Former LA Harbor Commissioner Camilla Townsend tells the story of the tumultuous fight to deindustrialize the West Channel of the Port of Los Angeles and create a plan to clean the harbor’s environment.
August 28, 2023
Stories of Los Angeles Harbor Area – For Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
SOLAHA Vol. III, No. 48
Appointed to Los Angeles Harbor Commission by Mayor James Hahn Camilla Townsend’s challenge to “fight” in a peaceful effort to achieve a clean port and “deindustrialize” (sic) the West Channel working for betterment of the harbor communities and Port of Los Angeles
For over 40 years Camilla has been dedicated educator: teaching high school, adult school and college students. She was an assistant professor of education in the graduate schools of California State University, Los Angeles; California Lutheran College; Loyola Marymount University and UCLA Extension School, Now retired, she worked for the Los Angeles Unified School District for 38 years; serving as a teacher, Administrator of Public and Private Partnership Programs to the Deputy Superintendent of Schools, and as former principal of Harbor Community Adult School.
Her extensive community involvement has resulted in the creation of the annual SPTeen Conference, the Harbor area’s Parent Education and Family Literacy Programs.
She takes special pride in being a founder of the Port of Los Angeles Charter High School (POLAHS), specializing in academics, international trade, and maritime studies, with President Emerita Board of Trustees statis/ She also maintains board chair emerita position with Altasea.
She is ever energetic and supportive of the arts in downtown San Pedro as a founder of fINdings Art Center & Gallery with her good friend and fellow alumnae Annette Cikitic (also in SOLAHA), and maintains many other professional affiliations and relationships including founding, Executive Director of the Maxwell H. Gluck Foundation (retired.
She’s been a valued, articulate and attractive addition to SOLAHA.