Kelly LoBianco is the first director of the LA County Dept. of Economic Opportunity, created as the county’s central economic development agency that seeks to unlock the potential of its local workers and small businesses; and drive new competitive investment that creates quality jobs, career pathways and diverse talent pipelines. Kelly joined the county in 2021 to support the department’s establishment and was appointed director in 2022. Previously, she served as Chief Program Officer for a leading New York City-based nonprofit, The HOPE Program, focused on workforce development and social enterprise programming in the green economy. Kelly also was Assistant Commissioner of Training for the NYC Dept. of Small Business Services and held various roles in local and state government in New York and in the U.S. Senate in Washington DC. She earned a Master’s of Public Administration from Columbia University and a BA in Political Science from Northwestern University.