Los Angeles County\u2019s chief executive officer Fesia Davenport, who has been on medical leave since October, has announced that she will resign next month.<\/p>\n
In a LinkedIn post<\/a>, Davenport said she was leaving county service to \u201cfocus on my health and wellness.\u201d<\/p>\n A notice to the Board of Supervisors provided to The Times Saturday said she had decided to step down April 16 \u201cbased primarily on hereditary and ongoing health issues initially uncovered late last year, the risks of which have become clearer based on more recent medical testing and consultation with my doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n She said the \u201cextraordinary amount of time and energy\u201d required of the chief executive played into her decision.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I originally assumed that I would be able to return to my post, I now know that I would be unable to do the job as it deserves to be done while also prioritizing my health,\u201d she told the supervisors.<\/p>\n Supervisor Kathryn Barger issued a statement Saturday saying, \u201cI\u2019m disappointed by Fesia Davenport\u2019s decision to step down. Her dedication and accomplishments over nearly three decades have left a lasting impact on Los Angeles County.\u201d<\/p>\n Davenport, who was appointed to the county\u2019s top job in 2021, received an undisclosed $2-million settlement<\/a> last summer to compensate for damage to her \u201cprofessional reputation\u201d from Measure G, a voter-approved ballot measure that will soon eliminate her position.<\/p>\n In a July 8 letter, released by the county counsel in October through a public record request, Davenport said she sought $2 million in damages for \u201creputational harm, embarrassment, and physical, emotional and mental distress caused by the Measure G.\u201d<\/p>\n Under Measure G, which voters approved in 2024, the county chief executive, who manages the county government and oversees its budget, will be elected by voters instead of appointed by the board. The elected county executive will be in place by 2028.<\/p>\n Measure G \u201chas had, and will continue to have, an unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income, and retirement,\u201d Davenport wrote to county counsel Dawyn Harrison. She said it had \u201cirrevocably changed my life, my professional career, economic outlook, and plans for the future.\u201d<\/p>\n At the time the payout was disclosed, Davenport had begun a medical leave, saying at the time she expected to be back to work early this year.<\/p>\n A lengthy email to her staff, posted on LAist<\/a>, which first disclosed her resignation, said the unspecified \u201chealth crisis\u201d has affected three of her siblings and posed risks to her that \u201chave become clearer based on more recent medical testing and consultation with my doctors.\u201d<\/p>\n Her brother Raymond died in 2018 after \u201cexperiencing a sudden health crisis,\u201d she said. Last year, two more of her sisters survived the same health crisis, but one will now require 24-hour care for the rest of her life, she said.<\/p>\n \u201cAlthough I am not out of the woods yet, I am thankful to the Board for granting me the space to focus on my health and to arm myself with the knowledge I needed to make informed decisions,\u201d she wrote.<\/p>\n The office of chief executive issued a statement Saturday saying chief operating officer Joe Nicchitta will continue serving as acting chief executive officer while Davenport remains on medical leave. <\/p>\n \u201cWe appreciate Fesia\u2019s nearly three decades of service to Los Angeles County and all that she has accomplished on behalf of its residents and communities,\u201d the statement said.<\/p>\n Davenport listed a number of accomplishments in her letter to the board, including setting up five new departments maintaining the county\u2019s credit rating when other jurisdictions were being downgraded and \u201cbalancing the budget while developing a financing plan to compensate sexual assault victims<\/a> \u2014 the largest settlement of its kind in American history.\u201d<\/p>\n