Susan Nissman has worked as Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky’s senior field deputy for nearly 20 years, serving Malibu, Topanga, and many other Westside cities and unincorporated areas.
During that time she took the lead on an initiative to ban the use of plastic bags, as well as the creation of a community-based emergency management plan. She has also worked to improve public safety along Pacific Coast Highway through collaborations with Caltrans and represents Yaroslavsky on the Santa Monica Bay Restoration Commission and Santa Monica Mountains Fire Safety Alliance.
A resident of Topanga since the 1970s, Nissman was a longtime community activist concerned with preserving Topanga’s canyons and the natural beauty of the Santa Monica Mountains before she began working for Yaroslavsky.
“I have always loved the landscapes in the mountains of California and grew up camping and going up to the Sierras, the beaches and had a lot of experiences in nature,” Nissman said. “When I ended up in Topanga, I just felt like it was beautiful and needed protecting.”
She met Yaroslavsky in 1994 when both of them spoke out against a development proposal on 652 acres in Topanga Canyon. The project was eventually rejected and the land became publicly owned and run by the county as Summit Valley Ed Edelman Park. Intrigued by Yaroslavsky’s similar desire to protect natural landscapes, Nissman applied to be his Westside representative after Yaroslavsky won his supervisor seat in 1994.
“I believe government can be a positive force; it shouldn’t be a burden to overcome. So, bringing good government to the people we serve has always been the overriding goal,” Nissman said.
After Yaroslavsky’s final term as county supervisor ends this year, Nissman said she is leaving “the door open” for the next phase of her life. She also plans on spending more time working in her art studio.