May 31, 2025 Your Source for Brentwood News

LA Councilmember Traci Park Names New Staffers for CD-11

A diversified mix of former city officials, legislative aides and private sector influencers have now joined Team Park

By Nick Antonicello

Los Angeles Councilmember Traci Park (D-CD11) has announced a series of new hires to round out her legislative staff according to the campaign’s Facebook page.

Park, a Venice attorney defeated fellow Venetian and lawyer Erin Darling in the November General Election by a 52%-48% margin with nearly 100,000 votes cast, the largest turnout of any of the city’s fifteen council contests. 

The first female council member to represent Venice since the days of former council member Cindy Miscikowski, Park replaced Mike Bonin, who dropped out of the race and retired last January after nearly a decade on this municipal body. 

Park announced the appointment of the following eleven hires: 

  • Jeff Khah will serve as a Planning Deputy and brings a long resume of government service to Park’s staff as an urban planner and public policy analyst. 
  • William Ayala will serve as a council aide and was formerly a staffer with Mitch O’Farrell, who was defeated for a third term last month by Hugo Soto-Martinez by a margin of 58%-42%. O’Farrell served eight days as Council President in lieu of the resignation of Nury Martinez and previously served as President Pro Tempore. O’Farrell was elected in 2013 and reelected in 2017. Originally from Oklahoma, O’Farrell was the first Native-American to serve on the body. 
  • Gabriela Medina will serve as Park’s District Director. A graduate of UCLA, Medina served in the same capacity for former Councilmember Joe Buscaino, a close ally and supporter of Park. A retired police officer, Buscaino briefly made a bid for mayor and announced his run in Venice Beach at the height of the homeless crisis in the summer of 2021. Medina began her career as a volunteer for Buscaino’s initial bid for the LA City Council. 
  • Jamie Paige has joined Team Park as a Communications Deputy. A former member of the Venice Neighborhood Council, Paige is the founder and editor of the Westside Current, formerly known as the Venice Current, a website that covers news, politics, government and other happenings on the Westside. The Westside Current was an early supporter of the Park candidacy and strongly endorsed her primary and general election bids. The site was also a strong supporter of former LA Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who was defeated for reelection by new Sheriff Robert Luna, the retired police chief of the city of Long Beach.
  • Joey Bailey returns as Homeless Outreach Liaison, the same position he held with Councilmember Mike Bonin and is one of two holdovers from the former councilmember’s staff. 
  • Clint Carlton will serve as Park’s Homelessness Director, one of the central themes of the Park campaign. Carlton brings a long resume of service in the area of homelessness in the not-for-profit space and will no doubt play a critical role in reforming LA’s current homelessness crisis in wake of Mayor Karen Bass’s announcement that a state of emergency now exists and the goal in year one is to house 15,000 of the some 50,000 people now living on the streets with nearly 2,000 here in Venice alone. The Venice Median project, the Flower Avenue situation at Lincoln as well as other encampments in and about the Venice neighborhood will certainly be at the top of Park’s agenda.  
  • Dave Cano joins Team Park as an Executive Assistant, a similar role he held with former Councilman Mitch O’Farrell. 
  • Carol Williams is a former Bonin staffer who is being retained as a Homeless Outreach Liaison and has decades of experience of working with individuals currently unhoused. 
  • Jacob Burman, who served as Campaign Director for the Park effort will come on board as a Senior Advisor. A campaign professional, Burman served as Regional Director for GOTV for the Minnesota Democratic Farmer Labor (DFL) Party and is a graduate of George Washington University. A former member of the College Democrats, Burman previously served as a volunteer firefighter. 
  • Paris Parsamyan will serve as Park’s Chief of Staff. Another former staffer with Councilman O’Farrell, she served as his deputy legislative director. A former counselor with the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), Parsamyan earned her MS in Counseling at UCLA. 
  • Kevin Brunke will serve as Park’s Legislative Deputy. A former member of the staff of Mitch O’Farrell, Brunke is a graduate of Occidental College and served in a communications capacity with the former councilmember. 

Nick Antonicello is a longtime Venetian who covered the race for LA City Council in CD-11 and filed the most stories of any media outlet. A member of the Outreach and Oceanfront Walk Committees of the Venice Neighborhood Council, he can be reached at nantoni@mindspring.com

in News
Related Posts

Defensible Space, Defined: How A Plus Tree Protects Communities from Wildfire

May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025

In the wildfire-prone landscapes of the Western United States, safeguarding homes and communities requires proactive measures. A Plus Tree, a...

WeHo Pride Weekend Begins and 2025 Icons Announced: Parades, Concerts, and Community Celebration Kicks Off

May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025

Three-Day LGBTQ+ Festival Features Performances by Lizzo, Maren Morris, and Kim Petras West Hollywood is preparing to kick off its...

Palisades Village to Reopen in 2026 with Revamped Retail, Dining, and Community Spaces

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Elysewalker Set to Return With Park Reconstruction, Holiday Events, and Streetscape Upgrades Palisades Village, the open-air shopping and lifestyle destination...

Bel Air Seventh Grader Reaches Finals of Scripps National Spelling Bee

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Oliver Halkett of Mirman School Competed on Thursday for a $50,000 prize Thirteen-year-old Oliver Halkett, a seventh grader from Mirman...

(Video) Signs That Your Aging Loved Ones Are in Need of Caregiving

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

To Find Out More, Go To Safelyhomeagain.com To Find Out More, Go To https://t.co/kxgpFPbFq0 pic.twitter.com/71jDkkQBiR — BrentwoodNewsLA (@BrentwoodNewsLA) May 30,...

Brentwood Weekly Crime Report: May 18, 2025 – May 24, 2025

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

String of Burglaries Hits Brentwood; Businesses Among Targets By Matthew Kirk Brentwood has had a rash of commercial burglaries this...

Salt & Straw Unveils Summer Pie Series with Five Seasonal Ice Cream Flavors

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025

Five New Flavors Inspired by Classic Summer Pies Will Be Introduced Salt & Straw is giving summer a scoopable twist...

(Video) Interviews with Rick Caruso and Elyse Walker, with a Dennis Quaid cameo

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

We spoke at the Press Conference to announce plans to reopen Palisades Village Shopping Mall. Actor Dennis Quaid arrives to...

Levain Bakery Debuts ‘Levain à la Mode’ with Local Ice Cream Partners for Summer

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Seasonal Offering With Wanderlust Creamery is a First in Cookie Shop’s History For the first time in its three-decade history,...

Beverly Glen Sixth Grader Advances to Finals of National Student Cook-Off

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Twelve-Year-Old Heads to Virginia to Compete in K12 Culinary Competition Abijah Levy Minor, a 12-year-old student from Beverly Glen, has...

Sarah Paulson to Host Charity Bingo Night for Pasadena Humane Society on June 5

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Evening of Food, Wine, and Live Music to Raise Funds for Animal Rescue Efforts Emmy-winning actress Sarah Paulson will host...

Bay Cities Italian Deli Responds to Health Code Closure, Commits to Corrective Action

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Santa Monica Landmark Disputes Rodent Claims but Acknowledges Violations Bay Cities Italian Deli, a Santa Monica staple renowned for its...

Film Review: Bring Her Back

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

By Dolores Quintana Grief is the price of love.  Danny Philippou and Michael Philippou’s second feature film, Bring Her Back,...

County Assessor Stresses Need For Fire-Affected Households to Update Addresses to Receive Relief Checks

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Assessor’s Office Offers Automatic Tax Relief for Fire-Affected Homeowners Following the destruction caused by wildfires earlier this year, the Los...

Caltrans Schedules Public Meeting for $143.7 Million I-405 Rehabilitation Project

May 28, 2025

May 28, 2025

Virtual Forum Set to Brief Residents on Upcoming Construction The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) will hold a virtual public...