Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has selected Christine Essel, a former entertainment industry executive who recently lost a bruising campaign for City Council, to serve as his top executive at the L.A. Community Redevelopment Agency, officials said Tuesday.
Villaraigosa’s appointees on the seven-member board will take up the nomination Thursday. Essel would then need to be confirmed by the City Council. Essel was senior vice president of government and community affairs for Paramount Pictures and has served in recent years as one of Villaraigosa’s appointed airport commissioners. She also chaired the Central City Assn.’s board of directors in 2007 and 2008.
The appointment comes at a difficult time for the agency, which is coping with a projected state budget cut of $85 million over the next two years.
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