Staff

Kathleen Rawson has more than 30 years of experience in hospitality and place management. Before arriving in Hollywood, Rawson served as CEO of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. (DTSM, Inc.) from 1997 to 2022. 

During her time in Santa Monica, Rawson expanded DTSM, Inc.'s role within the halls of influence and tackled new responsibilities that helped shape Downtown Santa Monica into one of the country's most dynamic and attractive urban districts. Rawson successfully transformed the award-winning, placemaking organization into the largest property-based assessment district, by budget, in the State of California and implemented a hospitality and maintenance program that amplified the impact of city services and evolved into one of the most extensive programs in the country. 

In addition, Rawson diversified the DTSM, Inc. board to include residents, business owners, property owners, and city officials and increased staff capacity from five to 14 place managment professionals. Rawson also spearheaded the creation of a community treasure, Ice at Santa Monica, a seasonal outdoor ice-skating rink two blocks from the beach. 

Her passion for helping transform organizations into agents for positive change in her community goes beyond her work at The Hollywood Partnership and DTSM, Inc. and extends into her private life as well. Rawson is the current chair of the International Downtown Association and has served as chair of the Santa Monica-Malibu Education, past president of the Kehillat Israel Synagogue, a member of the Santa Monica History Museum board, and a former member of the boards for Turning Point Transitional Housing Shelter, Santa Monica AIDS Project and Southern California Women for Understanding.

Steven Welliver is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives and also serves as Executive Director of the Partnership’s new community foundation, Hollywood Partnership Ventures. In this capacity, he works across the organization’s four primary goals to support the team in planning and funding projects that accelerate implementation of the strategic plan. He also oversees the research and economic development functions.

Steven holds a Master of Planning with emphasis in economic development and Master of Public Administration with emphasis in city management, both from the University of Southern California’s Sol Price School of Public Policy where he was a City Management Fellow. He is a former president and board member of the California Downtown Association. In 2017, he completed the Emerging Leaders Fellowship of the International Downtown Association, and in 2021 became a Certified Leader in Place Management (LPM). Before joining the Hollywood Partnership team, Steven was Deputy Chief Executive of Downtown Santa Monica, Inc.

As Vice President of Marketing & Communication, Mackenzie serves as the primary steward of The Hollywood Partnership's brand message and identity, developing and executing strategic marketing and communication plans with the primary goal of telling the Hollywood story and enhancing the organization's relevance worldwide. She also focuses on establishing relationships with district businesses and other stakeholders to create opportunities for community engagement and collaborative partnerships in pursuit of the organization's objectives.

Before arriving in Hollywood, Mackenzie spent 13 years at Downtown Santa Monica, Inc. as the Director of Marketing & Communication. Prior to her career in place management, Mackenzie specialized in large-scale event programming for shopping centers and corporate meetings. Mackenzie is a certified Leader in Place Management (LPM). She currently serves on the board of the California Downtown Association and the International Downtown Association's Awards Committee.

Angela La Riva serves as the Vice President of Operations and oversees The Hollywood Partnership Goal 1 Place Management Programs. She is a well-accomplished law enforcement expert with over 12 years of experience in the public sector who successfully transitioned into the private security realm, including the entertainment and aerospace industries. A detail-oriented individual, leveraging her expertise in all areas of quality, safety, and environmental management, encompassing team building and leadership, safety and security management, risk and crisis management, organization development, and quality/performance improvement. 

Angela brings a demonstrated history of providing high-quality security and safety management to this position. Angela received her Bachelors of Science Degree from the University of Phoenix with a certificate in Organizational Leadership. She possesses both a Masters of Arts Degree in Emergency Management/Homeland Security and a Masters of Arts Degree in Public Safety Leadership and Administration from Arizona State University. Angela is a former executive board member of the California Peace Officers Association (CPOA) and served four years on the CPOA Law and Legislative Committee advocating for public safety legislation. 

Lorin Lappin serves as Director of Finance & Administration and oversees the fiscal procedures and financial records of The Hollywood Partnership. She also ensures contract compliance specifically for the HED BID contract with the City Clerk's Office as well as administration and human resources support for the organization.
To this position, she brings a wealth of professional experience and an avid interest in non-profit work. Lorin received her Accounting Fundamentals Certificate from UCLA Extension and the Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP) Credential. Previously, she served as the assistant librarian at Wildwood School in Los Angeles, and an executive assistant at Priority Mailing Systems. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature at California State University, Long Beach. A native Angeleno, Lorin has always had a keen interest in Hollywood, as she and her husband had their very first date at Amoeba Music. She enjoys staying active from workout classes or walking their three dogs. 

As Research and Economic Development Manager, Cole Judge is focused on enhancing Hollywood’s vitality through place-based research and economic development initiatives. She leverages data to enhance the district’s content and information for both internal and external stakeholders with the goal of supporting a healthy and vibrant commercial district. She collaborates with the economic development ecosystem to ensure economic development for Hollywood is robust, shared, and continuous.

Cole is a certified Leader in Place Management (LPM) and holds a Master of Urban Planning (MURP) from the University of New Orleans and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Hobart & William Smith Colleges. Prior to this position, Cole spent four years as Director of Research for the International Downtown Association (IDA) and two years as a White House “Strong Cities Strong Communities” Fellow (SC2). In her career, she has also worked within research and economic development capacities at several urban place management organizations including the Downtown Denver Partnership, the Downtown Fresno Partnership, Downtown Santa Monica, Inc., and the Downtown Center BID in Los Angeles. 

As Operations/Quality Control Manager, Samuel Reyes employs a holistic, analytical, and steadfast approach to enhancing the vitality and well-being of the Hollywood community. Samuel oversees the Partnership's beautification, maintenance, security, outreach, and hospitality ambassador programs.

Thriving in the high-energy and dynamic environment Hollywood provides, Samuel is well-versed in the needs of Hollywood and brings a wealth of experience in hospitality, workforce development, outreach, and operations to the position. 

In December 2022, Samuel completed his Master's in Public Administration, specializing in Public Management, from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Becky Murdoch serves as Executive Assistant.  She has lived in Los Angeles for over a decade and although she was drawn to the city for the entertainment industry, she has developed a deep passion for Hollywood. Murdoch also serves as Director of Events at Epiphany Space, a Hollywood-based arts organization, where she creates opportunities for artists of all disciplines to showcase their works. She is co-founder of Salute Your Shorts Film Festival. In her spare time she enjoys hiking and live music.