Commissioners
The City Charter established the nine-member City Planning Commission (CPC), which provides recommendations to the Mayor, City Council, and Director of Planning on land use policies and proposed development projects.
Another body, the Cultural Heritage Commission, oversees the designation and protection of local landmarks. Area Planning Commissions (APCs) represent seven regions of the City: North Valley, South Valley, West Los Angeles, Central, East Los Angeles, South Los Angeles, and Harbor. Each APC hears a range of cases from its assigned geographic area, ranging from certain smaller-scale projects to appeals.
Each of these commissions is led by volunteer residents of the City of Los Angeles. Listed below are their names, head shots, and bios. For additional information, contact the Commission Office: (213) 978-1300.
Click here to read the rules and operating procedures that were adopted pursuant to the authority set forth in Charter Section 506 to assist the Commission in conducting City business consistent with law. For more information, contact: cpc@lacity.org.
Samantha Millman
President
Commissioner Millman is the Vice President of a privately held real estate investment firm in Los Angeles. An asset manager with broad real estate experience. Ms. Millman manages a portfolio consisting of over a million square feet of commercial and industrial real estate holdings in Southern California and works with a diverse roster of tenants. Her community involvement includes serving on the Board of Directors of Bet Tzedek Legal Services.
Caroline Choe
Vice-President
Commissioner Choe is a principal in NewBridge Investments, an investment arm of a privately held company responsible for real estate investments and lending throughout California. She is a founding board member of the Harvard-Westlake Korean-American Alumni Network and a member of United Way of Greater Los Angeles' board and Community Impact Cabinet. Ms. Choe holds bachelor's degrees in Finance, Economics, and Spanish from Carnegie Mellon University, a master's in Real Estate Development from USC, and a master's in Business Administration from UCLA.
Maria Cabildo
Member
Coming Soon
Monique Lawshe
Member
Coming Soon
Helen Leung
Member
Commissioner Leung has extensive experience in both local and national government. She currently serves as Co-Executive Director of LA-Más, a nonprofit urban design organization that works in lower-income communities in Los Angeles. Ms. Leung holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Pennsylvania and a master's in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Karen E. Mack
Member
Commissioner Mack is the founder of LA Commons, a South LA-based nonprofit implementing artistic and cultural programs that reflect the unique character of diverse neighborhoods and give residents, particularly young people, a voice and an on-ramp to making positive change across the city. Prior to her work with LA Commons, she served as a Public Service Fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and Vice President at Community Partners. Ms. Mack holds an MPA from Harvard University and an MBA from the John Anderson School of Management at UCLA, and she is co-chair of the national initiative, Creative Placemaking from the Community Up.
Elizabeth Zamora
Member
Coming Soon
Dana M. Perlman
Member
Commissioner Perlman practices business and real estate law at Perlman & Associates, a firm he founded in 1999. He presently serves as a member of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission, the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Council, the Emeritus Council of the Human Rights Campaign, and the National Finance Committee of the Democratic National Committee. Mr. Perlman holds a bachelor's degree in Economics from UCLA and a doctorate in Law from USC.
