Longtime San Pedro community leader Camilla Townsend tells the story of how the San Pedro Chamber of Commerce played a key role in launching Port of Los Angeles high school in downtown San Pedro.
June 16, 2023
Stories of Los Angeles Harbor Area – For Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
SOLAHA Vol. III, No. 42
Educator and former Los Angeles harbor commissioner Camilla Townsend Campaigns reveals her taking leadership in San Pedro Chamber of Commerce and creating new programs to engage community, elected officials, business owners.
After nearly four decades Camilla seems like a “native” of San Pedro though she was born and raised in Los Angeles.
Consummate educator for more than 40 years, 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.