David Fleming, 83
Title: Senior advisor, state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, Van Nuys
Background: David Fleming practiced law for nearly 60 years, specializing in corporate, land use and environmental law. After decades with Latham & Watkins, he left to spend more time with his many business and charitable organizations, including the organization he founded, Los Angeles County Business Federation, or BizFed. During his career, he served on 14 various governmental boards and commissions at all levels of government and more than 20 not-for-profit boards and charities. Fleming now serves as senior advisor to state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys. Fleming is also chief executive of Studio City-based David Wesley Fleming, a professional corp., his consultancy business.
How many hours a week do you work?
30 or more hours.
Why not retire?
I would miss the challenge of helping solve important problems, which keeps me mentally alert and engaged.
Have your work habits changed much since you approached, and then passed, retirement age?
Yes. I don’t work 70 hours a week anymore. I now have the time to confer with many very smart people, whom I have long respected, to explore their ideas.
How do you go about learning new technologies, and is that necessary for your work?
When I started to practice law in 1959, Xerox had not even been invented. Learning to navigate more than on/off switches on nearly everything I touch has been a major learning experience for me; but it has also been gratifying.
Do co-workers seek out your experience and knowledge?
Yes. Now that I am senior advisor to state Sen. Hertzberg, he and his staff seek my advice and counsel on important civic, social, economic and governmental problems every day. And all the boards I serve on to this day demand solutions to fulfill their missions to make life better for others.
How do you keep the work you do fresh and interesting?
New problems constantly arise requiring new solutions. The answers sometime come from unexpected sources. Now I have the time and resources to uncover such sources.
What are the biggest changes you’ve observed in your workplace environment across your career, and what are key aspects that have never changed?
I don’t keep time sheets or send out bills for my services anymore. Also, the problems I help others solve today tend to be more complex and challenging than those of years past.
Are there advantages to working at your age? If so, what are they?
Working keeps me mentally on my toes and nimble. It also allows for meeting new people, being open to new ideas and helping others meet challenges.
What do you do for fun?
I play golf, which I enjoy. But that, too, is often challenging.
