Lakewood City Council appoints new city commissioners

The Lakewood City Council recently added four residents to serve on the city commissions. Commissioners meet monthly and study issues related to their commission’s focus. Meet the newest members of each commission:

Community Safety Commission

• Brad Crihfield graduated from Lakewood High School, obtained his bachelor's degree in Political Science at California State University, Long Beach and is an employee of Long Beach City College. Since opening his own Lakewood small business in 2011, he has been active in the business community through his work with the Greater Lakewood Chamber of Commerce which he recently served as chairman. Brad previously was a member of Lakewood’s Measure L Citizens Oversight Committee.

Recreation & Community Services Commission

• Anitza Valles has lived in Lakewood for over 10 years. She’s the senior manager for web and social media at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach where she has worked for almost 20 years.

She’s also been an active member of the executive board of the Parent Teachers Association at her children’s school and a communications volunteer for the Lakewood Little League.

“I believe in the power of community and connection,” says Anitza, “and I do my best to connect with my communities,

Meet your neighbors

Get to know more of your neighbors on a family-friendly walk around your local park on Saturday, April 1 from 9 to 10 a.m. Walk and talk while enjoying Lakewood's beautiful parks on a two-mile route. Meet at the park office for light refreshments, water and a map of the walking route. Pre-registration is required. Go to www.lakewoodcity.org/ ecatalog and search for “Community Walk,” then select your local park and register.

For more information about the Community Walk, call the Recreation and Community Services Department at 562866-9771 ext. 2408. ♦ be they in my neighborhood, school, work or someplace else. I think that Lakewood offers an extraordinary amount of recreation programming for all interests and ages, and I am excited for the future as Lakewood continues to diversify and explore new possibilities.”

Planning & Environment Commission

• Vicki L. Stuckey has been a resident of Lakewood for 30 years. She previously served 15 years on the Planning and Environment Commission, including four terms as chair, prior to her appointment by the Lakewood City Council in September 2020 to fill the remaining two years of the seat left vacant by the retirement of Council Member Diane DuBois. Vicki has been active in several

Lakewood community organizations, including the Pan American Association, Rotary Club, and the board of directors of the Lakewood Regional Medical Center. She is happy to return to serving Lakewood as a commissioner. “I love living in Lakewood. I love the parks, the neighborhoods, and our wonderful residents, community groups and events.”

• Terry Cole and his wife Charity chose to purchase their first home in Lakewood in 2019 because Lakewood is a thriving, safe and centrally located community, ideal for raising a family. Terry is a civil litigator with a law firm in Los Angeles, and is very experienced in analyzing complex problems and coming up with pragmatic solutions. “I’m excited to invest my time and energy to help the city deal with some of its planning, environmental and land use challenges. As an attorney, I plan to use my skill set to confront those challenges and make a positive contribution to Lakewood’s development.”

For more information about each commission go to www.lakewoodcity.org/commissions