Equal
Opportunity Employer/Program
aids and services available upon request to individuals with disabilities
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CDD
GENERAL MANAGER
RICHARD
BENBOW
Richard
Benbow took the helm as General Manager of the Community Development
Department (CDD) on June 16, 2006. His appointment by Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa followed a successful 30-year career
with the City of Los Angeles Community Redevelopment Agency
(CRA/LA), where, as Chief Operating Officer, he oversaw the
day-to-day operations and staff responsible for all projects
and programs undertaken by the 223-employee organization,
with an annual budget of over $400 million.
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At
the Community Development Department, Mr. Benbow has hit the
ground running. With only 3 months on the job, he has undertaken
a major reorganization effort to more closely align programs
the department administers to a more service-oriented model.
The
300-employee staff of the Community Development Department
is responsible for overseeing more than $300 million in federal
funds earmarked for programs, such as youth development, job
skills training, after school activities, family counseling,
and business loans, to uplift individuals, families and communities
within the City of Los Angeles. By reorganizing staff responsibilities
and aligning program goals, CDD will be better equipped to
respond to communities in need.
Richard
Benbow is no stranger to change. At the CRA he was one of
the primary architects of the Agency's major reorganization
in 2003, when the CRA shifted from a highly centralized
structure to a more accessible decentralized one. The reorganization
resulted in higher productivity and customer satisfaction
among residents and the development community.
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During
his tenure at CRA, Mr. Benbow held a variety of key positions,
including Project Manager for the Watts Redevelopment Project
Area. He was responsible for the completion of the Martin
Luther King, Jr. Shopping Center, the first new commercial
development in Watts in over 20 years. He also served as
Deputy Administrator for Community Development in the San
Fernando Valley and managed a federal loan program following
the 1994 Northridge earthquake.
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In
addition to his job related responsibilities, Mr. Benbow is
the co-Founder and past- President of the Board of Directors
of the Minority Program in Real Estate Finance and Development
at the University of Southern California, an executive level
training program that provides minority real estate professionals
with the more advanced tools demanded in today's more challenging
redevelopment environment.
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He
received his bachelor's degree from Elmhurst College in Illinois
and a master's degree in Urban Affairs from St. Louis University
in Missouri. He also received a certificate of professional
designation in personnel management and industrial relations
from the UCLA Graduate School of Management. Mr. Benbow resides
in View Park in South Los Angeles with his wife Lorna. |
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