12 Things You Did Not Know About Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas:
Personally:
He Graduated from Manual Arts High School in Los Angeles, CA.
The Supervisor earned a PhD in Social Ethics and Policy Analysis from the University of Southern California (USC-1989).
He has twin sons, Sebastian and Sinclair, who both graduated from Morehouse College.
Mark Ridley-Thomas is married to the beautiful Avis Ridley-Thomas
Politically:
5. Ridley-Thomas assumed the Office of Supervisor of
the 2nd District on December 1, 2008 and was
re-elected in 2012 and 2016. The Supervisor’s term will
end in 2020.
6. Ridley-Thomas’ political career was preceded by a
decade of service as the executive director of the
Southern Christian Leadership Conference of Greater
Los Angeles (1981-1991). He was first elected to public
office in 1991 and served with distinction on the Los
Angeles City Council for nearly a dozen years, departing
as Council President pro Tempore.
7. Prior to his election to the Board of Supervisors,
Supervisor Ridley-Thomas served the 26th District in
the California State Senate, where he chaired the
Senate’s Committee on Business, Professions and
Economic Development. In addition while in the
Senate, he served as Chair of the California Legislative
Black Caucus.
8. April 4, 2018 marks the 50 year anniversary of Dr. Martin
Luther King’sassassination and the Supervisor is
inviting you to attend the dedication of a tree grove at
Kenneth Hahn Park, dedicated to Dr. King, which will
take place on March 31st at 10AM.
Professionally:
9. Ridley-Thomas is the founder of the Empowerment
Congress, a nonprofit that has been around for 26
years. The Empowerment Congress is the region’s
most successful initiative in neighborhood-based civic
engagement.
10. He is a strong supporter of STEAM education (science,
technology,engineering, art and math). And he is
extremely interested in growing the local bioscience
industry given the potential for well-paying jobs and
opportunities to spur health innovations.
11. He intends to open the first public Boarding School in
Los Angeles that will have a focus on careers in the
transportation industry. The school will be located in
South Los Angeles.
12. The B-RELYT Organization looks forward to
collaborating with the Supervisor on future projects. In
addition, the Supervisor will receive a first read of
Kimlin’s soon-to-be published book, Authenticity,
Accountability & Ambitions (AAA): What America is
lacking through a Black Woman’s Eyes?
The Role of the Supervisor
The Board of Supervisors is the governing body of the County of Los Angeles. It has the unique function of serving as the executive and legislative head of the largest and most complex county government in the entire United States. The Board has five members, each elected by voters in their respective districts, and limited to three four-year terms.
The 2nd District includes the following cities: Carson, Compton, Culver City, Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Los Angeles (portion), Lynwood – unincorporated areas: Athens (or West Athens), Baldwin Hills, Del Aire, East Rancho Dominguez, El Camino Village, Florence-Firestone, Ladera Heights, Lennox, Marina Del Rey (portion), View Park, West Carson (portion), West Compton, West Rancho Dominguez/Victoria, Westmont, Willowbrook, Windsor Hills and Wiseburn.
As the B-RELYT blog wraps up Black History Month 2018, there are some key points in the Supervisor’s list above that need to be detailed so that we can work together for better communities. Therefore more info can be found at http://bos.lacounty.gov/About-Us/Board-of-Supervisors. The B-RELYT Organization would like to personally thank Karly and the MRT team for their help with this blog.