Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Thursday overhauled the city’s transportation commission, naming a diverse group of Angelenos to the 7-member board, including the daughter of one of his rivals in last year’s mayoral campaign.
Villaraigosa made five new appointments and two re-appointments to the board. Among the new appointees is Andrea Alarc & #243;n, special assistant to California Attorney General Bill Lockyer and the daughter of state Sen. Richard Alarc & #243;n, whom Villaraigosa defeated in last year’s mayoral primary.
“My appointees’ expertise and commitment to public service will serve our city well,” Villaraigosa said in a press conference announcing his picks.
Although Villaraigosa stressed the expertise of his five appointees to the Transportation Commission, none have a background in traffic or transportation planning issues. Two of them come from the business world, two have legal experience and one is a former police officer.
The two business appointees are Helen Mars, president and chief executive of California Litho-Arts, a screen printing firm in downtown L.A., and George Moss, an Encino-based investment banker and chairman of the Moss Group and All-Coast Investment Corp.
Besides Alarc & #243;n, the other new appointments are Malcolm Carson, an attorney with the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, and Paul Kim, a 27-year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department.
Villaraigosa also re-appointed community and Democratic activist John Frierson and civil litigation attorney Angela Reddock to the commission.
Reddock came in third in last year’s city primary election for the 11th Council District race to replace termed-out Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski, a seat ultimately won by current Councilman Bill Rosendahl.
The Transportation Commission advises the city’s Department of Transportation, oversees the management of parking revenues and funds and regulates privately owned utilities, especially pipelines.