Los Angeles has quietly dismissed Marta Segura, the city’s inaugural chief heat officer, a decision made last month without public announcement.
Segura, who also led the Climate Emergency Mobilization Office since its inception in 2021, was one of several environmental leaders to recently depart. The office, now reduced to just one employee, faces an uncertain future.
The firing of Segura comes amid a broader trend of environmental leadership changes in Los Angeles. The city has not been actively hiring to fill vacancies in the climate office, which once had six staff members. According to Climate Colored Goggles, the mayor’s office did not publicly announce Segura’s termination, and news of her departure has only recently reached activists and City Council members.
Mayor Karen Bass had previously proposed eliminating the climate emergency office, citing budget constraints. Despite public outcry, the City Council rejected the proposal, but concerns remain about the city’s commitment to climate initiatives. The LAist reports that Bass’s administration is in the process of appointing a new chief heat officer.
The Climate Emergency Mobilization Office was established to coordinate climate efforts across city departments, focusing on extreme heat mitigation and adaptation strategies. However, the recent staff reductions have raised concerns about the city’s ability to effectively address climate challenges.
City Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is challenging Bass in the upcoming mayoral primary, expressed disappointment over Segura’s firing, emphasizing the importance of the role in addressing climate issues. Raman advocates for a more expansive approach to the chief heat officer’s responsibilities, including citywide shade strategies and infrastructure improvements ahead of major events like the Olympics.
The Bass administration has stated its commitment to appointing a dynamic new chief heat officer to advance the city’s climate action plan. The new appointee will be tasked with developing Los Angeles’s first Heat Action and Resilience Plan and expanding the city’s tree canopy in vulnerable communities.
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