The La Palma Council has appointed Kathy Flachmeier to fill the unexpired term of a council seat that was vacated by the resignation of Steven Hwangbo.
She was among four applicants for the position and was appointed to the City Council by unanimous vote on Jan. 3. She will be sworn in at the council’s Jan. 16 meeting.
The La Palma Council has appointed Kathy Flachmeier to fill the unexpired term of a council seat that was vacated by the resignation of Steven Hwangbo.
She was among four applicants for the position and was appointed to the City Council by unanimous vote on Jan. 3. She will be sworn in at the council’s Jan. 16 meeting.
After the resignation of Steve Hwangbo, the Council voted to appoint a member to fill his unfulfilled term through Dec. 4, 2018. At the Council’s direction, the City Clerk’s Office coordinated an open recruitment from December 5 to December 20, 2017. There were four applicants, including Emanuel Aparicio, Kathy Flachmeier, Martha Lomeli, and Dr. Garrett Wada. According to clerk, the four candidates were interviewed in open session Jan. 3 during a special meeting called for that purpose.
Flachmeier has lived in La Palma since 1987. She has both a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach. She worked in the private sector construction industry for 18 years before going to work for California State University in 2005, where she worked as a Project Manager, Assistant Construction Manager and Project Engineer, and as an instructor of Construction Management at California State University Dominguez Hills. Flachmeier retired in 2017, city officials said.
In her application letter, Ms. Flachmeier stated, “As a new retiree, I finally have the time and opportunity to give back to my community and can think of no better way to do this than to join the City Council.
“I have enjoyed living in La Palma for the past 30 years and would like to see the City maintain its high rating as a desirable place to live. I believe that I can bring a fresh, unbiased perspective to the City Council. My only desire is to see the City maintain its financial integrity and continue to be the great City it is.”
The public is invited to attend a short reception after Ms. Flachmeier’s swearing in on Jan.16 before the business portion of the meeting proceeds.