Villaraigosa Expands Economic Development Office

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Monday expanded his economic development office with two veteran City Hall staffers. Bud Ovrom, the current deputy mayor for housing and economic development, will take over the new position of deputy mayor for commercial and residential development. He is the former executive officer of the Community Redevelopment Agency and city manager of Burbank and other cities. The mayor also named Helmi Hisserich as deputy mayor for housing and economic development policy. She is the regional administrator for the CRA’s Hollywood and central regions. Villaraigosa in a statement said the city is working “step up” economic development strategies by targeting key industry sectors such as tourism, manufacturing, green technology, bio-medical, entertainment and international trade. “Bud Ovrom and Helmi Hisserich bring five decades of business and professional experience building housing and creating jobs,” Villaraigosa said in the statement. “This team will broaden and deepen our ability to meet the rising challenges and opportunities of an increasingly global economy.”