By Matthew Kredell
Maria de la Luz Garcia is beginning new phases of her career both professionally and academically, starting her job as Long Beach City Clerk on Aug. 31, a week after returning to the classroom to pursue a Master of Public Administration degree at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
Garcia had already been accepted to USC when she learned about the job opening in April and decided to apply. Previously a senior project coordinator in the Elections Division of the Los Angeles City Clerk’s office, she was selected by the Long Beach City Council from more than 30 candidates.
Having worked full time since she got her bachelor’s degree from Vassar College in 2000, Garcia decided it was time to get a master’s degree for the public administration field in which she has been serving for the past decade. She received encouragement from her sister, California Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (Bell Gardens), who studied at USC Price.
“Price is a very prestigious school, right here in Los Angeles,” Maria Garcia said. “I thought it’s a great opportunity not just to learn what’s going on academically in the field but also to take what I’m learning in the classroom and apply it to a city where I’m already working and contributing.”
Juggling the new position with studies will be a challenge. However, she sees the skills and competencies that she expects to develop at USC Price as being important to accomplishing her goals as city clerk.
“One of the biggest driving forces I had for going back to school was to learn more about issues that are impacting public administration, and the strategies other cities, counties and states are using to address those issues,” Garcia said. “I want to expand my worldview beyond what we’re doing here in SoCal.”
As Long Beach City Clerk, she will oversee an office of 16 employees that is responsible for conducting municipal elections for the City of Long Beach, keeping records for the city – including the minutes and actions of the council and all boards, commissions and committees – and making sure they are accessible, informing the public of upcoming council and commission meetings, and administering civil marriages.
“Maria Garcia is an outstanding choice for City Clerk, and the council and I have full confidence that she will provide strong and inclusive leadership at the Clerk’s office,” Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, who is of no relation, said in a press release. “Her extensive experience in election oversight, voter outreach, and the use of technology is a perfect fit for Long Beach.”
Garcia noted that technology will be a key focus in her long-term goal of promoting public participation in the municipal process.
“I’m looking at how we can broaden our reach by using technology and the Internet to provide services to the public so that they can be more involved in local elections, more informed on council meetings and have better access to city records,” Garcia said.
Garcia received a Dean’s Merit Scholarship and USC Latino Alumni Association Scholarship to pursue her graduate degree at USC Price.
“Maria’s selection from a competitive pool of candidates is a good indication of the caliber of people who are entering our MPA program,” said Associate Professor Peter Robertson, director of the MPA program. “She joins a number of Price alumni currently working for the City of Long Beach, and we are confident that the education she receives from the Price School will further strengthen her capacity to hold positions of even greater responsibility in the future.”