About ACTA - Board Profiles

Honorable Bonnie Lowenthal, Chair
Vice Mayor, City of Long Beach

Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal has resided in Long Beach for over thirty-five years.  Her long-time, active community involvement played a major role in her decision to run for public office.  In 1994, Bonnie ran for and won election to the Long Beach Unified Board of Education.  She was re-elected in 1998.   In 2001, she ran for and won the First District Council seat, filling the unexpired term of Jenny Oropeza who vacated the seat when she advanced to the State Assembly.  In April of 2002, Vice Mayor Lowenthal ran unopposed in her bid to continue serving the residents of the First District as their elected representative.  She easily won re-election in April of 2006.  Lowenthal was elected Vice Mayor by her colleagues in June, 2006, for a two year term.

The First District is a multifaceted section of Long Beach, both geographically and in population.  The First District includes the oldest residential neighborhood (Willmore City) in Long Beach, the west-side industrial area, a portion of the Port of Long Beach, and a section of a thriving downtown.   The population of the First District is a microcosm of the City, and Long Beach is one of the most diverse cities in the country.  Neigborhoods in the First District include:  Downtown, Willmore City, Westside, Magnolia Industrial area, Washington School area, Roosevelt School area, and portions of Hellman and East Village.

In addition to her duties as a City Councilmember and Vice Mayor, Bonnie is Chairperson of both the Housing and Neighborhoods Committee and Elections Oversight Committee.  She is Vice Chair of the City's Charter Amendment Committee, and she is a member of the I-710 Oversight and State Legislation Committees.  She also serves as a Long Beach representative on the Transportation and Communications Committee of the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), the Gateway Cities Council of Governments (COG), and she is the former chair of the Gateway Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) Governance Board.

She was recently elected by 27 cities in the Gateway Cities area to serve as their representative on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority.  In that capacity she also serves as chair of the MTA's Operations Committee and is a member of the Planning and Programming Committee. 

Vice Mayor Lowenthal is a licensed Marriage, Family and Child Counselor.  She served as Clinical Director for a Family Preservation Program for the Cambodian Association of America.  Her involvement with the Cambodian community is extensive and includes several years as Director of the Planning and Development Division of the United Cambodian Community, Inc. in Long Beach, and she was the founder of the Phnom Penh Sister City Program Committee.  In 2002, Bonnie visited Cambodia as an official observed of the first local elections in almost 40 years.  

Having served as a mental health consultant for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), Head Start and the Centro de la Raza, Bonnie has been acutely aware of the needs of the Latino community.  Living in Mexico and teaching at universities there instilled in her a love for the Latin culture.  Vice Mayor Lowenthal worked closely with community activists and leaders to establish the first scholarship fund for students with the Latino Managers and Professional Organization in honor of Manny Perez.  Bonnie also instituted the City's recognition luncheon dedicated to Cesar Chavez.  This luncheon is fittingly held on an annual basis at Cesar Chavez in Long Beach.

Believing strongly in community activism, Vice Mayor Lowenthal has served on the boards of many Long Beach organizations, including:  the Buffum YMCA Board of Advisors, West End Community Association (WECA), Downtown Strategic Planning Task Force, St. Mary's Medical Center Foundation Board, International City Theatre Board of Directors, Creative Options Youth Commission Board of Advisors, CSULB Social Work Community Advisory Committee, Long Beach Police Chief's Asian Advisory Committee, the Flossie Lewis Recovery Center Advisory Board and the Community Development Advisory Commission.  Bonnie also served as vice-chair of the Mayor's Task Force on Homelessness in 1987-88 and initiated the City's ongoing Homeless Advisory Commission.

Bonnie resides in the historic Willmore City area of Long Beach, and she enjoys spending time with sons Danny and Josh, who also live locally, and their families.  Family is very important to Bonnie, and she recognizes the importance of the preservation of neighborhoods in the First District.