The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appoints Norma Edith García as the new Director of the Department Parks and Recreation and the Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District. Garcia is the first woman and first person of color to serve in this capacity since the founding of the department in 1944.
In her role as Director, she is responsible for the Department’s operations that include a $232 million budget, more than 2,458 employees, and asset management of 183 parks, 70,079 acres of parkland, over 210 miles of trails with staging areas, 5 equestrians centers, 14 lakes – 3 of which are boating and swimming lakes, 475 sports amenities such as futsal, basketball, tennis, lawn bowling and multipurpose fields, 42 swimming pools, 15 wildlife sanctuaries, and 10 nature centers that serve as a refuge for over 200 animals, amongst them hawks, bison, alpacas, snakes, owls, tortoise, ravens, and raccoons. Norma also directs the largest municipal golf system in the nation, consisting of 20 golf courses, in addition to the world-class Arboreta and Botanic Gardens – Descanso Gardens, Los Angeles County Arboretum, Virginia Robinson Gardens and South Coast Botanical Gardens and the Hollywood Bowl and Ford Theaters. She will also lead the Department during emergencies and natural disasters, where gyms, local parks, and regional facilities become shelters for residents and livestock, providing a safety-net for communities throughout Los Angeles County.
García will also serve as the Director of the Los Angeles County Regional Parks and Open Space District (RPOSD) administering Measure A (Safe, Clean Neighborhood Parks and Beaches Protection Measure) dedicating $90 million annually, in perpetuity, in grant programs for Los Angeles County’s local parks, beaches and open space areas.
In 2016, García spearheaded the Countywide Parks Needs Assessment that identified park disparities in high and very high need park neighborhoods, especially in low-income communities of color. This adopted report was instrumental in the passage of Measure A, which was the first equity ballot measure in Los Angeles County dedicating resources to refurbish park amenities and build new parks.
García brings extensive knowledge and experience to the Department with her continuous service of 17 years at the County of Los Angeles. García had recently been appointed as the Department’s Acting Director since March 27, 2020. Previously, she served as the Chief Deputy Director since September of 2016, in which she was also the first woman to serve in that role. Formerly, she served as the Deputy Director for the Department’s Planning and Development Agency. While going to college, Norma worked as a recurrent park and recreation leader as a coach teaching softball, basketball, volleyball, and cheerleading.
During the unprecedented COVID-19 crisis, as Acting Director, Garcia led the Department to continuously offer access to parks and open spaces for respite, mental, physical and emotional well-being, while following the proper public health restrictions. García convened over 90 Park and Recreation Agencies and cities in Los Angeles County to create protocols and safety measures that would secure the recovery process of the reopening for park amenities (stage 1-3) in partnership with the Department of Public Health.
“I am deeply honored and humbled to lead, especially during a time when we are faced with challenges and opportunities in the months and years ahead. Most immediately, we must navigate the COVID pandemic and the economic crisis it has created and make decisions about how we move forward by putting the health, safety and needs of our communities and employees first, said Los Angeles County Department of Parks and Recreation Director, Norma Edith García. “Our parks are the backyard of Los Angeles County residents, and I look forward to leading the Department with empathy, a vision for equity, an unwavering commitment in serving our communities and working with the Board of Supervisors to create a pathway for Los Angeles County’s recovery”.
García is passionate about building thriving communities throughout the County and works tirelessly to achieve this through her active participation in many civic and professional organizations. She serves on the Board of the National Association of County Park and Recreation Officials (NACPRO), Baldwin Hills Conservancy, Baldwin Hills Regional Conservation Authority (BHRCA) and the El Monte Promise Foundation. She served as a member of the Rio Hondo College Board of Trustees, the Chair of El Monte City Planning Commission and on the Board of the Watershed Conservation Authority (WCA), the San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles River and Mountains Conservancy (RMC), the California Community Foundation’s Community Building Initiative, and on the Board of New Economics for Women.
García grew up in the San Gabriel Valley, where she visited Whittier Narrows Regional Park often and grew to love and appreciate the value of parks in her life and community. She is a daughter of immigrants and the first in her family to attend college. Norma graduated from UCLA with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a master’s degree in Urban Planning. She and her adventurous family and husky enjoy everything about parks, bike-riding, camping, and tending to their vegetable garden, chickens, and beehive.
COMMENT POLICY: We welcome comments from individuals and businesses. All comments are moderated. Comments are subject to rejection if they are vulgar, combative, or in poor taste.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
After receiving athletic protocol updates from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the William S. Hart Union High School District has put together a complete athletic program following all state and county guidelines.
Three teachers from the William S. Hart Union High School District have been named by NASA and the SETI Institute to fly on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 91 new deaths and 1,407 new cases of COVID-19, with 26,212 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
After receiving athletic protocol updates from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), the Los Angeles Department of Public Health (LADPH) and California Interscholastic Federation (CIF), the William S. Hart Union High School District has put together a complete athletic program following all state and county guidelines.
The ability to transform data into information and insights that can elevate a business and influence decisions is at the core of the newest major being offered in California State University, Northridge’s David Nazarian College of Business and Economics.
Three teachers from the William S. Hart Union High School District have been named by NASA and the SETI Institute to fly on NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
Los Angeles County Parks is looking for highly-talented independent instructors to bring valuable expertise and learning to the community through the Contact Class Program.
The Los Angeles County Department of Public Health confirmed Tuesday 91 new deaths and 1,407 new cases of COVID-19, with 26,212 total cases in the Santa Clarita Valley.
After its cancelation last year due to the emergence of COVID-19, the College of the Canyons Scholarly Presentation will return this spring in a new virtual format.
Santa Clarita Planning commissioners are expected to make a decision Tuesday regarding the proposed expansion of Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital via multiple construction projects that include building a second inpatient tower.
Santa Clarita Valley educators were next in line to receive their COVID-19 vaccine shots at Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital Monday, more than two months after the hospital received its first batch of vaccines for hospital frontline workers.
Los Angeles County Public Health officials on Monday confirmed 32 new deaths and 987 new cases of COVID-19 countywide, as Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital in Valencia reported two new deaths since Friday.
In partnership with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, the city of Santa Clarita will launch its “Guard That Auto” campaign this spring to combat an increase in grand theft auto over the past year.
The city of Santa Clarita, in partnership with the Santa Clarita Sister Cities program, invites local students to submit artwork, poetry, essays/creative writing, photographs, or music for the 2021 Sister Cities International Young Artists and Authors Showcase.
In a rush to bring children back to California schools after a year of closed campuses, Governor Gavin Newsom and lawmakers said Monday the state will offer $2 billion to school districts willing to reopen next month.
The race to get a COVID-19 vaccine in Los Angeles County despite vaccine shortages is cutthroat and most people don’t even know they’re in the competition.
The California Department of Motor Vehicles has learned of a text message phishing scam related to REAL ID and reminds customers that it will never ask for personal information related to driver’s license number, Social Security number, or financial information through email, text, or over the phone.
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
0 Comments
You can be the first one to leave a comment.