Introducing SIPA’s 2026 Class Day speaker...@EricGarcetti MIA '93.
A distinguished alumnus of Columbia SIPA who has served as the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles and as US Ambassador to India, Garcetti currently serves as ambassador for global climate diplomacy for the UN Climate Change Conference 2025 (COP30) in Brazil. He has built a career at the intersection of public service, diplomacy, and global engagement, and his work on urban policy, climate initiatives, and international partnerships has positioned him as a prominent voice on the global stage.
Eric Garcetti will deliver the keynote address at SIPA’s 2026 Class Day ceremony on May 21, 2026.
Learn more at the link in bio.
I joined my dear friend and sister mayor @mayorkategallego on @climateonepod 's latest episode on how cities are not giving up the fight, we are leading the fight on climate action to protect our neighborhoods, our people, and create good jobs. Check it out--link in bio.
Loved this conversation with @cleo_carney3 and @victoria_riskin of @bluedotliving 3 generations of climate conversation and positive actions. Link in bio or on Spotify and Apple...
Climbed up to the top of Mt Hollywood to visit Tom LaBonge Panorama, a viewpont I dedicated to Mr. LA, @tomlabonge , when I was mayor. Tim left us five years ago this week. Today, hikers left notes to Tom and one left a loaf of pumpkin bread, a gift he gave so often to Angelenos along with his heart and his work to make our city sparkle. He was truly (as he would often say about others) an Angel in the City of Angels. We miss you every day, my brother. Rest in Service.
(2/2) May the year ahead remind us of the power of kindness and courage, of our mutual obligations to one another and the power we all still hold to write the next chapters in our lives and our world. Happy New Year everyone.
Socotra
Michigan
Wyoming
Greenland
Denmark
Brazil
Malta
Griffith Park
Manhattan
City of Angels
(1/2) 2025 took me places new and familiar, extraordinary moments and locations around the world. Most important to me were the experiences of love and connection across cultures, oceans and days that this year gifted us and the time to reflect that I had for the first time in decades. We are navigating through many uncharted waters but as the year closes I'm grateful to 2025 and to loved ones and new friends for time shared together.
Himalayas
Ladakh
Delhi
Chhattisgarh
Italy
Jaipur
Altadena
Palm Desert
Kazakhstan
Uzbekistan
Kyrgyzstan
New York
Paris
Osaka
Kyoto
Hans Zimmer plays.
“Dream Is Collapsing.”
I start at the top of the mountain.
Slow, controlled, deliberate.
Flying a Robinson R44, descending toward the shoreline.
From above, the story unfolds without dialogue.
What once were homes
Dreams built over lifetimes
Reduced to outlines, ash, and silence.
As you get closer to the coast, the scale becomes undeniable.
Entire neighborhoods erased.
Places that defined the California dream gone.
Malibu.
The coastline.
Some of the most beautiful land in America.
Destroyed.
This was filmed after the fire settled.
After the smoke cleared.
When the truth was impossible to ignore.
No flames.
No drama.
Just devastation.
I wasn’t watching history from a screen.
I was there flying through it.
This is not content.
This is a moment in American history.
A reminder of how fragile everything is—
And how quickly it can all disappear.
#MalibuFires
#CaliforniaFires
#AmericanHistory
#NeverForget
#CaliforniaCoast
Malibu
AerialPerspective
R44
RobinsonHelicopter
FireAftermath
ClimateReality
DocumentingHistory
FromAbove
WhenTheSmokeClears
A year ago, while serving as Ambassador to India, I got to see @jasoncollins_98 in the Kingdom of Bhutan (which was also my responsibility from Delhi) with his wonderful husband Brunson. Jason and I are alums of the same high school and as mayor we honored his athletic accomplishments and history-making personal courage many times and I loved getting to know him and consider him a friend. Now, he is taking his incredible qualities and strength to a new fight as he battles his health diagnosis. I couldn't be prouder of you, Jason--the bravery and fearlessness you've always brought to our city and our world and just as we did when you were on the court, know this city loves you and is rooting for you once again.
🇺🇸 Diplomatic passports retired, but the friendships (and stories) keep flying.
From Costa Rica 🇨🇷 to India 🇮🇳 to Croatia 🇭🇷—three continents, and always back to Los Angeles.
Grateful for this global journey with two extraordinary Angelenos who’ve served with heart and purpose. 🗺️✨
Cynthia Telles @ericgarcetti
📸: @sandovalmedia
To a man who has always reached for the stars and shown us how to treat people with love, we send our love--you will walk through this as you have every challenge in life. Strength and love from your City of Angels.
