L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa filled two positions Friday on city commissions important to the business community.

Villaraigosa appointed investment executive Sean Burton to the citywide Planning Commission, replacing commission president Jane Usher, who resigned earlier this week to seek work in the private sector.

Burton is president and chief operating officer of CityView, an institutional investment company that manages over $740 million in public pension fund capital for investment in urban housing projects. He is also the current president of the West Los Angeles Area Planning Commission.

The citywide commission has direct review of all major developments and hears appeals of decisions made by the city’s seven area planning commission. Usher had taken controversial stands against development, publicly encouraging citizens to sue the city to block implementation of a density-bonus ordinance.

Villaraigosa also named attorney Justin Sanders to the board of the city Community Redevelopment Agency, which is shepherding major projects in at least redevelopment areas throughout the city.

Now with his own civil litigation firm, Sanders was previously a deputy city attorney. Prior to that, he served with law firms Sidley Austin LLP and Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton LLP.