LOS ANGELES, September 10, 2026 – Step into the bustling LA28 headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles today, and you’ll see an operation swelling at breakneck speed. Reynold Hoover, the retired three-star Army lieutenant general who took over as CEO in June 2024, remembers when the core organizing staff numbered just 120 people operating out of Westwood.
Now that staffing levels are approaching 950 and will expand to 5,000 with competition around the corner, the committee is making an aggressive shift from strategic planning to operational execution.
The reason why this shift to operations is important is the fact that staging the Summer Games is not only about athletic achievements but about performing the biggest logistics trick in a city known for its distrust of corporate white elephants and congested roads.
Relocating the head office straight to Downtown L.A. is a calculated move. According to Hoover, staging the Summer Games is supposed to be a tool for regenerating the urban center. There are some local businesses such as the Proper Hotel and Audio Graph Beer Co. that have already received the first waves of visitors.
In order for the local companies to have an advantage from the proceeds made through the Olympic Games, the organizing committee issued a total procurement projection earlier this spring. This gives the local firms a fair chance of bidding for the facilities and services well before any tickets are sold.
“Uplifting those businesses and getting them ready for games is really important for us,” Hoover emphasized, tying economic equity directly to the committee’s sustainability impact initiatives.
The delivery process relies greatly on advanced urban transport systems. As a commercial pilot and flight instructor, Hoover is very excited about all the new technological advancements that are going to be introduced in Southern California. Collaborations with Archer Aviation are working towards incorporating electric air taxis into the transportation system, alongside big projects such as the Automated People Mover train at LAX. Artificial intelligence and instant replay technology are part of what is going to transform operational tracking and stadium broadcasts.
Yet, technology alone won’t move millions of fans or clean up city blocks.
What about the human aspect? The civic volunteer movement. Ever since the community volunteer movement was launched late last year, the committee staff have been working hard at more than a few local service functions, combining regional beautification work with neighborhood outreach programs.
In terms of funding, LA28 continues to be completely self-funded, requiring no government grants by making use of domestic sponsors, broadcasting rights, and ticket sales. Striking that balance amid rising inflation nationally is a precarious path.
But there is certainly no shortage of difficult problems waiting to be solved—from optimizing the regional transit routes to planning the security footprint that covers several municipal boundaries.
However, with time ticking down before curtain up, Hoover’s plan stays firmly fixed on collaboration within the community. It’s not simply about staging a two-week production; it’s about leaving Southern California more efficiently operating and radiating brightly in the months and years after the cauldron fires have been extinguished.
