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As predicted by David Zahniser and Doug Irving in the Breeze, Mayor Villaraigosa today named Lydia Kennard to replace Kim Day as executive director of Los Angeles World Airports, the department that runs LAX. If her name sounds familiar, it's because then-Mayor Riordan gave her the same job in 2000. When the Hahn administration took over, the airport became the personal political playground of commissioner Ted Stein and deputy mayor for squeezing campaign contributors Troy Edwards, and Kennard wisely stepped into the shadows for a couple of years. Villaraigosa's statement follows:
"Lydia Kennard is an outstanding and experienced leader who brings instant credibility and a steady hand to the management of Los Angeles World Airports," Mayor Villaraigosa said. "Ms. Kennard is committed to my goals of increasing public safety at LAX and LAWA's other three airports, creating a regional plan for accommodating future growth in passenger travel and cargo, and continuing to support the regional economy through LAWA's operations. I look forward to her joining my administration's team as we work together to modernize the city's airports in a community-sensitive manner."