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Where Famous Mayors Work After Serving In Office

Steven Covelman |
October 29, 2013 | 10:59 a.m. PDT

Staff Reporter

Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has added positions at USC, Herbalife, Edelman, and Banc of California since leaving office. (via Creative Commons)
Former Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has added positions at USC, Herbalife, Edelman, and Banc of California since leaving office. (via Creative Commons)

Antonio Villaraigosa adds another job to his resume, this time as a professor at USC's Price School of Public Policy. He already accepted roles with public relations firm Edelman, Herbalife Ltd., and Banc of California.

As a professor of practice of policy, the former Los Angeles mayor will lead the USC Villaraigosa Initiative for Restoring the California Dream, a program designed to create discourse and produce reports on policy issues and the functioning of state government. Villaraigosa will also teach graduate and undergraduate courses in a variety of subjects, including sustainable planning and public sector executive management.

Though once rumored to have sought the vacant Transportation Secretary position, Villaraigosa appears to have put political aspirations on hold. Like many of his mayoral counterparts, the two-term Democratic mayor chose to follow a path in private sector employment.  

Here's a list of some of America's most prominent mayors who left public life behind for private employment immediately after holding office. 

James Hahn:

Hahn lost to Villaraigosa in 2005 after serving one term. Upon defeat, he accepted a position at real estate investment banking firm Chadwick Saylor & Co.

After a year at the company, Hahn was named CEO of Los Angeles Development Partners, an $800 million fund established by Chadwick Saylor & Co., to create affordable housing near transportation centers.

However, Hahn did not stay in this position too long. A lawyer by trade and noting an itch to get involved in public service again, he submitted paperwork to then California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for judicial appointment.  

In November 2008, Hahn was appointed to a vacant position in the Los Angeles Superior Court, a position which he still holds today.        

Richard M. Daley:

In office for six terms, Daley was the longest serving mayor of Chicago before declining to run for a seventh term. Days after leaving office, he accepted a position with the University of Chicago as a distinguished senior fellow.

Not too shortly after, he joined the law firm of Katten Muchin Rosenman where he is of counsel. It is the same law firm that helped negotiate a deal to lease Chicago's parking meters for $1.15 billion to a Morgan Stanley-led partnership in order to balance the city's budget. Over the next 75 years, it is expected to be worth $11.6 billion. 

Daley also holds a position on the board of directors of Coca-Cola and is a senior advisor to JP Morgan Chase & Co.   

Ed Koch:

As mayor of New York City, Koch helped the city escape financial ruin thanks to his tough fiscal policies. He is also credited with vastly improving the city's subways.  

But while Koch is a hero to some, he is often derided for letting AIDS and homeless rates soar during his tenure. 

After leaving the mayor's office Koch took to the entertainment business. He served as the judge on the People's Court from 1997 to 1999 and hosted his own local radio talk show.  

Starting in the summer of 2009, Koch hosted his own web-based movie review show called "Mayor at the Movies." Before his death in January 2013, Koch appeared in more than 60 films and television shows as himself. 

Carl B. Stokes:

As mayor of Cleveland, Stokes broke ground when in 1967 he was elected the first black mayor of a major U.S. city and opened all city hall jobs to African-Americans and women. 

After leaving office, Stokes once again sparked change by becoming the first black anchorman in New York City. His work earned him an Emmy. 

Stokes eventually went back to politics, serving as the U.S. ambassador to the Seychelles during the Clinton administration. 

Reach Staff Reporter Steven Covelman here.



 

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