Mayor’s aide to work for Obama
Another member of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s senior staff is heading to Washington.
On Friday, President Obama announced that he has nominated Mercedes Marquez, general manager of the city’s Housing Department, to become assistant secretary for community planning and development at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
If she is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the post would represent a reunion of sorts for Marquez. During the Clinton administration, she served as the senior counsel to the HUD secretary for civil rights and fair housing.
“Mercedes is energetic, passionate and has a deep understanding of the challenges facing big cities,” Villaraigosa said in a statement. “She will be a true partner for Los Angeles at the federal level. I look forward to working hand in hand with her to build more affordable housing, invest in communities, revitalize our urban core and build the foundation for more housing options for our hard-working families.”
The deputy mayor who oversaw Villaraigosa’s environment agency, Nancy Sutley, left earlier this year to work for President Obama.
The mayor’s chief counsel, Thomas Saenz, had been approached by the Obama administration to oversee the Department of Justice’s civil rights division, but that idea was withdrawn to avoid a confirmation fight over immigration issues, according to some civil rights leaders.
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