Long Beach Young Professionals Networking Breakfast - March 2017

John P. Keisler
Economic & Property Development Director
City of Long Beach
 
John Keisler is the Economic & Property Development Director for the City of Long Beach.  The mission of department is to increase economic opportunities for entrepreneurs, workers, and investors in the City of Long Beach through workforce, business, and property development programs.
 
After completing bachelor degrees in Philosophy and Religion at St. Olaf College, he joined Teach For America, teaching middle school literacy and civics in Newark, NJ. To address the chronic community challenges facing his students, he turned to a career in city management, working with the League of California Cities and completing his MPA at the USC Price School of Public Policy.
 
In 2005, John was hired as a Management Assistant by the City of Long Beach, and rotated through four departments. Over the next decade, he led multiple change-management projects throughout the City, serving as the Animal Care Services Bureau Manager, Business Operations Manager for the Parks, Recreation & Marine Department, CFO for the Police Department, and the City’s first Innovation Team Director.
 
John lives in Long Beach with his beautiful wife Laura and his two sons Christopher (7) and Benjamin (10), where he serves on a number of civic boards and coaches youth sports.