LONG BEACH — On July 14, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia announced five nominations to commissions.
Garcia appointed former vice mayors Frank Colonna and Bonnie Lowenthal to serve on the Long Beach Harbor Commission.
Colonna is a long-time resident and local business owner. He served two terms as District 3 councilman and two years as vice mayor, during which he represented Long Beach at the national level as chairman of the Federal Legislative Committee and as chairman of the Central Cities Committee for the National League of Cities. He was also appointed chairman of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority. Colonna earned a bachelor’s degree from Cal State Long Beach and a master’s degree from Cal State Northridge in environmental health. He is on the Economic Development Commission and served as its inaugural chair.
Lowenthal served two terms as District 1 councilwoman and vice mayor. She was a state Assemblywoman. As an Assemblywoman, she worked closely with the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles in her capacities as chairwoman of the Assembly Select Committee on Ports and chairwoman of the Assembly Transportation Committee. She was the only elected official appointed to serve on the National Freight Advisory Committee and helped led the development of the California Freight Plan. Lowenthal also served as a Metro Board member, where she successfully secured funding for the Gerald Desmond Bridge replacement project and supported the expanded use of PierPass. Prior to her time as an elected representative, Bonnie was a family counselor, mental health consultant, and educator.
Josh LaFarga is being appointed to the Long Beach Planning Commission effective October 1, 2017 to fill the vacancy created by Donita Van Horik’s resignation. LaFarga, serves as the director of Public and Government Affairs and as recording secretary and executive board member at LiUNA! Local 1309. He is also a member on the South Bay Workforce Investment Board and co-chairman of the Legislative Committee for FuturePorts, the largest nonprofit organization working to promote the Ports of Long Beach and Los Angeles. Earlier this year the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors appointed LaFarga to the Building Rehabilitation Appeals Board.
Garcia appointed Steve Goodling as the CVB Representative to the Economic Development Commission. Goodling has been the president and CEO of the Long Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau for the past sixteen years. He has been involved in numerous economic development projects, including a $45 million re-design of the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center complex, the grand opening of the Pacific Ballroom at the Long Beach Arena and the terminal modernization of Long Beach Airport.
Adam Carrillo is being appointed to the Board of Directors of Long Beach Transit. Carrillo is the Economic Development manager for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, where he works to support job creation efforts by attracting, expanding, and retaining business in the downtown core. Carrillo also is president of the Long Beach Commercial Real Estate Council, a Principal at Economic & Business Development Partners, and an advisory Board member at DRTV Inc.