Kelli Bernard has been approved unanimously by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission to serve as commission chair for the upcoming fiscal year. Commissioner Sarah Dusseault has been approved as the commission’s vice chair.
Bernard, who was appointed to the LAHSA Commission by Mayor Eric Garcetti in 2016, will begin her role as the commission chair at the August 24 meeting. Bernard also co-chairs the Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness. She serves as a member of the Policy and Planning and Personnel committees.
Bernard is chief executive for the Los Angeles Metro+ region of AECOM, a global infrastructure firm headquartered in Los Angeles that employs more than 2,000 people across Southern California. She is responsible for building on AECOM’s strategies to deliver its integrated services to meet the infrastructure and business needs of public and private sector clients.
Prior to joining AECOM, Bernard served as the deputy mayor of economic development for Mayor Garcetti. In that role, she championed business growth, economic development, and job creation in Los Angeles.
Bernard serves on the board of City Charter Schools, which serve a diverse student body and focus on civic responsibility, public speaking, and the written word. She is also involved with the Urban Land Institute, which provides vision and leadership in the responsible use of land in creating and sustaining thriving communities worldwide.
“I’m honored to lead the LAHSA Commission and excited to continue the unique county-city collaboration seen in the Los Angeles Continuum of Care,” said Bernard. “As chair I will continue to work closely with my colleagues to ensure the equitable distribution of the unprecedented resources LAHSA administers.”
The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority is a joint powers authority of the city and county of Los Angeles, created in 1993 to address the problems of homelessness in Los Angeles County. LAHSA is the lead agency in the HUD-funded Los Angeles Continuum of Care, and coordinates and manages nearly $300 million annually in federal, state, county, and city funds for programs providing shelter, housing, and services to people experiencing homelessness. For more information visit www.lahsa.org.
