The Public Works Board President Will Address The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council On September 10th, 2014
VAN NUYS, CA — The Van Nuys Neighborhood Council will have the esteemed honor and privilege of welcoming President Kevin James to speak and answer questions at its next General Meeting. President Kevin James is participating in an ongoing “Speaker Series” hosted by the Van Nuys Neighborhood Council.
“It is important to bring the people of Van Nuys closer to their government and the powers that be. It is our job as local elected officials to facilitate meetings, workshops, and summits to make this possible. I look forward to hearing from President Kevin James at the Council Meeting in September, and seeing how we can all work together to promote the common good throughout the City of Los Angeles,” said Council President George Christopher Thomas.
The City of Los Angeles Board of Public Works (BPW) is a five-member executive team that administrates the City of Los Angeles Department of Public Works. The Department of Public Works consists of over 5,400 employees who are responsible for design, construction, renovation and operation of public projects ranging from bridges to wastewater treatment plants and libraries; curbside collection and graffiti removal; and maintenance of streets, sidewalks, sewers, street lights and street trees.
Kevin James is a former Mayoral candidate who spent time with more than 50 of the City’s neighborhood councils as part of his campaign. He says that experience was very useful in his current position presiding over the Board of Public Works Commission.
Beginning his legal career almost 25 years ago in Los Angeles, James has worked for several firms, most recently for Lavely & Singer, where he was an entertainment litigator with a broad practice from right of publicity to accounting/profit participation cases.
James also served for a time as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Department of Justice, prosecuting both criminal and civil actions. He received the Executive Office of U.S. Attorneys’ 1992 Director’s Award for Superior Performance, presented by then US Attorney General Janet Reno.
In parallel to his legal career, James also has worked as a broadcaster. He started as an on-air legal analyst on Court TV, then transitioned to radio about 10 years ago, at first to provide his legal expertise. He transitioned in 2005 into the role of host of a local issues talk show that focused on City Hall. He most recently spearheaded “The Kevin James Show” on 870 KRLA (AM 870).
James donates his time and legal expertise to local charities, including the AIDS Project Los Angeles, of which he was Co-Chair of the Board of Directors. James also served on the boards for Operation Progress, working with LAPD to identify South LA’s most promising at-risk young students and awarding them with full scholarships from second grade through college, and First-in-Fire Foundation that supports the LAFD.
After growing up in Texas, James completed his accounting degree at the University of Oklahoma before pursuing his law degree at the University of Houston College of Law.