NEW MAYOR KEEPS VETS ON HIS TEAM.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

Mayor-elect Antonio Villaraigosa announced a team of City Hall veterans as his top staff Friday, including a key aide to former Mayor Richard Riordan and a general manager under Mayor James Hahn.

Villaraigosa, who takes office July 1, said he is appointing Robin Kramer - who has been heading his transition team - to chief of staff. Kramer, now with the Broad Foundation, held the same post under Riordan from 1995 to 1998 and was credited with calming relations with the City Council.

Two deputy chiefs of staff also were named - his longtime aide and current council chief of staff, Jimmy Blackman, and Marcus Allen, who has been chief of staff for Controller Laura Chick.

Carolyn Webb de Macias, who is USC vice president of external affairs, will serve as a special adviser, and Robert ``Bud'' Ovrum, who has been head of the Community Redevelopment Agency, will become deputy mayor for Community and Economic Development.

``Change is never easy and we have a lot of rough waters ahead of us as we seek to create a fresh start for the city,'' Villaraigosa said in a statement. ``I feel certain that these leaders will skillfully steer the ship toward a Los Angeles of which we can all be proud.''

During his mayoral campaign, Villaraigosa was harshly critical of many of the appointments made by Mayor James Hahn, questioning individuals' experience and expertise.

In his initial appointments, Villaraigosa has turned to some proven city officials as well as some with strong government track records.

Kramer, 52, has been involved in local politics for more than two decades, working for former Councilman Richard Alatorre and former Councilman Bob Ronka. She has been a director of the Coro Foundation and the California Community Foundation.

Blackman, 33, a graduate of Stanford University, has been chief deputy for Villaraigosa's council office and worked for Villaraigosa when he was in the state Assembly.

Allen, a UCLA graduate, has served as chief deputy controller for Chick since 2002 and has lengthy experience in city government, having worked in the Chief Legislative Analyst's office.

De Macias, 57, had been chief deputy to former Councilman Mark Ridley- Thomas.

Ovrum was the longtime city manager of Burbank and credited with the city's economic revival. He was hired by Hahn in 2003 to take over the Los Angeles CRA. He has worked in a number of smaller cities around Los Angeles and is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rick Orlov, [phone]

rick.orlov(at)dailynews.com