PODCAST · education
Live From LA County
by Live From LA County
Live From LA County is a storytelling podcast that celebrates the voices and experiences of Los Angeles County employees. Centered on meaningful conversations, each episode features interviews with County leaders, changemakers, and team members across all levels, highlighting the depth and diversity of our workforce and the shared values that connect us all.From community engagement and cultural milestones to creative problem-solving and innovation, this podcast invites you into honest, inspiring discussions about what it means to serve Los Angeles County.
Episodes
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Housing Los Angeles: A Conversation with LACDA’s Executive Director Emilio Salas
What does it take to expand housing opportunities and strengthen communities across Los Angeles County? On this episode of Live From LA County, we sit down with Emilio Salas, Executive Director of the Los Angeles County Development Authority (LACDA), for a wide-ranging conversation about housing...
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30 Years of Service: Elizabeth Buenrostro Ginsberg on Leadership, Trust & LA County
What does it take to safeguard public funds, serve millions ofresidents, and lead one of Los Angeles County's most consequential financial departments? In this episode of Live From LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Elizabeth Buenrostro Ginsberg, Los Angeles County Treasurer and Tax...
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Rachel S. Moore: Making The Music Center a Place for Everyone
What happens when the career you've built your entire identity around suddenly changes? On this episode of Live From LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Rachel S. Moore, President and CEO of The Music Center, for a conversation about reinvention, leadership, accessibility, diversity,...
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Sheriff Robert Luna: Rebuilding Trust and Leading Change in Los Angeles County
What does it take to lead law enforcement in one of the largest and most diverse counties in America? On this episode of Live From LA County, host Rodney Collinssits down with Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna for a candid conversation about public safety, leadership, accountability,...
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What Every LA County Employee Should Know About LACERA
What does it take to safeguard the retirement future of more than 200,000 LA County employees and retirees?On this episode of Live from LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Luis A. Lugo, Chief Executive Officer of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA), for a...
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Dr. Debra Duardo Leading the Nation's Largest Regional Education Agency
What does it take to overcome adversity and become one of the most influential education leaders in the nation? In this episode of Live from LA County, Rodney Collins sits down with Dr. Debra Duardo, Superintendent of the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE), to discuss her remarkable...
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Why Curiosity Changes Lives: A Conversation with Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga
What role do museums play in shaping the future of our communities? In this episode of Live from LA County, Rodney Collins sits down with Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga, President and Director of the Natural History Museums of Los Angeles County, to explore how science, education, culture, and curiosity...
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Rafael Carbajal on Consumer Protection, Housing & Opportunity in LA County
What does the Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs actually do and how does it impact your everyday life? In this episode of Live from LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Rafael Carbajal, Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Affairs (DCBA), to...
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Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang on Property, Public Service, and Modernization
In this episode of Live from LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Los Angeles County Assessor Jeffrey Prang to discuss the role of the Assessor’s Office, how property valuesare determined, why transparency matters, and how technology is helping modernize services for residents and...
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County Librarian Dr. Skye Patrick on Innovation, Access, and the Future of Libraries
What does a modern public library really do? In this episode of Live From LA County, we sit down with SkyePatrick, Director of LA County Library, to discuss how libraries are evolving to meet the needs of communities across Los Angeles County. From literacy and digital access to workforce…
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The Work Behind the Numbers: LA County Auditor-Controller Oscar Valdez
In this episode of Live From LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Oscar Valdez, Los Angeles County Auditor-Controller, for a behind-the-scenes conversation on public finance, accountability, transparency, and the systems that help keep one of the nation’s largest local governments…
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Kelly LoBianco on Workforce Development and Economic Equity
In this episode of Live From LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Kelly LoBianco, Director of the Department of Economic Opportunity, for a conversation about workforce development, economic equity, community empowerment, and the work being done to support workers and businesses across…
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Building Inclusive Services for Aging & Disabilities in LA County
In this episode of Live from LA County, we sit down with Maral Karaccusian, Director of Aging and Disabilities, to discuss the County’s commitment to supporting vulnerable populations through inclusive, equitable services. Maral shares insights on leadership, the evolving needs of aging...
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Justice in LA County: How the DA is Rethinking Public Safety
What does the District Attorney actually do and how is the role evolving in Los Angeles County? In this episode of Live from LA County, we sit down with the County’s District Attorney Nathan J. Hochman to explore the balance between public safety, accountability, and fairness. From the history of...
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Justice, Advocacy, and Leadership in Public Defense
In this episode of Live from LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Erika Anzoategui, Director of the Los Angeles County Alternate Public Defender’s Office. Erika shares insights into the critical role public defenders play in protecting constitutional rights, advancing equity in the…
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How LA County Protects Pets and the People Who Love Them
In this episode of Live from LA County, host Rodney Collins sits down with Marcia Mayeda, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Marcia shares what it takes to lead one of the largest animal care systems in the country. From public safety and humane enforcement…
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How LA County Protects 10 Million Residents Dr. Barbara Ferrer Explains
Dr. Ferrer discusses what it takes to lead public health in one of the most complex and diverse regions in the country. From crisis response and health equity to prevention strategy and workforce leadership, this conversation explores how LA County works to protect and improve the health of…
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Inside LA County’s New Youth Development Model
In this episode of Live from LA County, we sit down with David J. Carroll, Director of the Los Angeles County Department of Youth Development, to discuss how the County is transforming its approach to youth justice. David shares why LA County is shifting away from punishment-centered systems…
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From Policy to People: Rebuilding the Homelessness Response in LA
This episode of Live from LA County features Sarah Mahin, the new Director of LA County’s Homeless Services and Housing, as she takes on one of the region’s most urgent and complex challenges: ending homelessness. Sarah shares her vision for reshaping how the County responds to homelessness...
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Lisa M. Garrett on Public Service and the Workforce of the Future
Director Lisa Garrett leads HR for the nation’s largest county workforce nearly 100,000 employees across 40 departments. In this episode, she shares her LA story (Inglewood → UCLA → Southwestern Law), how HR is modernizing recruitment, telework, and talent pipelines, and why purpose-driven work...
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Care, Access, and Results at LA County Department of Health Services
DHS Director Dr. Christina Ghaly joins Rodney Collins to unpack how LA County’s health system works 4 hospitals, 23 clinics, EMS, correctional health, probation youth care, harm reduction and ODR and why equity, language access, and measurable outcomes drive decisions. She reflects on Housing for...
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“Answering Questions. Informing Prevention.” LA County Medical Examiner
LA County’s Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Odey C. Ukpo explains why our system is independent of law enforcement, how his office conducts ~13,000 death investigations a year, and how findings drive public-health prevention (from safe infant sleep to emerging substance alerts). He discusses equity,...
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Inside ISD: Tech, Procurement, and Resilience Across LA County
SD Director Michael Owh joins Rodney Collins to unpack how Internal Services powers LA County from IT, radios, facilities and fleet to $2B in procurement, EV charging , and disaster response. Hear his take on standardizing e-procurement, digital equity (Delete the Divide, community broadband)…
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Shaping LA’s Future: Inside Regional Planning with Director Amy J. Bodek
Director Amy J. Bodek joins Rodney Collins to unpack how LA County Regional Planning shapes daily life land use, zoning, sustainability, housing, and long-range vision for unincorporated communities. From drones and data to equity, history, and community voice, this episode explains how planning...
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“Purpose is Part of Recovery”: Jim Zenner on Leadership, Service, and Veteran Support
Director Jim Zenner (LA County Military & Veterans Affairs) joins Rodney Collins to discuss leadership with lived experience, the Veteran Peer Access Network (VPN), plans for veteran treatment courts, partnerships with VA/CBOs, and coordination on homelessness & housing. He also covers…
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Leading the Nation’s Largest Public Defender Office: Ricardo D. García
LA County’s Public Defender Ricardo D. García joins Rodney Collins for a candid conversation about client-centered representation, Community Outreach Court, expungement clinics, and leading the nation’s largest public defender office. He shares his LA story, what “flipping the pyramid” in...
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Infrastructure for People: How Public Works Builds Communities
This episode features Mark Pestrella, Director of LA County Public Works, leading the nation’s largest municipal public works agency. He walks through how Public Works touches everyday life—from capturing stormwater in dams for groundwater recharge and preventing floods after wildfires, to...
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Recovery Beyond Symptoms: Purpose and Belonging
In this episode, Dr. Lisa H. Wong, Director of the nation’s largest public mental health system, shares how LA County is transforming care from crisis response to recovery grounded in hope, equity, and community. 🔍Highlights You Won’t Want to Miss: • 988 & Care Court: How new crisis pathways and...
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Your Food, Your Gas, Your Wallet: Kurt Floren
Did you know that one Los Angeles County department quietly impacts nearly everything you eat, buy, and use — yet most people have never heard of it?In Episode Six, we sit down with Kurt Floren, Agricultural Commissioner/Director of Weights & Measures, to uncover why his team calls themselves…
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From Inspector to Leader…My Unexpected Career Shift
Listen to Kurt Floren as he shares his experience interviewing for a leadership position. Does he ultimately secure the job? Clip from LiveFrom LA County Podcast - Episode 6 "Your Food, Your Gas, Your Wallet: Kurt Floren" Host: Rodney Collins Producers: Ramla Javed, Flavio Guzman Magaña, Tina…
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The Power of Parks: Building Healthier, more Connected Communities with Norma Edith García-González
This episode features a visionary conversation with Norma Edith García-González, Director of LA County Parks & Recreation. From advancing equity and public health to building community through shared spaces, discover the vision driving one of the largest park systems in the nation. 🔍 In this...
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From Entry Level to Leadership...A Story of Opportunity
What opportunities can a summer job lead to?Clip from Live From LA County Podcast - Episode 5"The Power of Parks: Building Healthier, More Connected Communities with Norma Edith García-González"Host: Rodney CollinsProducers: Ramla Javed, Flavio Guzman Magaña, Tina CurryEditor: Alban KalasaGuest:...
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Beyond Benefits: How Dr. Jackie Contreras is Reimagining Public Social Services
What if public social services weren’t just about meeting basic needs, but about creating opportunity, dignity, and real community connection? In episode four, we sit down with Dr. Jackie Contreras, Director of the Department of Public Social Services (DPSS), to talk about how she’s transforming...
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Art as Public Service: A Conversation with Kristin Sakoda
This episode features a vibrant conversation with Kristin Sakoda, the visionary Director of the Department of Arts and Culture. From special events, famous LA Venues, and making the arts more accessible, creative Kristin reveals how the arts are not just nice-to-have — they’re an essential public...
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Leading with Justice: Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.)
In this compelling conversation, Judge Songhai Armstead (Ret.), Director of the Justice, Care and Opportunities Department (JCOD), joins host Rodney Collins for a bold and unfiltered discussion on transformational leadership, second chances, and what it truly means to center equity and care in…
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Leading with Heart: Edward Yen
In the debut episode, we go behind the scenes of local governance with Mr. Yen, Executive Officer for the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. He shares what it takes to lead a department that supports the Board’s operations, dozens of commissions, and vital public transparency efforts, all...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Live From LA County is a storytelling podcast that celebrates the voices and experiences of Los Angeles County employees. Centered on meaningful conversations, each episode features interviews with County leaders, changemakers, and team members across all levels, highlighting the depth and diversity of our workforce and the shared values that connect us all.From community engagement and cultural milestones to creative problem-solving and innovation, this podcast invites you into honest, inspiring discussions about what it means to serve Los Angeles County.
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Live From LA County
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Live From LA County have?
Live From LA County currently has 36 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Live From LA County about?
Live From LA County is a storytelling podcast that celebrates the voices and experiences of Los Angeles County employees. Centered on meaningful conversations, each episode features interviews with County leaders, changemakers, and team members across all levels, highlighting the depth and...
How often does Live From LA County release new episodes?
Live From LA County has 36 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to Live From LA County?
You can listen to Live From LA County on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Live From LA County?
Live From LA County is created and hosted by Live From LA County.
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