Mayor Robert Garcia announced the selection of Maria de la Luz Garcia as Long Beach’s new city clerk, pending a formal vote by the Long Beach City Council on August 11, 2015, with her tenure scheduled to start August 31.
According to a release issued by the mayor’s office today, De la Luz Garcia (no relation to the mayor) is a Long Beach resident and current senior project coordinator in the Elections Division of the Los Angeles City Clerk’s office. She was selected from a pool of more than 30 candidates and replaces Larry Herrera-Cabrera as city clerk, after his retirement on April 30.
“Maria Garcia is an outstanding choice for City Clerk, and the council and I have full confidence that she will provide strong and inclusive leadership at the Clerk’s office,” said Mayor Garcia in a statement. “Her extensive experience in election oversight, voter outreach, and the use of technology is a perfect fit for Long Beach.”
“It will be my honor to serve the people of Long Beach, a city I call home and a city that I love,” said De la Luz Garcia in a statement. “I’m grateful to the City Council and Mayor for trusting me with this tremendous responsibility, and I am looking forward to working with all of them.”
As City Clerk, one of just two employees hired by the city council, De la Luz Garcia will serve a staff of 15 and is expected to keep records, including the minutes and actions of the council and all boards, commissions and committees, in addition to overseeing elections. She will be able to perform civil marriages and register voters, post ordinances and will be the custodian of the city seal.
De la Luz Garcia is a Dean’s Merit Scholar and Master in Public Administration candidate at the University of Southern California. Previously, she was director of voter engagement for the NALEO Educational Fund and won an Emmy for an elections public service announcement as Associate Producer.
She is a board member on the CORO Southern California board, a public affairs leadership organization and is fluent in Spanish and English, according to the release.