Absolutely. Let’s turn “Eric Kim → LA County Marketing Director (or equivalent influence)” from idea to action—fast, bold, and strategic.

First, the reality check (so we play the game to win)

• LA County doesn’t usually have a single “Marketing Director” for the entire government. The County’s Countywide Communications team inside the Chief Executive Office runs the main brand touchpoints: the County Channel, all @CountyofLA social media, and LACounty.gov. That’s the closest thing to a central marketing org.  
• Departments hire their own comms leaders (Public Information Officers, strategic comms chiefs, etc.) and post civil-service roles on the County’s centralized jobs portal.  

Translation: Your fastest path is to position yourself as (a) a high-impact creative/strategic partner to the CEO’s Countywide Communications team and (b) a go‑to creative lead for key departments—while staying eligible for formal roles and RFPs.

Three winning paths (you can pursue all three in parallel)

1) 

External Partner / Consultant to LA County

What to do:

1. Register as a County vendor (WebVen)—this is step zero for paid work.  
2. Activate Vendor Self‑Service (VSS) so you can submit proposals electronically.  
3. Track and respond to open solicitations—filters by department and service (“marketing,” “video,” “creative,” “digital comms”).  
4. Know the rules: the County itself says unsolicited proposals are rarely accepted, so prioritize live RFPs/RFQs.  
5. Consider preference programs (LSBE/SE/DVBE) if you qualify—these can give bid advantages.  

Who to approach first (for a pilot):

• Countywide Communications (CEO)—they manage @CountyofLA, County Channel, and the main site. Media/press contact: pio@ceo.lacounty.gov; central desk: (213) 974‑1311.  

2) 

Artist‑in‑Residence / Creative Strategist inside a Department

LA County has a Creative Strategist – Artist in Residence program that embeds creatives within County departments to design and deliver public‑facing programs and campaigns. This is tailor‑made for your hybrid artist‑photographer‑storyteller superpower. 

Best‑fit departments for you: Arts & Culture, Parks & Recreation, Beaches & Harbors, Public Library, Department of Economic Opportunity, DCBA (small business and entrepreneurship). (Use the Countywide Public Information Officers directory to get the right decision‑makers.) 

3) 

Civil‑Service Leadership (Director/PIO/Strategic Comms)

Set alerts for Director/Manager/PIO roles in marketing/communications across the 37 departments via the County’s career portal; sample classification: Public Information Officer. 

Your punchy 90‑day plan (what you’ll deliver)

Days 1–10: Discovery & fast wins

• Listening tour with Countywide Comms + 3–5 priority departments.
• Rapid audit of @CountyofLA social, County Channel programming, and the lacounty.gov content funnels; identify 10 “one‑week” optimizations.  

Days 11–45: Pilot campaigns (test, learn, amplify)

• “88 Stories”: weekly photo‑essay + micro‑doc series spotlighting residents, small businesses, libraries, beaches, parks—human‑centred County services made cinematic.
• “County Makers”: portrait series of County frontline workers + tools; hook into County Channel + @CountyofLA cross‑posts.  

Days 46–90: Scale & institutionalize

• Build a reusable Content Playbook (formats, hooks, templates, shot lists) and Distribution Map (YouTube, Instagram, X, County Channel, newsletter).
• Stand up a metrics cockpit (reach, engagement, site sessions to high‑value pages, event RSVPs, program applications). Tie content drops to real services (library cards, parks programs, small business certifications).

Success metrics (examples):

• +X% engagement on @CountyofLA and County Channel series; +X% traffic to program pages; measurable lift in signups or applications where a call‑to‑action exists. (You’ll agree exact KPI baselines with Countywide Communications.)  

One‑screen email you can send 

today

Subject: Pilot creative partnership to supercharge LA County storytelling — Eric Kim

To: pio@ceo.lacounty.gov

CC: relevant department PIOs (from the County PIO directory)

Hi Countywide Communications Team,

I’m Eric Kim—LA‑based photographer, filmmaker, and publisher. I’d love to pilot a 90‑day creative sprint with your team to elevate the County Channel, @CountyofLA, and lacounty.gov stories with cinematic micro‑docs, photo‑essays, and momentum‑driving calls‑to‑action that move residents to services.

Pilot deliverables:

• 8–12 micro‑docs (30–60s) for County Channel + social

• 24 portrait/photo‑essay stories (“88 Stories” concept)

• A reusable content playbook + analytics cockpit

Why me: A decade+ crafting viral, human‑centered visuals and essays; deep love for LA; proven ability to ship high‑quality work quickly with minimal crew.

If helpful, I’m already registering in WebVen and can respond to any live RFPs. Could we schedule 30 minutes next week to align on priorities and pick 2–3 programs to feature first?

Grateful for your time—

Eric Kim

(portfolio/handles here)

(Countywide Communications scope & contacts; vendor and RFP process; PIO directory for CCs.) 

Procurement & compliance checklist (so nothing slows you down)

• WebVen vendor registration (required to transact).  
• Submit through VSS for electronic bids; follow submission instructions on each solicitation.  
• Target live RFPs/RFQs (marketing, video, outreach, creative services).  
• Preference programs (LSBE/SE/DVBE) if eligible; can provide bid advantages.  
• Know the County’s purchasing policies & T&Cs (saves time at contracting).  
• Reality check: Unsolicited proposals are seldom accepted—aim for posted opportunities or a clearly scoped pilot the County can slot into existing mechanisms.  

Bonus: aim at the right “marketing” target

If the goal is tourism marketing the destination “Los Angeles,” that’s primarily the Los Angeles Tourism & Convention Board (nonprofit DMO for the City of LA). LA County’s central comms is focused on public services and civic storytelling. You can pursue both tracks. 

What I’d do this week (maximum momentum)

1. Fire off the email above to Countywide Communications; cc 2–3 department PIOs you’re most excited about.  
2. Complete WebVen and set alerts for “marketing,” “video,” “communications” solicitations.  
3. Prep a 5‑slide pilot deck with 3 sample story treatments (“88 Stories,” “County Makers,” “Library Love”), a light shooting plan, and a KPI dashboard mock.
4. Reach out to Arts & Culture to explore an Artist‑in‑Residence/Creative Strategist placement aligned to your style.  

Eric—this is your arena. Your lens, your voice, our county. Let’s make LA County’s stories hit like a heartbeat and move people to action.