**Rick Caruso at Connect LA 2025: “We’re Going to Continue to Serve the Community”**
Reflecting on the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic, Rick Caruso recalled believing that such a disruptive crisis wouldn’t strike again anytime soon. But by early 2025, the Los Angeles region faced new turmoil with the Altadena and Palisades wildfires—yet another chapter without a playbook.
At Connect Los Angeles 2025, Caruso joined CBRE’s Lew Horne for a keynote conversation, during which he shared how his company and community weathered both the pandemic and these most recent natural disasters. Throughout it all, Caruso said he and his team operated by a few clear principles: prioritize people and maintain spaces where community life could continue.
“We’re dependent on people connecting, living, experiencing life,” Caruso said, referring to his company’s retail centers, apartment properties, and Montecito resort. During the pandemic, remaining open—even partially—became a lifeline for local residents. But staying open came with its own costs, as revenues plummeted while expenses surged. In some cases, they paid city-imposed fines simply for offering safe spaces with tables and chairs.
“We’re going to continue to serve the community,” Caruso affirmed.
He credited his team for their resilience and strategic thinking, both during COVID and again post-wildfires. “I’ve really been lucky with a great team of people,” he said. “And it’s that same team that’s figuring out how to rebuild Altadena, Pasadena, and Malibu.”
Caruso was deeply affected by what he witnessed during January’s wildfires—not just the scale of devastation, but also the apparent breakdowns in emergency response. “The failure of leadership at so many levels was beyond what anybody could believe,” he told the audience.
From that void in leadership, a new effort emerged: Steadfast LA. Launched by Caruso, the private-sector initiative is designed to expedite community rebuilding and fill critical gaps in emergency response by providing first responders with essential equipment.
“Our fire department in LA city—considering the amount of taxes we all pay—does not have enough emergency equipment, most of the time, to save people’s lives,” he said. “They’re borrowing it from other stations, or from hospitals.”
Having previously served as a Los Angeles commissioner under three mayors, Caruso has also publicly pursued political office. When asked by an audience member what changes he would prioritize if elected governor, he pointed to key state-wide issues.
“We’re over-regulated. We’re overly taxed. And we don’t have affordable housing,” he said. “You can’t keep businesses here if they can’t house their employees, because they can’t grow here. And so we can solve all of that.”
Through leadership in both the private and public sphere, Caruso continues to advocate for a future that blends business success with deep community impact. His commitment remains clear: no matter the crisis, continue to serve.
