De la Luz Garcia, who is a Long Beach resident, will replace Larry Her- rera-Cabrera, who retired April 30 after 12 years as Long Beach city clerk.
“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. “Her extensive experience in elec- tion oversight, voter outreach and the use of technology is a perfect fit for Long Beach.”
On learning of her appointment, De la Luz Garcia said, “It will be my hon- or to serve the people of Long Beach, a city I call home and a city that I love. I’m grateful to the city council and mayor for trusting me with this tremen- dous responsibility, and I am looking forward to working with all of them.”
The city clerk is one of two positions, along with city manager, to be hired by the city council, and the job is charged with keeping records, overseeing elections, posting ordinances and serving as custodian of the City Seal. The clerk can also perform civil marriages and register voters.
De la Luz Garcia, who will supervise a staff of 15, was also previously director of Voter Engagement for the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. She is a Dean’s Merit Scholar and Master in Public Administration candidate at the Price School of Public Policy at USC. In 2008, she won an Emmy as an associate producer for an elections public service announcement. She is fluent in English and Spanish, also serving on the board of Coro Southern California, a public affairs leadership development organization.
