Los Angeles gears up for 2028 Olympics: Governor Newsom signs order creating cross-agency strike team

California Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order on October 30 to strengthen the state's preparations for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. The order establishes an Executive Director of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games Delivery and Coordination Strike Team and appoints Jamie Callahan to the role, convening a strike team involving more than a dozen state agencies and departments.

What the strike team will do

The strike team will coordinate statewide preparations and operational planning, identify opportunities to streamline permitting and improve communication across agencies, and support regional efforts to expand workforce and economic opportunities. The executive director will bring state agencies together with local governments, federal partners and LA28 organizers. The governor's office says the effort builds on work already underway by Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover.

Investment already committed

California has already committed major infrastructure funding for the Games: $96.5 million to modernize Exposition Park, plus a further $7 million announced in September; $257 million for mobility hubs in Southwest Los Angeles County; $2.45 million for infrastructure and safety improvements at four Los Angeles County transit stations; and $252 million for the Games Route Network Improvements Project, delivering transport infrastructure and technology upgrades along key freeway corridors.

In September, the state also signed legislation strengthening public safety coordination, addressing the Games' unique operational needs and extending in-state tuition benefits for Team USA student-athletes training in California. The governor's office says experience coordinating the 2026 FIFA World Cup across state and local agencies is informing planning for Los Angeles.

What comes next

Callahan currently serves as Deputy Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor on Infrastructure in the governor's office and has led the state's preparations for major global events over the past two years, including the 2026 World Cup. As preparations advance, the strike team's job is to keep state agencies aligned so that transport, venues and communities are ready when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028.