Bits 'N' Pieces

Former Mayor Kell Passes

Long Beach’s first elected mayor, Ernie Kell passed away on Saturday, April 29, at 88 years old. Kell was the first mayor to be elected in Long Beach by popular vote and served between 1988 and 1994. Long Beach was going through difficult changes during his election with downtown retail struggling and manufacturing jobs being slashed. Kell is remembered for his creation of a homeless task force, a historic preservation office at city hall, and executing construction of the Long Beach Convention Center.

Kell attended both Long Beach City College and California State University, Long Beach, majoring in architecture, though he never received his degree, being just two courses shy from graduating.

Instead, Kell began working as an architectural draftsman at Western Detailing Services. He also invested in strawberry and vegetable fields in Orange County, a highly lucrative move.

Kell met his wife, Jackie, who worked as a teacher and lived in the same apartment complex. They married on Nov. 16, 1973. Jackie Kell also served in public office from 1994 to 2002 as a city council member.

“Ernie just had a love affair with his constituents. He always said he wanted to get elected so he could help people,” Jackie said of her late husband.

She also announced that a $5,000 scholarship in Ernie Kell’s name would be implemented by the Long Beach City College Foundation, to be distributed annually to a student at LBCC.

Kell is survived by his wife, Jackie, his son, Brian and his daughter, Julie, along with four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.

A celebration in Kell’s honor will be held today at 11 a.m. at the Long Beach Yacht Club, 6201 Appian Way.

Molina Brothers Ousted from Molina Healthcare

The chief executive of the California health insurance company, Molina Healthcare was fired on Tuesday, May 2. Dr. J. Mario Molina served as CEO at the company that was founded by his father in 1988. His brother, John Molina, who served as the company’s chief financial officer, was also terminated.

Molina Healthcare specializes in dispensing both the state and federally-funded Medicaid program for disabled and low-income people. Dr. Molina had gained publicity in the last year for being an outspoken opponent to the Trump administration’s attempts to repeal the federal health care law, the Affordable Care Act.

The company did not cite political reasons for the terminations of the two brothers, but attributed their decision to the company’s poor financial results. Analysts speculate, however, that Molina Healthcare could be the target for potential acquirement by a larger insurer and removing the two men could make such a deal more feasible.

Dale Wolf, the company’s new chairman, said in a statement, “In light of the company’s disappointing financial performance, the board has determined to change leadership in order to drive profitability through operational improvements.”

The brothers will still remain on the company’s board, however. John Molina said that he believes they will still have influence over the company’s future. “Frankly, Mario is looked upon as a thought leader in health care. That doesn’t go away,” he said.

The Molina brothers are recognized for their significant philanthropic work in the Long Beach community. They have sponsored and funded dozens of causes, including the annual Veterans Day Festival and the Early Childhood Dental Health Clinic. They are also major contributors to the Aquarium of the Pacific.

Molina Healthcare’s shares rose sharply after the announcement of the leadership change from $51.50 to $59.75, an increase of about 18 percent.

Deputy City Manager Appointed

City Manager Patrick H. West named Kevin J. Jackson, neighborhood services director for the City of Champaign, Illinois as deputy city manager for the City of Long Beach. Jackson’s appointment will be effective on June 26.

Jackson is currently responsible for overseeing the City of Champaign’s Neighborhood Services Department, which includes community engagement, affordable housing services, grants administration, economic development, capital improvement and more. He previously held the positions of neighborhood partnership administrator and senior management assistant with the City of Glendale, Arizona; and project management assistant, neighborhood preservation inspector and case worker for the City of Phoenix.

Jackson received his Bachelor of Arts degrees in psychology and sociology and his Master of Public Administration degree from Arizona State University. He is a member of the International City/County Management Association and the National Forum for Black Public Administrators.

Over the past months, Anitra Dempsey has been serving as interim deputy city manager.

Dempsey will return to her current position as the executive director of the Citizen Police Complaint Commission (CPCC), which investigates allegations of police misconduct and reviews the service provided by members of the Long Beach Police Department.

The deputy city manager is an externally-focused position responsible for ensuring that policies and programs approved by the city council are implemented throughout the organization in a collaborative and consistent manner. The position oversees the Office of Governmental Affairs, the Office of Public Affairs, the Citizen’s Police Complaint Commission and initiatives such as water quality, transportation, regional planning, grant development, violence prevention initiatives and state and regional funding issues. This position is also responsible for various special projects and the city’s administrative efforts in the licensing and regulation of medical marijuana.

Foundation Hits $30 Million in Assets

The Long Beach Community Foundation (LBCF) reached a record high $30 million in charitable assets under management recently. Formed in 1996 to make strategic grants to nonprofits in Long Beach and assist individual donors with their philanthropic goals, LBCF has had steady, yet significant growth for more than 20 years.

Formed out of the Long Beach Estate Planning and Trust Council, several founding visionaries understood the need for a Community Foundation that supported Long Beach nonprofits.  Uniquely positioned between Los Angeles and Orange County, cities that have their own Community Foundations, Long Beach had both the population and geographic stature that warranted its own foundation. 

“The Long Beach Community Foundation is distinctly poised to strengthen philanthropy and improve the Long Beach community,” said LBCF Board Chair Gary DeLong. “This new milestone positions the Foundation well to continue these efforts.”

Individuals looking to support LBCF’s efforts can make tax deductible contributions through various charitable gifts including cash, credit card, appreciated stock, real estate, illiquid assets, bequests, life insurance policies, donations of business interests, charitable gift annuities, charitable remainder trusts and other charitable giving vehicles. For more information, contact the Foundation’s office at (562) 435-9033 or email info@longbeachcf.com.

CSUF Announces Mungo Scholarship Fund

California State University, Fullerton announced the creation of the Stacy R. Mungo Endowed Scholarship fund. The fund was created by a $25,000 gift from Sterling Franklin, Trustee of the Morris S. Smith Foundation, and will award the Stacy R. Mungo scholarship each year. The first scholarship will be awarded in the fall of 2017.

The scholarship will be awarded to a different student each year and will be available to undergraduate students majoring in public administration, with special preference for students who:

• Graduated from a Long Beach (CA) Unified School District high school;
• Participated in student government in high school and/or at CSUF, and/or
• Earned recognition as a Presidential Scholar at CSUF.

Stacy was elected to the Long Beach City Council in 2014, and has spent her tenure on the council as a powerful voice for economic development and a tireless advocate for her community in East Long Beach. She is also currently a Los Angeles County Division Chief, member of the USC Price Alumni Association Board of Directors, member of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach board, a member of the Junior League of Long Beach and a Long Beach Rotarian.