An LA Times Blogpost asks readers to comment on who are L.A.'s greatest.  I submitted the following - all are folks who have worked hard to make LA a better place, with the majority of them helping launch new inititiatives that have had a positive impact. 

"Jimmy Lizama who founded the Bicycle Kitchen. Paolo Davanzo who launched the Echo Park Film Center. Liz Elliot and Shay Sanchez for starting CICLE. Lois Arkin who founded the L.A. Eco-Village. John Case for founding BikeStation, Mark Shandrow for serving as it's first Executive Director and Andrea White as its current Director. Eric Garcetti for his leadership as City Council President. Beth Steckler for her work as an affordable housing advocate. Andy Lipkis for founding TreePeople. Dorothy Green who helped start Heal the Bay. Lewis MacAdams for dreaming Friends of the LA River.   Melanie Winter for starting the River Project. Joe Linton for all his river & bike advocacy. James Rojas for his engaging work on public space. Joe Edminston who has led the Mountains and Recreation Authority. Chuck Arnold who helped build a pocket park along Ballona Creek. The Wilkensons for starting the Southern California Library. Kelly Martin for now leading the Bike Kitchen. Fernando Valenzuela for how he brought LA together. Bert Corona for fighting for undocumented workers.  Sara Deliedan., Emily Scott, Jenny Price and Therese Kelly for imagining the LA Urban Rangers. The father/son team that just opened Eagle Rock Brewery. Bob Gottlieb at Occidental College for Arroyofest and the Bike Summit. Jonathan Parfrey for launching the Green LA Coalition and Stephanie Taylor for currently leading it. Jen Klausner and the crew at the LA County Bicycle Coalition. The thousands of Angelenos who have started bicycling in the last couple of years, installing solar power, planting community gardens, getting to know their neighbors and who have volunteered for various causes to improve the quality of life here."

This is by no means a comprehensive list, but it's certainly a start. I'm guessing I'll have some more blog posts on this subject.  Feel free to leave your own suggestions for LA's great on the LA Times site.