LOS ANGELES — Mayor Eric Garcetti celebrates the confirmation of three new department leaders: Barbara Romero as Executive Director of the Los Angeles Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN), Abigail Marquez as the first General Manager of the Community Investment for Families Department (CIFD), and Lisa Salazar as interim Executive Director of the Youth Development Department (YDD).
“These three public servants are the right leaders to carry forward my administration’s work to make Los Angeles a place that is synonymous with economic opportunity, tackles our biggest problems head on, and sets the highest possible standard for City services,” said Mayor Garcetti. “Barbara, Abigail, and Lisa exemplify the very best of our City’s values and ideals, and I have no doubt they will excel in their respective roles.”
Barbara Romero has served as the Deputy Mayor of City Services since March 2015, overseeing the implementation of the Mayor’s priorities at 15 City departments. Prior to her service as Deputy Mayor, Romero also served as a commissioner on the City’s Board of Public Works overseeing the Bureau of Sanitation (LASAN) and as a City Planning Commissioner. She also spent a decade working for the Mountains Recreation and Conservation Authority as its Chief of Urban Projects and Watershed Planning.
As Executive Director of LASAN, Romero will oversee the operations of essential public service programs such as waste collection, wastewater treatment, public right-of-way management, and the implementation of new green infrastructure. She will replace acting General Manager Traci Minamide on July 5, 2021.
“I am sincerely grateful for the Mayor’s faith in me and feel extremely privileged to lead the extraordinary workforce of LASAN,” said Romero, “At its core, LASAN protects our environment and, since I've spent my career working to improve the environment, I'm especially excited to continue this crucial work at LASAN, with a climate equity focus, and am ready to get to work in close partnership with the City Council to make our City a cleaner and more sustainable place for our residents.”
Abigail Marquez has spent 17 years working for the City to advance anti-poverty programs and policies. Since 2016, Marquez has served as Assistant General Manager for the Housing and Community Investment Department (HCID) overseeing the Community Services and Development Bureau. In that role, Marquez helped to increase the Domestic Violence Shelter budget, implement several key COVID-response programs, and oversaw the allocation of federal grants. She also helped to resolve the City's fiscal audit with the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.
As General Manager of CIFD, Marquez will work closely with the Mayor and City Council to establish poverty-reduction goals for the City; play an active role in implementing homelessness prevention programs; oversee the implementation of L.A.’s Guaranteed Basic Income pilot, the largest in the nation; and implement the Children’s Savings Account program, OpportunityLA, which will support 35,000 first-graders annually across the region.
“I am honored and humbled by this opportunity to lead the newly created Community Investment for Families Department,” said Marquez. “Many Angelenos have struggled to pay rent, worried about putting food on the table or not having enough money to meet an unexpected expense. The Community Investment for Families Department will work to implement initiatives that will empower Angelenos to forge their own path to financial security and break the cycle of generational poverty. I look forward to working with the Mayor and the Council to build a stronger, more equitable and resilient Los Angeles.”
Since 2016, Lisa Salazar has served as the Mayor’s Director of Workforce Development and Economic Opportunity, where she led the development of new policies, programs, and partnerships. Prior to her service in the Mayor’s Office, Salazar oversaw the City’s YouthSource and FamilySource Systems, providing programmatic and fiscal oversight of more than $50 million federal, state, and local grants. Salazar also served as the Director of the Youth Opportunity Movement Center in Boyle Heights, now named the Boyle Heights Technology YouthSource Center.
Effective July 1st, Salazar will serve as Interim Executive Director of the Youth Development Department (YDD), where she will oversee a new department that will coordinate with City departments, regional agencies, community organizations, and youth leaders to develop a long-term citywide youth development strategic plan; monitor the use of resources allocated toward young Angelenos; serve as the central information hub on youth services in the City; and help elevate the voices of youth in local government and City operations.
“I am grateful to the Mayor for appointing me, and to Councilwoman Monica Rodriguez, the Invest in Youth Coalition, and countless young leaders for their advocacy to help create this historic new department — one that will put the needs and voices of youth and young adults front and center,” said Salazar. “The pandemic has had a cruel and disproportionate impact on the lives of our most vulnerable youths, exacerbating long-standing barriers in access, equity and justice for young Angelenos. I cannot think of a more critical time in our City’s history to invest in our youth and systemically tear down these barriers.”