A second L.A. official to leave Villaraigosa to work for Obama
Another member of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s senior staff is heading to Washington.
President Obama on Friday announced that he has nominated Mercedes Márquez, 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 confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the post would be a reunion of sorts for Márquez. 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 released by his office. "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approached by the Obama administration to oversee the Department of Justice’s civil rights division, but that idea was withdrawn to avoid a confirmation fight over immigration issues, according to some civil rights leaders. Saenz, a former vice president of litigation for the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, has pushed for anti-discrimination protection from Border Patrol sweeps.
Márquez has served as head of the city Housing Department since January 2004. She earned her undergraduate degree at USC and law degree from Georgetown University's Law Center.
-- Phil Willon
The LA Housing Dept is a failure. Full of ineffective, lazy workers who don't want to follow up on complaints because it's too much work to investigate problem landlords. If a situation isn't black and white and can be solved with one single letter, they hem and haw and pass the buck.
Isn't she the manager who paid for 'breathing lessons' for her staff?
I thought President Obama wanted change in his administration. By choosing her to run HUD, he's guaranteeing more government waste and weakness.
Posted by: Ruby Jackson | April 18, 2009 at 10:14 AM
Wow Obama's getting Mayor Villar's people, he is raising the bar so high!!!! They have failed in leadership in LA, they will no doubt fail in Washington!!!
Posted by: steve rodriguez | April 18, 2009 at 07:35 PM
Obama hires the same old "retreads," I wonder if she pays her taxes?
Posted by: steve rodriguez | April 18, 2009 at 11:16 PM