Event Will Offer Opportunities to Participate in Micromobility “Ride & Drive”

TORRANCE, CALIF., March 25, 2025 – The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) will celebrate 30 years of working with 16 cities and Los Angeles County on the shared goal of maximizing the quality of life and productivity in the South Bay at its March 27, 2025, General Assembly. The SBCCOG is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the organization’s founding at its 25th annual symposium where the region’s thought leaders gather to share ideas and discuss important issues. The theme this year is “The SBCCOG at 30: A Legacy of Success, A Vision for Tomorrow.” The event takes place at the Carson Event Center. 

With issues like climate-related wildfires and water shortages top of mind, Amanda Hansen, acting senior advisor for climate, Office of Government Gavin Newsom, will discuss the blueprint for a sustainable future in her presentation “Looking Ahead: How Cities and California Can Lead on Climate Resilience.” Former SBCCOG chairs will also highlight the SBCCOG’s 30-year impact on the South Bay in a video presentation at the event.  

 “I found the solutions we (the SBCCOG) came up with were more accepted because they had been put together by people who otherwise would have been politically different,” Bob Pinzler, former Redondo Beach Council member and SBCCOG chair in 1999/2000, said. “There’s something great in the commonality. It’s results oriented, not politically oriented.” The SBCCOG board is comprised of elected officials from the 15 South Bay cities, L.A. City District 15 and representatives from the offices of L.A. County Supervisor Districts 2 and 4.  

Since 2022, South Bay cities have seen a 16% decrease in overall homelessness attributed in part to interventions facilitated by the SBCCOG. Through its work with partner agencies, including SoCalGas, Southern California Edison and Southern California Regional Energy Network, the SBCCOG has helped cities save 13,355,145 kilowatt-hours of electricity and 207,765 gas therms. The SBCCOG manages the expenditure of more than $906 million in Measure R funding and more than $1.9 billion from Measure M, which helps finance improvements to roadways and other transportation infrastructure.   

The SBCCOG’s most recent accomplishments include a 15-city municipal partnership to create  the South Bay Fiber Network, a fiber optic network in the South Bay that provides municipal facilities and local and regional public agencies with high-speed, low-cost broadband connectivity; a partnership with the city of Redondo Beach to develop a Functional Zero Street Homelessness pilot program (when the inflow of people experiencing homelessness is less than the outflow) as a blueprint for other cities; and the South Bay Climate and Energy Recognition Awards, which recognizes cities with gold, silver or bronze designations, based on their sustainability actions.  

The evolution of the SBCCOG’s formation began in the early 1970s. At that time the South Bay Cities Association (SBCA), composed of elected officials, formed when communities of the burgeoning South Bay began to meet informally to exchange ideas and information regarding interjurisdictional issues such as transportation. In 1994 the SBCA formally became the South Bay Cities Council of Governments through a joint-powers agreement. Its original members were Carson, El Segundo, Gardena, Hawthorne, Hermosa Beach, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lomita, Los Angeles (Harbor Gateway/San Pedro areas), Manhattan Beach, Palos Verdes Estates, Rancho Palos Verdes, Redondo Beach, Rolling Hills and Torrance. L.A. County became an official member of the SBCCOG in 2009. 

This year’s General Assembly will feature a discussion by Terry Tamminen, president and CEO of AltaSea, a 35-acre ocean research campus at the Port of Los Angeles. In a separate  discussion, “From Vision to Reality: The Next Chapter in the South Bay’s Evolution,” speakers will include Dan Sturges, co-founder of Mobiltee and designer of the first neighborhood electric vehicle; Lujuana Medina, division manager of environmental initiatives for Los Angeles County ISD Energy and Environmental Services; Wally Siembab, research director, SBCCOG; and Michael Jenkins, general counsel, SBCCOG, who will serve as moderator. Other discussions will include “From Data to Action: How City Simulators Drive Smarter Investment,” led by Adam Howell, senior director of initiatives at AtkinsRealis, and Stephen Bourne, project director at AtkinsRealis; and “Insights from Tomorrow’s Leaders, a discussion with the SBCCOG’s up-and-coming thought leaders, including Anne Tsai, project coordinator, Eleanor Murphy, project coordinator, Jake Romoff, project coordinator, Kevin Truong, CivicSpark Fellow for the SBCCOG, Miranda Werts, project coordinator, and Zoran Trifunovic, CivicSpark Fellow for the SBCCOG.    

In addition to opportunities to network in the exhibit hall, General Assembly attendees are invited to participate in an e-bike “Ride & Drive” event. Wombi, L.A.’s full-service e-bike subscription company, and EBikes2U, an Inglewood-based e-bike retailer, will be on hand with a selection of cargo e-bikes, e-scooters and accessories to try out on site.  

 General Assembly Benefactors (sponsors at the $5,000 level) include Chevron Products Company; Fabric Networks, Inc., Holly J. Mitchell, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 2nd District; South Bay Association of REALTORS ®; and Southern California Edison Company. Sponsors (at the $2,500 level) include 4LEAF, Inc.; AECOM; American Dark Fiber, LLC; California Water Service; Clean Power Alliance; Continental Development Corporation | Mar Ventures, Inc.; GEO SEARCH, Inc.; Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts; Janice Hahn, Los Angeles County Supervisor, 4th District; Metropolitan Water District; SoCalGas; Southern California News Group (The Daily Breeze, The Beach Reporter and Palos Verdes Peninsula News); Transtech; Water Replenishment District; Watson Land Company; and West Basin Municipal Water District.  

For a complete list of event speakers and their bios, visit https://southbaycities.org/2025-general-assembly/. 

ABOUT SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENTS:  

The South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) is a joint powers government agency of 16 cities and the County of Los Angeles which share the goal of maximizing the quality of life and productivity of the subregion. Within this structure, cities and Los Angeles County maintain the qualities and characteristics that make them unique and independent, while also coming together collectively to address issues of common interest for a greater good of the communities through partnership, persuasion, performance and advocacy. For more information about the SBCCOG visit http://southbaycities.org 

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