"Bruin Caucus is my way of giving back to UCLA for helping me get my education,” declares
Dennis Gutierrez ’75. “I’m a multilingual
outreach coordinator for the Elections Division of the City Clerk’s
Office. I happened to attend
a candidates’ forum at UCLA. I saw the banner, went over
and asked what Bruin Caucus was about, and that was it. In just
a few years, I’ve lobbied for UCLA here in L.A., up in Sacramento
and in Washington, D.C., and I’ve mentored new members of
Bruin Caucus along the way. I help them figure out what to say,
what to expect when they meet with an elected official. I always
remind them that the electeds work for you, not the other way around,
and that they’re going to listen to you because you’re
not a paid consultant. You’ve already got their attention – just
get your point across!”
Local Government & Community Relations
Being a community partner.
At
its core, that is the purpose of Local Government & Community
Relations at UCLA. Establishing and maintaining positive
relationships with local businesses, residents, community
leaders and elected
officials is our key objective. Local Government Relations interacts
with the Los Angeles Mayor’s
office, City Council, County Board of Supervisors and other municipalities
in the greater Los Angeles area, such as: Culver City, Santa
Monica, and Inglewood.
Community Relations fosters good relationships
with community-based organizations, provides University resources
for meetings and
special programs, keeps neighbors informed of campus construction
and improvement
projects, and invites the community to enjoy UCLA’s educational,
cultural and athletic offerings.
It is an important job. UCLA’s presence has a big impact
on the community: we are the 10th largest employer in greater
Los Angeles, employing some 27,500 people directly and generating
another
38,400 jobs. We pay $23 million in city taxes, and $22 million
in county taxes annually. Our medical center cares for half a
million people, and we attract more than 2 million tourists and
visitors
to campus each year.
Local Government & Community Relations staff:
• Develop and maintain relationships with local elected
officials, their staff and municipal departments.
• Invite elected officials
to campus as speakers and guests at special events.
• Help local governments recruit UCLA students as legislative
interns.
• Host educational forums on crucial community issues.
• Serve on the boards of community organizations and business
associations.
• Provide information about UCLA to neighborhood leaders
and local elected officials.
Our mission is to offer UCLA’s
expertise and resources to the
local community and to invite the community to participate
in UCLA
life. Like good neighbors do.
Bruin Caucus
As a member of Bruin Caucus, you are an important
part of our local outreach effort. You will welcome local residents,
elected
officials
and business and community leaders to on-campus events. You
can serve
as UCLA’s liaison to organizations in your own neighborhood
and team with UCLA Local Government & Community Relations
staffers in
briefing sessions for local legislators and city officials.
You can become
an important “citizen’s voice” during the
annual UCLA Day with Local Government, when UCLA professionals
and volunteers
join forces and head downtown to share the Bruin story with
local elected officials.
And it is your voice they are most likely to hear. Because
you are a
volunteer, your opinion carries an extra measure of credibility.
Because you are a constituent, your concerns are treated
with added respect. UCLA could not hire a spokesperson who
would
prove more
effective than you.
We will help you succeed at these important tasks, first
through our regularly scheduled orientations, and then by
e-mailing
frequent subject updates and action alerts, and by hosting
focused briefing
sessions to prepare you for visits with local elected officials.
To learn more about UCLA’s Local Government & Community
Relations activities, and to join Bruin Caucus as an advocate
for the University in Los Angeles, contact:
UCLA Community & Local Government Relations
E. Felicia Brannon
Executive Director
310-794-6824
fbrannon@support.ucla.edu
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