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Politics & Government

Former Monrovia City Manager Named Head of Los Angeles Convention Center

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa chose Robert "Bud" Ovrom to take over the organization.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa tapped former Monrovia City Manager Robert "Bud" Ovrom today to take over as head of the Los Angeles Convention Center.

If confirmed by the City Council, Ovrom would leave his job as general manager of the Department of Building & Safety to become the interim executive director of the convention center. The mayor also nominated him to fill the seat permanently.

Ovrom was a deputy mayor for economic development during Villaraigosa' first term administration, overseeing the convention center and tourism projects such as L.A. Live and the W Hollywood hotel.

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City leaders are looking for a company to manage the convention center, with the aim of getting more use and revenue out of it. One of the bidders was Anschutz Entertainment Group, which signed a deal with the city last year to build an NFL stadium if the city helps reconfigure the convention center.

"I am very excited to lead the effort in jump-starting the new vision for the convention center," Ovrom said today.

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Villaraigosa said he wants Ovrom to partner with the city's Tourism and Convention Board "to drive critical infrastructure improvements" at the convention center to attract more business. Ovrom lauded the mayor and City Council's plan to make the convention center the "focal point" in "leveraging all city assets to promote tourism, sports and entertainment citywide."

Under Mayor James Hahn, Ovrom was CEO of the now-defunct Community Redevelopment Agency. Before that, he was city manager for Burbank for 18 years and also served shorter stints as the manager of Downey and Monrovia.

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