Earl C. Paysinger to lead USC Civic Engagement

Earl C. Paysinger has been named vice president of civic engagement for USC University Relations, effective Friday.

Paysinger comes to USC with 40 years of experience at the Los Angeles Police Department where he served with distinction, most recently as first assistant chief, the No. 2 executive. While in this position, he simultaneously served as the director of the office of special operations and oversaw a variety of operational bureaus and divisions that augment the department’s law enforcement mission.

“We eagerly await Mr. Paysinger’s many contributions to our university and community as vice president of civic engagement,” said Thomas Sayles, senior vice president of USC University Relations.

Paysinger, who will report to Sayles, will expand the university’s relationship with neighborhoods and focus on initiatives to elevate residents’ social, physical and economic well-being.

Also, Paysinger will help design USC’s role in eradicating homelessness and will oversee our Good Neighbors Campaign – an effort that supports community organizations in the neighborhoods surrounding USC campuses. He also will oversee small business programs and other economic development measures.

Previously, Paysinger had served as the director of the office of operations under current Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck and former Chief William J. Bratton. Throughout Paysinger’s tenure, the department forged enduring partnerships with communities throughout the Los Angeles area. His hallmark achievements for neighborhoods included a revitalization of the 21 LAPD Area Community Relations offices. Paysinger empowered the office’s leadership to more effectively network and engage residents and members of the business community.

Revamped cadet program
Paysinger also re-engineered the LAPD Cadet Leadership program that provides more than 8,000 children with vital lessons in academic excellence, character, and judgment. Participants in the program boast a 91 percent graduation rate from high school, with many later attending elite universities and institutions.

Paysinger holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from California State University, Long Beach and is a graduate of the FBI’s Command College and the West Point Leadership Command and Development Program. He has served as a member on the National Football League Ad Hoc Committee on Youth Delinquency, a special consultant for the Josephson Institute of Ethics Police Advisory Council and a board member for Goodwill Industries of Southern California.