SAN DIEGO REGIONAL POLICY & INNOVATION CENTER - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Infrastructure, Transportation & Digital Technology
Serving as an economist for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC), Alicia L. Jurek, Ph.D., uses her expertise in research design, quantitative data analysis, and data visualization to develop, test, and implement world-class research and policy-driven solutions to address San Diego's most pressing challenges. She comes to PIC from San Diego Workforce Partnership where she also served as an economist.
With eight peer-reviewed papers and 11 non-refereed publications, Alicia possesses a stellar ability to provide contextual awareness and actionable insight to complex problems. She has also been invited to present at various conferences and colleges on topics including women in criminal justice and sexual assault kits.
Alicia has taught classes on research methods, gender and crime, victimology, and criminology at Virginia Commonwealth University, Boise State University, Wright State University, her alma mater Sam Houston State University and overseas at Zhejiang Police College in Hangzhou, China to international policing students. She has spent countless hours mentoring and tutoring fellow graduate students as well as judging student paper competitions.
Alicia obtained her Ph.D. and master's degree in criminal justice and criminology and her bachelor's in criminal justice all from Sam Houston State University. Throughout her academic career, she garnered over 20 awards and scholarships.
With nearly four decades of professional accounting experience, both in the United States and overseas, Arnold Cerdinio serves as an accountant for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center. Prior to joining PIC, Cerdinio held senior accountant positions with Operation Samahan, Inc. and Civic Community Ventures. He has also held positions with Civic San Diego, the Coronado Unified School District, and the City of Imperial Beach.
Cerdinio holds his bachelor's in accountancy from Polytechnic University of the Philippines Manila, Philippines.
Job Titles:
- Director of Government
- Director of Government Grants
Audra Herrmann-Hayes serves as director of government grants for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC). A prolific grant writer, Audra brings expertise in federal and state grants, including, but not limited to U.S. Department of Housing, Department of Labor, USAID, Environmental Protection Agency, Economic Development Administration, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, ESG, Department of Transportation, Department of Justice, California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, CalTrans, and Tribal grants. Audra also adds nearly 20 years of experience creating solutions for nonprofit organizational funding diversification, stability, and program sustainability to the PIC team.
Prior to joining PIC, Audra founded and served as CEO of her own company, Salang Grant Writing and Nonprofit Solutions, where she held an 80% grant procurement success rate while raising millions in funding for clients in 2021. She also previously served as the executive director of Casa, a 501(c)(3) located in a severely underserved community offering therapy, case management, education, outreach, and advocacy, where she managed a 56-grant portfolio and raised an average of $4 million in a calendar year.
Audra is currently pursuing her doctorate in business administration at Capella University, where she also earned her master's degree in psychology. She received her bachelor's in sociology from the University of California, Riverside.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Board
- Board Chair / Principal, California Strategies
- Principal, California Strategies
- Secretary / Partner, California Strategies
San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) Board Chair Ben Haddad excels in leadership at all levels of government, having previously served in senior staff capacities in Washington, D.C., Sacramento and San Diego. He also has extensive private and nonprofit sector experience as an executive for a Fortune 500 company and the leader of a major Chamber of Commerce.
Haddad joined California Strategies, a full-service government relations firm, in 2006 as a principal and established the firm's office in San Diego. Since joining California Strategies, Haddad has worked with clients spanning the economic spectrum, from homeless services providers to major manufacturers, from high technology to sports innovators.
Prior to joining California Strategies, Haddad was senior vice president for communications at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), a Fortune 500 company formerly headquartered in La Jolla. His leadership abilities were honed while serving as Chief of Staff to both a congressman and a mayor, and as a senior official in former California Governor Pete Wilson's Administration.
Haddad earned his Juris Doctor from the University of San Diego School of Law and holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy from the University of Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Vice Chair of the Board of DIRECTORS
Clint Smith is a project engineer at the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC), bringing his expertise in civil construction with focuses on nuclear energy and infrastructure.
Smith serves PIC by providing technical insight and recommendations for proposed infrastructure improvement projects. He bridges the gap between the public sector and private with his vast experience managing privately owned construction projects with deeply invested stakeholders from local up to federal government. He also supports the development, administration, and modification of contracted activities to ensure PIC is fairly and reasonably represented.
Prior to joining PIC, Smith served as resident engineer for the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs, where he was responsible for the project and design management of large-scale medical facility projects up to $35 million. Smith also worked as an inspector for the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for more than five years, where he oversaw day-to-day operations of nuclear power facilities, as well as inspected all phases of construction work with a focus on civil and structural activities.
Smith has a bachelor's degree in civil engineering with a minor in nuclear power generation systems and a focus in structural engineering from Auburn University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- President and CEO, California Community College Baccalaureate Association
- Vice Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee
- Vice Chair, Audit and Risk Committee / President and CEO, California Community College Baccalaureate Association
Dr. Constance Carroll serves as Vice Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) Board of Directors. Carroll founded and is president and CEO of the California Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCCBA), a nonprofit that provides assistance and opportunities for the state's 116 community colleges to offer four-year degrees in fields that need more qualified workers.
Before CCCBA, Carroll was San Diego Community College District's (SDCCD) longest-serving chancellor, retiring after serving 17 years as chief executive officer at the district. As chancellor, Carroll has been credited as the driving force behind the San Diego Promise, a program launched in 2016 with a cohort of 186 students. It has since expanded to help more than 4,000 students each year by providing cost-free classes and grants to help with textbooks and other materials.
Nationally, Carroll is in her 12th year of service as a contributing member of the National Council on the Humanities. She was nominated by former President Barack Obama in 2011. At the state and local level, Carroll has served on various boards, including the League for Innovation, the Community College Humanities Association, the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corp. and various committees.
After earning her bachelor's degree in humanities from Duquesne University and a master's and Ph.D. in the classics (ancient Greek and Latin) from the University of Pittsburgh, Carroll began working as assistant professor of classics and associate dean of the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Maine, Portland-Gorham (now the University of Southern Maine), which was creating a two-year college in York County.
Dr. Daniel Enemark is Chief Economist at the San Diego Regional Policy& Innovation Center (PIC). He leads an interdisciplinary team of research scientists assessing regional challenges and identifying policy and investment priorities. Daniel is a leading voice advocating for a more equitable labor market in San Diego, sharing economic analysis through public presentations and media engagements.
Daniel brings15 years of experience as an academic, consultant and executive, most recently as Chief Economist at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. At the Partnership he helped design and evaluate programs, advocated for policy reforms to reduce racial inequity and produced actionable research for the region's anchor institutions. Daniel led research behind San Diego County's plan to expand the behavioral health system and collaborated with peers at MIT and Duke University to develop innovative financial tools for addressing the nation's debt crisis.
Daniel has published peer-reviewed scholarship on policy analysis, behavioral economic and econometrics, including in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, and taught these subjects to Ph.D. students at the University of California, San Diego and the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business. For five years he managed an interdisciplinary lab, overseeing software programmers, translators, graduate students and undergraduate assistants, and conducted over 100 human-subject experiments in Southern California and Sub-Saharan Africa.
In his community, Daniel has served as a math tutor for refugee students at Crawford High, as an alternative caregiver for foster youth, and has provided pro bono consulting for nonprofits. He has a bachelor's degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a master's degree and Ph.D. from the University of California, San Diego.
Job Titles:
- VP, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer
Emily Wier serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) Vice President, Chief Policy & Strategy Officer. She is responsible for identifying, developing and implementing cross-sector initiatives that help PIC secure new growth opportunities through policy, business development, research and partnerships that create positive regional impact. She also manages key staff, and works closely with government entities, agencies and partners to develop and manage a portfolio of collaborative projects across the San Diego region, while providing subject matter expertise on policy initiatives, grants, and collaborating with PIC's research team.
Prior to joining PIC, Emily was the Policy Director for the former San Diego County Supervisor for the Fourth District. She spent over four years in policy roles for the Supervisor, including during an unprecedented two consecutive years as the Chair. Through her deep policy expertise, political savvy, and excellent staff management, she developed a comprehensive strategic policy agenda and helped guide a robust policy team that developed over 130 policy proposals, including over 40 transformative policies that Emily wrote. Her work on the Framework for the Future of San Diego County was a groundbreaking initiative that fundamentally reshaped the way the County tackles racial justice, climate change, conditions for working families, and government transparency.
Previously, Emily served in the Obama White House Domestic Policy Council as a graduate fellow. She coordinated much of the federal electric vehicle policy that launched in summer 2016, which included working across federal agencies, and with industry and nonprofit leaders. She convened stakeholder meetings to achieve buy-in on the federal announcement, including on the development of the "Guiding Principles to Promote Electric Vehicles and Charging Infrastructure." This significant lift represented the beginning of industry-wide collaboration that would grow over subsequent years.
From there, Emily managed government relations for Greenlots, an electric vehicle startup, and she lobbied legislators and government agencies across more than 15 states and secured over $250 million in support of electric vehicles.
Emily is active and engaged in the San Diego community. She has held board roles with the San Diego Leadership Alliance, the City of San Diego's Sustainable Energy Advisory Board, helped grow an environmental advocacy nonprofit, and currently serves as a delegate for the 78th Assembly District to the California Democratic Party's State Central Committee. She holds a Master of Environmental Management degree from Yale University, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Tufts University.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Board Member / Chairman & CEO, American Assets Trust
- Chairman & CEO, American Assets Trust & Philanthropist
- Chairman & CEO, American Assets Trust / San Diego Policy & Innovation Center
Board Member Ernest Rady is the chairman and CEO of American Assets Trust (NYSE:AAT), a full-service real estate investment trust based in San Diego. He began his career in finance and now has over 40 years of experience in real estate management, development and investment. Rady founded AAT's predecessor, American Assets, Inc. in 1967 and currently serves as its president and chairman of the board.
In 1971, Rady founded Westcorp, a financial services company, and Insurance Company of the West, a leading national insurance carrier for which he continues to serve as chairman of the board of directors.
In addition to his business accomplishments, Rady has been a dedicated philanthropist and community leader in San Diego. From 2005 to 2018, he served as a trustee of the UC San Diego Foundation. In 2004, Rady helped launch the Rady School of Management. He is the current chair of the Rady Advisory Council, a former chancellor's associate at UC San Diego, and a former trustee of Salk Institute for Biological Studies, a nonprofit organization dedicated to researching potential treatments for a range of diseases.
In 2006, Ernest Rady, his wife Evelyn and American Assets, Inc. made a $60 million donation to Children's Hospital of San Diego. The hospital has since been renamed "Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego" in their honor. The Rady family also donated $15 million toward construction on San Diego Symphony's new open-air music venue, which opened in August 2021 and was named "The Rady Shell at Jacobs Park."
Rady received degrees in commerce and law from the University of Manitoba, where he was awarded the Law Society Award for Academic Achievement and the University Gold Medal in Commerce. He is also a member of the Manitoba Bar Association.
Gabriela Gonzalez serves as an economic analyst at the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC). She brings two years of experience in a similar role at the San Diego Workforce Partnership.
Bilingual in English and Spanish and skilled in survey distribution, data analysis and writing reports, Gabriela is an accomplished data analyst. She diligently collects, maintains and examines PIC's public and proprietary databases and provides assistance in producing and reporting research projects that serve PIC's mission.
Gabriela graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor's degree in economics. While in college, she mentored younger transfer college students and developed educational resources designed to improve the college transfer experience.
Job Titles:
- Senior Officer, Analytics & Impact
Jamal Russel Black serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) senior officer of analytics and impact. His extensive knowledge and experience researching and creating equitable plans to combat climate change and decarbonization allow him to create cross-sector innovation opportunities and improved economic, environmental, and social impact conditions for underserved populations in San Diego. Jamal's relentless dedication and enthusiasm for climate research and the improvement of conditions for marginalized communities make him a valuable addition to the PIC team.
Prior to his work with PIC, Jamal held various positions focused on advancing the environmental health of the global community. These include working for some of the most forward-thinking organizations, such as ENGIE Impact, where he served as a sustainability consultant and assisted companies, nonprofits, cities, and countries in achieving their decarbonization goals by leveraging data analytics and geospatial techniques; and Hanover Research as a data science consultant, responsible for the production of quantitative research reports and strategic briefings related to primary and secondary education as well as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI).
Locally, Jamal has served as a labor economist for the San Diego Work Force Partnership, where he analyzed a wide variety of data to inform the decision-making process, including gender and racial wage gaps, unemployment among veterans, and the greening of the regional workforce.
In 2017, Jamal also founded Veridian Analytics, a consulting and research firm that partners with city, state, other stakeholders to advance the zero-emission vehicles transition in pursuit of a sustainable future.
Jamal is currently pursuing a doctorate degree through University College London focusing on issues surrounding energy poverty and building decarbonization. He earned his master's degree from UC San Diego in econometrics and quantitative economics and a bachelor's degree from Regent's University, London in international business and human rights.
Job Titles:
- Senior Officer, Analytics & Impact
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Board Treasurer, Finance and Administration Committee Chair / Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, San Diego Foundation
- CIO and Director of Research at Canterbury Consulting
- Treasurer, Finance & Administration Committee Chair / Chief Financial Officer, the San Diego Foundation
- Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, San Diego Foundation
James Howell, CFA, CTP, serves as board treasurer for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC). As vice president and chief financial officer of San Diego Foundation, Howell oversees the accounting & finance, human resources, grant administration and technology divisions for the organization. He is a member of the Foundation's leadership team, coordinates the finance and audit committees, and works closely with staff, professional volunteers and service providers to establish, administer, and monitor financial reporting, internal controls, treasury, insurance, grants, facilities, employment and benefits administration, and information systems.
Prior to joining the Foundation, as CIO and director of research at Canterbury Consulting, Howell led investment strategy for $13 billion in assets and directed all functions related to manager and capital markets research. From 2007-2012, Howell was CIO and director of finance at The Scripps Research Institute responsible for investment, banking, and insurance relationships across $1.6 billion of endowment, pension, and other assets.
Over the previous 17 years, Howell was an executive at United Parcel Service, most recently as director, capital markets and alternative investment officer for the UPS Retirement Plan.
A Certified Treasury Professional and Chartered Financial Analyst, Howell earned a bachelor's in industrial engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology and Master of Business Administration in finance from Georgia State University. Howell serves on the finance & investment and audit committees of Alliance Healthcare Foundation.
Job Titles:
- Environment, Transportation & Water
Job Titles:
- Government Relations & Policy Officer
- Officer, Government Relations & Policy
As the government relations and policy officer at San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC), Josh Jacobsen works directly with local government agencies to employ data-driven policymaking through workshops, policy projects and community need assessments. Josh joins the PIC team with a passion and understanding of sustainable business practices that can create local policies and programs to support issues such as affordable housing, homelessness, health equity, climate resilience, and more.
Job Titles:
- Economist & Director of Research
San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) economist & director of research is Karen Boyd, Ph.D. As a core member and leader of the research team, she is responsible for developing, executing, and sharing actionable, equity-focused research.
Karen does mixed methods research and specializes in synthesizing insights from qualitative data. Her work has appeared in many academic publications; she has been invited to numerous talks and panels; and she has presented several posters and workshops. She was a co-editor for JASIST Special Issue on "Artificial Intelligence and Work."
Most recently, Karen served as an economist at the San Diego Workforce Partnership. While in this role, she collected and analyzed focus group surveys, census and other government data and compiled them into actionable research products. She also helped produce "Addressing San Diego's Behavioral Workforce Shortage," which highlighted the ongoing workforce needs in mental health and substance abuse treatment and has spurred state and local investment in San Diego's economy.
Karen earned her Ph.D. from the University of Maryland, College Park with her dissertation, "Understanding and Intervening in Machine Learning Ethics: Supporting Ethical Sensitivity in Training Data Curation." She received a Master of Business Administration from the Rady School of Management at the University of California, San Diego and a bachelor's degree in business administration from San Diego State University.
Job Titles:
- Dir. of Workforce Development
- Founding Board Member of the San Diego Harm Reduction Coalition
Karen Connolly serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) Senior Director of Workforce Development, leading PIC's efforts to support the creation of quality jobs throughout the region.
Prior to joining PIC, Connolly most recently served as the inaugural director of healthcare workforce programs for the San Diego Workforce Partnership, where she created pipelines and programs in healthcare and behavioral health with a specific focus on underserved populations. Connolly was responsible for securing over $12 million in grant funding and created the region's first and only Department of Labor-registered Substance Use Disorder counselor apprenticeship.
Connolly's career includes more than a decade of experience in the healthcare sector, including serving as a manager for Family Health Centers of San Diego (FHCSD) - one of the nation's 10 largest federally qualified health centers for nearly six years. In this role, she managed millions of dollars in CDC, county and private grant funding for HIV prevention programs and led over 25 full-time employees. She also directed the center's Clean Syringe Exchange Program, HIV and Transgender Care and Support Services, and oversaw the implementation of Pre-Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) navigation and research studies. During her time at FHCSD, Connolly was appointed by the County Board of Supervisors to serve as a member of the San Diego HIV Planning Group.
Her past roles also include program manager for the Liver Coalition of San Diego - a local organization comprised of health care specialists working with those affected by liver disease - and administrative assistant in radiation oncology and administrative specialist in patient access at the Moores Cancer Center under the UC San Diego Health System.
In 2023, Connolly earned her Talent Supply Chains badge from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, demonstrating an exemplary understanding of the Talent Pipeline Management (TPM) framework and methodology.
Connolly is a founding board member of the San Diego Harm Reduction Coalition and is also on the board of Townspeople San Diego - a housing service organization with a focus on people living with HIV/AIDS. She holds a bachelor's in print journalism from the University of Southern California, and both her master's in health management and policy and master's in social work administration from San Diego State University.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of Audit and Risk Committee
- Chairman of the Audit Committee
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Audit Committee Chair / CEO, Casa Familiar
- Chairman, Audit and Risk Committee / Chief Executive Officer, Casa Familiar
- Chief Executive Officer, Casa Familiar
San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) Board Member and Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee Lisa Cuestas has worked for Casa Familiar, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization in San Ysidro, for nearly 17 years, and has worked in the nonprofit sector for almost 20 years.
Her service work began as a volunteer in her hometown of Tucson, Arizona at a transitional home for abused and neglected children in 1998. Lisa moved to San Ysidro, California at the age of 19 and started as a volunteer at Casa Familiar, which led to her opportunity to coordinate and develop activities and projects for youth. Her career has grown and come full circle at Casa Familiar now serving as CEO, where she works to improve the quality of life for San Ysidro and South Bay residents.
Cuestas also serves on the 1st Captains Community Advisory Board for the Police Departments Southern Division as a representative of the community and Casa Familiar. In the 2014 elections cycle, Cuestas launched her first campaign seeking a seat on the South Bay Irrigation District Board. Cuestas expanded her network and solidified her credibility in the South Bay area, gaining endorsements from Congressman Juan Vargas, Senator Ben Hueso, former Chula Vista Mayor Mary Salas, and residents. While the final election results did not mean a win for Cuestas, she was successful in gaining 40% of the vote in her district and in her first campaign.
Cuestas has a passion for volunteerism and believes in civic engagement and leadership. Casa Familiar's vision is to organize and empower residents in San Ysidro and South San Diego to take an active role in their communities by engaging them civically to build sustainability and enhance quality of life issues affecting our region.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Board Member / President & CEO, San Diego Foundation
- President & CEO, San Diego Foundation
- President & CEO, the San Diego Foundation
Mark Stuart is a fundraising and community building professional with nearly 30 years of experience in all aspects of operations and leadership. As president and CEO of San Diego Foundation, he reports to and collaborates with the Board of Governors and is responsible for developing and managing relationships with a wide range of stakeholders as well as for the operating health of the Foundation.
Stuart's career has been devoted to helping donors realize their hopes, dreams and aspirations. Prior to joining the Foundation worked at San Diego Zoo Global (SDZG), including development, membership, and government and community relations. Under his leadership, SDZG raised $530 million in its first-ever comprehensive fundraising campaign.
Stuart also served as the founding president of the Foundation for San Diego Zoo Global. He worked with the Board of Directors to fuel the vision for highly impactful programs like San Diego Zoo Kids TV channel, Wild Heroes for military veterans, and Teacher Workshops in Conservation Science.
Stuart was associate dean of development and alumni relations for the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine. He is also an internationally recognized expert on the art and science of fundraising, and a frequent presenter and lecturer on fundraising at national and regional conferences, as well as at San Diego State University and National University's Sanford Institute of Philanthropy. He has been recognized as Outstanding Fundraising Professional by the Association of Fundraising Professionals, San Diego and achieved accreditation as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).
Stuart received a master's degree in educational administration with a focus on the support and evaluation of personnel from McDaniel College and a bachelor's degree in English, political science and public service from Albion College.
Job Titles:
- Chairman of the Governance Committee
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Secretary of the Board
- Board Member of the San Diego County Water Authority
- Board Secretary, Governance and Nominating Committee Chair / Co - Founder and Executive Officer for Manpower Staffing Services of San Diego
- Co - Founder and Executive Officer for Manpower Staffing Services of San Diego
- Governance Committee Chair / Co - Founder & Executive Officer, Manpower Staffing Services
(PIC) Board Secretary Mel Katz has been one of San Diego's most respected business and civic leaders since 1977 when he purchased the local Manpower franchise with Phil Blair. Today, Manpower Staffing Services of San Diego is the largest of the Manpower franchises in the U.S.
Mel's devotion to both advancing economic equity for working people and civic improvement has earned him an impeccable reputation in the San Diego community. He is an outspoken advocate of pre-K-12 and post-secondary education.
Katz also serves as a board member of the San Diego County Water Authority, the San Diego Rotary Foundation, e3 Civic High, Newsource and is board member emeritus of the UC San Diego Foundation. He previously served as board chair of the San Diego Public Library Foundation, San Diego Workforce Partnership, San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, the San Diego Convention Center, American Cancer Society and the San Diego Library Commission.
Job Titles:
- Board Chair for Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems
- Board Chair of the San Diego Parks Foundation
- Principal, Michel Anderson & Associates
- Vice Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee
- Vice Chair, Finance and Administration Committee / Principal, Michel Anderson & Associates
Michel Anderson serves as Vice Chair of the Finance and Administration Committee for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) Board of Directors. Also principal of Michel Anderson & Associates, Anderson is a recognized community leader with more than 35 years of experience as a business and land use consultant specializing in government relations, project management, entitlements and public affairs.
Beyond his role with PIC, Anderson is the board chair of the San Diego Parks Foundation, which aims to improve the quality of life for communities throughout the city of San Diego through equitable investments in parks, greenspace and recreational opportunities. He is the board chair of San Diego County Capital Leasing Corporation (SANCAL) to provide means for the County to issue low-cost debt instruments to fund the procurement of capital facilities and equipment. He first joined the SANCAL board of directors in 1986, just two years after its establishment.
Anderson also serves as a board chair for Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems (CASAS), providing basic and academic skills testing for youths and adults, and has served on the California Southern Small Business Development Corporation board since its inception in 1989, helping small and mid-size businesses secure financial assistance.
Anderson earned his bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Cincinnati and his master's degree in business administration at The University of San Diego.
Michelle Knox Zaloom serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) controller. She is a two-time Olympic rower with more than 30 years of experience in government and nonprofit accounting. With extensive accolades and experience as both an athlete and accountant, Michelle brings an unmatched work ethic and dedication to the PIC team.
Michelle has held fiscal examiner roles with federal agencies throughout her career. She served as an evaluator for the U.S. General Accountability Office where she reviewed federal programs at the Departments of Energy, Transportation, Agriculture, and Environmental Protection Agency and reported findings and recommendations to U.S. Congress, and as an investigator with the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations responsible for examining federal spending and reporting findings to the Committee Chairman.
In 2020, Michelle co-founded Zaloom Technologies, the world's first intelligent wearable technology tool that helps users optimize performance in real-time. Michelle also served as president of the National Recreation Education Foundation and executive director of the Sea Tow Boating Safety Foundation prior to joining PIC. Michelle's history of leadership and innovation aligns with PIC's goal to create new and effective forms of legislation that address San Diego's biggest challenges.
A certified public accountant, Michelle holds master's degrees from George Washington University and DeVry University and is currently working toward a doctorate degree from Alliant International University.
Job Titles:
- Associate
- Associate, Research & Analytics
- Research & Analytics Associate
Niloufar Nasrollahzadeh serves as a research and analytics associate for the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC), working on projects related to decarbonization and San Diego's commercial fishing infrastructure. She also currently manages PIC's American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) Utility Data Capture Project to produce deliverables on national and regional water infrastructure and utility affordability issues.
Throughout her professional career, Niloufar has worked to analyze public policy and its relation to environmental health. Her expertise serves to advance PIC's mission to use research to create effective and equitable legislative solutions.
Niloufar graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a bachelor's in business economics and a master's in public policy. She worked in the UCR School of Public Policy as a graduate student researcher for two years, contributing to projects such as the "Urban Water Conservation" to analyze water infrastructure in California. She also served as a health policy intern for the California Health Benefits Review Program.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- Vice Chair
- Board Vice Chair / President & CEO, Del Mar Venture Group
- Chairman & Executive Committee Chair / President & CEO, Del Mar Venture Group
- President & CEO, Del Mar Venture Group
- President of the Board of Directors of the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas
P. Kay Coleman (pronouns she, her, hers) is serving as the Board Vice Chair of the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC). She is CEO and president of Del Mar Venture Group, LLC, an angel investment firm co-founded in 2005 to help startups get the capital and management expertise they need to grow in the early years. Coleman has over 30 years of management consulting experience working with global and F500 companies in strategic planning, business transformation, and change management. Her work has covered a broad spectrum of industries including consumer products, energy, financial services, pharmaceuticals, healthcare, and educational services.
Coleman is the vice chair and immediate past board chair of San Diego Foundation (SDF), a $1.4 billion community foundation and also serves as vice chair of its governance and nominating committee and as a member of its finance and administration committee. In 2021,Coleman was named Director of the Year by the San Diego Corporate Directors Forum for her SDF leadership role in establishing the COVID-19 Community Response Fund. She previously served on SDF's strategic planning, audit, compensation and benefits, and CEO search committees.
In addition to her board roles with PIC and SDF, Coleman currently serves on the national board of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, Inc. (ACS CAN) and as ACS CAN's 2021-23State Lead Ambassador for California. She previously served as Board Chair of the American Cancer Society's (ACS) California Division and was bestowed the title of Chair Emerita of ACS' Southern California Area Board of Directors after serving as its inaugural Board Chair from 2017-2021. She is a twenty-year and founding member of ACS' San Diego Executive Partnership Council, and is also a member of ACS' CEOs Against Cancer. in 2019, Coleman received ACS' prestigious St. George National Award, the Society's highest volunteer recognition, for making a significant impact on the Society's strategic goals and mission driven programs.
Coleman also serves as President of the Board of Directors of the Westin Mission Hills Resort & Villas in Rancho Mirage, CA and is Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the Westin Kaanapali Ocean Resort Villas in Maui, Hawaii.
Coleman earned her Master of Business Administration in Finance and Strategic Planning from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She received a Master of Science in Educational and Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts in English with High Honors from the University of Tennessee and currently serves on its Dean's Advisory Board for the College of Arts & Sciences. Ms. Coleman resides in Encinitas.
Job Titles:
- Director of Innovation
- Senior Officer, Programs & Impact
Rachel Lozano Castro serves as San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center's (PIC) director of innovation, managing the PIC innovation team and its portfolio of cross-sector initiatives, partnerships and programs.
A bilingual and bi-literate Spanish speaker, Rachel brings a unique set of experiences to her role at PIC, including the director of the Brink Small Business Development Center at the University of San Diego (USD), where she assisted over 1,000 entrepreneurs in growing their businesses. Rachel also helped startups raise $250 million dollars in angel investments and non-dilutive capital as well as government grants. Her efforts helped lead Brink to be named one of 10 "Inclusive Innovation Hubs" nationwide. Prior to this, she worked as the assistant director for USD's Center for Peace and Commerce, a program that creates leadership opportunities for students through social entrepreneurship.
Rachel has received several recognitions throughout her career and was most recently honored as the 2022 Citizen Diplomat of the Year by the San Diego Diplomacy Council and a "40 Under 40" by America's Small Business Development Center. She is also a frequent lecturer and speaker on topics relating to bi-national leadership, business, and social innovation for universities across the globe, as well as prominent programs such as TEDx.
Rachel is a graduate of San Diego State University with a master's in public administration with a focus in Latin American studies. She also holds a bachelor's degree in international studies from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Member of the Board of DIRECTORS
- President
- President & CEO, San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center / the San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center
- President & Chief Executive Officer / the
(PIC) is led by President and CEO Susan Guinn, who is also the vice president and chief innovation officer at the San Diego Foundation.
Susan has spent the last several years in the public sector focused on coalition building. In her role with the San Diego Foundation, Susan works to create and execute innovative strategies and cross-sector partnerships that enable the Foundation and its partners to better address community needs and leverage resources. This work led to the creation and launch of PIC in August 2021. Prior to joining the Foundation and her subsequent leadership of PIC, Susan served as special advisor to the Office of San Diego County Board Supervisor Nathan Fletcher, where she advised on complex policy and budget issues; recommended appointments to boards and commissions and served as the Office's liaison to unions and labor organizations; and developed grant strategies and oversaw Community Reinvestment and Neighborhood Reinvestment programs.
Some of her most notable achievements while working with the County include drafting a policy to create its Human Relations Commission and establishing a public-private partnership resulting in the San Diego COVID-19 Community Response Fund - which raised and deployed $64million into the community in 18 months, assisting over 250 businesses and nonprofit organizations. She also created a first-of-its-kind local government loan program backed by state guarantees of 95%, offering millions of dollars in low-interest loans to struggling small businesses and nonprofits.
Susan brings more than 30 years of legal experience spanning tobacco litigation, consumer and workers' rights, climate protection, and human rights to PIC. For example, as one of her firm's four trial counsel for a major County of Los Angeles tobacco case, Susan secured a $3.3 billion settlement with a further $12.7 billion settlement for the State of California for health and human services, smoking cessation programs, and research. Susan's legal career also includes 15 years as principal of Guinn Law Firm, which received one of the largest individual wrongful termination verdicts in San Diego history, as well as multiple seven- and eight-figure settlements, awards, and verdicts - from class actions, business fraud, LGBTQ rights, to product liability. Before her law career, Susan worked as a registered nurse in Denver, Colorado.
Susan has served on numerous local boards and committees, including the San Diego Zoo Global Foundation, St. Paul's Foundation of International Reconciliation, San Diego Unified School District's (SDUSD) Environmental Sustainability Action Committee, and Equality California. She is also co-founder of Kids Eco Club, which empowers youth to lead a cultural revolution to sustain the planet, with a focus on BIPOC communities, and the SDUSD STEAM Leadership Lecture Series, which engages approximately 15,000 middle and high school San Diego students annually.
Susan obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Denver - Sturm College of Law, and a bachelor's degree and nursing license from the University of New Mexico.
Job Titles:
- Network Engagement Officer
- Officer, Network Engagement
Victoria Vasquez is the executive assistant for San Diego Regional Policy & Innovation Center (PIC) where she provides administrative, accounting and organizational support to the Chief Executive Officer and PIC Board of Directors.
Victoria is well versed in consultation, customer service, office administration and executive assistance. For almost two decades, she has worked in a variety of administrative and sales roles in commercial, educational, government and hospitality environments. Her wealth of knowledge and experience as a leader well equips her to assist in PIC's mission to create policy-driven solutions to address San Diego's most pressing issues.
She joins the team with a master's from National University in cross-cultural education and a bachelor's in English literature from the University of California, Santa Barbara.