OREANDA-NEWS. September 14, 2016. We note with profound regret the passing of Edmund D. Edelman, who joined the RAND Corporation as a senior fellow in 1995 after nearly 30 years as an elected official in Los Angeles. At RAND, he contributed to projects on homelessness, policing, and the governance of local water agencies, among others, and educated the staff about the complexities of local government.

“Ed Edelman was a strong believer in measuring the effectiveness of government-provided services,” said Michael D. Rich, president and chief executive officer of RAND. “Much as he strived to make Los Angeles County government better meet the needs of the public, he helped RAND make its research more relevant and useful, not only for public officials but for the citizens they serve.”

Edelman, a former member of the Los Angeles City Council and the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, said he viewed working at RAND as an extension of his long career in public service. He planned to use RAND's “great resources to reach out to the community,” he told the Los Angeles Times in 1994.

He initially made a one-year commitment to the Santa Monica-based research organization, but his contributions were so valued his tenure was extended several times. He stayed for seven years, leaving in 2002.

Edelman was also an accomplished amateur cellist who performed at RAND's 50th anniversary celebration in 1998 and at commencement ceremonies at what is now the Pardee RAND Graduate School.

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