Los Angeles County CEO Sachi Hamai Retiring At Month's End
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — Sachi Hamai, Los Angeles County's chief executive, announced Monday that she will retire at the end of August.
Hamai, who coordinates emergency operations and has helped the county manage through the multifaceted challenges posed by the coronavirus pandemic, postponed her initial March retirement due to the crisis.
"This has been a challenging and tumultuous period for our county and its residents, and it has been an honor to help lead our workforce in its unprecedented response to COVID-19," Hamai said. "While we still have a long way to travel on our road to recovery, our budgetary and public health situation is beginning to stabilize and I believe the time is right for me to continue with the retirement plans I first announced last October."
Hamai oversaw the development of the county's $34.9 billion budget for the 2020-21 fiscal year, which required spending cuts across the board and could result in layoffs this fall — depending on state and federal funding and the county's own revenue base.
The CEO was also given broad authority by the board that allowed her to move quickly during the pandemic to procure emergency services and supplies and move forward with other "critical" transactions without a board vote.
"I want to thank our CEO Sachi Hamai for her unwavering commitment and dedication to Los Angeles County, most recently evidenced by her willingness to postpone her retirement to help us navigate the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic," Supervisor Kathryn Barger said. "Her leadership and keen fiscal sense, coupled with her collaborative spirit, have greatly benefited Los Angeles County as a whole, and all of our residents and businesses throughout the region."
Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said Hamai, the first Asian American woman to manage the county's operations, was a role model to many.
"Her budgetary acumen, coupled with her commitment to serving the underserved, has enabled us to invest deeply in some of the most important priorities of our time, including justice reform and the fight to end homelessness, while maintaining the fiscal prudence that has earned the county its highest-ever credit ratings," he said. "She has been a mentor and role model to a generation of county leaders, including women and people of color, and her legacy as a collaborative, results-oriented CEO will continue to shape the workings of Los Angeles County government well into the future."
Supervisor Sheila Keuhl, who recently tangled with Hamai over the Reimagine L.A. County ballot measure, said she could not "imagine the county without her."
"Every county CEO needs to be a political wizard, a genius with money, and a long-distance runner," Kuehl said. "Sachi gets an A+ in all three, plus being a mentor and a champion for women and people of color in
government leadership."
Fesia Davenport, the county's chief operating officer, has been named acting CEO. Davenport has been part of Hamai's executive management team for five years and has worked with the county for more than two decades.
Hamai said she was proud of what she has been able to accomplish during her more than three decades of public service.
"Although the challenges of the current moment are immense, I also reflect proudly on accomplishments during my tenure that have positioned us to meet today's challenges from a position of fiscal strength — including our strongest-ever credit ratings and substantial investments in our rainy day funds," she said. "I am so grateful for the opportunity to have served. I will never forget the incredible fellow employees who have partnered with me every step of the way."
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. City News Service contributed to this report.)