Jane Usher
Encyclopedia
Jane Ellison Usher served as the President of the Los Angeles
City Planning Commission from October 2005 until her resignation in December 2008. She was appointed to the City Planning Commission by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
. From 1989 until 1993, Ms. Usher served as Counsel to the Mayor under Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley
. She had previously worked for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is currently working as a Senior Advisor to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.
, and General Counsel to the United States Football League
, the Association of Volleyball Professionals
, and the America’s Cup. Usher joined the staff of Mayor Tom Bradley
as his counsel, policy advocate, and speechwriter. She was also his liaison to the Los Angeles City Attorney and the City Ethics Commission. For two years, Usher sat as Mayor Bradley’s alternate on the transportation authority for the county of Los Angeles, and guided his merger of the former Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District into the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
. Following the Mayor’s retirement, Usher became the Assistant Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication
.
Usher is a former president of Windsor Square and a current board member of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. Her primary volunteer commitments past and present include to the Harvard-Westlake School
, the Center for Early Education, Brown University
, and TreePeople
. Usher served on the founding board of Mayor Villaraigosa’s Million Tree Initiative. Ms. Usher is a member of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. She is the widow of Harry Usher
, also a lawyer and the chief operating officer of the 1984 Summer Olympics
.
During her term on the City Planning Commission, Ms. Usher authored Do Real Planning, the first-ever policy statement issued by this body. As Commission President, she championed smart growth, elegant density, mixed uses, affordable housing, and the end of visual blight and mansionization. Usher garnered fans among the residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles and critics among supporters of the density bonus ordinance as enacted by the City in 2008.
In the 2009 municipal elections, Usher played an active role in the campaign of City Attorney candidate Carmen Trutanich. After Trutanich's victory, Usher was appointed Executive Director of the Trutanich transition and was then offered a senior post in the City Attorney's office.
• http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2008/12/usher.php
• http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-density11mar11,1,6160444.story
• http://ronkayela.com/2008/12/jane-usher-out-as-planning-com.html
• http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/usher_i_need_a_paying_job_commission_needs_fresh_eyes.php#more
• http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/_why_did_usher_resign.php
• http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/lo/lo081219jane_usher
• http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez18-2009feb18,0,1993560.column
• http://cityplanning.lacity.org/forms_Procedures/do-real-planning-final_1.pdf
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
City Planning Commission from October 2005 until her resignation in December 2008. She was appointed to the City Planning Commission by Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Villaraigosa
Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa , born Antonio Ramón Villar, Jr., is the 41st and current Mayor of Los Angeles, California, the third Mexican American to have ever held office in the city of Los Angeles and the first in over 130 years. He is also the current president of the United States Conference of...
. From 1989 until 1993, Ms. Usher served as Counsel to the Mayor under Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
. She had previously worked for the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles and is currently working as a Senior Advisor to City Attorney Carmen Trutanich.
Biography and Summary
Jane Usher began her career as an attorney in 1980 with the Los Angeles law firm then known as Manatt, Phelps, Rothenberg & Tunney. On leave from the firm, she later served as the Associate General Counsel to the 1984 Summer Olympics1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
, and General Counsel to the United States Football League
United States Football League
The United States Football League was an American football league which was in active operation from 1983 to 1987. It played a spring/summer schedule in its first three seasons and a traditional autumn/winter schedule was set to commence before league operations ceased.The USFL was conceived in...
, the Association of Volleyball Professionals
Association of Volleyball Professionals
The Association of Volleyball Professionals, or AVP, is a beach volleyball tour which takes place throughout the United States. The summer tour starts in April and continues almost every weekend until the end of October....
, and the America’s Cup. Usher joined the staff of Mayor Tom Bradley
Tom Bradley (politician)
Thomas J. "Tom" Bradley was the 38th Mayor of Los Angeles, California, serving in that office from 1973 to 1993. He was the first and to date only African American mayor of Los Angeles...
as his counsel, policy advocate, and speechwriter. She was also his liaison to the Los Angeles City Attorney and the City Ethics Commission. For two years, Usher sat as Mayor Bradley’s alternate on the transportation authority for the county of Los Angeles, and guided his merger of the former Los Angeles County Transportation Commission and the Southern California Rapid Transit District into the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority
The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority is the California state-chartered regional transportation planning agency and public transportation operating agency for the County of Los Angeles formed in 1993 out of a merger of the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the...
. Following the Mayor’s retirement, Usher became the Assistant Dean of the USC Annenberg School for Communication
USC Annenberg School for Communication
The USC Annenberg School for Communication & Journalism comprises a School ofCommunication and a School of Journalism at the University of Southern California . It is led by Dean Ernest J. Wilson III, Ph.D....
.
Usher is a former president of Windsor Square and a current board member of the Greater Wilshire Neighborhood Council. Her primary volunteer commitments past and present include to the Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School
Harvard-Westlake School is an independent, co-educational university preparatory day school consisting of two campuses located in Los Angeles, California with approximately 1,600 students enrolled in grades 7 through 12....
, the Center for Early Education, Brown University
Brown University
Brown University is a private, Ivy League university located in Providence, Rhode Island, United States. Founded in 1764 prior to American independence from the British Empire as the College in the English Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations early in the reign of King George III ,...
, and TreePeople
TreePeople
TreePeople is a California based nonprofit environmental advocacy group. TreePeople focuses on promoting the creation of sustainable urban ecosystems through education and the planting and care of trees. TreePeople has been serving the Los Angeles area for over three decades...
. Usher served on the founding board of Mayor Villaraigosa’s Million Tree Initiative. Ms. Usher is a member of Wilshire Boulevard Temple. She is the widow of Harry Usher
Harry Usher
Harry Lester Usher was an American attorney who was the second and last commissioner of the United States Football League . He was also the executive vice president and general manager of the Los Angeles Olympic Organizing Committee , which oversaw the business operations of the 1984 Summer Olympics...
, also a lawyer and the chief operating officer of the 1984 Summer Olympics
1984 Summer Olympics
The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, California, United States in 1984...
.
During her term on the City Planning Commission, Ms. Usher authored Do Real Planning, the first-ever policy statement issued by this body. As Commission President, she championed smart growth, elegant density, mixed uses, affordable housing, and the end of visual blight and mansionization. Usher garnered fans among the residential neighborhoods of Los Angeles and critics among supporters of the density bonus ordinance as enacted by the City in 2008.
In the 2009 municipal elections, Usher played an active role in the campaign of City Attorney candidate Carmen Trutanich. After Trutanich's victory, Usher was appointed Executive Director of the Trutanich transition and was then offered a senior post in the City Attorney's office.
External links
• http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2005/10/yep_on_planning_commisson_1.php• http://www.laobserved.com/archive/2008/12/usher.php
• http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-density11mar11,1,6160444.story
• http://ronkayela.com/2008/12/jane-usher-out-as-planning-com.html
• http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/usher_i_need_a_paying_job_commission_needs_fresh_eyes.php#more
• http://la.curbed.com/archives/2008/12/_why_did_usher_resign.php
• http://www.kcrw.com/etc/programs/lo/lo081219jane_usher
• http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lopez18-2009feb18,0,1993560.column
• http://cityplanning.lacity.org/forms_Procedures/do-real-planning-final_1.pdf