There have been some major staffing changes at local schools in recent weeks.
Last week it was announced that Los Angeles Community College District Chancellor Francisco Rodriguez would be retiring, effective Nov. 2.
In May, the LACCD Academic Senate voted no confidence in Rodriguez and the district’s board. The senate alleged that the system failed to address sexual harassment concerns, allegedly retaliated against whistleblowers and was not transparent.
Just one week prior, Michael Drake, the president of the University of California system, announced plans to step down at the end of the 2024-2025 school year.
Drake had been president of the 10-campus UC system since 2020. He was previously the president at The Ohio State University for six years.
“It has been the honor of a lifetime to serve as president of the University of California these past several years, and I am immensely proud of what the UC community has accomplished,” Drake said in a statement. “At every turn, I have sought to listen to those I served, to uphold our shared UC values and to do all I could to leave this institution in better shape than it was before. I’m proud to see the university continuing to make a positive impact on the lives of countless Californians through research, teaching, and public service.”
During his time at the UC system, he helped secure funding and supported investments in access to education.
His time at the UC system faced many challenges, though, including dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic and on-campus protests against the Israeli war with Hamas.
The UC Board of Regents will look for his successor.
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Iconic retailer Fred Segal has closed its last two clothing store locations in West Hollywood and Malibu. Its website is also down. Its home furniture store in Culver City remains open.
“Sixty years the company’s been around and it’s a shame that it’s finally coming to a close,” Jeff Lotman, the store’s owner, said to the Los Angeles Times.
At its height, the brand had nine locations in California plus locations in Switzerland, Taipei and Malaysia. It was known as a celebrity hotspot, referenced in many movies and TV shows.
Segal’s nephew, Ron Herman, took over the company in the 1970s. In 2012, Shadow Media purchased worldwide rights to the brand and in 2014 Evolution Media Capital invested in the company.
In 2019 Sawtelle-based brand licensing agency Global Icons, led by Lotman, acquired Fred Segal from Evolution Media. Evolution Media remained a minority stakeholder.
Lotman, who did not return a request for comment by press time, told Women’s Wear Daily that a number of factors contributed to the store’s closing.
“The shift to online shopping, economic uncertainties, and decreased foot traffic have made it difficult to maintain physical store operations,” he said.
Lotman also told the L.A. Times that the company also did not have enough self-branded products and carried close to 200 outside brands.
