Jeremy Fitzl’s Mission: Service, Leadership, and Growth in Downey

DOWNEY — A large, striking frame dressed in a suit, with a booming voice and his coffee in hand, it’s hard to miss Jeremy Fitzl. Whether he’s busy with Kiwanis, The YMCA, or checking up on one of L’Abri’s thousands of properties, it’s not hard to find him somewhere around town.

Fitzl says he’s been involved in Downey for around 25 years, when he began working for Ron Kolar at L’Abri Management; a property management company that oversees thousands of properties. In that time, he has worked himself up through the ranks, becoming managing partner and – effectively - Kolar’s right-hand man.

“We have 6,000 apartments now, and a lot of them here in the city of Downey,” said Fitzl. “It’s overseeing the properties. We have managers on each property, it’s overseeing that team. It’s overseeing our corporate office staff, and them paying the bills and doing what we have to do here.”

In addition to his work at L’Abri, Fitzl has maintained an active status amongst Downey’s volunteer community, notably with the Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis Club and the Kolar Family (formerly Downey) YMCA.

With the Kiwanis Club, he currently serves as treasurer. His most notable contribution, however, is likely his chairing of the Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis Golf Tournament, most recently netting $80,000 towards scholarships, Living Health, Key Club, and some of the club’s other philanthropic endeavors.

Claude Bilodeau, current president of the Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis club, called Fitzl “a huge asset.”

“Jeremy is a true difference maker,” said Bilodeau. “His commitment and positive leadership inspires all of us. He’s a very talented and valuable asset to our Kiwanis club.”

Fitzl said “the more you get involved, you strengthen a community.”

“People, they come together; they support each other,” said Fitzl. “Whether we’re working with ARC, or Keep Downey Beautiful, or putting on the [Downey Los Amigos Kiwanis] golf tournament, to make sure that we’re raising enough funds to invest back into the community.”

He says what he most enjoys about Downey is the people.

“My best friend Chris Tassos, he grew up here. A lot of my fraternity brothers – Andy Zweber, John Wehage – these guys grew up here and then I met them at USC,” said Fitzl. “I know the kind of character that they are, and it’s kind of ironic that that character of people are my closest friends and then I come into this city, and those are the kind of people that we have here in this city, and that’s why it’s so great.

“I’ve spent a lot of time here. Kirk Cartozian, Steve Luzzi with Steve Luzzi Automotive, Steve Roberson with Century 21, just a lot of people, a lot of businesses, a lot of people who own businesses are just good friends, good people … that just care about the city and love it; that’s what makes the city so great.”

Fitzl came from McHenry, Illinois, a “small little farm town of mostly corn fields” northwest of Chicago.

“I didn’t really know Downey until I started working with L’Abri,” said Fitzl. “I came out here in ’92 at USC to go to school, and went to get my bachelors in business and a bachelors in religion. I met Ron Kolar there, who has been so involved in Downey.

“When I started working for him, obviously all the buildings we manage, I started running around Downey, and I started getting involved in the city.”

While Fitzl may now be a main fixture at L’Abri, he actually got his start in the restaurant business.

“I was kind of excited about it, and doing the entrepreneur program at USC, wanting to start my own restaurant,” said Fitzl.

Along with a business partner, Fitzl opened up a healthy concept quick service restaurant in Manhattan Beach. It didn’t come easy though.

“It’s hard,” said Fitzl. “Twenty hours in the store, four hours in the back of my truck sleeping, and then I’d go right back in the store. Those were the first three months; that was pretty brutal.”

Kolar – who Fitzl says had been trying to recruit him since early on – was finally able to persuade Fitzl to come work for him by pitching the family angle.

“It was a more family environment. He was like, ‘Hey, this this the kind of business that runs during the day,’” said Fitzl. “I was married already. I got married young; 23 years old. I was already kind of feeling the effects of ‘If we’re going to have kids, how am I going to spend time?’

“The struggle was real. Ron already kept saying, ‘Come work with me.’ The opportunity came up, he said, ‘Come work with me,’ and I said, ‘You know what? I’m going to take advantage of this.’ I told my business partner at the time, ‘Hey, I’ve got to get out. Let’s settle this and separate ways’ and I got into apartment business because it was more family oriented.”

Fitzl and wife Richelle – a former teacher in Downey - have two sons, ages 17 and 15. Residents of the South Bay, Fitzl says “we do the beach thing.”

“We’re down at the beach a lot of times. We walk the strand because we’re right there,” said Fitzl.

They are also a big sports family, both active and as spectators. One of their favorite teams, naturally, are the USC Trojans.

“Of course, we go to the USC basketball games and the USC football games,” said Fitzl. “Because we’re into sports and athletics, we get involved in that stuff. That’s basically our down time.”

There will come a time eventually when Fitzl will take over in Kolar’s stead, though he is in no rush. Until that time, he continues to glean what he can from his longtime mentor.

“I plan on never being able to fill the shoes of Ron Kolar, but to be like him as much as I possibly can,” said Fitzl, who is 50. “I don’t plan to retire. I don’t plan on not doing what I’m doing right now until I can’t do it any more either; physically, mentally, etc.

“My plans are to continue to run the company and be involved in all the things [I currently am], helping my boys get in the right spot in their life, and whatever assistance they may need as much as possible…besides that, that’s it.”