imported>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Los Angeles City Controllers to :Category:Los Angeles city controllers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy

2025-02-06T20:00:44Z

Moving Category:Los Angeles City Controllers to Category:Los Angeles city controllers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy

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{{short description|American politician}}
{{Advert|date=March 2011}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name=Laura N. Chick
|image=Laura Chick, 2018.jpg
|alt=
|caption=Chick in 2018
|office1=17th [[Los Angeles City Controller]]
|term_start1=July 1, 2001
|term_end1=April 2009
|predecessor1=[[Rick Tuttle]]
|successor1=[[Wendy Greuel]]
|office2=Member of the [[Los Angeles City Council]]<br>from the [[Los Angeles City Council District 3|3rd]] district
|term_start2=July 1, 1993
|term_end2=July 1, 2001
|predecessor2=[[Joy Picus]]
|successor2=[[Dennis Zine]]
|birth_date={{birth year and age|1944}}
|birth_place= New York
|party=[[Democratic Party (United States)|Democratic]]
}}'''Laura N. Chick''' (born 1944) is an American civil servant and politician.

Chick served as a council member for Los Angeles City's Third District from 1993 to 2001,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The State Bar of California |url=https://www.calbar.ca.gov/About-Us/Who-We-Are/Board-of-Trustees/Roster/Laura-Chick |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=www.calbar.ca.gov |language=en-US}}</ref> after which she became the first woman to hold citywide office as the [[Los Angeles]] City Controller. Known for her bluntness, Chick released over 170 audits and reports during her tenure, including one that exposed a backlog of untested DNA rape kits at the [[Los Angeles Police Department]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rutten |first=Tim |date=2008-10-22 |title=L.A.'s rape kit betrayal |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2008-oct-22-oe-rutten22-story.html |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

In 2009, Governor [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] appointed her as California [[Inspector general|Inspector General]] to oversee the use of federal funds from the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009|American Recovery and Reinvestment Act]].<ref>{{Cite web |last= |date=2010-06-20 |title=Laura Chick's mission: Root out waste and fraud |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-jun-20-la-fi-himi-chick-20100620-story.html |access-date=2023-07-02 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref> However, her role ended when the office was eliminated in December 2010. Before entering politics, Chick had been a stay-at-home mother, managed a family-owned retail business, and worked as a social worker.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce |title=Laura N. Chick Bio |url=http://lachamber.com/clientuploads/LUCH_committee/Laura%20Chick%20Bio.pdf |access-date=July 2, 2023 |website=Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce}}</ref>

==Los Angeles City Elected Offices==

Chick was elected to the [[Los Angeles City Council]] from the Third District ([[Woodland Hills, Los Angeles, California|Woodland Hills]], [[Tarzana, Los Angeles, California|Tarzana]], [[Reseda, Los Angeles, California|Reseda]], [[West Hills, Los Angeles, California|West Hills]], [[Winnetka, Los Angeles, California|Winnetka]] and [[Canoga Park, Los Angeles, California|Canoga Park]]), in 1993 and served two terms, until 2001. She defeated [[Joy Picus]], who had served since 1977, and for whom Chick had worked as a political aide.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Schwada
| first = John
|author2=Jack Cheevers
| title = Picus Rival Leading in Campaign Funds Race : City Council: Laura Chick has raised $52,000 in her bid to unseat her former boss in District 3. Raymond J. Magana leads green-paper chase in District 7.
| newspaper = Los Angeles Times
| date = 1993-02-02
| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1993-02-02-me-886-story.html
| access-date = 2012-03-01}}</ref><ref>[http://docs.sandiego.gov/councilcomm_agendas_attach/2007/Rules%20070411-1.pdf Laura Chick Biography, LA City Controller]</ref>

In 2001, Chick was elected [[Los Angeles City Controller]], becoming the first woman to hold citywide office in Los Angeles.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2009-04-11 |title=Laura Chick is ready for role as watchdog |url=https://www.dailynews.com/20090411/laura-chick-is-ready-for-role-as-watchdog/ |access-date=2024-06-06 |website=Daily News |language=en-US}}</ref> As Controller, she was the Chief Auditor and Chief Accountant of the City. In her nearly eight years in this office, Chick released over 170 audits and reports, many of which focused on problems within city government.

In 2006, ''[[Los Angeles Magazine]]'' named Laura Chick one of the most influential people in the City. The ''[[Los Angeles Daily News]]'' editorialized, "…as City Controller, she's often been downtown's lone champion of good government." A ''[[Los Angeles Business Journal]]'' feature said, "Los Angeles City Controller Laura Chick has emerged as a central voice in the ongoing debate over how the City handles its contracts." In a May 2004 feature article, ''Los Angeles Magazine'' states, "Where others couch and evade, she is Ms. Blunt."

One of her last audits to be released as City Controller exposed a backlog of thousands of untested DNA [[rape kit]]s at the [[Los Angeles Police Department]]. The attention her report garnered resulted in City officials making the problem a priority. Her work won her the prestigious [[ProPublica]] Prize for Investigative Governance. Chick left the City Controller's position due to [[term limit]]s in 2009.

Her experience includes managing a family-owned retail business. Laura first entered elected office in 1993 when she defeated a 16-year incumbent for a seat on the [[Los Angeles City Council]]. Seven months after taking office her district was devastated by the [[1994 Northridge earthquake]]. Chick focused on turning the area into a redevelopment zone.

==California Inspector General==

Shortly after President Obama signed the [[American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009]], Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger appointed Laura Chick to act as Inspector General, to provide oversight to the proper use of federal funds.<ref>{{cite press release
| title = Gov. Schwarzenegger Creates First-in-the-Nation Recovery Act Inspector General
| publisher = Office of the Governor
| date = April 2009
| url = http://gov.ca.gov/news.php?id=11941
| accessdate = 2012-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| last = Reston
| first = Maeve
| title = L.A. Controller Laura Chick named to new state post
| date = 2009-04-09
| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-apr-04-me-gov-inspector-general4-story.html
| access-date = 2012-03-01}}</ref>
Chick resigned her City Controller post before the end of her term to accept the state position.<ref>{{cite news
|last = Behrens
|first = Zach
|title = Laura Chick to Become State's Stimulus Fiscal Watchdog
|newspaper = laist
|date = 2009-04-09
|url = http://laist.com/2009/04/03/city_controller_laura_chick_to_beco.php
|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20171106055905/http://laist.com/2009/04/03/city_controller_laura_chick_to_beco.php
|url-status = dead
|archive-date = 2017-11-06
|accessdate = 2012-03-01
}}</ref>

The ''Sacramento Bee'' heralded Chick's arrival in the Capitol with the headline, "Misuse stimulus cash - you'll answer to her".

Chick took up the state's challenge of overseeing the massive expenditure of American Recovery funds though her Office was given very little resources. With a handful of auditors borrowed from other state departments, she scrutinized local agencies across the state. Chick released nearly 30 reports uncovering misspent stimulus funds totaling millions.

Chick's tenure in this role ended when the Office of the Inspector General was eliminated by Governor [[Jerry Brown]] in December 2010.<ref>{{Citation
| last = Dolan
| first = Jack
| title = Brown to eliminate state Office of Inspector General
| newspaper = Los Angeles Times
| date = 2010-12-21
| url = https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2010-dec-21-la-me-laura-chick-20101221-story.html
| access-date = 2012-03-01}}</ref>

==Personal life==
Before entering elective office at the age of 49, Chick had already been a stay-at-home mom, manager of a family-owned retail business, and [[social worker]]. She graduated from [[Beverly Hills High School]] in 1962, and received her Bachelor's Degree in History from [[UCLA]] as well as a Master's degree in Social Work from [[USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work]].<ref>[http://www.inspectorgeneral.ca.gov/About_Us/Biography.html Laura Chick biography, Inspector General] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091125232937/http://www.inspectorgeneral.ca.gov/About_Us/Biography.html |date=2009-11-25 }}</ref> Chick moved to Kensington, California, near Berkeley, in 2011 where she still lives.<ref>{{cite news
| last = Deady
| first = Tim
| title = Robert Chick
| newspaper = AllBusiness.com
| date = 1992-04-20
| url = http://www.allbusiness.com/management/300473-1.html
| accessdate = 2012-03-01}}</ref><ref>{{cite news
| last = Brodie
| first = Leslie
| title = 2010-Laura Chick's Former Husband-Robert Chick of Lawyers’ Mutual Insurance Company-to Serve on LACERS Board of Administration
| newspaper = The Leslie Brodie Report
| date = 2011-11-30
| url = http://lesliebrodie.posterous.com/2010-laura-chicks-former-husband-robert-chick
}}</ref> Chick is [[Jewish]].<ref name=jweekly>{{cite news|author=Tom Tugend|title=Three Jews win races in L.A.; Jewish voters split on mayor|url=http://www.jweekly.com/article/full/15827/three-jews-win-races-in-l-a-jewish-voters-split-on-mayor/|accessdate=27 September 2013|newspaper=[[Jweekly]]|date=June 8, 2001}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Raphael Sonenshein|author-link=Raphael Sonenshein|title=The role of L.A.'s Jewish electorate is changing|url=http://www.jewishjournal.com/raphael_sonenshein/article/the_role_of_l.a.s_jewish_electorate_is_changing|accessdate=27 September 2013|newspaper=[[Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles]]|date=June 19, 2013}}</ref> In September 2022, Chick called Controller candidate [[Kenneth Mejia]] an extremist who was unfit for office. Mejia was later elected that November.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-09-06 |title=Former L.A. controller Laura Chick blasts candidate Kenneth Mejia as an 'extremist' |url=https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2022-09-06/former-l-a-controller-laura-chick-calls-candidate-kenneth-mejia-unfit-for-city-office |access-date=2023-09-27 |website=Los Angeles Times |language=en-US}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==

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{{succession box|before=[[Rick Tuttle]]|title=[[City Controller of Los Angeles, California]]|years=July 1, 2001 – July 1, 2009|after=[[Wendy Greuel]]}}
{{succession box|before=[[Joy Picus]]|title=Member of the [[Los Angeles City Council]]<br>from the [[Los Angeles City Council District 3|3rd]] district|years=1993–2001|after=[[Dennis Zine]]}}
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{{LosAngelesCityController}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Chick, Laura N.}}
[[Category:Los Angeles City Council members]]
[[Category:Los Angeles city controllers]]
[[Category:Jewish American people in California politics]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People from Kensington, California]]

[[Category:Women city councillors in California]]
[[Category:USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work alumni]]
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles alumni]]
[[Category:Jewish American women in politics]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American women]]

Laura Chick - Revision history

imported>JJMC89 bot III: Moving :Category:Los Angeles City Controllers to :Category:Los Angeles city controllers per Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Speedy