Norma E. Garcia was appointed the new Chief Deputy Director for the County of Los Angeles Department of Parks and Recreation. Ms. Garcia is the first woman to serve as Chief Deputy Director since the Department was created on July 1, 1944.
In her role as Chief Deputy Director, she will oversee the day-to-day operations of the Department with a $186 million budget, more than 1,600 full-time employees and 6,477 registered volunteers.
Ms. Garcia has been with the Department for nine years and, prior to her new appointment, held the position of Deputy Director of the Department’s Planning and Development Agency. She has led the work of the Department in planning, acquisition, development, and asset management of 180 park facilities, 71,249 acres of parkland and 210 miles of trails. Most recently, she served as a principal leader for key region-wide initiatives such as the Countywide Park Needs Assessment, the Master Plan for Magic Johnson Park, and the transformation of Puente Hills Landfill to a County regional park.
Ms. Garcia earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning, both from the University of California, Los Angeles.
She fills the position held by previous Chief Deputy Director, John Wicker, who was appointed Director of the Department of Parks and Recreation on March 29, 2016.