What Next for RLA? : Riordan searches for new head of vital but sometimes sputtering private-sector effort

RLA, the engine driving some of the new and welcome economic activity in the Los Angeles riot zones, may have had its troubles but it’s about to undergo an important--and, we think, positive--change.

The four co-chairs--Bernard Kinsey, Barry Sanders, Tony Salazar and Linda Wong--plan to voluntarily step aside to make way for a single leader. This change will allow Mayor Richard Riordan to work with just one RLA official--instead of a quadraphonic committee of four.

It’s known that Riordan will play a decisive role in the selection of the new head, as Mayor Tom Bradley did in picking the private-sector organization’s first head, Peter V. Ueberroth. RLA, previously called Rebuild L.A., will require a leader who can stir up economic activity for L.A. areas virtually abandoned by large businesses. The next rainmaker ought to be a reformer who is no stranger to poor, minority neighborhoods.

Riordan ought to choose someone like Bob Wycoff, Arco’s retired CEO. A well-connected business leader like Wycoff would bring other corporate leaders to the table. He’s also worked previously with minority leaders on civic projects and gained personal credibility doing it. Whoever is chosen, he or she must come from a corporate background that also boasts a solid track record on hiring and promoting minorities, as Arco has. And, as Riordan aides have mentioned, a retired CEO would have sufficient time to meet the demands of the job.

RLA’s next chair also must be someone who believes in cities and can build on RLA’s record. That record, says RLA, includes $500 million in cash and commitments. While only $300 million can actually be confirmed, RLA’s accomplishments are expected to translate into 12,000 jobs, dozens of major new grocery stores and other sizable retail operations. RLA can also take credit for new job training opportunities and an investment fund for minority entrepreneurs who want to expand but lack capital because financial institutions are either scarce--or loath to lend in these inner-city communities.

Jobs provide the best antidote to poverty, but the lingering recession, pervasive crime and the legacy of racism discourage many companies from locating in poor, minority areas. Those barriers, though huge, can be overcome--but RLA cannot do it alone. Since the 1992 riots, Washington has made a lot of yet-unfulfilled promises and Sacramento has had little to give. City Hall dumped most of its responsibilities on RLA soon after it was created by Bradley.

RLA can take credit for prodding businesses to return to a community that was abandoned after the Watts riot a generation ago. Now it’s up to Riordan to help reinvigorate RLA and fulfill its promise.