Barbara to Lead Sanitation
Public Works: On July 1, Barbara Romero was confirmed by the City Council as the new Executive Director of Public Works’ Sanitation and Environment bureau.
She succeeds Enrique Zaldivar, who left to become Chief Executive Officer of the City of Baldwin Park.
Barbara Romero had served as the Deputy Mayor of City Services since March 2015, overseeing the implementation of the Mayor’s priorities at 15 City departments. Prior to her service as Deputy Mayor, Romero also served as a commissioner on the City’s Board of Public Works overseeing the Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) and as a City Planning Commissioner. She also spent a decade working for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority as its Chief of Urban Projects and Watershed Planning.
As Executive Director of LASAN, Romero will oversee the operations of essential public service programs including waste collection, wastewater treatment, public right-of-way management, and the implementation of new green infrastructure. She replaced acting General Manager Traci Minamide July 5.
“I am sincerely grateful for the Mayor’s faith in me and feel extremely privileged to lead the extraordinary workforce of LASAN,” Romero said in a statement. “At its core, LASAN protects our environment and, since I’ve spent my career working to improve the environment, I’m especially excited to continue this crucial work at LASAN, with a climate equity focus, and am ready to get to work in close partnership with the City Council to make our City a cleaner and more sustainable place for our residents.”
Two New Leaders
Two others were named department leaders:
Abigail Marquez as the first General Manager of the Community Investment for Families Dept. (CIFD), and Lisa Salazar as interim Executive Director of the Youth Development Dept. (YDD).
Abigail Marquez spent 17 years working for the City to advance anti-poverty programs and policies. Since 2016, she has served as Assistant General Manager for the Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID), overseeing the Community Services and Development Bureau. In that role, Marquez helped to increase the Domestic Violence Shelter budget, implement several key COVID-response programs, and oversaw the allocation of federal grants. She also helped to resolve the City’s fiscal audit with the US Dept. of Housing and Urban Development.
As General Manager of CIFD, Marquez will work closely with the Mayor and City Council to establish poverty-reduction goals for the City; play an active role in implementing homelessness prevention programs; oversee the implementation of L.A.’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot, the largest in the nation; and implement the Children’s Savings Account program, OpportunityLA, which will support 35,000 first-graders annually across the region.
Since 2016, Lisa Salazar has served as the Mayor’s Director of Workforce Development and Economic Opportunity, where she led the development of new policies, programs, and partnerships. Prior to her service in the Mayor’s Office, Salazar oversaw the City’s YouthSource and FamilySource Systems, providing programmatic and fiscal oversight of more than $50 million federal, state, and local grants. Salazar also served as the Director of the Youth Opportunity Movement Center in Boyle Heights, now named the Boyle Heights Technology YouthSource Center.
Salazar will serve as Interim Executive Director of the Youth Development Dept., (YDD), where she will oversee a new department that will coordinate with City departments, regional agencies, community organizations, and youth leaders to develop a long-term Citywide youth development strategic plan; monitor the use of resources allocated toward young Angelenos; serve as the central information hub on youth services in the City; and help elevate the voices of youth in local government and City operations.
Congratulations from the Club to Barbara, Abigail and Lisa on your promotions. The Club looks forward to working with you in the future.
