Mayor Villaraigosa filled open slots on a slew of commissions today. The appointees include the wife of county Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky, the former husband of Controller Laura Chick, and Kelly Candaele of the L.A. community college board. Newly added to the city planning commission is Robin Hughes, executive director of the L.A. Community Design Center. Release follows:

MAYOR VILLARAIGOSA NAMES APPOINTEES TO CITY COMMISSIONS APPOINTEES REFLECT THE BREADTH AND DEPTH OF TALENT AND DIVERSITY ACROSS LOS ANGELES

(Los Angeles, CA) - Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa appointed residents from across Los Angeles to city commissions and boards on Monday. Appointments to over two-dozen boards and commissions ranged from the Affordable Housing and Planning Commissions to the Fire and Board of Zoo Commissioners.

“I am excited and grateful that so many talented and experienced Angelenos from across the city have agreed to serve in my administration,” said Mayor Villaraigosa. “Their expertise and commitment to public service will serve our city well. These leaders represent the diversity of America’s most diverse city.”

Slightly over half of the appointees announced by the Mayor are women and almost two-thirds are African American, Asian Pacific-Islander or Latino, reflecting the composition of America’s most diverse city.

The announcements Monday follow recent appointments by the Mayor to the Ethics Commission, the Board of Police Commissioners, Harbor Commission, Airport Commission, the Board of Water and Power Commissioners, and the Fire and Police Pensions Commission.

The Mayor’s appointees are subject to confirmation by the Los Angeles City Council.

The appointees are as follows:

Affordable Housing Commission
Stewart Kim, an investment banker from West Los Angeles

Board of Animal Services
Maria Atake of West Los Angeles is president of Atake & Associates, an international communications and marketing consulting firm. Maria specializes in the multimedia, consumer electronics and entertainment fields. She is also CEO of Forte Animal Rescue, a non-profit.

Board of Building & Safety Commissioners
Pedro Birba, an architect and designer who resides in Silverlake.

Board of Civil Service Commissioners
Prosy de la Cruz of Mid City, a retired public health * law enforcement professional for the California Department of Health Services’ Food and Drug Branch.

Board of Information Technology Commissioners
Marsha Nakanishi of El Sereno, a higher-education administrator in the Cal State University system.

Board of Library Commissioners
Robert Chick of Bel Air, Vice Chairman of the Lawyers Mutual Insurance Co.

Board of Neighborhood Commissioners
Raul Estrada of Boyle Heights, Executive Director of El Centro de Ayuda, a families’ in- crisis support organization.

Diane Middleton, a labor attorney and community activist who resides in San Pedro.

Tsilah Berman of Woodland Hills, Executive Director of LA Neighborhood Land Trust.

Board of Recreation and Park Commissioners
Maria Casillas of Valley Village, President of Families in Schools, a non-profit organization created to engage parents in the education of their children and to strengthen the relationship among families, schools and communities.

Board of Taxicab Commissioners
Terri Bialosky of Studio City, Founder and President of PrinT Technology and President of the National Association of Women Business Owners, LA Chapter.

Board of Transportation Commissioners
Paul Kim of Northridge, a retired LAPD Commander.

Board of Zoo Commissioners
Shelby Kaplan-Sloan, a real estate manager who lives in Rustic Canyon

Commission for Children, Youth and their Families
Dr. Mark Schuster of West Los Angeles, a, professor of pediatrics and health services at UCLA.

Rubina Tran Hyder, a 12th grader at Bravo Medical Magnet High School, from Hollywood.

Barbara Yaroslavsky of Mid City/Fairfax District, a longtime community activist and board member of LA Free Clinic and LA’s Best, among others.

Convention Center Board
Christina Noonan of West Los Angeles, Sr. Vice President of Staubach Co.

Cultural Affairs Commission
York Chang, a Silverlake artist and public interest attorney with Neighborhood Legal Services based in Pacoima.

Cultural Heritage Commission
Stanley Stalford of West Los Angeles, President of Stalford Homes, specializing in real estate restoration and development.

Carlos Singer of Hollywood, an attorney at Quinn, Emmanuel, Urquhart, Oliver and Hedges; Board Member, LA Music and Arts School.
Commission on Disabilities

Theresa deVera of Glassell Park, a person with a disability; an activist and recent graduate of Loyola Marymount University.

Commission on the Status of Women
Dominique DiPrima, a talk-radio show host and community activist from South LA.

Lourdes Rivera, an attorney with the National Health Law Program from Echo Park who specializes in children and women’s health issues

Disabled Access Appeals Commission
Rod Lane of Venice, a construction manager and manager of non-profit and affordable housing projects.

El Pueblo de Los Angeles Historical Monument Authority
Patricia Nieto of Echo Park, a youth-law, immigration and workers compensation attorney.

Tony Scudellari of Glassell Park, a music industry executive working at Sony Pictures Television.

Angel Cervantes of Sylmar, a school teacher at Morningside Elementary.

Environmental Affairs Commission
Misty Sanford of Mt. Washington, an environmental activist and attorney at Munger, Tolles and Olsen.

Fire Commission
Dalila Sotelo of Highland Park, Sr. Vice President of McCormack, Barron, Salazar, a developer of affordable housing.

Los Angeles City Employees’ Retirement System
Adolfo Nodal, a consultant from San Pedro.

Kelly Candaele of Hollywood, writer, filmmaker and member of the Board of Trustees of the LA Community College District.

Los Angeles Convention & Exhibition Center Authority
Tanua Thrash of South Los Angeles, Managing Director of the West Angeles Community Development Corporation.

Robert Lessin of Chatsworth, National Trade Show Industry Liaison for the International Union of Painters and Allied Trades (I.U.P.A.T).

Los Angeles City Planning Commission
Robin Hughes of Mt. Washington, executive director of the LA Community Design Center, a non-profit architecture, planning and affordable housing development corporation.

Los Angeles Area Planning Commissions

Central Area Planning Commission
Chancee Martorell of Mid City, executive director of the Thai Community Development Corporation.

East LA Area Planning Commission
David Marquez, a community activist and consultant living in Mt. Washington.

North Valley Area Planning Commission
Victor Sampson of Northridge, a financial manager at Coldwell Banker.

South Los Angeles Area Planning Commission
Lee Turner of South LA, a real estate broker, developer and general contractor.

South Valley Area Planning Commission
Gordon Murley of Woodland Hills, a community advocate and assessment district oversight committee member for the acquisition of open space in the Woodland Hills, Santa Monica Mountains and Mulholland Corridor.

West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission
Marianne Parker Brown of West Los Angeles, Associate, Labor Occupational Safety & Health (LOSH) Program at the UCLA Center for Occupational and Environmental Health (COEH).

Police Permit Review Panel
Victor Narro of West Los Angeles, an organizer and teacher at the UCLA Labor Center.

Anita Castellanos, an attorney from Woodland Hills (reappointment).