The Contractors State License Board (CSLB) has unanimously elected businesswoman Marlo N. Richardson to chair its 15-member board, the Los Angeles Sentinel reports.
The South L.A. native is the first African-American woman to serve in the position for a term which stated on July 1. She had worked 15 years as an executive in law and law enforcement in Los Angeles before Gov. Jerry Brown appointed her the regulatory body’s board in 2015.
She says she is excited to bring her earlier career experiences with her. “I enjoy being in a position to bring about positive change,” the publication quoted Richardson as saying.
The CSLB licenses and regulates contractors in 44 construction industry classifications, with approximately 300,000 contractors state-wide. CSLB has a budget of approximately $66 million with more than 400 employees, according to a news release.
Along with meeting with the CSLB board, Richardson’s responsibilities include meeting with other state boards and international organization and infrastructure regarding construction. “I’ve met with people from Africa, Korea, India; people from all over the world,” she said.
Richardson says the organization holds board meetings quarterly and committee meetings on an as-needed basis. “The meetings are usually every three months unless there is an emergency; I’m headed to emergency meeting in Sacramento now,” Richardson texted to the Sentinel.”
CSLB provides live webcasts of meetings.
Video: CSLB committee meetings Aug. 3, 2018
The Sentinel reports that Richardson grew up in South L.A. and Westside neighborhoods, leaving Westchester High, before graduating from California State University, Dominguez Hills with a BS in Communications. Richardson continued her education, attending USC’s School of Public Policy in addition to law school.
“Growing up in L.A. definitely played a role in my success. I saw a lot of things that made me know that I wanted more for myself. I started to network with people who I admired, and made sure I had the professional and personal qualities that would be a benefit to others,” she said.
CSLB has a structured mentoring program to develop the organization’s future. Richardson says when you invest in people, there is less employee turnover and happier employees make for better businesses.
“I’m a spiritually grounded person,” Richardson is quoted as saying. “I’ve had some great things happen to me and I believe it is my purpose. Everything I do and that I am is bigger than me. I am in a position to inspire and encourage others and try to do that often, both personally and through my work,” she said.
‘In addition to her role as chair, and other entrepreneurial endeavors, she is also working as an executive producer in the film industry, and has a two project in development. “This has been a very rewarding journey.”
“Regardless of roadblocks that are oftentimes systematically set, with hard work and dedication, you achieve great things,” she said.
