EL SEGUNDO HERALD September 2, 2021 Page 11
Police Reports from page 5
One female adult was arrested at 2151 hours
from the 700 block of South Pacific Coast
Highway for possession of narcotics and possession
of narcotics paraphernalia.
A shoplifting report was taken at 2320 hours
from the 200 block of East Grand Avenue, a
known male suspect stole consumable items.
One male adult was arrested at 0035 hours
from the 400 block of North Pacific Coast
Highway for misdemeanor DUI with a BAC
over .08%.
A male adult was arrested at 0351 hours
from Virginia Street and Richmond Street for
possession of drug paraphernalia.
One male adult was arrested and released
out on the field with a citation at 0553 hours
from Pine Avenue and Standard Street for an
outstanding ESPD misdemeanor warrant.
Saturday, August 28th
A burglary (commercial) report was taken
at 1017 hours from the 200 block of East El
Segundo Boulevard. Unknown suspect(s) entered
the business and took two electric bicycles.
A petty theft report was taken at 1018 hours
from the 800 block of Sheldon Street. Unknown
suspect(s) entered two unlocked vehicles and
took $6.00.
A traffic collision report was taken at 1540
hours from the 2000 block of Hughes Way,
vehicle versus vehicle.
One female adult was arrested at 2239 hours
from the 800 block of North Nash Street for
public intoxication.
One female adult was arrested at 0429
hours from the 400 block of North Pacific
Coast Highway for reckless driving, driving
with a suspended license, one outstanding
Ventura County misdemeanor warrant, and
one outstanding San Bernardino County misdemeanor
warrant.
One male adult was arrested at 0429 hours
from Pacific Coast Highway and Grand Avenue
for reckless driving, driving with a suspended
license, and one outstanding Torrance PD
misdemeanor warrant.
Sunday, August 29th
A found property report was taken at 1235
hours from the 100 block of East Grand Avenue.
A wallet and birth certificate were found and
booked for safekeeping.
One male adult was arrested at 0046 from
Inglewood PD for an outstanding ESPD felony
No Bail warrant.
One female adult was arrested at 0240 hours
from Imperial Highway and Pershing Drive
for misdemeanor DUI and DUI with a BAC
of .08% or above.
One male adult was arrested at 0246 hours
from Imperial Highway and Pershing Drive for
possession of a controlled substance.
One male adult was detained at 0435 hours
from the 300 block of Pacific Coast Highway
and cited in the field for possession of drug
paraphernalia. •
Michael Allen from front page
of San Francisco, which is in Sonoma
County, a region known for its cultivating
of apples and plums, and currently, according
to my typical brief research, wine grapes.
He said that he has always had an interest
in “design, in general,” noting that, in high
school, he was very involved in taking drafting,
architecture, and design-related course
offerings. He said this was the genesis for his
interest in “urban design and city planning.”
Allen obtained his Bachelor of Science
degree in urban and regional planning from
Cal Poly Pomona in 2006. He furthered his
academic credentials by receiving a master’s
degree in organizational management and
administration from Iowa’s Ashford University.
He has also achieved certification with
the American Institute of Certified Planners.
Allen said that when he matriculated to
Cal Poly Pomona, he was keenly focused
on what he wanted to do for a living, and
then, “many years later,” burnished up his
resume by attending the hybrid online program
at Ashford.
Allen was eager to join Team El Segundo
when he landed the job. “I am thrilled to be
joining the team as Development Services
Director,” he said. Noting how he was “drawn
to the intimate, small-town atmosphere among
an incredibly flourishing business community,
I am looking forward,” he said, “with
collaborating with those who live and work
here to continue the success and evolution
of El Segundo.”
Allen spent the last 4 ½ years as the city
Planning Manager in Culver City, where he,
among other duties, managed the day-to-day
operations of the Current Planning Division,
where he said he spent “90% of my
time working with the major developments
currently happening in Culver City.” He said
he worked with multiple “major developers”
during his tenure there while noting that
many of those same developers are working
on projects in El Segundo. Which he said
will hopefully lead to a “seamless transition”
in his new position because he will be
tasked to work with many “familiar faces” in
the industry.
Lukas Quach was one of Allen’s colleagues
in Culver City. “I met Michael when I came
to work for Culver City as the Building Official
two years ago,” Quach said. “I was the
Building Official for El Segundo for about
three years before that.
“Michael is a friend and a colleague. Michael
and I were in the same Community Development
Department in Culver City, where
he managed the Current Planning Division,
and I manage the Building Safety Division.
Being that Building Safety and Planning
go hand in hand operationally, we worked
together on many projects. Michael is great
to work with because he is smart and can
grasp complex ideas and concepts quickly,
and he has a strong work ethic.
“Michael is a forward thinker, who can
build consensus,” continued Quach. “He is
also a very effective communicator, who can
convey his ideas and persuade his audience
to share his vision and manage not to alienate
those who do not. At the granular level,
aside from his mastery of Current Planning,
he is also very knowledgeable of the other
Community Development Services functions
and has a solid operational understanding of
the various components, including Advance
Planning, Building Safety, Code Enforcement,
and Economic Development.
“Michael is a genuinely nice guy and easy
to get along with,” Quach added. “He was
well respected by all of his coworkers here,
those that worked under him and those that
worked above him as well. People say nice
things about him behind his back.”
Before his tenure in Culver City, Allen
spent five years working for the city of
Cudahy, wherever that is. Allen toiled as
the Community Development Manager. He
said that Cudahy is a small city and that
he and other city employees, because they
were short-staffed, were tasked with wearing
“many hats” and overseeing operations in
several departments.
Of his time in Cudahy, Allen said that
“depending on what was going on that day,
dictated which hat you were wearing.” Allen’s
wearing of many job-related hats has provided
him with a solid background to further his
civic planning and development career.
Allen said that “I have always been in the
planning world,” whether it be consulting
in the private sector or working as a city
employee. “Planning is something that I
have always wanted to do; something that
I live and breathe and sleep…always been
my passion.”
As mentioned earlier, Allen served a short
stint working in Mongolia. “I was always
envious of many of my colleagues who either
studied or worked abroad,” he said. When
he got the chance to work in Mongolia, he
jumped at the opportunity. He coordinated
and worked for the government bureau that
oversaw land-use planning for the entire
country. He was part of a community outreach
team that was tasked with developing
protocols to regulate land use. He said that
Mongolian’s still clings to “nomadic” culture.
He and his team were tasked to develop new
land-use policies, frameworks, and recommendations
while respecting the country’s
historical culture.
Said Allen of his short stay in Mongolia, “It
was a life-changing, eye-opening experience,”
which he credits to this day, of reimagining
how he engages with the local community.
He said that while the County of Los
Angeles has a vast sprawl, each community,
including a city like El Segundo, has unique
needs and its own identifiable culture that
differentiates it from neighboring towns.
Allen was interested in the Development
Services Manager in town for a couple of
reasons. One was that the post “was an
incredible career opportunity for me. And
I love being on the ground in the development
community where you get to create
developments and experiences,” he said while
exploring quality of life issues and looking
to improve upon them.
He is looking forward to shaping the direction
of “what El Segundo is going to be in
50 or 100 years,” noting that the city is “one
of the oldest cities in Los Angeles County.”
He sees the opportunity for him and his
team to “redefine or continue defining what
the city will be in the next century. “This is
an exciting opportunity,” he said, citing the
developmental growth possibilities available
in many corners of the city.
Allen said that the job interview process
went well. “It seemed rather quick and
efficient,” he noted, giving kudos to city administrators.
“I am thankful for that, because
sometimes you can get burnt-out” when the
interview process lags. The vision and values
were aligned, he said, between himself and
the City Hall administrators led by Mitnick.
Allen said he is initially “trying to wrap
my head around the array of developments
that are (currently) in the pipeline” and provide
troubleshooting expertise, if necessary.
In the initial part of his tenure, one of his
top priorities will be to informally audit the
processes and procedures emanating from
his department, including building permit
and planning processes.
“How can we do this in a more efficient
way, if possible, to maximize efficiencies,” he
said. He has been doing a lot of “observing
and absorbing” during his first few weeks on
the job, meeting coworkers, and learning the
intricacies of working at City Hall.
While not planning and developing what El
Segundo may look like in the next century,
Allen likes to take advantage of the SoCal
sunshine, visit the beach, hike in the Malibu
mountains, and make every other month
camping excursions. He is also a DIY guy,
tinkering around his domicile, working on
various home-based projects.
And, Allen said, he has become a supporter
of the LAFC soccer club. “A new, avid fan,”
he said, citing that he attends “about 80%”
of the team’s home matches.
Allen gets the last word or words. “I am
really thankful for this opportunity, to get to
know the community and the stakeholders,
and collaborate with the business community
and the residents,” he concluded. “It has been
an extremely warm welcome. I couldn’t ask
for anything more. I am excited to hit the
ground running, get ‘into the weeds, ’ and
hit the go button. I am looking forward to
what we can accomplish here.” •
New El Segundo Development Services Director Michael Allen.
Photo courtesy of Michael Allen.
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