Drew Wilson
Joe Buscaino, former President Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles City Council, has joined lobbying firm Ballard Partners.
Buscaino comes on as Managing Partner of the firm’s Los Angeles office, which opened in October as part of an expansion into the California market.
“Joe has had a distinguished career on the Los Angeles City Council for more than a decade and we are honored to have him lead our Los Angeles office,” said Brian Ballard, the firm’s President and founder. “His expertise on issues across Los Angeles, his relationships throughout the Southern California region and his role as national municipal leader will be invaluable to our firm’s clients.”
Buscaino has represented the Council’s 15th District since 2012. He served as the Chair of the City’s Trade, Travel and Tourism Committee. In that role he was responsible for oversight of the Port of Los Angeles, the busiest container port in the U.S., as well as LAX, the second busiest airport in the U.S., and the LA Tourism and Convention Board.
In 2019, Buscaino was elected as President of the National League of Cities which represents more than 2,000 cities, towns and villages across the country.
Since November 2020, he has served as NLC’s Past President. He is the President Emeritus of the Democratic Municipal Officials organization and served as a member of the Democratic National Committee from 2015-18. Prior to his election to the City Council, Buscaino served for 15 years as a police officer in the Los Angeles Police Department and currently serves as an LAPD Reserve Officer.
“With my public service now concluded, I couldn’t be happier to join Ballard Partners and lead its Los Angeles office,” he said. “The firm’s professionals are exceptional and its reach from Tel Aviv to Washington to Miami and places between is unparalleled.”
Ballard Partners has been one of the largest lobbying firms in the Sunshine State for years and has quickly become one of the largest in Washington since it expanded its operation to the nation’s capital five years ago.
Ballard Partners entered the international governmental relations arena two years ago, setting up an office in Israel and, later, Turkey in addition to representing multiple foreign governments in Washington.
