Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti on Thursday named Kelli Bernard as deputy mayor for economic development.

Bernard, 44, had been serving as interim deputy mayor for economic development since Garcetti took office on July 1. At that time, Garcetti said he wanted to conduct a nationwide search.

“Candidates included CEOs, leading investors and entrepreneurs, and people with deep experience in city, state and federal government,” Garcetti wrote Thursday in an email to his staff. “The decision in the end was that the best possible choice was to appoint Kelli Bernard as the permanent Deputy Mayor for Economic Development.”

Bernard previously was director of economic development for the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Before that, she served as director of planning and economic development for Garcetti when he was a councilman representing the Hollywood area. She was also a senior business development representative under former Mayor Richard Riordan. Her private sector experience includes stints with Genesis LA and the Lee Andrews Group.

Bernard said she wants to continue the work she started as interim deputy. “Now’s the time for us to build on the momentum we have created in our first four months to put more Angelenos back to work and help businesses thrive in our city.”