L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday overhauled the city’s Harbor Commission, appointing a slate of commissioners with ties to the environmental and labor communities.

The appointees include former L.A. Department of Water & Power general manager David Freeman, Environmental Defense attorney Jerilyn Lopez-Mendoza; Doug Krause, in-house counsel for East-West Bank; International Longshore and Warehouse Union local president Joe Radisich and business litigation attorney Kaylynn Kim.

With the appointments, Villaraigosa sent a message that the port would be sensitive to environmental and community concerns as it grapples with record levels of cargo. Last week, the port implemented extended hours to reduce container traffic.

“Make no mistake, growing the port while controlling its impact on our environment and communities is no simple task,” Villaraigosa said in a press release. “With this new leadership team, we will successfully navigate these tremendous challenges.”

The overhaul of the five-member commission was expected as the previous commission came under scrutiny for opaque contracting policies and diesel emissions. Two commissioners appointed by former Mayor James Hahn commission president and attorney Nick Tonsich and developer James Acevedo resigned in recent weeks.

Villaraigosa had indicated he might keep one commissioner on to smooth the transition; instead, he opted for a clean sweep.

One of the most closely watched appointees will be Freeman, a longtime adviser to Villaraigosa. During his long career at several major utilities, he pushed for more stringent environmental controls.

Lopez-Mendoza is also expected to become a focal point: she negotiated a $500 million community-benefits package on behalf of communities surrounding Los Angeles International Airport as part of the airport master plan.