Weekly Report – October 10, 2016
L.A. Coalition – Innovative Partnerships – Update
The L.A. Coalition is partnering with FUSE Corps, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that works with city, county and state government leaders to identify and develop solutions to pressing challenges facing city, county and state government – economic and workforce development, human resources, transportation, housing, to name a few.
As the Chair of the FUSE Corps L.A. Advisory Committee I would like to introduce you to the newest class of fellows, who just last week, started their 12-month service in city, county and state government. Some of the fellows will be joining us for Coalition meetings and please let me know if you would like an introduction to any of them. They are extremely talented leaders looking to make a real impact on public policy.
The City of Los Angeles
Andrew Scott – Optimizing Port Operations for Economic and Environmental Impact at the Port of Los Angeles: The Port of Los Angeles is the largest container port in the United States and 10th largest in the world. While the Port is a model of innovation and sustainability, it must also keep up with increasing competition and continue to improve its operations. FUSE Fellow Andrew Scott will work with the Port to enhance supply chain efficiency, address congestion issues and help to continually minimize its environmental impact. ANDREW SCOTT has 25 years of experience as an entrepreneur and executive across five continents in the logistics and technology sectors. Most recently, he was the founder and CEO of a freight forwarder and logistics company focused on international e- commerce, the South Pacific Islands and serving the entertainment industry. He also co-founded a technology company improving efficiency across the container trucking industry. He holds a BA in Commerce from the University of Auckland, New Zealand.
Hana Rhee – Enhancing Workforce Opportunities for LAX Neighborhoods at the Los Angeles World Airports: LAX is the world’s busiest origin and destination airport, one of the many reasons it is currently engaged in an $8.5B capital improvement plan. This seven-year project will generate about 40,000 jobs and provide substantial economic opportunities for construction-related companies and other businesses. FUSE Fellow Hana Rhee will help develop a strategic plan to engage the community in this improvement project and ensure area residents have the skills and resources needed to compete for jobs and contracts. HANA RHEE combines her extensive academic career with real world experience that includes consulting national governments on economic growth, establishing multi- ‐billion dollar trade zones for businesses and managing operational teams of a $50M revenue / 250 person company. Hana worked extensively as a development economist in Africa and as a management consultant across multiple continents and various sectors including natural resources, media, and agriculture. She holds a BA in Economics with honors from Wellesley College and an MBA from INSEAD.
Sonia Nanda Optimizing Data for Efficiency and Transparency at the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering: Because of the Los Angeles Bureau of Engineering’s unique role in overseeing projects that touch on almost every aspect of life for City residents – from the revitalization of the Los Angeles River to the construction of the Mid Valley Intergenerational Multipurpose Center– the Bureau is positioned to address the changing needs of one of America’s largest and most dynamic cities. FUSE Fellow Sonia Nanda will accelerate the development and adoption of a project database and its accompanying dashboard, as well as better leverage existing data to create transparency with the community, drive accountability among Bureau employees, and inform the development of policies. SONIA NANDA has more than 15 years of management experience working for technology companies ranging from startups to Fortune 500s. She most recently served as Vice President of Operations and Customer Support for Guidance Software, Inc. In her ten-plus years of employment at Guidance Software, Sonia helped scale enterprise systems and processes to support revenue growth from a $10 million business to a $120 million business. Her areas of expertise include customer service strategy and business process re-engineering to optimize operations performance. Sonia holds a BA from Smith College.
Ray Cheung – Advancing Transportation Through Capital Planning at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation: The LA Department of Transportation manages one of the largest and most complex transportation systems in the country. FUSE Fellow Ray Cheung will help develop its first five-year capital plan, identifying short-term and long-term project priorities; guiding the Department’s policies for selecting, designing and implementing projects; developing an action-oriented implementation strategy; and overseeing the financing of transportation projects. The plan will ultimately improve the quality of life for residents of the country’s second-largest city— providing them with safer streets, reduced congestion, a cleaner environment and enhanced mobility options. RAY CHEUNG comes from a two-decade career in international business and governmental cooperation in China’s sustainable development. Ray served as the Executive Director of the US-China Energy Cooperation Program (ECP). Ray has also consulted for the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation on financing clean technology deployment. In addition, Ray led the World Resources Institute’s clean technology business incubator in China and was an advisor to the chairman of AIG Companies in China on clean technology investment strategies. Ray holds a BS in Conservation Resource Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from Georgetown University.
Michael Lim – Optimizing Mobility and Safety With Autonomous Vehicle Technology at the Los Angeles Department of Transportation: Experts agree that Autonomous Vehicle technology will redefine the world of automobiles and mobility at large. The City of Los Angeles has the opportunity to be a world leader in implementing and supporting autonomous vehicle technology. FUSE Fellow Michael Lim will work with stakeholders to develop a comprehensive business plan to address the increasingly important need for investment in autonomous vehicles and the infrastructure to support them. MICHAEL LIM is an innovation professional with infrastructure, finance and technology experiences\. Michael started his career in urban planning and infrastructure development for the United Nations between 2005 and 2010, and was an investment banker between 2011 and 2015, most recently with Lazard Freres & Co. As a technology banker, Michael worked on business strategy, equity and debt capital raises, and mergers and acquisitions for software, internet, security and semiconductor companies, as well as for government sector clients. Michael holds a BA in Urban Studies from the University of California, Berkeley and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania.
Donna Michelle Anderson – Building a Data-Driven Strategy to Enhance Community Impact at the Los Angeles Public Library: The Central Library and the 72 branches of the Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL) serve the largest population of any public library system in the country. The Library operates a wide range of community impact programs to help Angelenos with school and career, financial planning, health education, homeless and veterans affairs and even the immigration process. FUSE Fellow Donna Michelle Anderson will help LAPL develop a more data-driven and results-oriented culture for community impact. DONNA MICHELLE ANDERSON is a veteran television showrunner and executive and patented tech entrepreneur. She guides entertainment networks, non-profits and startups through branding, launching and scaling their content and companies. Over the past 20 years, she has helmed top-rated programming for CBS, Bravo, BET, A&E, TLC and more, created groundbreaking production software, and championed diversity across multiple industries, including founding the Hollywood Diversity Network. She is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, the Producers Guild of America and American Mensa. She holds a BA with distinction from Stanford University.
Joan Centanno – Promoting Employee Wellness Strategies to Improve Health and Performance at the Los Angeles Personnel Department: The City of Los Angeles employees nearly 50,000 people, making it one of the largest employers in the region. To achieve its goal of creating a healthier, happier workforce, the City’s Personnel Department is launching a Wellness Program beginning with the 24,000 members of its Flex Benefits Program. FUSE Fellow Joan Centanno will accelerate implementation of the program, helping tens of thousands of City employees find ways to improve their physical and mental well-being. JOAN CENTANNO brings more than 20 years of successful management, marketing, consulting and entrepreneurial leadership for corporate and startup organizations. Joan began her professional career with Procter & Gamble and Frito-Lay, managing consumer brand strategies, new product introductions, and sales initiatives, leading departments with up to 300 people. An award-winning consultant, Joan has created sustainable and often game-changing programs on innovation strategy, market entry/growth, operations and organizational effectiveness for clients such as Target and Lowe’s. Joan holds a MBA from Northwestern University’s Kellogg School of Management and a BS from Northern Illinois University.
Frederick White – Reimagining Funding for Affordable Housing at the Los Angeles Office of the City Administrative Officer: The City of Los Angeles, like many major U.S. cities, is facing a housing affordability crisis. The City experiences a severe shortage of affordable housing and LA housing prices have grown four times faster than incomes since 2000. FUSE Fellow Frederick White will work with the Office of the City Administrative Officer and other city departments to explore innovative financing vehicles to expand opportunities for development and help incorporate those models into a long-term housing strategy for the City. FREDERICK WHITE is a seasoned investment management professional with a passion to make an impact globally. Frederick has 20 years of primarily institutional direct real estate investing experience in debt and equity markets across all major property sectors employing various investment structures. He is well versed in underwriting real estate, setting investment objectives, portfolio management, project management, assessing owners, fund operators, real estate markets as well as structuring and negotiating loan, purchase and sale, and subscription agreements. Frederick holds an MBA from North Carolina Central University and a BA in Business Administration from Morehouse College.
Laila Alequresh – Improving Public Works’ Operations for Better Accountability and Service at the Los Angeles Office of the City Administrative Officer: The City of Los Angeles’ Department of Public Works (DPW) oversees the delivery of critical infrastructure, services and systems that are vital for the quality of life and public safety of City residents. FUSE Fellow Laila Alequresh will work with the City Administrative Officer to assess the current state of Public Works, evaluate options for coordinating services, and develop a long-term plan for improving accountability and service delivery. LAILA ALEQURESH is a seasoned strategy and performance consultant, advising social, public and private firms on organizational performance matters ranging from strategy planning to performance reporting. Most recently she re-established the performance function for the City of Philadelphia, leading the City to earn the Certificate of Excellence from the International City/County Management Association for its performance management practices. She was also recognized nationally as a NextGen Public Service Award Finalist for superior public service and achievement. She holds BA and MA degrees from Emory University.
Los Angeles County
Mala Nanda – Optimizing Laboratory Effectiveness and Efficiency at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services: With its integrated system of 19 health centers and 4 hospitals, 670,000 unique patients and 20,000 staff members, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) is the second largest municipal healthcare system in the nation. FUSE Fellow Mala Nanda will help DHS integrate their laboratory services and increase the efficiency of the lab system to ensure the highest quality of patient care throughout the network. MALA NANDA has more than ten years of executive management experience with Fortune 500 and privately held companies. Having lived and worked in the US, China and India, and led cross-functional teams across Australia and Asia, Mala brings a multi-cultural understanding to leadership practices. Mala most recently worked with companies to overcome growth challenges and develop senior leaders. Mala holds an MBA from Kellogg School of Management, a Masters of Engineering Management from Northwestern University and a BA from Hood College.
Kamina Smith – Improving Health Outcomes and Experiences through Management Development at the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services: The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services (DHS) has recently been making major strides toward becoming a more unified, integrated and coordinated healthcare system. As part of that work, the Department seeks to better engage and develop supervisors and managers. FUSE Fellow Kamina Smith will help the Department develop a comprehensive supervisor management training program and a strategic plan for rolling out those services.KAMINA SMITH has more than 10 years of experience in the corporate, nonprofit, and government sectors. As the founder of The Kyndle Consulting Group, she has partnered with individuals and organizations to deliver career management strategies, professional development trainings, talent management lifecycle interventions, and entrepreneurial consulting. She holds a BS in Business Administration and an MBA from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, as well as an Advanced Certificate in Instructional Design from San Diego State University.
City of Long Beach
Sharon Meron – Creating an Integrated Approach to Addressing Homelessness at the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services: On any given day, approximately 2,300 people experience homelessness in the City of Long Beach. The City’s Department of Health and Human Services leads the Long Beach Continuum of Care (CoC), administering housing and services. FUSE Fellow Sharon Meron will work with the City and CoC to advance their integrated approach to addressing the root causes and immediate needs of homelessness.SHARON MERON spent 10 years on the education team at The Broad Foundation overseeing the foundation’s extensive grants evaluation process. Previously, she worked closely with the CEO of Advanced Monitored Caregiving, a New York based healthcare services provider, to refine and implement the company’s business plan. She holds a BS in Economics from Amherst College and an MBA from the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.
Veronica Njodinizeh – Creating a Safer Community Through Comprehensive Violence Prevention – Long Beach Office of the City Manager: In May 2014, the Long Beach City Council adopted Safe Long Beach, a comprehensive violence prevention plan combining elements of My Brother’s Keeper and other youth development programs. FUSE Fellow Veronica Njodinizeh will help the Office of the City Manager to develop an action plan to accomplish the initiative’s goals in a coordinated way, with an emphasis on boys and men of color. VERONICA NJODINIZEH most recently served as the lead Health Benefits Advisor with J. Glynn & Company, focused primarily on public school district clients in Southern California as their exclusive health advisory consultants for the California Education Coalition for Health Care Reform. Prior to joining J. Glynn & Company, Veronica spent nearly a decade at PwC as a Business Development Manager and Healthcare Advisory Consultant serving global and national clients. Veronica holds an MA in Health Administration from the University of Southern California and a BS in Chemistry from Wright State University.
State of California
Venkat Suresh – Utilizing Data-Driven Strategies to Improve Client Outcomes at the California Health and Human Services: The California Health and Human Services Agency (CHHS) is responsible for a wide range of services for Californians including healthcare, social services, mental health services and disability services. CHHS seeks to evolve into a more data-driven agency to help it make smart decisions for more effective services. FUSE Fellow Venkat Suresh will partner with the agency to create the infrastructure and process for the sustainable collection and use of data across department and programs. VENKAT SURESH has 20 plus years of global experience spanning across USA, India & APJ markets in customer management, sales & marketing, business development, P & L, operations and program management. He worked in Silicon Valley startups as a senior manager and built and managed global and virtual teams in different geographies. He managed strategic accounts and worked closely with C-Level staff and other key decision makers and helped companies create value for their customers. Venkat holds an MS from Arizona State University and an MBA from Duke University – Fuqua School of Business, Durham, NC.