Long Beach Vice Mayor Bonnie Lowenthal was elected to represent the First Council District of the City of Long Beach in 2001, filling the unexpired term of Jenny Oropeza. Lowenthal was selected by her peers on the City Council to serve as Vice Mayor in July 2006. Prior to her election to the City Council, Vice Mayor Lowenthal served on the Long Beach Unified School District Board of Education for seven years.

In addition to her duties on the Long Beach City Council, Vice Mayor Lowenthal is a member of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA). She was elected to that seat in 2005 by 27 cities in the Southeast Los Angeles County area. In this capacity she serves as Chair of the MTA’s Operations Committee and is a member of the Planning and Programming Committee. Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed her as the MTA representative on the Mobile Source Review Committee of the South Coast AQMD.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal has been strongly committed to ensuring that the interests of the First District are strongly represented on the City Council, including public safety, economic development, environmental protection, healthy and safe neighborhoods, more parks and green space, historic preservation and well maintained public infrastructure. She has been a vocal leader on the issues of smart growth, transportation planning, and goods movement. She has been an advocate for affordable housing, rights for the disabled, and transparency in government.

Lowenthal chairs the City Council’s Housing and Neighborhoods Committee and Elections Oversight Committee. She is a member of the 710 Freeway Oversight Committee which dramatically improved the direction of a proposed expansion of the 710 Freeway. She also sits on the State Legislation Committee, which considers supporting and opposing State proposals that affect the City of Long Beach. She is also on the Personnel and Civil Service Committee and Tidelands and Harbor Committee. She serves as Vice Chair of the Charter Amendment Committee, Long Beach representative on the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority, Southeast Resource Recovery Facility, Gateway Cities Council of Governments and the National League of Cities.

Having served as a bilingual mental health consultant for the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC), HeadStart, and the Centro de la Raza, Lowenthal is acutely aware of the needs of the Latino community in Long Beach. Living in Mexico for a year and teaching at universities there instilled in her a love for the Latin culture. Lowenthal worked closely with community activists and leaders to establish the first scholarship fund for students with the Latino Managers and Professional Organization in honor of Manny Perez. She also instituted the City’s recognition luncheon dedicated to Cesar Chavez. This luncheon is fittingly held annually at Cesar Chavez Park in the First District.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal has been honored with CentroCHA’s Education Award for her longstanding efforts on behalf of the Hispanic community, and the Interfaith Community Organization’s Housing Hero Award in recognition of her advocacy on behalf of those in need of housing. Awarded the Environmental Hero Award by Algalita Marine Research Foundation and Long Beach Organic, Lowenthal has been a strong voice for the environment. She has also received the Women of Distinction award from Soroptimist International, the Gene Lentzner Human Relations Award from NCCJ, the Community Service Award from the Cambodian Business Association and the Excellence Through Leadership Award from ILWU Local 13, among others.

A strong believer in community activism, Vice Mayor Lowenthal has served on the boards of many Long Beach organizations including: West End Community Association (WECA), Downtown Strategic Planning Task Force, St Mary Medical Center Foundation Board, International City Theatre Board of Directors, Creative Options Youth Commission Board of Advisors, California State University at Long Beach (CSULB) Social Work Community Advisory Committee, Long Beach Police Chief’s Asian Advisory Committee, Flossie Lewis Recovery Center Advisory Board, Community Development Advisory Commission, and the Buffum YMCA Board of Advisors. She also served as vice chair of the Mayor’s Task Force on Homelessness in 1987-88 and initiated the City’s ongoing Homeless Advisory Commission.

Vice Mayor Lowenthal received her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s of Science in Community and Clinical Psychology from CSULB. Since 1975, Lowenthal has been a licensed family counselor and mental health consultant.