Councilmember Lauren Meister has selected Kimberly Winick as her direct appointee to the West Hollywood Public Safety Commission, choosing geographic diversity as a key factor in her decision among 10 qualified applicants.
Meister announced her selection at Tuesday’s City Council meeting, filling the vacancy left by George Nickle’s recent resignation. Nickle, who was appointed to the Public Safety Commission in 2022 and ran unsuccessfully for City Council in 2024, announced his departure in November after he and his husband decided to move out of West Hollywood.
Geographic Representation Drove Decision
Meister told the Council she asked Staff to map out where the existing Public Safety commissioners live. Four commissioners are east of Fairfax and north of Santa Monica Boulevard. Two more live between La Cienega and Crescent Heights around Fountain Avenue.
“What I saw was a need to have someone from the southwest portion of our city in order to have some representation there,” Meister said at the meeting. “My choice is Kimberly Winick. She fits the bill for both west and south, as well as being well qualified to be a commissioner, as she has been on another commission previously.”
Winick Brings Legal and Civic Background
Winick is an attorney who specializes in commercial law and business bankruptcy with nearly 40 years of experience. She put herself on sabbatical in 2023 to travel and currently serves as president of the Pasadena Symphony Association, a position she will hold through September 2026.
She previously served as Secretary of the West Hollywood West Residents Association and has been active in neighborhood civic life for more than 20 years. She’s a homeowner and resident of West Hollywood West since 1985. She served as Chairperson of the Transportation and Mobility Commission, appointed by former Council member Sepi Shyne, from March 2023 to February 2025.
During her time on the Transportation and Mobility Commission, Winick served on the Fountain Avenue Streetscape Project Steering Committee, working on the controversial protected bike lane project. She is an avid cyclist and swimmer who previously served on the board of the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition around 2019-2020.
Winick recently lost her husband Larry.
Focus on Public Safety and Community Engagement
Winick told WEHOonline she applied for the commission seat because she wants to help maintain and improve the environment in West Hollywood.
“I’ve lived here since 1985 and have always walked in relative comfort and confidence day and night,” Winick said. “In the past few years I sometimes am uncomfortable at night. Many neighbors are very nervous about personal safety and about property crimes. By serving on the commission I hope to better understand what is actually happening and to help find ways to improve our public safety.”
She said she wants to find ways to get people out of their homes, walking more and enjoying the city’s parks and streets. “Streets are safer when they aren’t empty,” Winick said.
Winick also sees connections between her previous commission work and her new role. “I believe that there is a strong relationship between transportation and mobility and public safety, and I hope to promote dialogue and coordination between the two,” she said.
“I believe that I add diversity to the commission, and bring additional perspectives,” Winick told WEHOonline. “I own my home. I maintain an edible yard. I am over 65, female, and straight. I have been active in my neighborhood association for more than 20 years. I walk or ride my bicycle most days.”
Winick will be sworn in at the February Public Safety Commission meeting.
Meister Suggests Geographic Review for Future Appointments
Meister thanked all applicants and suggested that future Council members consider geographic representation when making at-large appointments to city commissions. She asked the City Clerk to provide similar mapping for future commission openings.
“Even though all of our commissioners are supposed to represent all of our residents and all of our city, especially with public safety, each one is coming with their own experience, their own living experience, their neighborhoods,” Meister said. “I felt that it was important to have neighborhoods in the southwest area represented.”
The appointment comes during Meister’s final year on the City Council. Due to the term limit initiative passed by voters in 2013, council members are limited to three full terms. Meister was first elected in 2015 and re-elected in 2019 and 2022.
Winick will serve for the balance of Meister’s term, with the full commission term expiring in February 2027. The Public Safety Commission advises the City Council on law enforcement policies, public safety programs, and community safety initiatives.
There is NO ONE BETTER to serve our Public Safety Council than Kimberly Winick, FULL STOP!
Tell millionaire Meister that no one uses bike lanes. There are bike Lanes throughout the entire San Fernando Valley and nobody uses them. You could stand for hours on some days and not see a single bike come down the bike Lanes on Santa Monica Boulevard. It’s this kind of disconnect that causes people to lose faith in government. Why did we just replace the sidewalk on Crescent Heights and fountain? That was a waste of money. Put a left Arrow light on Fountain and Santa Monica Boulevard. Make it so we don’t have to press the button for the… Read more »