George Kieffer is a partner at the law firm Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, where he oversees regulatory and government-related matters. Previously, he chaired the commission charged with rewriting the Los Angeles City Charter — the first full revision in 75 years. Kieffer visited Zócalo to compare direct democracy between Zurich and Los Angeles. Before he took the stage, he told us a little more about himself.

Q. What do you consider to be the greatest simple pleasure?

A. Love.

Q. Where would we find you at 10 a.m. on a typical Saturday?

A. Working out.

Q. What do you do to clear your mind?

A. Take a walk.

Q. What music have you listened to today?

A. My own music, which I played before I left the house. I play keyboard and piano. I also listened to my two sons’ album, which they’ve just turned in to a record company.

Q. What do you wake up to in the mornings?

A. Coffee and oatmeal.

Q. When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

A. When I was five, I wanted to be a doctor, but I was over it by the time I was six.

Q. What is your most prized material possession?

A. My piano.

Q. What should you throw away but haven’t been able to part with?

A. Old charter reform papers.

Q. What is your favorite thing about Los Angeles?

A. The weather.

Q. Who is the one person living or dead you would most like to meet for dinner?

A. Thomas Jefferson.

To read about Kieffer’s event, click here.

*Photo by Aaron Salcido.