Even more than its sunny skies, rich history and Hollywood glamor, L.A. is defined by its people. In “Making Los Angeles,” from LA Times Studios, native Angeleno Glenn Gritzner sits down with the dreamers and big-thinkers shaping the city to explore how they got where they are. The result is a singularly intimate deep dive into the incredible lives of everyone from entrepreneurs, politicians and brand-builders to artists, activists and influencers. Glenn is a partner at a global public affairs firm and a registered lobbyist. He is well-connected within the business and political communities of Los Angeles. Behind every L.A. icon is a human story. Hear a new one every week on “Making Los Angeles.” The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the production of this show.
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Even more than its sunny skies, rich history and Hollywood glamor, L.A. is defined by its people. In “Making Los Angeles,” from LA Times Studios, native Angeleno Glenn Gritzner sits down with the dreamers and big-thinkers shaping the city to explore how they got where they are. The result is a singularly intimate deep dive into the incredible lives of everyone from entrepreneurs, politicians and brand-builders to artists, activists and influencers. Glenn is a partner at a global public affairs firm and a registered lobbyist. He is well-connected within the business and political communities of Los Angeles. Behind every L.A. icon is a human story. Hear a new one every week on “Making Los Angeles.” The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the production of this show.
Lori Bettison-Varga: Running the Museum That Runs on Bones
Making Los Angeles
53 minutes 37 seconds
2 months ago
Lori Bettison-Varga: Running the Museum That Runs on Bones
What does it take to lead a museum with 110 years of Los Angeles history — and keep it moving forward in a city that never stands still?
Dr. Lori Bettison-Varga is the President of the Natural History Museum of L.A. County, home to more than 35 million artifacts and specimens, the largest such collection in the Western United States. In this episode, she shares how getting a PhD in geology — of all things — led her from the classroom to a college presidency, and eventually to the helm of one of the city’s most iconic cultural institutions.
We talk about the challenges of modernizing a 110-year-old institution, what it takes to stay rooted in science and community, and how she’s working to make the museum more reflective of the city it serves.
And yes — we finally settle whether there are actually dinosaur bones in the La Brea Tar Pits.
Plus: which fellow Making Los Angeles guest is she totally starstruck by? Listen to find out.
Making Los Angeles
Even more than its sunny skies, rich history and Hollywood glamor, L.A. is defined by its people. In “Making Los Angeles,” from LA Times Studios, native Angeleno Glenn Gritzner sits down with the dreamers and big-thinkers shaping the city to explore how they got where they are. The result is a singularly intimate deep dive into the incredible lives of everyone from entrepreneurs, politicians and brand-builders to artists, activists and influencers. Glenn is a partner at a global public affairs firm and a registered lobbyist. He is well-connected within the business and political communities of Los Angeles. Behind every L.A. icon is a human story. Hear a new one every week on “Making Los Angeles.” The LA Times editorial staff was not involved in the production of this show.
