Long Beach, CA (July 22, 2025) — Please see below for a statement from Downtown Long Beach Alliance President and CEO Austin Metoyer on the passing of Rhonda Love, former member of the DTLB Alliance Board of Directors and 2025 Spirit of Downtown Award recipient:
“On behalf of the organization and the whole of Downtown, we were deeply saddened to hear of Rhonda’s passing. Rhonda served with distinction on the DTLB Alliance Board of Directors from 2020 to 2024. Throughout her life, including these last few months, she remained a tireless champion for Downtown and the East Village Arts District. She was a mentor to many, a visionary leader, and a fierce advocate for the arts and culture that continues to make Long Beach one of the region’s epicenters.
“Her passion and commitment left a lasting mark on our community, and there aren’t enough words to sum up how impactful she has been to the community. We will continue to honor her legacy through the DTLB Art + Design Walk this upcoming weekend – an initiative she brought to us post-pandemic, which led to the creation of the Artists Village concept. This project and this event were close to her heart and reflected her belief in empowering local creatives and providing them with safe spaces to develop. She believed in the power of local creativity to bring people together. Rhonda will be profoundly missed, but her spirit will live in the many lives she connected with throughout Long Beach and our greater community.
“On a personal note, I owe a lot to Rhonda. During a tumultuous time due to the pandemic and transition within our own organization, Rhonda remained a guiding and calming voice on the Board. When I assumed my current role, she was a constant advisor and friend and continued to put her faith and trust in the work we were doing. Rhonda was family and she saw all of us as part of her family. My heart and love go out to her partner in life, Greg, and to her entire family.
“Please see below for photos highlighting the great vibrance Rhonda brought to everything that she did.”
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About: The Downtown Long Beach Alliance (DTLB Alliance) is a nonprofit, community-based organization whose mission is to cultivate, preserve and promote a healthy, safe, and prosperous Downtown. The DTLB Alliance is recognized as the voice of Downtown Long Beach by the City of Long Beach and the State of California. By balancing the interests of the residents, as well as businesses, the organization creates tangible progress by way of vested interest and solidified partnerships across local, municipal, and commercial lines. For additional information, visit www.downtownlongbeach.org and follow on Facebook @downtownlongbeach, on “X” (formerly Twitter) @dtlballiance and Instagram @dtlballiance.