The Internship
Historic City Hall, Los Angeles
The summer internship in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office was particularly interesting and useful to me, especially because I concentrated in Regional and Local Policy. I had the chance to do policy work and data analysis and I learned how tough it is to find solutions in the diversity of Los Angeles. As the City of LA is very committed to partnering with LAUSD, I worked on three of the resolutions that LAUSD new Board Members passed: TeachВ in LA” Campaign, Principal Leadership Academy and Reducing Bureaucracy in LAUSD.
I also helped the policy analysts with relevant data analysis on the schools from LAUSD and had the chance to meet and talk to Deputy Mayors during Brown Bag lunches. This way Ilearned about the challenges they face in the public service.
The best part of the program was the exposure and interaction with highly qualified staff. They are all savvy and committed to achieving the Mayor’s agenda. Although there is a hierarchy, the units perform as a team. The single most important lesson that I learned is that you need to be a good listener and learn all the time. Here are some of the pieces of advice that I received from deputy mayors during brown bag lunches that could be helpful in my career:
- Arif Alikhan, Deputy Mayor of Homeland Security and Public Safety: prevention, reentry and intervention could be the key elements to reducing gang violence in Los Angeles; first aid kit very useful (in car and at home); be strategic about security issues, as you can’t secure everything.
- Kevin Acebo, Deputy Mayor of Legislative and Intergovernmental Relations: “the best public policy is the best politics!”; in the public service we are change agents; relationships and keeping your word are very important.
- Jaime de la Vega, Deputy Mayor for Transportation: you need to know what should the Mayor do and why; selectively present the best parts of the truth.
- Ray Cortines, Deputy Mayor for Education, Youth and Families: you need to know how to connect the dots; need to know how to create a community of learners; find a niche to give back to the city; find the effects of laws and regulations, do surveys.
- Jimmy Blackman, Deputy Chief of Staff: good people (staff) means much more than half the battle; lead by example; replicate yourself (hire and empower smart people/leaders); stand for something; conduct yourself with integrity; work hard and be humble to create your own luck.
How can you do your internship at the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office? First you need to apply online at Alliance Resource Consulting and then you need to attend an interview with the staff of your desired department.
The Mayor has one big staff meeting every month. This is the perfect time to be updated on the latest projects of the City Hall and evaluate the progress of the ongoing projects. One of the meetings was held at the famos Observatory:
Another interesting feature of the internship program is that you get to visit key locations that are under the coordination of the City Hall. Such a place is the Port of Los Angeles, one of the busiest in the world.
Another famous location is the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood:
But one of the most interesting events that I witnessed and volunteered to help, was the U.S. Conference of Mayors. Local leaders from across the United States gathered in Los Angeles and exchanged good practice examples of tackling problems of local concern. The Governor Shwarzenneger also came and asked the mayors to spend as much as possible in Los Angeles as the State is a little “short of cash.” 
Spending the summer in Los Angeles gives you many opportunities to enjoy the free time. You can go to Universal Studios or to Zuma Beach:
Or travel up to San Francisco and camp in Big Sur:
The Los Angeles Mayoral Internship does not end only with an exceptional professional experience and beautiful memories. At the end of teh Program you receive a certificate:
Los Angeles Mayoral Internship Certifcate