Colunga

ColungaCity officials have selected veteran Long Beach leader Tracy Colunga as its newest i-team director, they announced today.

Colunga has worked for the city for more than 10 years, beginning in 2006 as an early childhood education coordinator, and most recently working as the city’s neighborhood relations officer (beginning in 2015). Her hiring fills the post recently vacated by John Keisler, who was promoted to the position of director of Economic and Property Development.

“Ms. Colunga is a trusted community leader who will lead our efforts to research and develop solutions to help move our City forward,” said City Manager Patrick West in a statement. “She will be a great resource and partner to the community and to our City departments.”

She will officially begin her position on January 3, 2017, although some of her duties will begin immediately.

According to city officials, the city garnered $3.1 million in federal, state and private grants to co-create “human-centered solutions that improve safety and livability” under her leadership. She also spearheaded the creation of the Safe Long Beach Violence Prevention Plan, the city’s Language Access Policy implementation and the My Brother’s Keeper Long Beach Local Action Plan implementation.

Colunga also oversees the Long Beach Human Relations Commission and the Long Beach Gang Reduction and Intervention Program. She administered the U.S. Department of Justice Weed and Seed Grant for the Long Beach Health and Human Services Department from 2007 to 2012.

 

“I’d like to thank City Manager West for entrusting me to continue the amazing work of our Innovation Team,” said Colunga in a statement. “I look forward to working with residents, businesses, and the entire Long Beach community– especially our dedicated colleagues in City government– to develop innovative solutions that achieve meaningful results.”

Colunga holds a Master’s of Social Work (MSW) from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Bachelor’s in Social Work from St. Mary’s College in Notre Dame, IN. She has previously lectured for UCLA, and currently serves as a lecturer within the MSW program at Cal State Long Beach (CSULB).

Above, left: Photo courtesy of Colunga’s LinkedIn profile.