Chair History
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- Chair History
HISTORY OF THE CHAIRS FROM 1964 TO PRESENT
Mr. Maurice Stans:
1964 – February, 1965
As the first chairman of the Economy and Efficiency Committee (the Commission was originally established as a Committee), Mr. Stans had been President of Alexander Grant and Company, a national public accounting firm. During the Eisenhower Administration he served as Director of the Bureau of the Budget. He then joined William R. Staats and Company, at that time one of the oldest investment banking houses in the country. This firm was merged with Glore-Forgan, and Mr. Stans was made President of the new firm Glore-Forgan-William R. Staats and Company. This position necessitated his moving to New York and his resignation as chairman. He subsequently served as the Secretary of Commerce in the Nixon Administration.
Mr. Francis R. Wilcox:
March, 1965 – May, 1965
In March, 1965, Mr. Wilcox, as one of the original members of the Committee, was elected chairman. He had recently retired as Chairman of the Board, Sunkist Growers Association. He resigned in May, 1965, as a result of the demands placed upon him by his other activities.
Mr. A. C. (Cy) Rubel
June, 1965 – June, 1967
Mr. Rubel served as chairman of the Committee until his death in June, 1967. Mr. Rubel had retired as President and Chairman of the Board of Union Oil Company in April, 1965. He served in the Corps of Engineers in World War I, and was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, the nation’s second highest award for heroism. He served on the Board of Directors of the American Petroleum Institute and in 1966 was awarded the Institute’s gold medal for distinguished achievement. He was a member of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles Area Council, Boy Scouts of America, and Western Regional Chairman of the Freedoms Foundation at Valley Forge. On Mr. Rubel’s death the Board of Supervisors ordered the flags flown at half-staff at County buildings until after the funeral.
Mr. Robert Mitchell
July, 1967 – July, 1973
Mr. Mitchell had retired as Chairman of the Board, Consolidated Rock Products Company in 1967. He had been the past president of the Merchants and Manufacturers Association, the National Sand and Gravel Association, the Los Angeles Veterans Service Center, and the American Gold Star Home.
Mr. Maurice Rene Chez:
August, 1973 – August, 1975
Mr. Chez had retired as the president and general sales manager for the United States and Canada, Max Factor Company. He also served as Chairman, Contract Audit Committee, and as a member of the 1966 Los Angeles County Grand Jury.
Dr. Robert J. Downey
September, 1975 – April, 1977
Dr. Downey obtained his B.A. from Pepperdine University and an M.S. and PhD from the University of Southern California. As a business executive with interests in real estate and restaurants, he had been President of Owl Companies, President of IMS, Director of Administration for TRW, and Director of Personnel Administration for North American Aviation. Dr. Downey also served as Dean of Students at USC, and as a professor at Long Beach State University and California State University Los Angeles. He was also active in the Chamber of Commerce and the Boy Scouts.
Dr. Warren H. Schmidt
May, 1977 – May, 1980
Dr. Schmidt received a B.A. from Wayne University, an MDiv. from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, and a PhD from Washington University. He was a professor at UCLA, Washington University, the University of Missouri, Springfield College (Mass.), and spent 3 years as Project Coordinator of the Adult Education Association of the USA. He was active in the American Psychological Association, American Board of Professional Psychology, and the Society for the Psychological Study of Social Issues.
Mr. George E. Bodle, Esq.
June, 1980 – February, 1982
Mr. Bodle , an attorney and arbitrator, was active in the American Bar Association (former Chairman, Labor Relations Section), the Los Angeles County Bar Association (former Trustee), and the California Bar Association. He was an Overseas Fellow at Churchill College, and was a member of the Faculty of Law at Cambridge University. He also served as a trustee for the United Way, and was co-editor of The Developing Labor Law, (B.N.A. 1972).
Mr. Joe Crail
April, 1982 – January, 1990
Mr. Crail was CEO and Chairman of the Board of Western Mutual Insurance, Chairman of the Board of Pacific Data Management Corporation, and Founding Director of Columbia National Bank. He served as a member of the Los Angeles County Data Processing Advisory Commission, and as a member and director of Palisair Homeowners’ Committee. He also was a member of the Board of Directors and Chairman of the Fundraising Campaign for Carlthorp School.
Mr. Arthur J. Peever
February, 1990 – January, 1991
Mr. Peever was President and CEO of Arrowhead Drinking Water, and Executive Vice President, Administration and Development, Coca Cola Bottling Company of Los Angeles. Mr. Peever was also a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, a Director, Financial Executives’ Institute, and a member of the St. Joseph’s Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees.
Dr. Gunther W. Buerk
February, 1991 – January, 1997
Dr. Buerk was President of American Consulting Company (a management consulting company) and Chairman and CFO, West Coast Microbreweries, Inc. He was also the former Manager of Corporate Economics & Strategic Planning for Unocal Oil Company and was a founding council member and former mayor of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes.
Mr. David A. Abel
February, 1997 – January, 2000
Mr. Abel was President/CEO, ABL, Inc. (Abel & Associates); Former Director, Coro Foundation of Southern California. He served on the board of the following: American Jewish Committee - Institute for American Pluralism, Catholic Charities Community Development Corporation, Project Restore, Los Angeles Opportunities Industrialization Center, Skirball Institute for American Values, People for Parks, Los Angeles’ Mega-Cities Project, and SuperShuttle International, Inc. He was the winner of the 1990 Los Angeles League of Women Voters Civic Achievement Award; Former Board President, Los Angeles Lawyers for the Arts; Former Board President, Jewish Television Network; Former Member, L.A. 2000 Goals Committee; Former Member, LEARN; Former Member, Central Cities Association; Former Member, National Committee for Citizens in Education; and Former Member, Pershing Square Management Association board.
Mr. Robert H. Philibosian, Esq
February, 2000 – January, 2006
Mr. Philibosian is a partner, Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton. His experience includes being District Attorney, Los Angeles County from 1983-1984; Chief Assistant Attorney General, State of California from 1979-82; Chair, California Council on Criminal Justice from 1983-1991; Commissioner, California State World Trade Commission from 1990-1999; and being Trustee, Southwestern University Law School. He was elected to the honorary position of Chairman Emeritus by the Commission in February, 2006.
Ms. Jaclyn Tilley Hill
February, 2006 – January 2007
Ms. Hill is in her eighth year serving as a commissioner with the Los Angeles County Quality and Productivity Commission, with six of those years having been Chair. She continues to serve as Chair Emeritus of that Commission. She also served as Chair of the E&E Commission Grand Jury Task Force, and is a member of the Asset Management, Executive and Sheriff’s Court Transportation Task Forces. Ms. Hill has previously served as a Commissioner on the Economy and Efficiency Commission from 1994 – 1997, and as Foreman of the Los Angeles County Grand Jury. She has also served ten years as the Chair and Commissioner of the Social Services Commission of the City of Whittier. Ms. Hill is recognized as a highly successful fund raiser and event organizer for many Los Angeles charities for over twenty five years. She has served as an executive board member of the Assistance League of Southern California, Board member of the National Charity League, President of the Board of Trustees of the White Memorial Hospital Foundation, the Doheny Eye Institute's Luminaries, American Heart Association, and many other organizations. Ms. Hill continues as an advisory board member for the Los Angeles Children's Hospital "This Little Light" organization, the Whittier Area Literacy Council, and the Long Beach City College Board of Governors. She attended California Western University and the University of Southern California.
Mr. Ronald K. Ikejiri, Esq
February, 2007 – December, 2009
Mr. Ikejiri is a member of the City Council, City of Gardena; Chairman of the Council of Governments-South Bay Cities, Transportation Oversight Committee; Principal, Law Firm, Ronald K. Ikejiri; Former Partner, McGuire Woods Battle and Boothe, Washington, D.C.; Former Advisory Member to Department of Commerce; Department of Labor and Health and Human Services committees, Washington, D.C.; City of Gardena representative to the Southern California Association of Governments and League of California Cities; Alumni member UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research; BA and Masters Degrees from UCLA in Public Service/Public Administration, Juris Doctor from Northrop University; Member State Bar of California, United States Tax Court.
Mr. Isaac Diaz Barcelona
January, 2009 – December 2013
Mr. Barcelona is the District Director for Senator Steve Knight, 21st Senator District; Former President & CEO of the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce; Palmdale School District Public Relations Director for 12 years until 2003; 2008 AVRA President; President & CEO of Barcelona Consulting, Entertainment & Productions Group; Co-Founder and past President of the Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 1997-2000, current 2009 Director of Public Relations; Past, two-term, President of Public Relations Officials of the Antelope Valley (PROz Organization); Toured and performed as an entertainer, writer, musician and producer for 28 years; Published weekly columnist for past 18 years in major English & Spanish newspapers and magazines; Editor, writer, co-producer & Host of “Shaping the Future”, a weekly television and radio program on Adelphia Communications and High Desert Broadcasting; Listed in Who’s Who ’89, ’93, and ’94; Married to Shawny, six children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Mr. Jonathan S. Fuhrman
February, 2014 – December 2014
Mr. Fuhrman, an appointee to the Commission of Supervisor Gloria Molina, currently is retired. He was the former Manager of Application Development at Employers Insurance Group. Mr. Fuhrman is also the current Chair of the Los Angeles County Information Systems Commission. Mr. Fuhrman currently serves as Treasurer for the Pasadena Educational Foundation and for the Pasadena Community College Foundation, is a board member of the Mother's Club, and is member of ACT (a grass-roots political action group) and the League of Women Voters-Pasadena. He also chairs the Citizens Oversight Committee for the Pasadena Unified School District's Measure TT bond funds.
Mr. Isaac Diaz Barcelona
January, 2014– December 2017
Mr. Barcelona is the District Director for Senator Steve Knight, 21st Senator District; Former President & CEO of the Palmdale Chamber of Commerce; Palmdale School District Public Relations Director for 12 years until 2003; 2008 AVRA President; President & CEO of Barcelona Consulting, Entertainment & Productions Group; Co-Founder and past President of the Antelope Valley Hispanic Chamber of Commerce 1997-2000, current 2009 Director of Public Relations; Past, two-term, President of Public Relations Officials of the Antelope Valley (PROz Organization); Toured and performed as an entertainer, writer, musician and producer for 28 years; Published weekly columnist for past 18 years in major English & Spanish newspapers and magazines; Editor, writer, co-producer & Host of “Shaping the Future”, a weekly television and radio program on Adelphia Communications and High Desert Broadcasting; Listed in Who’s Who ’89, ’93, and ’94; Married to Shawny, six children, fifteen grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.
Ms. Rebecca “Becca” Doten
January, 2018 – December 2019
Ms. Becca Doten serves as the Assistant Deputy State Controller in the Los Angeles office of State Controller Betty T. Yee. She has worked in state and local government for more than ten years, specializing in policy, communications, and staff management. Ms. Doten is a sworn Reserve Police Officer with the Los Angeles Police Department, serves on the Board of Directors of the non-profit Students Run LA, and is a West Coast Partner with the Truman National Security Project. She has a BA in Film Production from the University of Southern California and in her free time she enjoys running, hiking, and participating in triathlons.
Edward Munoz
January, 2020 – January, 2022
Mr. Edward Munoz is a process driven business leader with over 30 years of substantial experience in government relations, business development, six sigma, Integrated Product Teams(IPT's), labor/employee relations and community engagement for Fortune 100 and 500 Companies, including Raytheon, GM Hughes Electronics, and Hughes Aircraft Company. Edward also has governance experience as Chair, Executive Committee and Board Member of non-profits and trade associations including: California State Workforce Investment Board, California Manufactures Association; Arizona Educational Standards and Assessment Task Force, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce; and Core Southern California. Edward's focus throughout his career has been Economic and business development achieved through the promotion of defense, manufacturing and education policy and practice. He is a graduate of California State Polytechnic University - Pomona, and received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. The Citizens' Economy and Efficiency Commission is charged with examining any operation of County government and makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors directed toward improving government economy, efficiency and effectiveness.
Robert Cole
January 2022 to Present
President, Ground Zero Communications; Chair, Empowerment Congress West Area Neighborhood Development Council; President, Baldwin Hills Estates Homeowners' Association; Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Association, Beta Psi Lamba Chapter; Deputy, California State Assembly, 1996-1997; Clerk, Katten Muchin Zavis & Weitzman, 1989-1996; Deputy, United States Congress, Honorable John Lewis, 5th District, 1987-1989; Education: JD, American College of Law; BA Criminal Justice, Morehouse College.