Executive Shakeup at L.A. World Airports
If you are the general manager of a major city department and you have too many deputies reporting to you, what do you do? Have a re-org!On February 8th, a new executive structure was rolled out for Los Angeles World Airports, the L.A. City department that owns and manages L.A.’s four airports- LAX, Van Nuys, Ontario and Palmdale. While LAWA has a department vision of, “We Fly as One,” the new executive structure clearly has some senior staff re-assigned to a higher altitude, some on level-cruise, some sent to a lower altitude and one, a parachute.
LAWA Executive Director Lydia Kennard has created four functional groups to “support LAWA’s strategic goals and values and Mayoral priorities: Airport security, LAX modernization, regional Airport development, ‘green’ Airports, world-class amenities, and ethics and compliance.” The four groups are Finance/Administration, Airports/Security, Real Estate/Economic Development and Planning/Development.
Higher altitude:
Samson Mengistu will head the Finance/Administration Group. Samson is a rising star in LAWA. He has led the $500 million plus effort to buy up all of the homes in Manchester Square and has served as liaison to the Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC). Samson will function as the Assistant Executive Director and will be the “Executive Director in her absence.”
Patricia Tubert will captain the Real Estate/Economic Development Group. Tubert’s previous legal experience will also have her support the Executive Director on legal issues. Tubert previously served as Deputy Executive Director of Quality and Compliance.
Paul Haney will collaborate with Michael DiGirolamo in running the Airports/Security Group. Haney has been in charge of Public and Community Relations.
Jim Ritchie will pilot the Planning/Development Group. This dapper Dep. Exec. Direc. has been in charge of the many variations of the LAX Master Plan. Ritchie also was called to testify before the Grand Jury about “Pay to Play” in contracting at LAX during the Hahn/Stein Administration.
Level cruise:
Eduardo Angeles, Assistant City Attorney. His role is unchanged.
Phil Depoian. Same job, but a title increase from 51 letters to 53 letters. Deputy Executive Director Government and External Affairs will now be Deputy Executive Director External and Government Relations. Depoian was a long time aide to Mayor Tom Bradley before coming to LAWA at the end of Bradley’s record 5 terms. Recently, Depoian served as a Senior Aviation Advisor to Mayor Hahn after Deputy Mayor Troy Edwards resigned.
Lower altitude:
Michael DiGirolamo, Deputy Executive Director of Airport Operations will collaborate with Paul Haney on the Airports/ Security Group. DiGirolamo is a 25 year LAWA veteran.
Mark Massman, Deputy Executive Director, Major Project Development, will report to Jim Richtie.
Louis Hook, Chief Information Officer, will report to Samson Mengistu.
Parachute:
Chief Operating Officer Paul Green is nowhere to be found on the organization chart. Re-organizations are often times when key people get shoved out the door or vacant positions are eliminated.
Deputy Executive Director job openings/holes in the org chart:
Finance: This position was previously held by Karen Sisson who is now working on budget issues in Mayor Villaraigosa’s office.
Airport Security: There is an executive search in process for this position. Unfortunately, the Countertech report recommendation to elevate the LAWA Police Department Chief to a Deputy Executive Director level was not implemented in this re-org.
Concessions: LAWA is in the process of creating a “concessions master plan” and rebidding all of its concession contracts. Income from concessions such as restaurants, shops and parking is the fastest growing revenue segment for LAWA.
Environment: Environmental planning, mitigation (noise and soundproofing) and environmental compliance services. Keeping LAWA green.
To complete the re-org, at the March 8th BOAC meeting, Airport Commissioners will be asked to adopt “LAWA’s Values” of Honesty, Integrity, Respect/Collegiality/Collaboration, Responsibility, Transparency and Citizenship.
More changes may be coming at LAWA. Stay tuned…
Posted by Mayor Sam @ 2/16/2006 12:15:00 AM
15 Comments:
Lydia stated, "..it's not about personality, it's about function.."
Come on Lydia, do you really think everybody is that stupid? Your organization is all about personality, and you.
The problem is, the personalities you picked are weak and will prove to be incapable of dealing with the issues.
Surrounding yourself with those who do nothing but suck up to you and appointing your loyal friends to lead the organization is no way to run LAWA.
Great choices by Lydia. Samson, Patty Tubert, and Jim Ritchie are smart, creative and capable. A great team. Surprised, but pleasantly so, about Haney.
The only disappointment is that Phil D is still there.
I don't Lydia has any say in Eddie's status, though. I think Rocky makes all City Atty staff assignments. Eddie is good, though, so it's a plus that he is in charge of a good legal team there.
Can't agree on Samson.
I'n my experience with he guy, if his lips are moving....
Jim Ritchie is HOT.
Will someone tell me why the hell Antonio would appoint these people? HELLLLLOOOOO I think Chief Bratton has everything in hand now Antonio is again out there campaigning.
Among the advisers is Paula Madison, president and general manager of KNBC.
Other advisers include:
*Dr. Detlof Von Winterfeldt, USC terrorism expert.
*Bishop Charle Blake, who heads a huge congregation at West Angeles Church of God in Christ.
*Peter Neffenger, captain of the Ports of LA and Long Beach.
* Steve Zipperstein, Verizon vice president.
*Kelly Shivertaker, manager of emergency planning for Southern California Edison.
Michael DiGirolamo collaborating? what the heck does that mean? Why doesn't she just ditch the old dinosaur?
What about Louis Hook???
How long will he continue to screw over LAWA?
Lewis reports to Samson. DiGirolamo reports to Haney.
Massman will report to Ritchie.
What don't you understand about that?
Ever hear of "Civil Service"?
Lydia is doing what she can to reorganize her senior staff into a functional group. The senior staff has been riddled with losses due to Ted Stein and his heavy hand. Folks like Roger Johnson, Lydia herself, and lots of others departed. Antonio took her finance person Karen Sisson downtown to be Deputy Mayor. She has to rebuild.
She's damn lucky to have Patty and Jim there for a core, and Samson does a good job with the numbers. Haney has shown he can do the job.
Let's give Lydia a break; she finally has a Mayor who is supportive, and a Commission with adults on it that can actually function, led by Alan Rothenberg, Sylvia Patsouras and Walt Zifkin, these folks can actually think for themselves and are not bullied by the departed Ted Stein.
I look for good things in the near future for LAWA and Lydia. The Regional Airport approach will see expanded use of Palmdale and Ontario, and some functionality at Van Nuys.
Now, back off and let the lady do her job.
Hello, is there anyone home?
Expanded use in Palmdale, what are you smoking?
Ever hear of "reality"?
Michael "D" AS IN DUMMY! THIS GUY NEEDS TO GO. IS THIS THE SAME ASS CLOWN THAT STARTED THE BIRD FLU CHAOS AND THE SARS SCARE FOR IN-BOUND FLIGHTS? THIS GUY IS A HOLD OVER FROM THE THREE MARTINI LUNCH CROWD OF YEARS AGO. CAN NEVER FIND HIM AT WORK, ALWAYS TRYING TO BE THE BIG MAN TO ALL. GO AWAY MICHAEL "DUMMY"!!!!
Here is a thought - why doesn't LAWA start the Palmdale push by putting it to use by staffing it with dum dums like Michael D and some of the other non contributing memebers of LAWA staff. Oh wait - who is getting paid over $100K to sit up there now to watch pistacios and twiddle his thumbs? Someone who could use someone else there to watch over him ... that's who.
You all have it wrong. Get it right, Michael Di is not a dinosaur, he is the world's nicest petrified turd.
Why is Louis Hook still at LAX? Good question but it sure helps he was a classmate in MIT with Lydia and she was on the board of regents for UC when he was UCLA. Come on people do you really think Lydia is going to admit it was mistake forcing him on Kim Day?
TOP 10 REASONS TO SUPPORT LAX – ITG
10. More time to socialize while waiting for your computer to start.
9. Get to play detective trying to find service.
8. Can brag to friends you still get to use Windows NT.
7. All the spam you never used to get is fun to read.
6. Feel safer knowing $20 million was spent for security.
5. Fun to sing their theme song:
M – I – C “See crashes daily” K – E – Y “Why? We don’t care!” Mouse.
4. Impress your friends talking about ISO.
3. Peace of mind knowing at least City employees are not in charge.
2. Might someday also get an office on the 8th floor of the Xerox building.
1. Management and friends won’t be able to start their own business.
If anybody does care about LAWA should act on the following before the BOAC meeting on 9/18/06:
1. The original RFP for the TBIT renovation project calls for Construction Management work at TBIT. Apparently with all the amendments going on, under Massman and Ellen Wright, Parsons is doing the Design Work as well. Isn't this a substantial change in scope of work and circumventing the competitive process. Also, a major conflict of interest.
2. How is Johnson Aviation Consultancy, which basically is a one person firm able to get contracts with LAWA, first as direct 99,000 AFE, then as sub to URS contract, then as sub to DMJM advanced planning contract, now as a sub under CH2MHILL contract.
3. Under the TBIT project there is a 80 million IT allowance, where no IT work has been designed
4. Some of the LAWA Associates members are now coming back as a sub under the mission consultting contract with IT. Remember the 3 way connection between Lydia, Hook and the PM managing the LAWA Associates contract.
5. Lydia says she wants to make sure that LAWA staff is completely invovled and all the Master Plan restudy work should be done inhouse. Is it really been done inhouse or by HNTB or by Nick Johnson and Mike Doucette. Majority of the Divisions are kept out and not in loop.
6. Code of Ethics office. Its a big PR bullshit that Lydia has created.
7. IT's Motorola Contract. Chick or your staff if you read this, please investigate. How can Mr. Hook give Motorola a multi-million dollar design build contract for the Police Dispatch Center without a competitive process. They are piggy backing this on a San Diego Procurement Contract. Please please check this out. This is a total contractual circumvention and against the guidelines that Chick pointed out that was going on at LAWA.
8. LAWA Associates contract under IT was to do IT work. There RFP did not call for any A&E design work, but amendments to this contract, change the scope. Isn't this amazing
Changes in scope of work via amendmets to existing contracts are new tricks and methods of circumventing the competive process
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