Perhaps the most exciting was a video that showcased the effects of how an earthquake travels – a phenomenon he explained that has a speed of 7,000 miles per hour while coursing through a fault line – and the impact a quake can have on a city

Dr. Hudnut also went into detail about the other fault lines, in addition to the famed San Adreas fault, that plague Southern California. The Palos Verdes fault, the Inglewood-Newport fault, and the Hollywood-Santa Monica fault all exist within the greater L.A. area and if activated, can pose serious threats to our city. He also explained that post-earthquake fires can account for a majority of the damage done to cities, that climate change can impact enhanced earthquake activity due to liquefaction of the soil, and that an earthquake in one fault line can trigger quakes in other fault lines as well.

The morning Coffee & Conversations event was nearly sold out and sparked a ton of audience questions – mostly from Angelenos wanting to see when the next quake would hit!

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Being a student studying political science in today’s era, it is all too easy to find yourself wrapped up in the latest political stunt happening in the media or on Twitter. We often focus on the person that is speaking the loudest, whether or not their ideas are sound. In order to come across real solutions to the problems we face in Los Angeles, we have to be able to actually listen to others.

Throughout my time at Town Hall Los Angeles, I have learned more about the importance of a conversation. In fact, they are so essential, that this whole organization exists to support them! As a non-profit, non-partisan speaker’s forum, Town Hall Los Angeles invites people to speak from all different backgrounds about ranging topics, from education to public safety to cannabis, all in order to allow Angelenos to hear from prominent figures on the issues they face every single day. They have the track record to prove it, too. Shortly after I started my internship, I was put in charge of digitizing all of Town Hall’s CD audio records. After combing 40+ years worth of programming, I am so grateful that we have an organization like THLA to promote civic discussion in our city.

This is also what drew me to apply to THLA. A former professor of mine at USC mentioned that he was on the Board of Directors for the organization. After an amazing semester with him, I figured he was onto something by being involved with Town Hall. I decided to apply, and my time here has been some of the best experience of my academic career. I was able to grow more as a writer, through researching varied topics and people, and by writing letters to high profile leaders in LA and CA. I also became more in touch with LA by getting to know a whole group of people in the city that I normally would not interact with: THLA’s members. I saw first hand what conversation could do, whether it be shedding light on a previously unknown topic, or agreeing to disagree in a civilized and polite manner. And as Town Hall Los Angeles is preparing to make big changes to become even better, I am proud to have helped to create the building blocks for the future of the organization.

I want to say thank you to the amazing team at Town Hall: Kyle, Marian, and Kim. Thank you so much for all of your guidance and help throughout these last four months. I know that I will remember my time here for years to come, and I am so grateful for the opportunities you gave me while I was at Town Hall Los Angeles.

My time here at Town Hall was truly amazing. To anyone who has the fortune of being a THLA member or just attends our events, know that you are witnessing the best of what LA has to offer. I am confident that everything I learned here at Town Hall will empower me to start and partake in conversations that will change our societies for the better.

Author and television producer Stephen Gee came to Town Hall Los Angeles on March 25, 2019 to talk about the history of Los Angeles City Hall and his book, Los Angeles City Hall: An American Icon.

Picture above: Stephen Gee signing a book for Kim McCleary Blue, President of Town Hall LA.

Gee started out the conversation by bringing our members back to a time before the building existed. Before the iconic city hall we know today was built, LA was governed in a brick building on Broadway. And before that, when the city was first founded, the municipality was run out of a wooden shack.

While there are have been some changes to City Hall, such as City Hall East and extensive seismic renovations, the historical prowess of the building has remained the same. As the political center of the city, Gee noted that the countless decisions that have shaped our city came from the hallways of City Hall.

Before answering several questions from our members, Gee ended his remarks by touching on what City Hall means to Angelenos today, and what the future of the landmark might be. “I love what City Hall symbolizes to Los Angeles,” he said. Since the building was erected in the 1920s, City Hall has been a symbol of the progress and modernity of the City of Los Angeles. Through its preservation and written history, such as the one in Los Angeles City Hall: An American Icon, Gee hopes that its message will survive long into the future.

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The discussion was a powerful one – which you can see more about below – and Emily spoke about how women in the modeling industry, and overall, are often objectified and not looked at as equal members of society, but how she’s using her enormous platform to change that.

Whether it is starting conversations, using modeling as an impetus for change, or enlightening people in subtle ways about the importance of feminism, Emily is a powerful voice of influence in today’s cultural landscape.

President and CEO of the American Red Cross, Gail McGovern, spoke at Town Hall Los Angeles on February 12th, 2019 about what her organization is doing to prepare and respond to disasters in Los Angeles and across the country.

McGovern addressed Town Hall LA members and guests on the recent Camp and Woolsey Fires, two of the largest and most devastating wildfires in California’s history. She thanked the 3,700+ volunteers, some of whom were in the audience, for providing over 375,000 meals and helping with the over 57,000 overnight stays for victims of the wildfires. She also noted that there are still Red Cross volunteers on the ground assisting Camp Fire victims.

McGovern also touched on the Red Cross’ Sound the Alarm program, which installs free smoke detectors in homes located in underprivileged communities. So far, the program has installed over 1.6 million alarms. McGovern said that she hopes the program will continue to reduce the over 2,200 instances of small disasters in the LA area.

“The Red Cross is also embracing new forms of technology and outreach,” McGovern said. By using a new disaster response platform, RC View, Red Cross workers and first responders have access to real-time information and images from satellites and drones, and can track emergency vehicles. The platform also allows for seamless information sharing between the Red Cross, governments, and other relief agencies. The Red Cross has also begun to integrate itself with Amazon Alexa. McGovern shared that device owners can currently ask Alexa to walk them through CPR, other first aid procedures, and even send a donation to the Red Cross. She also shared that citizens may be able to ask Alexa to set up a blood donation appointment sometime in the near future.

To close her remarks, McGovern disclosed how her presidency at the Red Cross has changed her personally. Overall, she admitted to growing to be more compassionate and more grateful. While she first accepted her role as an intellectual challenge, she has grown to realize that her work is devoted to helping people in their darkest hours. And while some say that the American people are more divided than ever, McGovern said that through firsthand experience she has seen people in their most generous, compassionate, and resilient forms. She hopes that the symbol of the Red Cross will continue to be a sign for hope and help for all who need it.

To become a Town Hall LA member & receive discounted tickets to our events, Click Here.

Listen to the Full Event Below:

Gail McGovern networks with event attendees

William H. Ahmanson [R], Philanthropist and CEO of The Ahmanson Foundation, networks with event guests.

Town Hall Los Angeles members enjoyed a look at glimpses of the biopic based upon Ginsburg’s life and also were able to hear from an unbelievably knowledgable docent, who imbued the tour with incredible factoids and pounds of charisma.

Our next Members Only Event is going to be equally as fantastic, and you can register for it by CLICKING HERE.

To join Town Hall Los Angeles as a member, CLICK HERE.

The afternoon began with both Chiefs emphasizing their commitment to working together and ensuring that their departments are better equipped to keep the city safe.

“In LA, the LAPD & LAFD are unified. Culturally we’re a much different animal than any other city in America, where fire and police departments struggle over who’s responding to what.” – Chief Moore

Their commitment to keep Angelenos safe is reflected in the decrease of homicides and violent crimes that have been committed in the city. In 1992 there were nearly 2,000 homicides, but in 2018 the number was closer to 260; a record low that hasn’t been seen in decades.

When discussing the culture that they aim to establish, they both reaffirmed their goal of ensuring that everyone in their department felt represented, beginning with the language that is used to describe public safety officers. Antiquated and sexist terms like “fireman” and “policeman” are no longer representative of the officers who currently make up the body of first responders.

“It’s my job to ensure the work environment (of LAFD) is positive and to see things coming before they become problematic.” – Chief Terrazas

Moderator Jon Regardie, Executive Editor of Los Angeles Downtown News, touched upon the measures that both departments are taking regarding the mass shooting in Thousand Oaks and the Woolsey fires. Chief Moore emphasized that for his department having trained officers who assess situations effectively and can make split-second decisions was very important. Chief Terrzas detailed how his department had sent 50 fire trucks to aid LA County Firefighters fighting the Woolsey Fire and how the use of drones helps fire departments combat fires more efficiently by providing locations of hot spots and directing firefighters to where they are needed the most.

During the discussion Chief Moore was also asked about his commitment to transparency, specifically with the release of bodycam footage from officers. He believes that by allowing the public to see the footage they can better understand what “police officers have on their plate” when they encounter a tense situation and therefore, the bodycam footage can provide a truthful narrative of the situation, without attempting to hide anything from the public.

“Public transparency and plain speak builds trust.”– Chief Moore

One of the popular topics of the luncheon was the upcoming 2028 Olympics that will be held in Los Angeles. Both chiefs expressed that their departments will be coordinating and cooperating with all the agencies that are involved with the planning of the Olympics to ensure that the citizens of LA are safe, that visiting athletes and fans enjoy their time in the city, and that the event leaves a positive and stimulating experience for everyone in Los Angeles.

Listen to the full discussion below:

LAFD Chief Terrazas [L] & LAPD Chief Moore [R] listen to a concerned citizen.

Post-event networking.

Town Hall LA President, Kim McCleary Blue [L] talking with Town Hall LA Board Chairman, David Fleming [R]

Healthcare Futurist, Dr. Ian Morrison, also joined the conversation and touched on why healthcare needs public and private institutions to do their part to help improve social services as a means of yielding an overall healthier community. The panel was moderated by John E. Kobara, Executive Vice President & Chief Operating Officer of California Community Foundation.

Listen to the full discussion below:

Beutner stressed that there is nothing more important than public education and that there are 1,225 schools represented within LAUSD, with over 700,000 students.

“Los Angeles has lost sight of public education. The goal? To build what we do from the school and classroom, up.” – Austin Beutner

Keeping the spirit of a Town Hall meeting alive, Beutner allowed ample time for audience members to ask questions specific to issues that mattered to them individually. In addition to responding to charter school students in the audience, he also tackled subjects regarding racial diversity and the importance of funding arts education in schools.

With rumors constantly circulating about a possible teacher’s strike, Beutner remained optimistic about the future of where LAUSD is headed.

Elkins regaled the audience with the exciting tale of his journey, and proved he was the perfect Coffee & Conversations speaker because of his uncanny storytelling ability.

He spoke of some of his findings in Honduras, which included residents with six fingers and toes, and the animal that posed the deadliest threat to the trip – some explorers are still recovering from the animal’s attack, six years after being affected.

And about the city he discovered? Who lived there?

“The culture from which the city is based is a hybrid between Mayan & other South American civilizations,” Elkins said.

He also provided new updates as to how the discovery affected the entire country of Honduras and the benefits that the expedition and book have brought to the country overall.