24. Leading with Compassion and Candor In L.A.’s Most Disaster-Prone District - Councilwoman Traci Park of CD 11.

In this episode, our host, Kim Marshall, reunites with Councilwoman Traci Park—the leader she first met stranded on the roadside during the Palisades Fire. Together, they unpack what really happens after the cameras leave: the long-tail trauma that outlasts the smoke, the mental health crisis facing fire survivors, and the brutal maze of insurance, rebuilding, and bureaucracy. Traci shares candidly how she sees her job (“I was elected to fight City Hall, not be City Hall”), why wellness—from clean streets and safe housing to Venice’s emerging wellness corridor—is at the center of every decision she makes, and how communities can stay united instead of turning on each other during the long rebuild. This conversation is for anyone navigating disaster recovery, questioning government response, or looking for grounded reasons to hope—and practical ways to plug into help. It’s fitting that the episode was filmed at the podcast studio in the wellness-themed, Moss co-working space. Our Wellness Lift segment features guidance from Colonel Eric Swenson of the Army Corps of Engineers and representatives from the Trauma Resource Institute on the life and death realities of supporting each other post disaster and the importance of resetting the nervous system after trauma. Resources:Learn more about Councilwoman Traci Park Pacific Palisades Community CouncilPalisades Recovery CoalitionTrauma Resource InstituteL.A. County Department of Mental Health Resources Check out Moss Venice Los AngelesFor questions and comments: @larisingpodcastLearn more about L.A. RisingDonate to help support #L.A. RisingProduced by NOVA