Commissioner Zimmon was elected to the Los Angeles Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners effective July 1, 2019.
Prior to becoming a Commissioner, Mr. Zimmon had a 37 year career at three law enforcement organizations.
He joined the LAPD in 1973 and retired in 2002 at the rank of Commander. In his LAPD career, he worked assignments in patrol, administration, and detectives. A few key LAPD career highlights include overseeing the development of a strategic plan for the LAPD, the implementation of Community Policing throughout the agency, and the assimilation of another law enforcement department into the LAPD. In his last assignment at the LAPD, Mr. Zimmon was directly responsible for managing the specialized detective divisions within the Detective Services Bureau.
Commissioner Zimmon retired from the LAPD to assume the position of Chief of Police in San Bernardino, California, where he oversaw an agency of approximately 350 employees.
In 2008, Commissioner Zimmon became an Assistant Director in the International Criminal Investigative Training Assistance Program (ICITAP) of the US Department of Justice. In that role, he oversaw all ICITAP law enforcement assistance and development programs for the Europe, Eurasia, Latin America, and the Caribbean regions of the world.
He possesses a master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a master’s degree in Management from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona. He also holds certificates from a number of nationally recognized programs, including the Harvard University Kennedy School Program for Senior Executives in State and Local Government, the California Peace Officers Standards and Training (POST) Command College, and is a graduate of the 134th Session of the FBI National Academy.
Appointed Commissioner
Term Expires: June 30, 2026
Andrea Ambriz is an experienced strategist and advocate for working families and communities. She currently serves as Deputy Secretary of External Affairs at the California Natural Resources Agency, cultivating strategic partnerships to facilitate the agency’s stewardship of California’s natural, historic and cultural resources. She served prior as Chief Operating Officer at nonprofit River LA, executing key initiatives to revitalize communities across Los Angeles along the LA river. Previously, Andrea served as Chief of Staff at Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015.
Andrea formerly served 44th U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House as Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement, crafting innovative partnerships with business, nonprofit, and philanthropic leaders to benefit American workers and communities. From additional held positions at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, Andrea worked on domestic and international policy development and legislation, and collaboratively with U.S. Congress, consumer advocates, and businesses to strengthen the U.S. economy and build wealth for American families. Notably, as the Director for Policy and Strategic Engagement for the myRA program at the U.S. Department of the Treasury, she helped lead the creation, outreach, and launch of the new, national retirement savings program for underbanked communities.
Andrea has also worked in both the California State Senate and Assembly, advising legislators on diverse policy areas, ranging from the environment, labor relations, and education. During her tenure, she helped pass landmark statewide legislation, including the allocation of over $400 million equitably to park-poor neighborhoods across California and initial consumer finance legislation for the future creation of the CalSavers/California Secure Choice Retirement Savings Program.
Andrea currently serves as the Vice President of the Board of the Municipal Improvement Corporation of Los Angeles and on the Upper Los Angeles River and Tributaries Working Group within the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy. She is a Los Angeles native, and earned undergraduate degrees from DePaul University in both Public Policy-Urban Studies and Sociology, and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of California, Berkeley.
Elected by Active Fire Members
Term Expires: June 30, 2027
Rigo Arellano is a Firefighter with the City of Los Angeles. He is currently assigned to Fire Station 99 on Mulholland Drive, serving the Beverly Glen Community.
He has been a part of the UFLAC Benefit Board for the last 9 years, in the role of Trustee and became well versed in benefits, medical, dental plans, long-term disability, investments, and life insurance for the Members.
-Bachelor’s degree in Fire Science
-Wildland Firefighter for LACoFire for 13 years
-Union Steward for LACoFire for 9 years
-Union Steward for LAFD for 7 years
“Your Family and your Pension is a priority to me”.
Elected by Retired Fire Members
Term Expires: June 30, 2025
After 32 years of service, Commissioner Ken Buzzell retired from the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) in 2007 as a Captain 2. During his tenure on the LAFD he was certified as both an EMT and Urban Search and Rescue Technician.
Commissioner Buzzell has served as the retired Fire Department representative on the Board of Fire and Police Pension Commissioners since first being elected in October of 2017.
Mr. Buzzell has an extensive background in leadership and administration. He was a member of the executive board of the United Firefighters of Los Angeles City, Local 112, International Association Fire Fighters (IAFF), for 24 years, where he served 10 years as President and 18 years as the local’s chief negotiator. Other significant service included three years as the 8th District Vice President of the California Professional Firefighters (CPF), IAFF; eight years as an executive board member of the Los Angeles Retired Fire and Police Association; ten years as an executive board member of the National Conference on Public Employee Retirement Systems (NCPERS); five years as the co-chairman of the NCPERS Trustee Education Seminar (TEDS); and three years as the International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) representative on the National Fire Protection Association’s 1710 Committee that developed the Standard for the Organization and Deployment of Fire Suppression Operations, Emergency Medical Operations, and Special Operations to the Public by Career Fire Departments.
Prior to joining the LAFD, Commissioner Buzzell worked three years in management as a Labor Relations Representative at the B-1 and Space Divisions of Rockwell International, Inc.
Mr. Buzzell is a graduate of UCLA with a B.A. in Psychology and a M.S. in Management.
Appointed Commissioner
Term Expires: June 30, 2027
William “Billy” Chun has over two decades of experience in economic development projects and investment deals. He currently serves as an investment and social impact advisor.
Previously, Mr. Chun served as Deputy Mayor of Economic Development for Mayor Eric Garcetti. He oversaw seven departments totaling over 6,000 employees and a combined budget of over $8 billion: Port of Los Angeles, Los Angeles World Airports, Department of City Planning, Department of Building & Safety, Department of Convention & Tourism Development, Economic & Workforce Development Department, and Department of Cannabis Regulation. He was also charged with growing a prosperous and inclusive economy by creating jobs, attracting investments, supporting the sports and entertainment industries, and increasing tourism. He worked on key initiatives such as raising the minimum wage, reforming the business tax, assisting on the Los Angeles bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics, recruiting the Lucas Museum, creating the Mayor’s Tech Council, and launching the Evolve Entertainment Fund and Urban Movement Labs.
Before joining the Mayor’s Office in 2013, Mr. Chun was Vice President at Capri Capital, a private equity and investment firm with almost $4 billion of assets under management. He was responsible for sourcing and underwriting acquisitions, asset management and equity investment activities including origination, direct, and joint venture investing.
Prior to Capri Capital, he was at the Community Redevelopment Agency and at CBRE’s consulting group (NYSE: CBRE).
A native Angeleno, Mr. Chun holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at Wesleyan University.
Elected by Active Police Members
Term Expires: June 30, 2025
Brian Churchill is a Sergeant-II with the Los Angeles Police Department, assigned to Training Division where he is charged with leading the LAPD Leadership Program.
From 2018-19, Brian was a White House Fellow working as a Senior Advisor for the Indo-Pacific with the Overseas Private Investment Corporation, formerly the US Government’s development finance institution. He authored the Administration’s strategy for development finance in the Indo-Pacific, co-wrote bilateral and multilateral agreements between the US and Singapore, Japan, Australia, and the Asian Development Bank, led the team that financed $1bn of strategically vital projects to national security, and conceptualized the Blue Dot Network – the US strategy to create sustainability, transparency, and prosperity in emerging markets.
Previously, he was assigned as an officer-in-charge of LAPD’s Media Relations Division, worked as an Assistant Watch Commander, Gang Enforcement Detail OIC, Archangel Officer, FTO, and as Patrol Officer. Concurrently, he serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the United States Coast Guard Reserve, assigned to Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach. He began his military service in the California Army National Guard, where he was deployed to Kosovo.
On behalf of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, he developed policy for the Ukrainian Ministry of the Interior to enhance freedom of the press and establish cooperation between media and law enforcement. He has recently worked with the Ministry of Information in South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State to provide equipment and guidance to state officials. He also conducts leadership training throughout the United States, Latin America, and Europe.
Brian volunteers with the Sister Cities Organization, Boy Scouts of America, and other youth programs in the Los Angeles area. He earned a Master of Science from the University of London’s Centre for Financial and Management Studies and a Bachelor of Liberal Studies from Boston University.
Appointed Commissioner
Term Expires: June 30, 2025
Carlton Jenkins is a career financial services executive, who has also served as a Founder, Chairman, CEO, President Director and Advisor in multiple business sectors. Today, Mr. Jenkins serves as President/COO of MJC Partners, a Los Angeles based Investment Banking firm providing M&A, Strategic Consulting and Capital Markets related services to financial services firms. The firm’s service offerings are focused primarily on the Community Bank and Regional Bank sector across the United States. As President, Mr. Jenkins is responsible for administrative and financial oversight of the firm as well as those functions relating to compliance, human resources, quality control, project management, marketing and business development strategies and is co-leader of the firm’s Financial Institutions Group. Mr. Jenkins is also co-founder of the firm’s Fintech Advisory Group partnership in Forty Grand, LLC. which advises Community Banks and Fintech firms on strategy and mutual engagement.
Prior to joining MJC Partners in 2017, Mr. Jenkins was a Partner with the Los Angeles based boutique Investment Banking Firm, The Yucaipa Companies, for over 15 years. While at the investment and merchant banking firm, Mr. Jenkins was primarily responsible for the management and oversight of the firms Impact Investing arm. The Yucaipa Corporate Initiatives Fund along with its related investment vehicles and its portfolio of investments. This $750MM plus fund series provides equity and growth capital to high growth potential businesses located in or serving America’s underserved and ethnic populations. The Fund is largely funded by institutional Investors and is one of the largest private equity vehicles in the country focused on improving the flow of capital to America’s underserved and emerging market business sectors.
From 1990 to 2000, Mr. Jenkins served as Founder, Chairman, and CEO of Founders National Bank of Los Angeles, which with over $125MM in assets was one of the country’s largest and most visible African American owned commercial banks and the only bank of its kind in Los Angeles at its opening. Mr. Jenkins orchestrated a sale of controlling ownership in the institution in 2000, and it continues successfully today in a new incarnation to serve the Los Angeles market.
Mr. Jenkins was also a Co-Founder of Dryades Savings Bank, the only minority-owned Savings Bank in New Orleans, Louisiana and was an original member of its Board of Directors and Chair of its M&A Committee while helping to orchestrate a successful sale of the institution in 2010.
Mr. Jenkins currently also serves as the Chair of the Board of Trustees for the National Community Investment Fund; a national nonprofit equity trust focused on investing and supporting Community Development Financial Institutions across the U.S. It is the largest investor in urban market focused financial institutions in the U.S. with over $300MM is AUM and has also been awarded over $200MM in New Market Tax Credit allocations to support its investing and lending programs in communities across the country.
Mr. Jenkins’ commitment to the delivery of quality financial products and services to underserved communities along with his long history of DEI advocacy and his active and unselfish community engagement have earned him frequent media attention and a long list of professional and community awards.
Mr. Jenkins also has a broad range of social, civic and business involvements presently include or have included service on various corporate, public and non-profit boards, including Bitvore Corp, the California State Board of Education; Hawthorne Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: ·’HTHR”); The KROGER CO. (NYSE: ·’KR”); Fred Meyer, Inc. (NYSE: ·’FMY”); National Community Investment Fund; the Bank of America National Community Advisory Panel and U. S. Micro Inc., AFA Foods, Inner City Radio Station Group and ConnXus.com, an internet-based service that connects small and diverse businesses with Fortune 500 companies. Mr. Jenkins also serves as a member of the Board of Trustees of the California Hospital and Medical Center in Los Angeles. Mr. Jenkins has also served as a Los Angeles regional judge for the National Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards program which annually recognizes CEO entrepreneurial success and leadership in the Los Angeles marketplace. Additionally, Mr. Jenkins also served as the lead outside Director and Member of the Board of Directors of ProAmerica Bank (OTC: “PMRA”), a Los Angeles-based commercial bank focused on the Hispanic marketplace until its sale in 2016.
Mr. Jenkins also gives his time as an advisor to a new group of BIPOC led Fintech organizations focused on the delivery of services to Urban and Ethnic consumers. He has also provided Advice and Financial Counsel to several Professional Athletes over the years.
Mr. Jenkins matriculated at Dartmouth College with a major in Government and has completed various management level programs including the Executive Management Program at UCLA’s School of Business, and the Minority Business Executive Program at the Amos Tuck School of Business Administration.
In 2008, Mr. Jenkins was awarded an honorary Juris Doctor degree from the University of West Los Angeles School of Law.
Appointed Commissioner
Term Expires: June 30, 2029
Nanxi Liu is the Co-CEO and Co-Founder of Blaze.tech, a no-code platform for organizations to build apps and internal tools 10x faster. Blaze platform is used by both Fortune 500 companies and startups to improve their operations and productivity.
Nanxi was named Forbes 30 Under 30 and Fortune’s Most Promising Women Entrepreneurs. She serves on the Board of Directors of CarParts.com (NASDAQ: PRTS), a leading ecommerce auto aftermarket parts company, and on the Board of Directors of Grupo Proeza, a conglomerate in Mexico. Previously, Nanxi was CEO and founder of Enplug, leading the company to becoming a global industry leader and to its successful acquisition by Spectrio. She also served as 1 of 5 voting members of the California DMV’s New Motor Vehicle Board.
Outside of work, Nanxi won an Emmy as producer of the Amazon television show, The Bay. Passionate about giving back to the community, Nanxi serves on the Board of Directors for the National Foster Youth Institute, the Los Angeles Dodgers Foundation, After-School All-Stars Los Angeles, and the Los Angeles Police Foundation. Nanxi graduated with a BS and BA from UC Berkeley.
Appointed Commissioner
Term Expires: June 30, 2028
Raul Perez is the co-managing partner and a civil litigation attorney in the Los Angeles office of Capstone Law. He is a graduate of Harvard College (B.A. Government 1990) and Harvard Law School (J.D. 1994). Mr. Perez has significant experience prosecuting consumer and wage and hour class actions, as well as defending toxic tort claims and representing artists, producers, managers, agencies, record companies and video game manufacturers in transactional and litigation matters.
For his efforts in advocating to protect worker and consumer rights, Mr. Perez was the recipient of the prestigious 2015 CLAY award in employment law, an honor given by California Lawyer magazine to the Attorney of the Year.
Prior to joining Capstone Law, Mr. Perez was a partner at various Los Angeles boutique firms, including Liner Law, Pond North, and Fox Spillane. Mr. Perez also worked for some of the City’s more prestigious firms including Morgan Lewis & Bockius, Manatt Phelps & Phillips and Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld. He is especially proud of having served a six-month assignment as Assistant to the Special Interim Legal Counsel to the City of South Gate (Alvarado Smith & Sanchez) where he was part of a legal team assigned to restore integrity and good government to the scandal-plagued City.
Mr. Perez is committed to being a citizen-lawyer. He has served in a variety of public service and non-profit positions. He was appointed for a second term by Mayor Bass to serve on the Los Angeles Fire and Police Pension Board, having served on that commission for Mayor Villaraigosa from 2009-2013. From 2018 to 2023, he served on the Los Angeles Civil Service Commission (President 2020-2023), which rules on hundreds of appeals from city employees. In 2013, he was appointed to the Board of Commissioners for Los Angeles World Airports (LAX), and was responsible for setting airport policy for the third busiest airport in the country.
Mr. Perez is also the former President of Beverly Hills Little League and the Latino Lawyers Association. He served on the board of Padres Contra El Cancer, the Latino Theatre Company, Girls Inc., and the Chicano Latino Youth Leadership Project. He is currently on the Advisory Board for the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, and the Board Chairman for Good Sheppard Catholic School.
Prior to beginning his legal career, Mr. Perez was selected as a California Senate Fellow in 1991 and was assigned to Senator Quentin Kopp representing the City of San Francisco.
Mr. Perez is the youngest son of Mexican immigrants who spent most of their working life as farmworkers in the Central Valley. He has three children, including twins and a granddaughter. His family lives in South Carthay Circle in Los Angeles. He was a participant in the Senior Baseball League of Los Angeles and managed his own team, the California Angels, to a championship.
Los Angeles
