Los Angeles County Chief Executive Officer Facia Davenport, who has been on medical leave since October, has announced she will resign next month.
In a linkedin postDavenport said she was leaving county service to “focus on my health and well-being.”
A notice to the board of supervisors provided to The Times on Saturday said he had decided to step down on April 16, “primarily based on hereditary and ongoing health issues that emerged late last year, the risks of which have become apparent based on recent medical testing and consultation with my doctors.”
He said that the “extraordinary amount of time and energy” required by the chief executive played a role in his decision.
“Although I originally assumed I would be able to return to my position, I now know that I will not be able to do the work that needs to be done while prioritizing my health,” she told supervisors.
Supervisor Katherine Barger released a statement Saturday saying, “I am disappointed in Facia Davenport’s decision to step down. Her dedication and accomplishments over nearly three decades have left a lasting impact on Los Angeles County.”
Davenport, who was appointed to the county’s top post in 2021, received an undisclosed $2 million settlement last summer to compensate for the damage done to his “professional reputation” from Measure G, a voter-approved ballot measure that would soon eliminate his position.
In a July 8 letter released by the county attorney in October through a public records request, Davenport said she sought $2 million in compensation for “the reputational damage, embarrassment, and physical, emotional and mental distress caused by Measure G.”
Under Measure G, which voters approve in 2024, the county chief executive, who manages the county government and oversees its budget, would be elected by voters rather than appointed by the board. The elected county executive will be established by 2028.
“Measure G” has had and will have an unprecedented impact on my professional reputation, health, career, income and retirement,” Davenport wrote to county attorney Dawin Harrison. He said it “irreversibly changed my life, my professional career, economic outlook and future plans.”
At the time the payments were disclosed, Davenport had begun medical leave, at which time she said she expected to return to work early this year.
A long email to your staff, Posted on LAistwho first revealed her resignation, said that an unspecified “health crisis” had affected her three siblings and posed a risk to her that “has become clear based on recent medical testing and consultations with my doctors.”
His brother Raymond died in 2018 after “experiencing a sudden health crisis,” he said. Two of her other sisters survived the same health crisis last year, she said, but one will now need 24-hour care for the rest of her life.
“Although I am not out of the woods yet, I am grateful to the board for focusing on my health and equipping me with the knowledge I need to make informed decisions,” she wrote.
The Office of the Chief Executive issued a statement Saturday saying Chief Operating Officer Joe Nichitta will continue to serve as acting chief executive while Davenport remains on medical leave.
“We appreciate Fessia’s nearly three decades of service to Los Angeles County and all the work it has done on behalf of its residents and communities,” the statement said.
Davenport listed several accomplishments in her letter to the board, including establishing five new departments to maintain the county’s credit rating when other jurisdictions were being downgraded and “balancing the budget while developing a financing plan to compensate sexual assault victims – the largest settlement of its kind in American history.”
Those payments have now come under scrutiny after a Times investigation found that some plaintiffs were paid to join the class action lawsuit.
