Los Angeles has few elected officials who are sympathetic toward business. So it’s no surprise that perhaps the most prominent of them – Los Angeles County Supervisor Kathryn Barger – has gotten an early and unqualified endorsement from BizFed PAC, a project of the Los Angeles County Business Federation or BizFed, one of L.A.’s largest business organizations. 

Aaron Taxy, chair of the political action committee’s board, said: “We’re confident her independent voice and long-standing partnership with business leaders will continue improving the lives of Angelenos and Southern Californians.” 

Barger thanked the PAC, saying, “BizFed has been a constant champion for local business, including investing and growing jobs in Los Angeles County.”

Barger was first elected a supe in 2016 and reelected in 2020, so if she wins next year, it would be her final term.

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Los Angeles recently lost Bert Boeckmann and John Cushman III, two important and longstanding business and community leaders.

Boeckmann, who was 92 when he died April 28, was a high-octane business operator who started as a car salesman at Galpin Ford but was so successful he soon became the sole owner of the dealership and then turbocharged it into the world’s top-selling Ford outlet for 29 years. And he went on to establish an array of a dozen dealerships that continue to sell everything from Aston Martins to Volkswagens. His rags-to-riches life story resulted in him winning the Horatio Alger award, which was among his many honors. Boeckmann was a longtime civic leader, too, particularly in the San Fernando Valley; he served 17 years as a Los Angeles Police Commissioner, among other posts.

Cushman, a legendary real estate veteran, died on May 4 at age 82. The grandson of the founder of Cushman & Wakefield, Cushman started his career at the firm but went on to establish a separate company, Cushman Corporation Realty, which at its peak had 200 employees and offices in 11 cities. His company merged into Cushman & Wakefield in 2001 and Cushman became global chair.

Cushman was on the board of 14 public companies, among other duties. In 2015, the Business Journal named him its Business Person of the Year. He was 74 at the time and in an interview said he slept about three hours a night and still worked seven days a week. 

The Insider is compiled by Editor-in-Chief Charles Crumpley. He can be reached at [email protected].