| | | | | | | | | | | |  Ralph L. Franklin
On September 16, 2003, Ralph L. Franklin was elected to the Inglewood City Council to represent the 4th Councilmanic District. His charismatic character and outstanding leadership resulted in his being elected to a second term of office onApril 3, 2007 and he now serves in his third term of office as of April 5, 2011.
Immediately prior to his election as Council Member, he served as the City of Inglewood's Chairman of the Parks and Recreation Commission for twelve years.
For over three decades, Councilman Franklin has demonstrated his civic commitment as Past Board Member of the State Employment Panel Commissionand continues todemonstrate civic commitment through his service as President of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists (CBTU) Southern California Chapter; President of the NAACP Inglewood/South Bay Branch; Chairman of the South Bay Metropolitan Transit Authority; First Vice President and Board Member on the South Bay Cities Council of Governments; Treasurer and Board Member with the Joint Powers Authority; Member of the Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance (APALA), AFL-CIO for more than a decade; Representative and Board Member of the Independent Cities Association, and Chair for the Census 2010 Inglewood Complete Count Committee. He is a Lifetime member of both the New Frontier Democratic Club and the NAACP and has displayed his spiritual commitment as a faithful member of Crenshaw Christian Center for more than 40 years.
Councilman Franklin was instrumental in bringing new business development projects to District 4 including the very successful Village at Century Shopping Center located on Century Boulevard. The Village at Century celebrated its grand opening in May 2006, and is a wonderful example of community revitalization boasting national name brand retailers and restaurants including Ross, Bed, Bath & Beyond, Children's Place, Michael's Crafts, Office Depot, Chili's Restaurant, Red Lobster Restaurant, and many other exciting stores.
The Imperial/Crenshaw Shopping Center is home to Burlington Coat Factory and celebrated its grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony in September 2008. It has been a tremendous addition to the city along with other name brand retailers including CVS Drug which opened during the summer of 2009, followed by the opening of Louisiana Fried Chicken and T -Mobile.
Both of these developments have reinvigorated our community by removing blight, providing jobs, and a very satisfying shopping experience for residents who now have a choice to patronize a wide array of name brand and specialty stores and food establishments.
The newest of a multi-year development wave in the City is the 238-acre parcel of the Hollywood Park Tomorrow project. This enormous project will house over 620,000 square feet of retail, nearly 3,000 market rate homes, and 4-acres of civic use development in District 4. It will also provide an array of stores, homes, and prevailing wage jobs to the Inglewood community.
Councilman Franklin hosts quarterly District 4 Town Hall Meetings to keep District 4 residents up-to-date on various city issues, programs, events, and activities happening in the City of Inglewood while focusing on topics of interest to the District 4 constituency.
Each year Councilman Franklin spends several months preparing for various District 4 Community activities such as the Community Clean-Up Day, which recruits numerous community volunteers to help beautify neighborhoods, and the American Cancer Society's Relay for Life Inglewood that raises desperately needed funds to help fund and find a cure for cancer. During the holiday season,he hosts the Annual "Miracle on Manchester" Thanksgiving Giveaway, which provides Thanksgiving food baskets to needy Inglewood families, along with the Annual Christmas Toy & Food Drive Celebration that solicits local businesses, organizations, and residents to donate toy and food items to assist needy families who have children who attend a District 4 elementary schools as well as other needy Inglewood families.
Councilman Franklin is active with the Boy Scouts of America where he has served in many leadership positions including Cub Master, Scout Master, District Commissioner, Wood Badge Staff, and District Silver Beaver Chairman. He has been awarded Cub Master of the Year, Scout Master of the Year, and the Silver Beaver Award for his outstanding leadership and volunteer efforts in preparing boys to become quality young men.
Councilman Franklin is an avid reader and goes to the District 4 elementary schools with the Read-a-Loud Program. He also participates in the Annual Career Day and Job Shadow Day programs made available through the Inglewood Unified School District and the Inglewood/Airport Area Chamber of Commerce. He has adopted many schools in District 4 and has provided personal financial assistance along with his time and energy to assist in obtaining much needed items and services for the various campuses including the School Campus Beautification Program at Monroe Middle School, along with both Century Park and Bennett-Kew Elementary Schools.
Councilman Franklin earned his Associate of Arts Degree in Business Management from Los Angeles City College, his Bachelor of Science in Business Management, with a Minor in Public Relations, from Woodbury University, and he has received a Special Certificate for the 2-year Food Marketing Management Program from the University of Southern California. Councilman Franklin and his wife, Juanita, have been residents of District 4 for over 35 years and have three adult children -- Felicia, Gabriella, and Ralph II, and one grandchild, Mariah.
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