By CHRISTIAN MONTERROSA | Reporter
Pacific Palisades Community Council Chair Maryam Zar led her final meeting on Thursday, June 28. But the legacy of the motivated and innovative chairwoman will not soon be forgotten.
Since her time on the PPCC, Zar has led the council through numerous projects and initiatives that faced the Palisades, and consistently kept track of their progress.
In 2014, Zar became founding chair of the Pacific Palisades Task Force on Homelessness after then-PPCC Chair Chris Spitz formed the group.
“It was full-time work for me” Zar said in an email to the Palisadian-Post. “I crafted relationships with LAPD, the city attorney and the councilman then, that still serve us now.”
Zar began contributing articles to the Post that were focused on homelessness “that tried to present everyone with what they needed to hear as we crafted a dual pronged strategy of services and enforcement, to help people transition out of homelessness.”
She said she remembers there being a lot of “rancor” back then from community members who thought emphasis should be placed on enforcement instead of providing longterm services.
The outgoing chair is proud of the outreach she accomplished, informing more and more on the goals of the PPCC and to give it a “friendly and welcoming face.”
“We set an expectation that this forum, [where] we claim to represent the voice of Palisadians through the credibility of an open forum for the exchange of ideas, is actually open to a diversity of ideas and viewpoints.
“I’d also like to think I pushed the envelope and introduced new ideas that can be pursued under George Wolfberg’s leadership,” she said.
In fact, Zar did not leave the council with just a “thank you and goodbye,” but instead, with a drawn path toward the future of housing for the homeless.
At the end of her final meeting, where she was awarded certificates of recognition by Councilmember Mike Bonin, Congressman Ted Lieu and Supervisor Sheila Kuehl, Zar also formed the Palisades Working Group. The group will navigate the Palisades’ involvement in finding housing solutions for those in need, an initiative that has taken the front seat for Mayor Eric Garcetti.
As she leaves her chair position in the hands of Wolfberg, all eyes are focused on her next move.
When asked if she will be running for a seat on the City Council, Zar said, “Everyone asks me that. Everyone.
“I’ve always loved policy—even as a kid—a young Persian immigrant girl who devoured global news, not glossy magazines. I love politics and would love to run for an office I think I can be effective in. It just hasn’t come up yet,” she said.
In the meantime, Zar said she will focus on female homelessness, domestic violence and policies that can help women distance from it. She also hopes to keep her journalism experience ongoing with international news writing.
“Let’s see what life has in store. My baseline is to be kind to people, practice tolerance and be the change I want to see in this world—less combat, more collaboration.”
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