Mayor Karen Bass Focuses on Homelessness, Sustainability, and Infrastructure with Leadership Appointments

Mayor appoints three Deputy Mayors and three Directors last week

Mayor Karen Bass has wasted no time in the transition to her new administration. Last week, she appointed three Deputy Mayors and three Directors as part of her mission to help homeless Angelenos, bolster environmental protection and sustainability, improve infrastructure, and engage with the people of Los Angeles. 

“These leaders are innovative and experienced changemakers who will drive Los Angeles forward by helping to improve the quality of life of all Angelenos,” Mayor Bass said. “I want to thank the previous Deputy Mayors who stayed on to help my Administration transition into office during this critical moment in our city’s history.”

Nancy Sutley will serve as Deputy Mayor of Energy and Sustainability. She is currently Senior Assistant General Manager of External and Regulatory Affairs and Chief Sustainability Officer at Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Previously, she was confirmed unanimously by the U.S. Senate to lead the White House Council on Environmental Quality under former President Obama, in addition to serving as Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Deputy Mayor for Energy and Environment. She also sits on the board of the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California.

Randall Winston will serve as Deputy Mayor of Public Works. He is an attorney at O’Melveny & Myers with experience in law, architecture, and government. Previously, he was appointed Executive Director of the California Strategic Growth Council by Gov. Jerry Brown and led investments of $1.3 billion into community resources throughout California. Randall has also worked for internationally renowned architect Norman Foster on design, urban planning and infrastructure projects globally as well as spending two years in Beijing, China working with development and architecture firms.

Karren Lane joins the Mayor’s office as Deputy Mayor of Community Empowerment, where she will oversee community engagement and participatory governance on topics such as public safety and homelessness solutions. Previously, Lane worked at the California Wellness Foundation and Weingart Foundation, co-designing the latter’s $4.25 million Youth Organizing Capacity Building Initiative and leading its grantmaking strategies in South Los Angeles and Southeast Los Angeles. She was also Vice President of Policy at the Community Coalition in South LA, specializing in developing policies to improve education, child welfare, and criminal justice reform.

Annetta Wells will become Director of Community Engagement for the Mayor’s office. She will focus on engaging the council offices, neighborhood councils, business organizations, and neighborhood residents to help with encampment-to-home strategies. Wells currently works for SEIU 2015 as Statewide Deputy Political Director. She also works with organized labor and the faith community on homelessness solutions.

Leigh Hoffman-Kipp was named the Director of Strategic Initiatives for the Housing and Homelessness Solutions team, aiming to secure interim housing for Inside Safe. Previously, she was senior staff to the Hon. Jackie Goldberg at the city and state levels, as well as leadership roles at Hands4Hope LA and Silverlake Conservatory of Music. Her background includes planning, development and organizational strategy.

Stephanie Venegas will serve as the Director of Scheduling for Mayor Bass. She has over 16 years of scheduling and advance experience, including 7 years with Santa Monica’s City Council and roles in Obama’s re-election campaign, Presidential Inaugural Committee, Democratic Caucus and Xavier Becerra’s office.

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