Irell & Manella LLP.
This year’s Century City Citizen of the Year honorees fittingly came from a hotel and a law firm during the Century City Chamber of Commerce 33rd annual awards luncheon on June 5 at the InterContinental Los Angeles Century City.
The Company Citizen of the Year, Irell & Manella LLP, and the Individual Citizen of the Year, Steve Choe, general manager of InterContinental, were chosen for their excellence in corporate and community relations.
Every year, the Century City Chamber of Commerce selects an entity and individual to bestow its highest civic recognition award. Award recipients of the Citizen of the Year are nominated based on the commendable contributions and positive changes they have brought to the Century City community, which involves possessing inspirational qualities and serving as a role model.
“We are honored to be recognized by the Century City Chamber of Commerce with the 2015 Citizens of the Year Award,” said Andrei Iancu, managing partner of Irell & Manella LLP. “Our firm has called Century City home for the last 50 years and we are proud of our contributions to the community.”
Irell & Manella’s partners and associates brought along their summer interns for the occasion.
“We are thrilled to name Irell & Manella LLP and Steve Choe as our Company and Individual Citizens of the Year,” said Susan Bursk, president and CEO of the Century City Chamber of Commerce. “They are dedicated to serving the needs of those in the local community and beyond, making them very deserving of the award.”
Carl Schlosberg, a 2013 recipient of Citizen of the Year and curator of the current public sculpture exhibit, was one of two guest speakers who spoke to a crowd of 200 civic leaders.
Assembly member Sebastian Ridley-Thomas flew in from Sacramento as another speaker. He represents California’s 54th Assembly District, which includes the Los Angeles County communities of Century City, Culver City, Westwood, Mar Vista, Palms, Baldwin Hills, Windsor Hills, Ladera Heights, View Park, Crenshaw, Leimert Park, Mid City, and West Los Angeles.
He previously served as public policy director for State Senator Curren Price. In this capacity, he advised the senator on economic development, transportation, housing, public safety, and local government issues. Ridley-Thomas also worked as a staff member in the district office, where he was responsible for a caseload of 900,000 residents in Greater Los Angeles.
Previous honorees include Mario Camara of Cox, Castle & Nicholson, LLP in 2014; Carl Schlosberg in 2013; and Mike Holwick in 2012.
For more information, visit centurycitycc.com.
