Following a summer hiatus, First 5 LA’s Board of Commissioners reconvened in person for its October 9 meeting. Highlights of the agenda included a vote on an update to First 5 LA’s Long-Term Financial Plan, an initial discussion on a proposed multi-year Policy Agenda for the agency, and an update on the implementation of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan.
First 5 LA Board Chair and L.A. County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell kicked off the meeting by welcoming back returning Commissioners as well as new Board member Lisa Whitecrow. Currently serving as the regional administrator of the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) Lancaster Office, Commissioner Whitecrow takes over as the new DCFS alternate representative on the Board.
Mitchell also took the occasion to commend commissioners and staff for the work undertaken on the agency’s 2024-29 Strategic Plan and long-term financial plan over the summer, as well as for their shared commitment to the work ahead.
“Thank you all for rolling up your sleeves and putting your collective First 5 LA hats on to really think about who we must be — for both the community and the youngest constituency of LA County that we serve,” she said. “Having those tough discussions and making smart strategic decisions with regard to our long-term financial plan will make us stronger as an agency going forward, given the world in which we are trying to govern and serve.”
During her remarks, First 5 LA President/CEO Karla Pleitéz Howell introduced another new face at the Commission meeting: Aurea Montez Rodriguez, First 5 LA’s new Vice President of Community Engagement and Policy. With over 27 years of experience working to empower communities, Rodriguez will support First 5 LA’s work in building new community partnerships, promoting social movements, strengthening public systems, and catalyzing public policy efforts.
“My work has been rooted in my deep love for community,” Rodriguez shared with the Board. “I look forward to working with all of you on efforts that center on community experience and wisdom, focusing on the context surrounding disturbing data trends and finding effective solutions to the historic barriers that impede so many young children from reaching their full developmental potential.”
During the meeting, Commissioners voted to update First 5 LA’s Long-Term Financial Plan (LTFP) with an approach that would focus on getting the agency to a $60 million budget by 2027-28. This approach would require an annualized reduction of roughly 13.3% for the next three years, starting in fiscal year 2025-26, with a projected fund balance of approximately $33 million by the end of fiscal year 2034-35.
The selected approach was among two options brought forth during a presentation by First 5 LA Vice President of Operations & Sustainability JR Nino and Finance Director Raoul Ortega. A second option would have focused on a $55 million budget for the agency by 2027-28.
Ortega emphasized that the two LTFP options presented focused solely on First 5 LA’s existing available resources. “We want to make sure that we’re presenting a Long-Term Financial Plan that is living within our means,” he explained. “And only show the resources that we know are coming in through Prop 10 taxes or our drawdown from available fund balance or resources.”
Nino noted that the LTFP had also been updated to incorporate and address Commissioner feedback. One such update is a sustainability framework with a two pronged-approach that emphasizes maximizing First 5 LA’s current assets while pursuing alternative revenue strategies.
“This sustainability framework lays out how First 5 LA will increase revenue,” Nino explained. “Grow the pie, so to speak, of funding for programs and services for our youngest children and families. The sustainability framework was designed to provide guidance on how we sustain our work.”
Following the passage of the item, Ortega told the Board that the approved target $60 million budget would be incorporated into the agency’s forecast for 2025-26 and that the final set of tactics under the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan would be aligned with the LTFP. More details on the LTFP can be found here.
During the meeting, Senior Policy Strategist Ofelia Medina and Senior Government Affairs Strategist Jamie Zamora provided an update on the development of a multi-year policy agenda for the agency. The policy agenda would align with the long-term objectives and tactics of the 2024-2029 Strategic Plan while providing First 5 LA the ability to develop policy priorities on a year-by-year basis.
“With the implementation of this multi-year policy agenda,” explained Medina, “the whole team will continue to develop annual advocacy priorities or an advocacy agenda that will include the specific budget, legislative and administrative priorities for that year. And obviously, we’ll bring those priorities to the Board to ensure alignment to the strategic plan.”
A final version of the proposed Policy Agenda will be brought to the Board in November for approval. More details can be found here.
Following a brief presentation by Executive Vice President John Wagner regarding the annual review of First 5 LA’s Strategic Plan, as required by Proposition 10 (more details available here), consultants Chrissie Castro and Rigoberto Rodriguez gave an update on the planning process that is informing the implementation of the 2024-29 Strategic Plan. That implementation is, in a sense, already underway, observed Rodriguez.
“I want to suggest that implementation has already started,” he said. “Maybe not of the actual tactics, but the implementation of First 5 LA’s core values, which are evident in the use of an equity-driven planning process and the inclusion of overarching strategies such as growing social movements.”
After Castro reviewed the plan’s core elements and reaffirmed its architecture, Rodriguez described the work conducted with community members, systems leaders and Commissioners to identify potential tactics to incorporate into the strategic plan implementation. Castro also gave an overview of the four initiatives — Prevention First, Vibrant Environments, Maternal and Child Well-Being and Whole Child, Whole Futures — around which tactics and objectives would be clustered to make coordination and communication more effective. A copy of their presentation can be found online here.
The Board also approved the following items during the meeting:
- Submission of First 5 LA Annual Report to First 5 CA: Commissioners approved a request to submit First 5 LA’s annual report to First 5 California in accordance with Proposition 10 requirements. First 5 LA Data Strategy Specialist HaRi Kim Han shared a number of key findings from the report, including annual revenues and expenditures, demographic data, and a summary of evaluations. The Board Memo, featuring additional details from the report, can be found here.
- Approval of one renewal: As part of its consent agenda, the Board approved an Early Care & Education contract renewal with the OOH Buying Group. For more details, click here.
The following were presented as information items to the Board:
- Policy on Compensation & General Human Resources Procedures: Director of Human Resources Gala Collins and Executive Vice President John Wagner presented to the Board a proposed policy that would delegate authority for the general administration of human resources to First 5 LA’s President & CEO. The item will be brought back to the Board as an action item at the November meeting. The presentation on the item can be found here.
- Consideration of Lease Agreement for the 2nd Floor of the First 5 LA Building: JR Nino reported to the Board that First 5 LA received a non-binding letter of intent and a draft lease agreement from L.A. County on behalf of the Department of Health for the potential lease of the second floor. Completion of a signed lease agreement is anticipated during the first quarter of 2025. For more details, click here.
The next Board meeting is scheduled for November 14, 2024. For more information, please visit www.first5la.org/our-board/meeting-materials 72 hours in advance of the meeting date.
