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BongHwan Kim moved up from assistant to become interim general manager of the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment after last November's death of Carol Baker Tharp. On Tuesday, Mayor Villaraigosa put forth Kim as the first Korean-American GM in the city's history. The release, which follows, notes that Raphael Sonenshein, recently the executive director of the Neighborhood Council Review Commission, will work alongside Kim as a consultant. Here's a first take at CityWatch.
Release and bio:
Kim will take charge of City’s system of neighborhood councils
LOS ANGELES - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa today announced the appointment of BongHwan Kim as the General Manager of the City’s Department of Neighborhood Empowerment (DONE). Kim will be the first Korean American general manager in the City’s history (according to the City Administrative Officer) and will be responsible for improving the workings of the City’s system of neighborhood councils.
“BongHwan Kim’s leadership skills have been finely honed through many years of working in diverse communities on a wide range of political and community development issues,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “He will be an asset and an ally for the neighborhoods of this City.”
Kim has served as Interim General Manager of DONE since November 2007 and as Acting General Manager and Assistant General Manager of DONE since March 2007. He has been responsible for overall management of the Department, including development of budget, strategic planning, programs and services, policies, personnel and constituent relations.
Kim will be supported by the executive director of the Neighborhood Council Review Commission (NCRC), Raphael Sonenshein, as a consultant to DONE. Richard Dickenson, previously senior staff of the City Administrative Officer, will also serve as a consultant to DONE, assisting in the implementation of the NCRC recommendations.
In September 2007, the NCRC issued its final report, exploring the neighborhood council system created by the voters in 1999 and recommending changes to make the system more effective. DONE’s mission is to promote public participation in government through the neighborhood council system.
Kim’s appointment is subject to confirmation by City Council.
BIOGRAPHY OF BONGHWAN KIM
BongHwan (BH) Kim has been actively involved in advancing social, political and economic development in diverse communities for over 25 years.
Previous to his joining the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment, Kim served as executive director of Pasadena Neighborhood Housing Services, providing affordable housing to low and moderate income families throughout the San Gabriel Valley. From 2003 to 2005, he operated his own consultant agency, BH Kim and Associates, serving a variety of non-profit organizations, governments and private sector institutions for strategic planning, marketing, fundraising and organizational development.
From 1998 to 2003, Kim served as executive director of the MultiCultural Collective, founded in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest to promote racial and social justice through a variety of programs.
Kim also served as a lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, on the issue of racial justice and multicultural leadership, and as executive director for both the Korean Youth and Community Center in Los Angeles and the Korean Community Center of the East Bay in Oakland, California.
Kim holds a number of leadership awards from various organizations including the California League of Conservation Voters and the NAACP, and has served on numerous community boards and organizations, including the Neighborhood Council Review Commission.
Kim holds a master’s degree in public administration from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from Boston College.