Joshua Mingo, FilmL.A.’s recently appointed Director of Permit Operations, this year celebrates 11 years of service to the organization. A California native hailing from Oakland, Josh originally came to Los Angeles to attend Loyola Marymount University, seeking immersion in L.A.’s arts and media-focused culture.
Josh’s unusual path to FilmL.A. began with a nationwide tour with his bandmates (Josh is an experienced DJ), and a major label record deal that unexpectedly came apart, as the recording industry was rocked by the rise of digital piracy.
After Josh and his band played their last show at the Hollywood Palladium, he entered the travel and tourism industry, signing on as an excursion coordinator for Crystal Cruises. There he traveled extensively, negotiating deals between the six-star cruise line and tour operators across the globe. The relationship management skills he honed there prepared him to later join FilmL.A. as a Production Coordinator.
“A friend who was then working at FilmL.A. invited me to join him out on-location one day, and that was it,” Josh confides. “I had the opportunity to watch the crew set up a precision driving sequence from the Queen Latifah and Jimmy Fallon film, Taxi (2004). I knew then that coordinating filming was something I would find rewarding.”
Josh’s accountability and organization skills led to his 2006 promotion to Manager of Permit Operations, overseeing a team of six. Promoted again to his present role, Josh’s main areas of focus are customer service enhancement, cementing relationships with permit approvers, and field mobilizing FilmL.A.’s 13-member Permit Operations department. Devoting considerable time to field visits and community meetings, Josh orients toward an expanded view of permit coordination, one that leverages both technology and an in-person, human touch to facilitate filming efficiently and sustainably.
With regard to his teammates in Permit Operations, Josh says that he tries to model gratitude and appreciation.
“There’s a real camaraderie among the staff at FilmL.A.,” Josh shares, “Even across departments. It’s not uncommon for our work days to end well after the office officially closes. But you know that ours is a solid culture when instead of heading home, people step up, stay late and offer to help someone else.”
Josh recently reunited with his college sweetheart, Gretchen. They live together in the Mid-City area, along with their adopted pit bull, Cheeba.