Steve Kang, Director of External Affairs at the Koreatown Youth and Community Center (KYCC), has been appointed to the Los Angeles Board of Public Works, which oversees a $1 billion annual budget.
On October 16, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced the appointments of four new Public Works Commissioners, including Kang, Jenny Chavez, John Grant, and Faith Mitchell.
Bass described Kang as an appointee who will work relentlessly to create safe, clean communities that are welcoming to LA residents, businesses, and visitors, and to improve residents’ access to public services. The confirmation process will take place at the LA City Council in early November.
Kang’s appointment will join the Board of Public Works, which oversees the operations of the City’s Department of Public Works. It manages and supervises five bureaus – Sanitation Bureau, Street Lighting Bureau, Street Services Bureau, Engineering Bureau, and Contract Administration Bureau – and more than 5,500 city employees.
The board is run by five commissioners. The mayor’s announcement replaces all but one of the current commissioners, Commissioner Vahid Khorsand. Kang’s appointment will take over the term of Commissioner Susana Reyes. Reyes will serve out the remainder of her term, which runs through June 2025, and Kang will then be reconfirmed by the LA City Council to begin his five-year term.
While LA City Commissioner is an unpaid, honorary service role, the Public Works Commissioner is the only full-time, quasi-government worker position.
In addition to serving as KYCC’s Director of External Affairs, Kang currently serves as Chairman of the Korean American Democratic Committee, Executive Vice President of the Korean American Federation of Los Angeles (KAFLA), and Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. He also served as the Executive Director of the Korean American Coalition. Kang holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Columbia University and a master’s degree in Politics and Communication from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).
BY KYEONGJUN KIM, HOONSIK WOO [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
