Rick Cole

Rick Cole is Chief Deputy Controller, responsible for overseeing the accounting, payroll and auditing functions for the City of Los Angeles. His public service includes serving as Mayor of Pasadena, City Manager in three Southern California communities (Santa Monica, Ventura and Azusa) and as Deputy Mayor for Budget and Innovation in the City of LA. In March, he was elected to rejoin the Pasadena City Council to take office in December. Called “one of Southern California’s most visionary planning thinkers” by the Los Angeles Times, Cole is an adjunct professor of urban policy at Pepperdine University’s School of Public Policy and Occidental College’s Urban and Environmental Studies Institute. He has been recognized with numerous awards and honors including “Public Official of the Year” by Governing Magazine.