April 15, 2021
By Caroline Aoyagi-Stom
Energized by Edison Editor
When Terrance Bynum graduated from high school, he started working in printing. His brother, Albert, who is five years older, was working as a groundman at Southern California Edison and making a good living.
It was not long afterwards that Terrance decided to follow in his big brother’s footsteps.
“My older brother was my hero growing up,” he said.
Today, Albert, a former troubleman, is an SCE retiree after 32 years with the company. Terrance is currently a troubleman out of the utility’s Long Beach District with 25 years at SCE.
Terrance still remembers his first day as an SCE apprentice. He had been called out on a Sunday night to help repair a bad transformer. His older brother, Albert, was the foreman on the job.
Over the years, the siblings worked together on many assignments. And they are proud to be part of the lineworker legacy at SCE.
“I love keeping people’s lights on and when you love what you are doing, it is easy,” said Terrance. “We are the front line for Edison.”
Love of his job is something he regularly shares with students while visiting high schools as a board member of IBEW Local 47 to talk about a career as a lineworker.
And he encourages young people to consider applying for Edison International’s new Lineworker Scholarship program, in partnership with IBEW Local 47, particularly those in the Black community. IBEW Local 47 is providing $50,000 per year toward the Lineworker Scholarship.
“I tell kids, especially those who are not planning to go to college, to consider working as a lineman. You make a good salary, and you can raise your family,” said Terrance, who notes that he has sometimes shown his paycheck to students at job fairs to get their attention.
Anyone interested can visit edison.com/eixlineworkerscholarship and fill out the application. Scholarship winners will attend Los Angeles Trade-Technical College’s six-month program to receive a Powerline Mechanic Certificate (additional classes may be needed for required prerequisites) and another program to obtain their Class A license. Tuition and needed tools will be covered by the scholarship. Applications will be accepted through May 17.
In addition to tuition and tools, the Edison scholarship will cover support services as needed, such as transportation and childcare, through an agreement with Brotherhood Crusade, a charitable nonprofit. Program graduates also qualify for a job at SCE. Successful applicants who pass SCE’s new employee assessments will be eligible to start as groundmen.
Edison International is using $1 million shareholder funds for the four-year pilot to provide scholarships of up to $25,000 to expand diversity in its lineworker pipeline. The initial focus of the program is on attracting Black participants.
“We are proud to launch the new Lineworker Scholarship program as part of our continuing commitment to increase our workforce diversity,” said Kevin Payne, SCE president and CEO. “SCE serves one of the most diverse areas in the nation and having our workforce reflect the communities we serve is a priority for us.”
“This scholarship is a great opportunity to work for a company that is committed to increasing diversity among its workforce, particularly among its craft lineworkers,” said Bola Ayorinde, SCE director, Northwest Distribution Construction & Maintenance.
Terrance emphasized the importance of safety when working as a lineworker, noting that safety equipment and detailed procedures are in place so the work can be done safely.
“We have a safety first mindset here at Edison,” he said. “We take the time to really own our safety so we can go home to our families.”
Like many lineworkers, Terrance enjoys being outdoors and can’t imagine a job behind a desk. One of the most memorable jobs he recalled was responding to a red-tailed hawk with a 6-foot wingspan that had its talons stuck in a fuse holder on the pole and was trying to escape.
While Animal Control watched, Terrance was able to free the hawk, which flew away immediately.
“I’ve had an awesome career at Edison from the time I was a groundman,” said Terrance. “The people have been awesome. I got to learn from a great group of guys and every day has been fun.”
For more information about Edison’s Lineworker Scholarship, visit edison.com/eixlineworkerscholarship
April 15, 2021
By Betti Halsell
Contributing Writer
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board of Directors gathered to discuss Stephanie Wiggins’ new role as CEO of the company, leading L.A. Metro.
On April 8, Los Angeles City Mayor Eric Garcetti announced the final tally in Wiggins’ favor, succeeding the role of retiring CEO Phillip Washington.
Wiggins is currently seated at the helm, as the CEO of Metrolink; various leaders of the Los Angeles community have been celebrating her continual growth. Mayor Garcetti stated, “Metro is in the midst of a generational transformation that will mean more jobs for local workers, more growth for our economy, and more ways for Angelenos to move around our region — and nobody is better prepared to carry the torch of progress than Stephanie Wiggins.
“Stephanie’s career makes her ideally suited to lead this agency at this moment: she’s experienced, determined, committed to equity, and steeped in L.A.’s transportation history, and she is the perfect candidate to carry Metro into its next chapter,” Said Garcetti.
Washington announced his retirement in February, after serving roughly six years in Metro leadership.
After a national search for the ideal candidate to take up the CEO mantle, they appointed Wiggins and met for a final vote on Thursday, April 8.
In reflection of Washington’s leadership, Mayor Garcetti said, “Phil Washington has been a visionary leader, a force for trailblazing growth and lasting progress across our transit network. Phil leaves this agency better off than he found it — a legacy of an expanding public transportation system that gets Angelenos where they need to go and remains a force for sustainability, equity, jobs, workforce development, and shared prosperity across the L.A. area.”
Wiggins will begin a four-year term as Metro CEO between May 30 and June 14. She has built a strong rapport in her previous position as chief executive officer; pushing the needle forward with hand in Measure M; an initiative that raised financial support for transportation through half percent sales tax.
Her first role in the transportation industry was temporary; dedicated to a six-month assignment with San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, Wiggins stayed in that position for four years.
Earning her Masters from USC Marshall School of Business, and years of crafting exceptional leadership, Wiggins became an undeniable force that will be seen in new role at L.A. Metro.
In December of 2018, Wiggins began her tenure as CEO of Metrolink. She conducted a network of regional passenger railing that expanded over a 500-mile-route-system.
Her talent has been acknowledged by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials; she received their Women Who Moved the Nation Award (2018) and the League of Railway Womens’ ‘Women of the Year award’ (2020).
Before stepping into her role, she learned varied levels of executive placement; Wiggins assisted the standing chief executive officer and designed of viable methods of implementation for high profile projects like Measure M.
Through her credentials and experience as Metro’s executive director of vendor/contract management, she has helped various parts of the L.A. region. When she aligned herself with Metrolink, she was appointed CEO in 2018, and became their first woman of color in a chief executive officer position.
When her position was announced back in December of that year, Washington was quoted in the press release, “Over the last decade, Stephanie Wiggins has distinguished herself as a talented, resourceful and hardworking leader at Metro, most recently in her role as deputy chief executive officer since 2015.”
As the Metrolink CEO, Wiggins oversaw a $793 million annual budget led 282 full-time employees. As the new CEO for L.A. Metro, she will oversee its multi-billion-dollar budget. She will be trusted with another multi-billion-dollar financial plan that recent calculated reports have counted Metro’s current fiscal year to be $6 billion.
In similar, work Wiggins served as regional program director for Riverside County Transportation Commission. Under Riverside County, she managed their transit, commuter rail, rideshare, and major rail projects.
Los Angeles County has shown their solidarity in the transition of roles for Wiggins; Supervisor Holly Mitchell stated, “Ms. Wiggins is the leader Metro needs, as we head into a new era of atonement, addressing inequity, and making our system more dignified for our riders. I thank Mr. Washington for his illustrative service, and for the tireless work that he did to position Metro as the best – and most exciting -- transit agency in the world.”
L.A. Metro’s Bd appointee, Jacquelyn Dupont-Walker, spoke highly of Wiggins work ethic and loyalty to this sector, “Stephanie Wiggins is what LA Metro and LA County need for such a time as this. She has proven leadership - qualities of serving and valuing all the people, integrity and strong experience, and a track record for making and conveying tough decisions to all stakeholders.”
Dupont-Walker continued, “I am humbled to have had to opportunity to be a part of selecting two outstanding Metro leaders and departing CEO Phil Washington agrees with this board choice. Together, we will not lose a beat in our quest to be the best public transit system in the world. In the end, the people win!!”
Chairwoman of Los Angeles Board of Supervisors Hilda Solis stated in response to Wiggin’s new responsibilities, “Stephanie Wiggins’ appointment as the first woman of color to serve as CEO of Metro, marks a historic shift in the agency’s leadership.
“Stephanie has demonstrated time and time again her commitment to equity by bridging transportation and community health while adapting to emerging needs like the pandemic …”
Solis went on to paint a vivid picture of Wiggins’ dedication to this field, “Her experience as the chief executive officer of Metrolink and her previous executive-level experience at Metro makes her the ideal candidate to lead this agency through recovery. She has had a number of successes over her career including the expansion of Metro’s Express Lanes program.
“The formation of Metro’s Women and Girls Governing Council, and the advancement of Metrolink’s $10 billion SCORE program. As Metro’s new CEO, Stephanie will ensure equity is considered in every decision made, from improving customer service to increasing contracting with small businesses,” Said Chairwoman Solis.
Wiggins feelings about her new position were captured on the Metro’s reporting board, The Source, she stated, “I am honored by the opportunity to return to LA Metro as its CEO and am grateful to Mayor Garcetti and the LA Metro Board for the faith they have placed in me for this important role. I am thankful to my team at Metrolink for all of our successes together – and those that are still to come throughout this transition and as we work together in the future.
“LA County has great mobility needs that we must develop with goals of achieving better health, opportunity and equity for all of the region’s residents, and I look forward to bringing transformative leadership and collaboration with the region’s transportation authorities to make this vision a reality.”
April 08, 2021
LAWT News Service
Danny J. Bakewell, Sr., executive publisher and chairman of the Los Angeles Sentinel, has been appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Parks and Recreation Commission. Along with being the executive publisher and chairman of Bakewell Media, which owns the Los Angeles Sentinel and the Los Angeles Watts Times, Bakewell is the founder/creator of the Taste of Soul Family Festival, held annually on historic Crenshaw Boulevard in the heart of the Los Angeles African American community.
Since its founding in 2005, Taste of Soul has brought millions of people and thousands of local businesses into community for a day of ethically-cultured food, family and fun. Proclaimed by Mayor Eric Garcetti, "Taste of Soul is the largest and best free and single day festival in Los Angeles." From 1974 to 2006, Bakewell served as the president and CEO of the Los Angeles Brotherhood Crusade and currently serves as the organization’s Chairman of the Board.
Bakewell, Sr. is equally known as a civil rights icon throughout the state, as well as one of California's most influential and successful African American business leaders. He has literally breathed economic life into often disregarded communities like Compton, South Los Angeles, NW Pasadena and Seaside, California. "I am so honored to see Danny Sr. take an active role on a state commission and I applaud Governor Newsom on this appointment.
I have known Danny for years, both as a community leader and a serious business leader, and I am confident that Danny will help guide our state park system into a place where all of California can enjoy and participate in the beauty of our state parks and facilities, as well as create economic opportunities that our park systems are involved with on an annual basis," stated California Assemblyman Reggie Jones-Sawyer.
When asked about his appointment, Commissioner Bakewell, Sr. stated, "I consider the Governor to be a friend and when he first approached me about being appointed to a state commission, I was reluctant. But the more I thought about it, and the more I discussed it with Aline (Mrs. Bakewell), I decided that at this point in my life, to have an opportunity to be of service in a state that we both love and that has given us so much. I thought, why not? I am honored to have been appointed and I am looking forward to creating opportunities for all Californians to see, experience and participate in all of the beauty and wonder, as well as tremendous opportunities that our state park system has to offer.”
Along with his many business and community accolades, Bakewell is the co-founder of the National Black United Fund, and is chairman emeritus of the National Newspaper Publishers Association (Black Press of America). He has been inducted into the Civil Rights Walk of Fame in Atlanta, Georgia, is a three-time NAACP Image Award winner, and has a school in LAUSD named in his honor (Danny J. Bakewell, Sr. Primary School) and is the recipient of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) - Adam Clayton Powell Award.
This position requires Senate confirmation and the compensation is $100 per diem. Bakewell is a lifelong Democrat.
April 08, 2021
LAWT News Service
Top financial institutions have concluded that while most businesses were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses within the personal care
and retail sectors will have a longer path to recovery than most, having seen a 45% decrease in revenue in 2020.
Following the success of the LA Regional COVID-19 Recovery Fund, which dispersed nearly $100 million in grants last year to small businesses and non-profits, the Fund will dedicate $4.7 million dollars to small businesses in the personal care & retail sector.
Eligible businesses within Los Angeles County can apply for a $10,000 grant during the following application periods: April 5 through April 11 or April 26 through May 26 at www.lacovidfund.org/application. Businesses need only apply once.
The Keep Our Shops on the Block Grant was created as a targeted intervention for businesses in the personal care and retail sectors with under $1 million in revenue. To be eligible, business applicants must be in current operation, have an open storefront within LA County (excludes the City of Los Angeles) and documentation of financial hardships as a result of COVID-19.
Eligible small businesses include: hair and beauty salons, nail salons, estheticians, skin care, barbershops, dry cleaners, bakeries, automotive stores and more.
“Main Streets across LA County have experienced a sharp decline in pedestrian traffic throughout the pandemic,” said Los Angeles County Department of Consumer and Business Affairs Director Rafael Carbajal. “We hope to revive these corridors by supporting retail and personal care sectors.”
To ensure the equitable distribution of these grants, the County of Los Angeles has chosen Local Initiatives Support Corporation Los Angeles (LISC LA) to serve as the program administrator. With over 40 years of experience connecting communities to resources and opportunities, LISC LA has the knowledge of seasoned community partners along with the aptitude for expediency to provide this relief to Angelenos.
“While some cities have launched funds dedicated to personal care and retail businesses, this program marks the first county-wide effort to distribute a grant dedicated to brick and mortar businesses in these sectors,” says Tunua Thrash-Ntuk, Executive Director of LISC LA. “LISC LA anticipates many of these grants will be used to drive business back to storefronts as the County continues to lift COVID-19 restrictions.” Personal care and retail businesses were among the most heavily hit amid the COVID-19 pandemic, as lockdown orders forced store closures throughout 2020 for business owners whose livelihoods depended on in-person interactions.
As the County of Los Angeles is making tremendous progress in reopening small businesses and stimulating the local economy, it is also committed to working with partners that can provide technical assistance, such as the Small Business Development Network. “The Los Angeles Regional Small Business Development Center Network is proud to partner with County of Los Angeles DCBA and LISC LA to support COVID-19-impacted retail and personal care firms,” said Pat Nye, Executive Director for LA SBDC. “We look forward to providing expert advising services to program finalists to help them effectively utilize their grant funds and support economic recovery.”
Financial and technical assistance in a time of economic instability can make all the difference in helping diverse small brick and mortar businesses thrive in 2021. The grant application portal opens on Monday, April 5 at 12:00 a.m. PDT and close on Sunday, April 11 at 11:59 p.m. PDT. Apply at: www.lacovidfund.org/application or call 833-238-4450.