Kelli Bernard
EVP & National Cities Leader, Los Angeles
AECO
Kelli Bernard is chief executive for AECOM’s business in the Los Angeles Metro area, where the global infrastructure firm is headquartered. Bernard has more than 20 years of experience in economic development, land-use planning, housing, redevelopment and public affairs. She is a commissioner for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, an organization created in 1993 to address the challenges of homelessness in Los Angeles.
With more than 2,000 employees in the Los Angeles and Southern California area, Bernard is responsible for building on AECOM’s strategies to deliver its integrated services to meet the infrastructure and business needs of public and private sector clients. Her extensive background in economic development and deep relationships in the Southern California region are valuable assets as AECOM looks to enhance its market presence. She has more than 20 years of experience in economic development, land use planning, housing, redevelopment and public affairs. She also has in-depth knowledge of public/private partnerships, public finance and infrastructure investment.
Prior to joining AECOM, Bernard served as the deputy mayor of economic development for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, where she led the charge to raise the minimum wage in the City of Los Angeles. Before her role as deputy mayor, she served as the director of economic development at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, the largest municipality in the United States, where she led the department’s Clean Technology Initiative that culminated in the development of the $40 million La Kretz Innovation Campus. Earlier in her career, she worked as director of planning and economic development for Mayor Garcetti when he served as president of the Los Angeles City Council. In this role, she oversaw key development activities, including the $110 million Emerson College and the $390 million mixed-used Columbia Square projects.
