Before closing the books on 2020, the Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DLBA) congratulates Javier Luteman and Jose Monarrez for earning the distinction of Clean and Safe Team Employees of the Quarter (October – December). These team members deserve special recognition for adapting to the changes imposed by the COVID-19 health crisis while continuing to represent DLBA on the streets of Downtown.
“The nature of our Team’s jobs has evolved since COVID-19 started,” said Clean and Safe Team Program Manager Sergio Andrades. “The focus of the Team is now primarily to keep Downtown’s ‘high touch’ areas such as street light buttons and parking meters disinfected and clean. We take pride in doing our very best to help keep COVID-19 in check. Javier and Jose are doing a great job addressing this challenge every day.”
Luteman, born and raised in Long Beach, is a graduate of Woodrow Wilson High School. He has enjoyed employing his people skills as a member of the Clean and Safe Team for the last year and a half. He is looking forward to the return of the “Downtown guide” aspect of his job: greeting out-of-towners, recommending restaurants, and giving directions. “Honestly, it’s not the same right now,” said Luteman. Still, he represents the Clean and Safe Team with good humor and strong energy, interacting with folks on Downtown streets and helping keep the mood buoyant.
A sports enthusiast who loves the Los Angeles Rams, Luteman enjoys hiking in and around San Pedro, taking in the views at Point Fermin and Cabrillo Beach. He is interested in pursuing advanced training in the security field.
Monarrez, who has been a Clean and Safe Team member for about eight months, is also an athlete, keeping himself in top shape to one day realize his dream of becoming an officer with the Long Beach Police Department. His education in Public Service at the Diego Rivera Learning Complex in South Los Angeles has prepared him to live that dream as well.
“It’s great to be part of a positive force Downtown during the COVID-19 crisis with this hard-working team,” said Monarrez. “We’ve been carrying on with our Downtown duties, maintaining the six-foot distance and always being masked up. We’re always ready to help keep Downtown clean and safe.”
Luteman and Monarrez’s perseverance and unflagging energy contribute to a feeling of optimism for the Team and Downtown stakeholders. “Clean and Safe Team members like Javier and Jose convey the feeling that Downtown Long Beach is in good hands,” said Andrades. “They help build confidence that Downtown will soon return to the way it was — and the way it should be.”