Enabling Financially Sustainable, Accessible Beach Management

Los Angeles County manages 18 public beaches, which unlock recreation, employment, and heat relief for residents and visitors. The Executive Fellow will support the County in analyzing its beach-related policies, fees, funding sources, and cost recovery while enhancing accessibility. As a result of this work, the County will sustainably manage beaches for all residents to use.

Fellowship Dates: April 27, 2026 – April 23, 2027

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $95,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit working to expand social and economic opportunities, particularly for communities that have been limited by a history of systemic and institutionalized racism. FUSE partners with local governments and communities to more effectively address pressing challenges by placing experienced professionals within city and county agencies. These FUSE Executive Fellows lead strategic projects designed to advance racial equity and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 250 projects in 40 governments across 20 states, impacting the lives of 25 million people.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and local stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward regional priorities. FUSE then conducts an individualized search for each project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the communities being served. They are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects by developing actionable roadmaps and monitoring progress to completion.

Executive Fellows are hired as FUSE employees and embedded in government agencies for at least one year of full-time work. Throughout their fellowships, they receive training, coaching, and professional support from FUSE to help achieve their project goals. FUSE Executive Fellows bring diverse perspectives and new approaches to their projects. They build strong relationships with diverse arrays of stakeholders, foster alignment within.

PROJECT CONTEXT

Los Angeles County’s Department of Beaches and Harbors manages 18 non-contiguous public beaches stretching across one third of its mainland coast. In addition to attracting tourists, the beaches provide 9.8M residents with access to nature, employment, recreation, and heat relief. Maintaining these beaches is expensive. From daily operations to long-term preservation (e.g., erosion control) and emergency response (e.g., post-wildfire clean-up), the Department must carefully manage its budget to effectively steward the coastline. Due to wildfire recovery, legal settlements, and federal budget cuts, the whole County’s budget is constrained. The Department needs to identify creative funding solutions to keep delivering its mandate.

Updating access policies and fees could help the Department fund its work. It is critical, however, that these changes not reduce beach accessibility. The residents who most need the beaches for heat relief are the least able to afford increased fees. In addition, the County is cognizant of the role policy making played in the County’s history of inequitable beach access. One hundred years ago, Manhattan Beach (in Los Angeles County) used eminent domain to acquire Black-owned beach property and implemented policies to reduce beach access for Black Angelenos. The County returned the property to the Bruces’ surviving heirs in 2024, elevating the importance of equitable coastal management policies. Any changes to policies and fees must pair the dual mandate of financial sustainability and accessibility for all.

Another approach to budget management could be improved cost recovery through fee waiver management and partnership negotiation. The Department frequently receives requests for fee waivers for community events. Some strategic waivers could increase beach access and revenue from other sources (e.g., parking, concessions). Similarly, thoughtful negotiations with cities could allow the County to recoup the true cost of beach management.

The County of Los Angeles will