Please make plans to attend our upcoming breakfast reception with Councilmember Koretz, which will be on Friday, July 9th (8am) at Alston & Bird LLP. To Register, CLICK HERE.
AIA Los Angeles presents....
"A GREENER CITY THOUGH BETTER LAND-USE, Part II"
A Breakfast Reception with Councilmember Paul Koretz
District 5 - City of Los Angeles
Friday, July 9 (8:00-9:30am)
Alston + Bird LLP
333 South Hope Street
16th Floor
Los Angeles, CA 90071
ADVANCE REGISTRATION REQUIRED. To Register, CLICK HERE.
Hosted by Alston + Bird LLP
http://www.alston.com/
As part two of our 2010 AIA|LA Breakfast Series entitled "A Greener City Through Better Land-Use", the breakfast reception with Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Koretz will continue our seven part series of discussions with civic officials about how we can build and operate a more environmentally and economically sustainable City by making better land-use decisions.
TICKETS
Advance registration required.
AIA Members = $15
Non-Members = $30
TO REGISTER, CLICK HERE.
"A GREENER CITY THROUGH BETTER LAND-USE"
Presented by TBD
1. Paul Krekorian - Councilmember, City of Los Angeles
Friday, June 18 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by Altoon + Porter Architects LLP
2. Paul Koretz - Councilmember, City of Los Angeles
Friday, July 9 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by Alston + Bird LLP
3. Richard Katz - Board Director, Metro & California High-Speed Rail Authority
Friday, July 23 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by HNTB Architecture Inc.
4. Christine Essel - CEO of Community Redevelopment Agency/ Los Angeles
Friday, September 10 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by TBD
5. Art Leahy in a discussion with Gail Goldberg (moderated by Michael Woo)
Friday, September 24 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by TBD
6. Cindy Miscikoswski - Commission President for the Port of Los Angeles
Friday, October 29 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by TBD
7. Zev Yaroslavsky - Supervisor, County of Los Angeles
Friday, November 19 (8:00am - 9:30am)
Hosted by AC Martin Partners
1. A Sustainable Future for Los Angeles
- What is your role in moving Los Angeles to a more sustainable future?
- Identify some initiatives that you consider critical to achieving greater sustainability.
- What are the primary obstacles to attaining greater sustainability as a city?
2. The Intersection of Transportation and Development
- What role do you play in growing and improving our mass transit and other transportation systems?
- How will Los Angeles meet its transportation and infrastructure needs in the future?
- How can our transportation system evolve to facilitate new development?
3. Improving Planning and Land Use in Los Angeles
- What impact do you have on planning and land use decisions in our city?
- Where do you see opportunities for higher-density development?
- What is your role in overcoming obstacles to new development?
4. Los Angeles as the World's Creative Capital
- How can your position contribute to enhancing Los Angeles' status as the creative capital of the world?
- Discuss the value of design and architecture to your function as a public sector leader.
- What opportunities do you see for high-quality architecture and design to enhance the city's economic health and general vitality?
On July 1, 2009, Paul Koretz took the oath of office, thereby becoming the new Los Angeles councilmember for the city's historic Fifth District.
Paul's election, one month earlier, culminated a neighborhood-friendly campaign in which he emphasized the District's great need for an actively involved council office, not just at City Hall but on a non-stop basis in the community life of the 5th District.
Both as a candidate and an elected official, Koretz has pledged his commitment to governmental efficiency, transparency, accountability and accessibility -- principles that have guided his life of activism, service and leadership.
Born in the San Fernando Valley, Koretz was raised and schooled in the Westside portion of the Fifth District, attending Canfield Elementary School, Palms Middle School, Hamilton High School and UCLA, where he earned a bachelor's degree in history, founded the Bruin Democrats and ventured forth in many volunteer endeavors aimed at improving society and helping others.
Paul's awareness of humanitarian and political issues should be no surprise: his father escaped tyranny and Nazi Germany's prosecution of Jews, emigrating to the United States and the Los Angeles area where he was a dedicated member of the hotel and restaurant employees union. Paul often joined his father on picket lines and in other efforts aimed at improving people's lot in life.
Paul learned the rigors, lessons and blessings of city service as an aide to two different Los Angeles City Councilmembers of monumental stature -- Zev Yaroslavsky and then Marvin Braude -- and during those years, would help many of the same residents and neighborhoods he now serves as Councilmember. (Paul's wife, Gail, was a longtime aide to another legendary Councilmember, Joel Wachs; she currently serves as Government and Community Relations Manager for Kaiser Permanente's Los Angeles Medical Center. The Koretz's daughter, Rachel, attends UCLA.)
From the mid-1980s, Paul lived in the City of West Hollywood, which is surrounded by the Fifth District. Paul helped lead the effort to incorporate that new city in 1984, thus establishing greater local accountability and constituent service. He was appointed as an aide to one of West Hollywood's original councilmembers, Alan Viterbi, whom he was elected to replace when Viterbi retired in 1988.
As councilmember for the City of West Hollywood -- and as its mayor -- Paul initiated and participated in many key efforts that boosted the city's efficiency and accountability, promoted jobs and the local economy, protected renters and homeowners, championed human and civil rights, delivered premium city services in a fiscally prudent manner, and made West Hollywood a regional model regarding the quality and aesthetics of city management.
Following in the tradition of Councilmembers Yaroslavsky and Braude, Paul also showed a staunch willingness to advocate and legislate concerning difficult causes, often in the face of torrid special interest opposition. He took on the gun lobby with pioneering legislation limiting the sales of handguns and banning assault weapons, thereby setting the standards for many other jurisdictions across the nation. His ordinance prohibiting smoking in restaurants similarly drew the fire of major lobbyists and interest groups, but he prevailed over the tobacco industry and the model established in West Hollywood has inspired others and promoted public health nationwide.
Paul has also gained a national reputation as an environmental leader. He was the first Southern California Director of the California League of Conservation Voters, and served as Administrative Director of the Ecology Center of Southern California.
In 2000, Paul was elected to the California State Assembly, representing the 42nd Assembly District that includes much of the City of L.A.'s 5th District. He was reelected twice to his assembly post, serving the maximum-allowed three terms. In that capacity, he continued with many of his lifelong causes, serving as Chair of the Assembly Labor Committee, championing environmental bills and leading efforts to reduce gun violence. But he also helped to save California taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars by fighting to reform workers compensation. He saved many lives with legislation such as his bill mandating that cigarettes sold in California be self-extinguishing -- thus reducing the risk of fires set by smoldering cigarettes. And his "divestment" bill concerning Darfur made news worldwide about our moral standards and willingness to confront and end genocide.
At the same time, Assemblymember Koretz focused ceaseless energy on helping constituents in their daily lives, by promoting local transportation improvements and neighborhood empowerment.
In his first months as 5th District Councilmember, Paul and his staff have been a steady and constant presence in the neighborhoods of the district. Day and night, they've appeared at many neighborhood council, homeowner group and chamber meetings. They are delighted to answer constituent questions, follow through on issues and hold town hall meetings. They see it as their duty to hold emergency sessions in the community when disaster occurs, such as after waterline breaks in some of our city's aged infrastructure. In the meantime, Paul has led the fight to prevent cuts in our city's essential fire and emergency services, and to avoid thousands of layoffs, which would result in major service cuts, while at the same time advocating tough auditing practices to ensure that even in harsh economic times the City of Los Angeles is fiscally sound.
Paul hopes that the start of his council service in the City of Los Angeles also marks the start of a heightened commitment by the city to listen to the voice of the people, and to be ever-engaged in the life of our local neighborhoods. He is always eager to hear from, and work side-by-side with, Los Angeles constituents, organizations and community leaders. It is the perspective of Councilmember Paul Koretz that this city is to be governed and enjoyed not just by the anointed few, but by all who call it home.
E-mail Paul at paul.koretz@lacity.org
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