Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced three staff appointments Wednesday to lead community engagement, neighborhood services and immigrant affairs.
“Community engagement is vital to the success of each initiative led by this office,” Bass said in a statement. “If we want to solve homelessness and make Los Angeles safer and more livable for all, the people of this city must be involved.”
Jared Rivera was named deputy mayor of community engagement. He will develop partnerships and ensure “high-quality” constituent service, according to her office. Rivera joined Bass’ team earlier this month. He has more than 20 years of experience as a community and labor organizer, coalition builder and political strategist, according to Bass’ office.
In his most recent role as the political director of SEIU 2015, Rivera oversaw and directed the union’s statewide political program, working to elect labor and progressive leaders. He previously worked on Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign. He began his career in Los Angeles in the early 2000s as the executive director of LA Voice — an interfaith community organizing effort part of the PICO national network.
Jacqueline Hamilton will serve as the senior adviser and director of neighborhood services. She will oversee six city departments — Recreation and Parks, the L.A. Public Library, the L.A. Zoo, Animal Services, El Pueblo Cultural Monument and the Department of Cultural Affairs.
The mayor appointed Hamilton to her role in May. Hamilton previously worked for more than nine years as the district director for Bass during her tenure in Congress. Hamilton also worked for more than eight years as the executive director of the Education Consortium of central Los Angeles, where she connected kindergarten through 12th grade educators with local museums, college and community resources.
During the Clinton Administration, Hamilton worked for the Natural Resources Defense Council in Washington D.C. on domestic and international issues related to women’s health, toxic waste clean-up and pesticide regulation.
She earned her bachelors in theater from UCLA and a J.D. from Yale Law School.
Claudia Aragon will serve as the director of the mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs. Aragon will carry out the mayor’s priorities regarding public policy, community engagement and internal-external partnerships as it pertains to immigration.
The mayor appointed Aragon to her position in March. Just last week in response to the arrival of more than 40 migrants sent to the city from Texas, Aragon collaborated with city departments and nonprofits to provide resources to those individuals.
In her role, she works to create and maintain partnerships with government leaders and other key stakeholders to address the needs of the immigrant community of the city, according to the mayor’s office.
Aragon previously served as the deputy district director for then-Congresswoman Bass. She also worked at the Alliance for Children’s Rights as the guardianship program manager, providing direct services to relative and non-relative caregivers of minors at risk of entering the foster care system.
She earned her bachelor’s degree in philosophy from UCLA and her master’s in public administration from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy.