Los Angeles City Councilmember Paul Krekorian will oversee the city’s handling of the 2026 World Cup, the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games and other large events once he leaves office.
Mayor Karen Bass picked Krekorian, who previously served as council president and is stepping down Sunday due to term limits, to be executive director of the city’s Office of Major Events. In that post, he will ensure that the Olympics and other sporting events provide “positive economic impacts for the city,” Bass’ office said.
The veteran city lawmaker will serve as the primary liaison between Bass’ office and LA28, the private group organizing and paying for the Games. He will coordinate city departments, work with the business community and oversee an effort to beef up the city’s transportation networks.
“We need a point person” on the Olympics, Bass said Thursday. “We have to get ready, and I feel like we’re running a little bit behind.”
City leaders are hoping that the Games will boost tourism and the regional economy. During the 2024 Summer Games, Paris saw a surge of visitors but also a dramatic falloff in business for some shops and museums because of security restrictions that closed off parts of the city, according to the Associated Press.
The region’s transit officials have asked the incoming Trump administration to pay for billions of dollars’ worth of transportation improvements ahead of the Games, though there is no clear indication that it will.
Bass, who served with Krekorian in Sacramento and at City Hall, cited his “institutional memory” and “sound judgment” while announcing his appointment. She also highlighted his work overseeing the city’s finances.
Elected to the council in 2009 to represent part of the San Fernando Valley, Krekorian led the powerful Budget and Finance Committee for several years, helping the city emerge from the 2008 recession and weather the economic shocks created by COVID-19.
L.A. is taking on a significant financial risk by hosting the Olympic Games. If the Olympics fail to bring in enough money, the city will be on the hook for the first $270 million and potentially millions more, according to an agreement reached several years ago.
At the same time, the city has limited power when it comes to the Olympics and Paralympics. The City Council can vote on venue changes, and LA28 will reimburse the city for some services, but the planning and execution of the events falls to LA28.
Bass, Krekorian and other city and county officials visited Paris earlier this year to study that city’s staging of the Summer Games.
Paris created a new department with 100 staffers — mostly employees from other city agencies — to plan for the Games, Krekorian said in an interview. He said he hopes to create a similar department in L.A. in the run-up to 2028.
Krekorian said he also wants to increase transparency around the financing of the Games, “because the city has a very strong vested interest” in the outcome.
He didn’t reveal his new salary but said it’s a “little more” than his council salary, which is $244,727, according to the City Controller’s office. He said he hopes to serve in his new role through the 2028 Games.
Last month, Krekorian expressed worries about the election of Trump, who has repeatedly attacked California over its left-leaning policies. At the time, Krekorian said he was anticipating “four difficult years for our city on multiple levels, not least of which is our access to federal funding for different programs, and preparations for the Olympics.”
On Thursday, Krekorian offered a more upbeat message, saying he’s hopeful the Trump administration will “see the opportunity that the Games present and will continue to be supportive of what we’ll be doing.”
Trump said earlier this week that he is nominating television commentator and former assistant treasury secretary Monica Crowley as the administration’s representative for “major U.S. hosted events,” including the 2026 World Cup and 2028 Olympics.
Times staff writer Rachel Uranga contributed to this report.
