Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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Incoming City Attorney Announces Transition Team
By a MetNews Staff Writer
Los Angeles City Attorney-elect Carmen “Nuch” Trutanich yesterday unveiled the members of his transition team whom he has organized into 12 working groups to focus on areas he had slated for reform during his campaign.
Trutanich, who takes office July 1, said that he was “overwhelmed by the response to our call for action” and “honored to have so many extraordinarily talented Angelenos join this cause to change Los Angeles.”
He noted that many members of his transition team had never served in such a capacity before, which he said allowed them to “offer fresh new ideas and new perspectives…to develop an action plan to restructure and reform the Office of City Attorney to better serve the people of this great city.”
Assistant District Attorney Jacquelyn Lacey will head the group examining the manner in which criminal prosecutions are handled, while Loyola Law School Professor Susan Poehls leads the group charged with organizing the “Academy of Justice” training program Trutanich advocated for during his campaign.
Administration issues will be addressed by a team led by Bill Mangan, the former head of the District Attorney’s Bureau of Management and Budget, and civil matters by a team under Frank Cooley, assistant general counsel for the Southern California Gas Co.
Barry Groveman of Musick Peeler & Garrett LLP will manage the working group concentrating on environmental law and Martin Vranicar Jr., assistant CEO of the California District Attorneys Association, heads the team focused on gang issues.
Gibson Dunn & Crutcher partner Amy Forbes leads the land use and code enforcement group while Gordon Bava of Manatt Phelps & Phillips heads the law firm management group.
Deputy District Attorney David Berger—who ran against Trutanich in the primary election and then threw his support behind Trutanich in the runoff—is tasked with leading the public integrity and ethics group.
Patti Tubert, former deputy director for the Department of Airports, and her team will address proprietary department reforms while Grace Yoo, executive director of the Korean American Coalition, and her group examine victims’ rights issues.
Trutanich previously announced that the transition team will be led by former Los Angeles County District Attorney Robert Philibosian and former California Assembly Speaker Robert Hertzberg. Jane Usher, who served as counsel to then-Mayor Tom Bradley and as president of the Planning Commission, will be the transition executive director.
He has also named former chief deputy district attorney Curt Livesay as his chief deputy and former Assistant U.S. Attorney William W. Carter as his chief of staff.
Copyright 2009, Metropolitan News Company