Staff
With little more than three weeks to pull an administration together and her swearing in set for December 12, the top priority of Mayor Elect Karen Bass assembling a team focused on bringing unhoused individuals indoors and making L.A. safer and more affordable.
“My number one priority is assembling a team that will be ready on day one to move our city forward. With his vast leadership experience and shared vision for our city, Chris is the right person to serve as my chief of staff and work with me to lead our agenda for Los Angeles’ future,” Bass said in a statement. “Though this is an unprecedented three-week transition, make no mistake – change is coming, and we will hit the ground running.”
With the announcement this week of Chris Thompson as her Chief of Staff, a key part of that job is now behind her.
“The people of this city spoke loud and clear when they delivered a decisive victory for Mayor-elect Bass,” said Thompson. “She has laid out a clear vision and plan to confront the crisis of homelessness and to make our city safer and more affordable for all. I look forward to helping her execute that vision.”
A seasoned leader in both the private and public sectors, Thompson—who currently serves as Senior Vice President of Government Relations for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games working with local, state and federal officials and agencies to ensure a successful 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles— will bring a fresh perspective and new direction to the mayor’s office and City Hall.
From 2008 until 2013, he served as Chief of Staff to Senator Dianne Feinstein. He also served as an aide to Congressman Julian C. Dixon, who represented parts of Los Angeles. Thompson’s private sector experience includes serving as a Vice President for Southern California Edison/Edison International and serving on the Board of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.
In addition, he was appointed to the Board of the California Privacy Protection Agency by Governor Gavin Newsom and serves on the boards of the PBS SoCal/Public Media Group of Southern California, the California Science Center Foundation and on the Public Policy Institute of California’s Statewide Leadership Council. Thompson holds a BA in Political Science from UC Santa Barbara.