Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia has announced his choices for the Measure A Citizens’ Oversight Committee, which will provide oversight of the funds from the sales tax approved by voters in June.
Measure A received support from voters at nearly 60 percent, and it is the first voter-approved revenue measure for the city in over 40 years, according to the mayor’s office.
The committee, which is to be made up of five members, will ensure that new revenue is spent on infrastructure and public safety, as committed by the mayor and the Long Beach City Council, according to Garcia’s office.
“These five residents are highly qualified, with a range and depth of both financial and community experience that has earned them the trust of the community,” Garcia said. “I know they will serve with integrity and skill, and I’m thankful for their willingness to take on this responsibility.”
The appointees will go before the city council on Aug. 2 for approval.
The five members selected by Garcia are:
Jane Netherton
Netherton is the chair emeritus of International City Bank and formerly the CEO and board president there. She has over 25 years of experience in the financial industry and has a history of public service in Long Beach, including terms on the board of directors for the Conservation Corps of Long Beach, the Convention & Visitors Bureau and the CSULB Foundation. She also served as chair of the Redevelopment Agency and is active in the Rotary Club. She lives in Long Beach’s 3rd District.
Joel Yuhas
Yuhas is the CEO and president of St. Mary Medical Center in Long Beach. He was previously executive vice president and chief operating officer there, as well as president of the University of Pittsburgh’s Horizon Hospital. He serves on the board of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce and the Hospital Association of Southern California. He and his family live in the 5th District.
Mary Stephens
Mary Stephens is the vice president for Administration and Finance at California State University, Long Beach. She was previously vice president for Business and Finance at Cal State Stanislaus and executive project manager at Cal State Channel Islands. Mary serves on the board of directors for the Downtown Long Beach Associates. She holds an MBA from the University of California, Los Angeles. She is a resident of downtown Long Beach and lives in the 1st District.
Steven Neal
Steve Neal serves as a civic engagement advocate at Molina Healthcare. He is also a minister and served as the 9th District councilmember on the Long Beach City Council. He is a former board member of the Southern California Association of Governments, the Pacific Gateway Workforce Investment Board and the Long Beach Freedom Schools program. He currently serves as a board member to the Los Angeles chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC). He still resides in the 9th District.
Judy Ross
Judy Ross was the longtime executive director of the Long Beach Nonprofit Partnership before retiring in 2014. She previously worked for the United Way and in the Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services as the agency’s first director for the tobacco education program. She is past president of the Junior League in Long Beach and served on the Long Beach City College Foundation Board. She has a master’s degree in social work and lives in the 3rd District.
Source: Garcia’s office
