Riordan Again Reorganizes City Hall Staff

Seven months after his right-hand man and longtime friend was forced to leave office, Mayor Richard Riordan on Wednesday announced the latest in a series of staff shake-ups that have marked his administration periodically since the businessman-turned-politician took office 3 1/2 years ago.

Guided by the pro bono services of a private management consultant, the new organization consolidates power in four core areas--community and government affairs; economic development; policy and finance, and communications.

The reorganization also brings aboard a second unpaid senior policy advisor in Helen Bernstein, an education reform leader and former high-profile chief of the Los Angeles teachers union--a signal that Riordan, long active in school quality issues, plans to make education, technically outside his jurisdiction, an even stronger priority as he looks toward a second four-year term. Bernstein joins senior policy advisor Steven Soboroff.

The administration also added three new deputy mayors, bringing the total to six. The new deputies include attorney Kelly Martin, a former partner in the law firm Riordan helped found and who once worked in the mayor’s economic development office. Martin will head the policy and finance branch.

Another of the new deputies is Stephanie Bradfield, an experienced hand in legislative matters who quickly earned the mayor’s and others’ confidence upon joining his staff earlier this year. The third is Steven Sugerman, director of communications. Bradfield, Sugerman, Martin and Gary Mendoza, who continues as deputy mayor for economic development, all report to Chief of Staff Robin Kramer.

Kramer emerged as Riordan’s top-level staffer when Chief Operating Officer Michael Keeley--with whom she had shared equal billing on the organization chart--resigned in May amid a scandal over a confidential city attorney’s memo he surreptitiously shared with an outside law firm.

The other two deputy mayors--Sharon Morris and Bill Violante--now will report to Bradfield, who heads up the new community and government affairs group, but Kramer insisted these are not demotions. “Sharon and Bill are sophisticated leaders with a lot of government experience and a demonstrated record of getting things done,” Kramer said in explaining why they were included in the government group.

The new organization also elevates Budget and Strategic Planning Director Chris O’Donnell, who will report directly to Riordan, as do Kramer and the two policy advisors. O’Donnell, who previously worked in the city’s chief legislative analyst’s office, was thrust at the head of the mayor’s budget team when the controversy over Keeley broke just as the mayor unveiled his proposed spending package for City Council consideration.