Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Ambriz.
Hi Andrea, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a daughter of LA and a proud Angelena. Born to a kind and hardworking family with immigrant roots, they taught me the importance of working hard, doing good, and being bold. My parents’ encouragement and support inspired me to learn and grow beyond Los Angeles and to use my experiences to serve others. I fell in love with public policy in college and pursued a Master of Public Policy degree from U.C. Berkeley to prepare me for a career to make communities stronger, healthier and safer. I have had the privilege to work in the highest levels of public service in the California State Capitol and the White House. In Sacramento at the Capitol, I helped workers and students build their financial future through the creation of a new statewide California savings program. I was also proud to have helped allocate over $400 million toward creating new parks in underserved communities across California.
In an opportunity of a lifetime, I served the country as a presidential appointee for President Barack Obama at the White House as Deputy Director of Private Sector Engagement and at the U.S. Department of the Treasury in various roles. I began my work at Treasury at the height of the financial crisis and worked tirelessly, burning midnight oil with dedicated colleagues to help working families struggling across the U.S. In the end, our economy recovered and strengthened its resilience, thanks to the hard work of many across the government. I returned from D.C. to Hometown LA ready and prepared to apply my experience fighting hard for Americans nationwide toward our City of Angels and our state. I’ve worked on efforts supporting our communities, our workers, our LA River, and our environment.
I now have the honor of serving as General Manager of Exposition Park – a jewel in the heart of Los Angeles filled with history, art, and culture. My history with Expo Park dates back to growing up playing in the park and gardens, and even further as my family grew up just blocks from the Park. Now I have the incredible privilege of overseeing a new chapter of Exposition Park’s place in our community to make new memories for children, families and visitors alike.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My career path hasn’t been linear. Every new experience has lit another path of opportunity, taking me to Northern California, the Bay, the Midwest, Washington, D.C., and even abroad. And with those new beginnings certainly came forks in the road, yet each allowed me to work in a different space and work with new people, which eventually allowed me to gain more insight. So, the pebbles in the road have made the ride much more interesting and worth it.
I am most grateful that my family inspired my interest in public service and in exploring growth. In fact, it was with my mother’s urging to “go and then come back home” that I aspired to live and learn outside of Los Angeles and even our country. With each new destination and step came a lesson to put into practice later. And now, I get to apply my experience to benefit my hometown. There’s no greater purpose than to serve.
Serving others is about hard work and sacrifice. We experienced that in my own family. My mother is a healthcare worker, and she’s spent over 30 years in a career all about helping those who are sick and in need. That meant long hours, not always being home, working in a clinic throughout the COVID pandemic, and making personal sacrifices to be able to help others. Her example and that of my father’s and grandparents’ entrepreneurial spirit to help their family are what guide me daily.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I have the most rewarding job in the world. As General Manager of Exposition Park, I have a notable responsibility to the people of L.A., one that I take very seriously: to manage Exposition Park and ensure that it remains accessible, inclusive, and a space for people to create memories together, learning and growing, just as my parents instilled in me.
I am proud to have a deep personal connection with Expo Park. I played in the Park as a child with my parents and grandparents, and I would have never imagined that one day I would be tasked with safeguarding and building the same Park to ensure other children have that same experience when visiting. I certainly also could not have imagined being a part of the path toward history in hosting the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic games at Exposition Park.
In addition to managing the Park’s daily operations, events, and logistics, I have the opportunity to lead Exposition Park’s new chapter for the future. Exposition Park is fortunate to have world-class and iconic partners on site – such as the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the California Science Center (host of the space shuttle Endeavor), BMO Stadium (home of champion football clubs Angel City and LAFC), the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History (with LA history and a full-size T-Rex on display), the California African American Museum, and the future Lucas Museum of Narrative Art – and it’s my job to ensure that we all create an unforgettable experience within the Park.
Expo Park is one of the most popular destinations in Southern California, with millions of annual visitors to our museums, sports and entertainment stadiums, and green open spaces. We are excited to host the LA 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, making Expo Park the only site in history to host active Olympic sports competitions for the third time in history. New partners, exhibits, events, and visitors allow us an unprecedented opportunity to transform Exposition Park for the future. I’m thrilled to lead the Park’s current efforts to create new public park space through one of the largest investments in history into the south LA area from the state.
As the only site in the city to host three Metro stops, Exposition Park welcomes visitors by train, foot, or car any day of the week!
Let’s talk about our city – what do you love? What do you not love?
What I love and dislike the most about our City are one and the same. LA’s cultural diversity and gastronomy are my favorite things. Los Angeles is truly a world city where you can find people from every country on earth. This diversity is also one of our biggest strengths as a community. As far as food, we have some of the best food on the planet, from Mexican tacos and hot dogs, Asian food, Ethiopian, and southern barbeque to 5-star restaurants – we have it all. The hardest part of being in LA is which neighborhood to visit and which restaurant to dine in; there are too many to choose from! Above all, I heart LA in any way it comes.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://expositionpark.ca.gov/
- Instagram: @expositionparkla
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/expositionparkcalifornia/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambrizandrea/
