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Mellody Hobson steps down from LA28 committee
Mellody Hobson and George Lucas speak onstage during the preview of the now-open Lucas Museum of Narrative Art on Sept. 03, 2026. Hobson said this week she is stepping down from the LA28 Olympic committee.
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Stefanie Keenan
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Getty Images
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Mellody Hobson, investor and Lucas Museum co-founder, has stepped down from the LA28 Board of Directors, LA28 confirmed to LAist Wednesday.
In an email reviewed by LAist, Hobson said that the demands of steering the newly opened Lucas Museum were too great to continue serving on the 35-person board, which is led by Casey Wasserman.
The move comes after pressure from local activists who sought to meet with Hobson to raise their concerns about the Olympics and Paralympics, including how the Games would affect South Los Angeles where the Lucas Museum is located.
Rev. Gary Bernard Williams, a pastor in South L.A., told LAist late last month, weeks before the news of her departure, that he believed “she could be a person that could be a counterbalance to the other members of the committee that really do not have the same kind of care and concern for what happens to our people.”
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A separate report from L.A. County estimates major economic boost, but warns benefits will be uneven. -
Metro has a plan to deploy 1,750 additional buses for the Olympics and Paralympics. But that requires $1 billion in federal funds that hasn’t come through. -
Incumbent Karen Bass will face off against City Councilmember Nithya Raman for a position that must confront homelessness, policing and the 2028 Olympic Games.
Williams, a member of a coalition of labor and community groups called the Fair Games Coalition, said he saw Hobson as the group’s best shot at influencing the LA28 Board, which includes a number of allies of President Donald Trump as well as some city appointees.
Hobson did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
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