his cabinet.
Midshipman Sydney Barber, will be the first Black Female Brigade Commander at the U.S. Naval Academy. A mechanical engineering major from Illinois, she was named brigade commander for the Spring semester at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. The brigade commander heads the Academy’s day-to-day activities and trains the class of approximately 4,500 midshipmen. Barber becomes the 16th woman to serve in that role.
A longtime Lakewood city commissioner and former Los Angeles County sheriff’s commander was sworn in as the first Black council member in the city’s history. Vicki Stuckey was unanimously appointed to fill the 18 months remaining on the term of Diane DuBois, who retired after 15 years on the Lakewood City Council. Stuckey — who has lived in Lakewood for 28 years — has been a city commissioner for 19 years, served four years on the community safety commission and 15 years on the planning and environmental commission, including four stints as the commission’s chair. She retired last year from the sheriff’s department, where she worked 34 years and rose through the ranks from a deputy to a sergeant, lieutenant and ultimately a captain and commander of the Altadena sheriff’s station.
Mayor Eric Garcetti nominated William Briggs, a trial lawyer and civil litigator, to the Los Angeles Police Commission. “Our city is leading the movement to re-imagine public safety, revitalize our commitment to racial justice and support our courageous police officers who keep our city safe,” Garcetti said. “And I’m confident that William Briggs will bring an extraordinary record of leadership and commitment to the fight for fairness, equity and a safer Los Angeles.”
Despite intense pressure from Black women political groups across the state, Gov. Gavin Newsom has appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to be California’s next United States Senator, replacing Sen. Kamala Harris. Padilla will complete Vice President-elect Harris’s term, which began in 2017 ends in 2023. He will be the first Latino to serve as United States Senator representing California. “The son of Mexican immigrants — a cook and house cleaner — Alex Padilla worked his way from humble beginnings to the halls of MIT, the Los Angeles City Council and the State Senate, and has become a national defender of voting rights as California’s Secretary of State. Now, he will serve in the halls of our nation’s Capitol as California’s next United States Senator, the first Latino to hold this office,” Gov. Newsom said.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Yolanda Richardson, 49, secretary of the Government Operations Agency. Sacramento insiders call it “GovOps” for short. The Democrat who lives in Roseville will oversee the administration of all state operations, including cross-agency functions like procurement, human resources and information technology. She will also be responsible for directing the operations of the Office of Digital Innovation, a new department the state agency describes as a “startup in government focused on improving services for the people of California.”
As a historic first, Senator Steven Braford and Assembly Member Reggie Jones-Sawyer were appointed as the first two African American public officials to sit at the helm of Public Safety committees. This is the first time in the history of California, that Both Chair positions in Senate and Assembly are being held by African American representation.
Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed two African American women to the board of the California agency that shapes state policy against air pollution. The governor announced that he appointed Liane Randolph, 55, of Oakland, who was in charge of integrating the resource-planning processes at the California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), as the new chair of CARB. Davina Hurt, 45, will also serve on the air agency’s board. She joins other members: John Balmes of Berkeley, Los Angeles’ Gideon Kracov, and Tania Pacheco-Werner of Sanger. Hurt has been a Belmont City councilmember since 2015. She has worked as a campaign manager at the Democratic Volunteer Center from 2014 to 2015.
