Fresh off his victory in Sacramento to gain more control over the Los Angeles Unified School District, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is stepping up his economic development efforts to boost investment and jobs in the city.
This week, Villaraigosa is in the midst of a 16-day swing through China, Japan and South Korea to promote Los Angeles as a place to visit and do business and to expand export markets for L.A. companies.
Just before Villaraigosa left, he told the Business Journal he had formed a Committee for Jobs and the Economy, comprised of 30 prominent business leaders and chaired by City National Bank chief executive Russell Goldsmith.
“I plan to intensify my focus on economic development in L.A., and the Asia trade mission and this committee represent a launching of this sharpened focus,” Villaraigosa said.
The trade mission began Oct. 7 and involves about 50 members of L.A.’s business community (including Matt Toledo, publisher of the Business Journal).
The Chinese leg of the trip will focus in part on how L.A. businesses can participate in the 2008 Summer Olympic Games in Beijing.
Among the 31 members on the committee are such prominent business leaders as Earvin “Magic” Johnson, chief executive of Magic Johnson Enterprises, John Cushman, chairman of real estate company Cushman & Wakefield Inc., Peter Chernin, chief operating officer of News Corp., Steve Sample, president of the University of Southern California, Bruce Karatz, chairman and chief executive of KB Homes and Howard Marks, founder and chairman of Oaktree Capital Management LLC.
Below is a list of the 31 members of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s newly-created Committee for Jobs and the Economy:
Chair:
Russell Goldsmith – President & CEO, City National Bank
Members:
William Allen – President & CEO, Los Angeles Economic Development Corp.
Jesus Arguelles – CEO, Arguelles Capital Access
Byron Auguste – McKinsey & Company
Andrew Cherng – Founder & Chairman, Panda Restaurant Group
Peter Chernin – President & CEO, News Corp/Fox
FrankClark – Executive Director, LAXTEC Corp./International Airline Carriers
Gary Credle – Executive Vice President, Administration and Studio Operations, Warner Bros.
John Cushman – Chairman, Cushman Wakefield
Martha de la Torre – President & CEO, El Clasificado
Maria Elena Durazo – Executive Secretary-Treasurer, Los Angeles County Federation of Labor
David Fisher – Chairman Capital Group International
David Fleming – Chairman, Economic Alliance of the San Fernando Valley
Paul Hudson – President & CEO, Broadway Federal Bank
Earvin “Magic” Johnson – CEO, Magic Johnson Enterprises
Bruce Karatz – Chairman & CEO, KB Homes
Jolene Koester – President, California State University, Northridge
Edward Leamer, Economist, UCLA Anderson School
Tim Leiweke – President & CEO, Anschutz Entertainment Group
Bryan Lourd – Managing Director, Creative Artists Agency
Monica Lozano – Publisher & CEO, La Opinion
Howard Marks Founder and Chairman, Oaktree Capital Management
James McKenna – President, Pacific Maritime Association
Dominic Ng – Chairman, President & CEO, East West Bank
Ann Philbin – Director, UCLA/Hammer Museum
Lynn Pike – President, Bank of America
Jay Rasulo – Chairman, Parks & Resorts, Walt Disney Company
JamesRosser – President, California State University, Los Angeles
Steve Sample – President, University of Southern California
Gary Toebben – President & CEO, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce
Charles Woo – CEO, MegaToys