In her first days at City Hall, Councilmember Ysabel Jurado is assembling a core team who will staff her office and help her lead District 14.
Last week, newly sworn-in Jurado announced the hiring of four key staffers, positions she says are essential to building an informed and effective team of “movement leaders, community advocates and City Hall veterans to address community needs.”
READ MORE: Sworn in, Ysabel Jurado attends first City Council meeting
Some of those community needs include “bread and butter” issues she promised to deliver on during her campaign. At her first City Council meeting last week, Jurado introduced one motion to better assess the prevalence of street lighting issues across CD 14 and a second motion to try and accelerate the re-opening of the Benjamin Franklin Library in Boyle Heights, which has been shuttered since 2022.
“In order to deliver on bold promises and hit the ground running, we need institutional knowledge that knows how to navigate city systems and lived experience that understand the unique needs of our district,” Jurado stated in a Dec. 10 press release where she announced her staff picks. “We’re assembling a diverse coalition of seasoned professionals, community leaders, and lifelong CD 14 residents who will serve our district with both heart and skill.”
Her appointments have decades of combined experience within public service and advocacy around Los Angeles. Here’s who they are.
Lauren Hodgins – Chief of Staff
Lauren Hodgins is a longtime downtown L.A. resident and small business advocate with more than a decade of experience in public affairs and urban planning policy. According to Jurado’s press release, Hodgins helped secure nearly $2.5 billion in financing and 300,000 affordable units for Los Angeles.
Some responsibilities for the chief of staff include managing multiple District 14 offices and overseeing budgetary, legislative and strategic planning processes.
Hodgins previously worked with Santa Maria Group, a lobbying firm that has represented educational institutions, hotel projects and real estate developers, like R Cap Ave 34, which is constructing a 468-unit apartment complex in Lincoln Heights.
According to the L.A. Times, some have criticized the staffing decision, arguing that hiring someone with Hodgins’ background could represent a partnership with the private interests that Jurado worked hard to distance her campaign from.
In response to the criticism, Jurado defended her decision, citing Hodgins’ experience as instrumental for the job.
“Lauren has dedicated her career to advocating for underserved communities— from fighting for affordable housing to championing minority-owned businesses,” Jurado told Boyle Heights Beat in a statement. “She is also a trusted advisor and friend who helped me run an effective campaign to represent my community. She understands City Hall and how to get things done and I know she, like the rest of the diverse team we’re building, is as committed as I am to delivering for the people of the district and the City.”
Steve Diaz – Homelessness and Housing Director
Steve Diaz is the former deputy director of the Los Angeles Community Action Network (LACAN), a Skid Row-based nonprofit that organizes anti-poverty campaigns. During more than two decades, Diaz worked to support housing and civil rights policies for some of the most vulnerable Angelenos.
Housing affordability and the homelessness crisis, two local issues CD 14 residents want to see Jurado address, will be a key focus of the newly elected councilmember as she learns more about the district and its needs. CD 14 has the highest number of emergency shelters and interim housing in the city according to a 2024 homeless count methodology report by USC.
During his term, former Councilmember Kevin de León often prided himself on his efforts to build interim housing district-wide to account for the high number of unhoused Angelenos.
Jurado, who is a former tenants’ rights attorney, has repeatedly advocated for renters’ rights and called past attempts to alleviate the homelessness crisis ineffective.
READ MORE: Ysabel Jurado has a new vision for CD 14: ‘People are tired of the status quo’
Krista Kline – Senior Advisor
Krista Kline joins Jurado’s team with decades of experience at City Hall. Kline led legislative affairs for L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and served as former Councilmember Mike Bonin’s chief of staff.
Kline also led an urban planning team under former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and worked on sustainability issues and initiatives for the Los Angeles Housing Department. Kline has also held posts at the Los Angeles Regional Collaborative for Climate Action and Sustainability and the South Coast Air Quality Management District.
Milagros Montalvo – Scheduling Director
A Little Tokyo resident, Milagros Montalvo now serves as Jurado’s scheduling director. A longtime LGBTQ+ advocate, Montalvo comes with years of experience elevating the voices of marginalized groups in the media industry, according to Jurado’s press release.
Montalvo joins the 14th District office after working at Latino Equality Alliance, a Boyle Heights nonprofit that serves as a resource center for LGBTQ+ youth and an educational space for family empowerment.
