CERF - Key Persons
Alysia Bell currently serves as President of UNITE-LA. Bell joined the organization in 2011. In her nearly 13 years with UNITE-LA, she has led the organization's national work in partnership with the Association of Chamber of Commerce Executives (ACCE), which has raised over $15 million, sub-granting nearly $1 million to chambers across the country leading promising practices in higher education attainment; graduated over 200 business organization leaders from the Fellowship for Economic Mobility that UNITE-LA and ACCE co-designed; and engaged more than 600 chamber professionals in the Education and Talent Development Division that UNITE-LA and ACCE co-launched in 2011.
At the state level, Bell has staffed the Education and Workforce Development Committee of the Regional Association of Economic Leaders (R.E.A.L.) Coalition of California and now serves as Co-Vice Chair of the California Stewardship Network's (CSN) Executive Committee. CSN is focused on regional collaboration to advance the triple bottom line of economy, equity and environment.
Regionally, Bell works alongside UNITE-LA's programs, policy and systems teams, plays a key role in the organization's Anti-Racism and Race Equity learning journey, and has led organization-wide efforts, including staff expansion, technology transitions and strategic planning.
Before joining UNITE-LA, Bell served as an executive for the Greater-Irving Las Colinas Chamber of Commerce where she worked at the intersection of education, workforce development and economic development; held positions with LAUSD's Personnel Selection Branch and Southern California Edison's Performance Assessment Services Division; and served as an Adjunct Professor of Industrial-Organizational Psychology at Pepperdine University.
Bell graduated summa cum laude from the University of Southern California and earned her master's degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology from Cal State Long Beach.
Born and raised in Santa Cruz and an avid sports fan, she remains dedicated to her San Francisco Giants, although she has adopted the Lakers and Rams since moving to Los Angeles in 1999. In her spare time, she focuses on her family, including husband Matt and their six-year-old son Maddox, who loves soccer, basketball, baseball, and video games.
Job Titles:
- Director of Regional Stewardship With CA FWD
Annalisa Siregar-Wurm is the Director of Regional Stewardship with CA FWD, where she supports regional community and economic development efforts, such as the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF).
Annalisa hails from LA and the Inland Empire, where she has connected public and private partners to address regional workforce and economic development issues. Annalisa's experience in sustainable, equitable economic growth stems from her engagement with Inland Economic Growth and Opportunity (IEGO), a strategy aimed at inclusive growth and expanding the middle class, and in her past role as Director of Economic and Workforce Development for the Inland Empire Economic Partnership. Annalisa has also worked as a health policy analyst in the Coachella Valley. She holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from UC Riverside.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO, California Community Foundation
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- Executive Director, NALEO
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- President & CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation Former Mayor of Fresno
- President and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation
Ashley Swearengin is president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation, a charitable foundation serving the six counties of Central California and providing over $100 million in funding to more than 650 community benefit organizations over the last decade.
Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as mayor of Fresno from 2009 through 2016. As mayor, she implemented substantial changes to improve the delivery of city services, revitalize the downtown and urban core, promote business and job growth, address chronic homelessness, and stabilize the city's financial position.
Before becoming mayor, Swearengin led a number of economic development initiatives in the Fresno region, including the Central Valley Business Incubator, Fresno State's Office of Community and Economic Development, and the Regional Jobs Initiative. She holds MBA and bachelor's degrees from California State University, Fresno.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO, Future 500
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- Interim President / CEO, San Joaquin Partnership
Bob owns BG Strategies, where he advises and manages the campaigns of political candidates and action committees in Sacramento and Washington, D.C. In addition, he serves as the acting interim CEO of the San Joaquin Partnership, a public/private economic development marketing organization for the region.
Prior to founding BG Strategies, Bob was the Government Affairs Director for PAQ Inc, a family-owned grocery franchisee of the Food 4 Less grocery chain and Rancho San Miguel markets in California, and Times Supermarkets in Hawaii. For nine years, Bob navigated the company through complex industry issues such as recycling, plastic bags in California, theft thresholds and loss prevention. He worked closely with policymakers at the state and federal levels to ensure the grocery industry was well-represented in the ever-changing policies around the Women Infant Children (WIC) program and the federal Farm Bill's Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Bob's extensive political background also includes experience as a senior district representative for a member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Chairman of the Natural Resources Committee as well as a campaign consultant for a candidate for California Lieutenant Governor.
Over the past several years, Bob has focused his attention to working with a variety of organizations and community groups to help them organize and advocate for the issues they champion to legislators in Sacramento and Washington D.C. In 2019, Bob was elected Chairman of the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce (CHCC) by delegates of over seventy-five Hispanic Chambers of Commerce across the state. Previously, he served as vice-chair of the CHCC, and board president of the San Joaquin County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
Job Titles:
- President & CEO, Economic Development Collaborative - Ventura County
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- Executive Vice President of Government Affairs and Policy, Bloom Energy
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- Treasurer
- Co - Founder and CEO of Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc
Treasurer; Co-founder & CEO, Third Sector Capital Partners
Caroline Whistler is co-founder and CEO of Third Sector Capital Partners, Inc., where she leads the firm's work accelerating America's transition to a performance-driven social sector. Under her leadership, Third Sector has transitioned more than $360 million in public funding to outcomes-oriented contracts, focusing those resources on improving solutions for key social issues including homelessness, mental illness and family economic mobility.
Third Sector has grown to serve more than 40 state and local government jurisdictions, with strategic partnerships including: New Profit, the Ballmer Group, the Kresge Foundation, Actionable Intelligence for Social Policy, and the Stanford University Center on Poverty and Inequality. Under Caroline's leadership, the firm has become an established national nonprofit with offices in three cities, 44 employees and a $7.7 million operating budget.
Caroline is recognized nationally as a leading expert in Pay for Success and outcomes-oriented contracting. In 2016, the Chronicle of Philanthropy named her to their "40 Under 40" list recognizing nonprofit and philanthropic leaders who are driving forward innovative solutions to pressing problems. In the same year she was also recognized by Living Cities as one of the country's "25 Disruptive Leaders" working to improve economic outcomes for low-income people in America's cities.
Caroline co-founded Third Sector after completing a Fulbright Fellowship in Brazil researching nonprofit sustainability. Prior to Third Sector, she worked at Nonprofit Finance Fund where she structured growth capital campaigns that raised an estimated $320 million for nonprofits. She graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Duke University where she studied Political Science and African-American Studies, and was a Robertson Scholar.
Catharine Baker is a former Assemblymember who represented California's 16th District. She is special counsel at Hoge Fenton where she advises businesses and non-profits and has a 20-year track record of success in government and the private sector.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation
Chet P. Hewitt is President and CEO of Sierra Health Foundation and its nonprofit intermediary, The Center at Sierra Health Foundation. Since beginning his tenure at the Foundation, Chet has worked with his board of directors to develop and launch a bold collective impact strategy focused on promoting health equity and social justice in underserved communities to improve the well-being of children, youth and families.
Recognized for his strategic thinking and his willingness to take thoughtful risk, Chet has received national attention for his emphasis on making the Foundation's partnerships with local communities and public and private funders the centerpiece of the organization's strategy for change.
Prior to joining Sierra Health Foundation, Chet held several senior positions including Director of Alameda County's Social Services Agency, Associate Director for the Rockefeller Foundation in New York, and Director of the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice in San Francisco.
Chet has received numerous awards for his service to children and families, including the 2017 Terrance Keenan Leadership in Health Philanthropy Award, the Grantland Johnson Intergovernmental Leadership Award, Congressman Robert T. Matsui Community Service Award, and the Sylvia Siegel Consumer Champion Award. Chet is an Annie E. Casey Children and Families Leadership Fellow, and serves on several boards including Roberts Enterprise Development Fund, Public Policy Institute of California, Advance Peace and CalNonprofits.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
- Controller for the United Farm Workers of America
- Controller, United Farm Workers
Connie Perez-Andreesen is a Certified Public Accountant who began her career with a regional firm based in Kern County as a staff accountant and rose through the ranks to become one of only two Latinas to make partner in the 40-year history of the firm. The firm had substantial experience managing the accounts of major governmental, agriculture, and petroleum corporations. She assisted other partners in managing the firm's multi-million-dollar budget.
In the Spring of 2017, Ms. Perez became the Controller for the United Farm Workers of America (UFW), which actively champions legislative and regulatory reforms for farm workers. She was appointed by the UFW Executive Board as Chief Administrative Officer on December 20, 2018, and National Vice President in November 2020.
Ms. Perez was also appointed by Governor Edmund G. Brown as Commissioner to the State Lottery Commission and served as Vice Chair and Chair of the Audit Committee that oversaw the Commission's 6.4 billion-dollar budget. She was the designated representative for Central California.
Ms. Perez served as a Board Member and Treasurer on the California Hispanic Chambers of Commerce, representing the interests of businesses across the central region from Yuba County south to Kern County.
Born in the City of Tulare, to Mexican immigrant parents, Connie Perez came from modest beginnings, living with her family at the Woodville Labor Camp, to achieving success as a partner in one of the most prestigious accountancy firms in California. Her father worked at the labor camp where she was raised after many years in the fields as a farm worker. Ms. Perez is a product of the Head Start Program. She graduated from Monache High School and Porterville College and thereafter moved to Bakersfield, where she attended Bakersfield College and California State University, Bakersfield (CSUB). She graduated Magna Cum Laude in 2000 from CSUB with a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Accounting. Ms. Perez became a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) in 2002.
Ms. Perez believes that volunteering her time and supporting her community are salient objectives. She continues to be involved with many non-profit organizations in the community. She was recently appointed by the Bakersfield City Council to serve on the Bakersfield Public Safety/Vital City Services Oversight Committee. She also currently serves as a Board Member for Latina Leaders of Kern County, Bakersfield College Foundation, CSUB Foundation Chair, member of the CSUB President's Latinx Advisory Council, and CAFWD (California Forward) board. Ms. Perez also served as a Trustee for the Bakersfield Memorial Hospital Foundation. She was a Board Member and Treasurer for Children Joining Children for Success, an organization committed to helping foster children in Kern County. In 2012, Ms. Perez co-founded the first Career Day at her former grammar school, Woodville Elementary School, where fourteen speakers shared their career stories with students who were predominantly living at the nearby labor camp where she was raised.
Ms. Perez also served on the Supervisory Committee of the Southern California Edison Federal Credit Union and the California Budget & Policy Center, whose mission is to engage in independent fiscal and policy analysis and public education with the goal of improving public policies affecting the economic and social well-being of low and middle-income Californians.
Ms. Perez is a former board member of the Make-a-Wish Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. She also served on the California Democratic Party's Finance Committee.
Ms. Perez is featured in the documentary funded by the Cal Humanities Community Stories Fund and CSUB entitled "Camp to Campus" (http://www.csub.edu/camptocampus/). The 90-minute film focuses on first-generation college graduates who have come from a migrant labor background.
Ms. Perez was honored by the Kern County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce as Business Woman of the year; by Hispanic Lifestyle as a Latina of Influence; by the National Latina Business Women Association Los Angeles as a Woman of Excellence; by the Regional Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, based in Southern California, as a "Mujeres del Ano"; and by the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants as an Experienced Leader, which is defined as one who has advanced to the highest level of leadership. Ms. Perez was inducted into the CSUB Hall of Fame in 2022.
Job Titles:
- Chairman, California Issues Forum
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- President, SEIU - United Healthcare Workers West ( SEIU - UHW )
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- Research Fellow, Hoover Institution
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- Superintendent - President, Long Beach City College
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- Co - Chair
- CEO of Arts for LA
Gustavo Herrera is CEO of Arts for LA which works to maintain public funding for arts and culture and to increase access to arts education for public school students, and build public will to support the arts.
Harold Dichoso is a dynamic professional with over a decade of experience in youth development, program management, and training facilitation, with a particular focus on professional development as a gateway to higher education and workforce readiness. As a first-generation Filipino immigrant, Harold is committed to creating equitable opportunities that uplift communities and empower individuals to succeed.
At CA FWD, Harold combines his expertise in program management and facilitation to advance initiatives that support an inclusive, resilient, and sustainable California economy. He leads the CA FWD Young Leaders Program, empowering young leaders to engage in policy advocacy and contribute to building a better future for all Californians.
Harold's career began with Bay Area Community Resources (BACR), where he implemented high-quality afterschool and expanded learning programs. Later, Harold served as a Program Manager for the West Contra Costa Unified School District's Expanded Learning Department.
His work at the City of Berkeley's Public Health Division, YouthWorks and Parks & Recreation focused on youth and young adult work-based learning initiatives and in San Mateo County, Harold worked with The Big Lift Summer Programs, focusing on leadership and professional development for staff.
Harold also spent time in the EdTech sector, where he worked as a Customer Success Manager at BookNook, partnering with schools and districts to implement innovative literacy solutions. In this role, he refined his skills in driving adoption, delivering impactful training, and aligning educational tools with organizational goals.
A skilled facilitator, Harold holds certifications from the Weikart Center for Youth Program Quality as a Trainer of Trainers and is a certified assessor for observing out-of-school-time programs. He has delivered numerous professional development workshops that empower educators, youth workers, and nonprofit leaders with the tools to foster transformative learning environments.
Harold earned his bachelor's degree from Southern New Hampshire University in partnership with Rivet School, a program designed to support working professionals in achieving their educational goals.
Job Titles:
- CEO, Tahoe Prosperity Center
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- Executive Director of the California Stewardship Network
Ismael D. Herrera, Jr. is the Executive Director of CA FWD's California Stewardship Network. He is responsible for coordinating the collective impact activities of members of the California Stewardship Network (CSN) and to advance the policy initiatives of CA FWD through the California Economic Summit.
Prior to joining CA FWD, Herrera spent 10 years at the Office of Community and Economic Development at California State University, Fresno (OCED), most recently as its Executive Director. While at OCED, he contributed to the development of university-led activities that aligned Fresno State's assets to regional initiatives aimed at improving the quality of life and economic competitiveness of the 8-county San Joaquin Valley. Herrera served as the Lead Executive for the California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, an unprecedented public-private partnership sharply focused on establishing the region as California's 21 st Century Opportunity through three overarching goals of developing a prosperous economy, sustaining a quality environment, and achieving social equity. In 2010, he also helped launch the nationally-recognized San Joaquin Valley Rural Development Center that serves as a "one-stop hub" for rural local governments, nonprofits, school districts, entrepreneurs and small businesses, and residents to access a wide range of technical assistance, training, specialized services, and resources.
Herrera's personal leadership development includes recent completion of the 2018-2019 Business Alliance for Local Living Economies, Local Economy Fellowship (now Common Future) in 2018-2019 and the California Stewardship Network Steward Leadership Program in 2019-2020.
Herrera has dedicated over a decade to public service. He has served on the Board of Trustees of Mendota Unified School District (Fresno County), the Fresno County Board of Education, and is currently serving on the City of Kerman's (Fresno County) City Council and Recreation & Community Services Commission.
Herrera earned two Bachelor's degrees in Sociology and Chicano/Latino Studies from the University of California, Irvine and a Master's degree in Education Policy and Management from the Harvard Graduate School of Education
Job Titles:
- Senior Fellow & President Emeritus, California Forward
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- Co - Vice Chair
- President and CEO, LeadersUp
Jeffery T. D. Wallace, a native of Richmond, California, is a next-generation social entrepreneur uniquely equipped to fulfill the dual roles of visionary and architect to find a sustainable solution to almost any social issue. He is president and CEO of LeadersUp, a nonprofit that bridges the gap between the untapped potential of young people and the business challenge of finding and keeping the best talent. With Wallace, LeadersUp has established best practices by facilitating employer-led solutions that are demand driven and human centered to tackle high youth unemployment in Chicago, Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area. He gets in front of the issues that fuel educational and economic inequities and unites people around shared goals to achieve disruptive and transformative change.
A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles (he studied music and earned a bachelor's degree in education), Wallace was the first undergraduate student conductor in UCLA's music department. He later earned an MS in education from UCLA and a master's degree in organizational development from the University of California, Berkeley. Additionally, he is a fellow of the Presidio Institute and a Metropolitan Non-Resident Fellow of the Brookings Institution. In 2019, he received the Dr. Winston C. Doby Community Coalition Award from the Los Angeles Urban League. In 2018, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Alpha Nu Omega Chapter, recognized him with the Excellence in Community Advocacy Award, and he was named one of Fast Company's 100 Most Creative People.
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- Partner, Holland & Knight
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- Founder & Chair, Voters Right to Know
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- Principal, California Strategies, LLC
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- Member of the Board of Directors for Apollo Medical
John Chiang serves as a member of the Board of Directors for Apollo Medical, Chijet and Deep Medicine Acquisition Corporation, and a member of the corporate advisory boards of Pasadena Private Lending and Adept. From 2015-2019, John Chiang served as California's 33rd State Treasurer. As the state's banker, he oversaw trillions of dollars in annual transactions, managed a $75 billion investment portfolio, and was the nation's largest issuer of municipal bonds.
Prior to being elected Treasurer, Chiang served from 2007 through 2014 as State Controller. During the Great Recession, he took steps to preserve cash to meet obligations to education and bond holders. His cash management decisions - which included delaying payments and issuing IOUs - were instrumental in keeping the state's credit rating from plunging into junk status. Chiang's actions saved taxpayers millions of dollars.
He aggressively used his audit programs to identify more than $9.5 billion of fraud, waste and abuse in government programs, the most by any Controller in California's history.
Chiang was first elected to the Board of Equalization in 1998 where he served two terms, including three years as chair.
Chiang graduated with honors from the University of South Florida with a degree in finance. He received his law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center.
Job Titles:
- Vice - Chair
- Co - Vice Chair
Vice-Chair; Former Assemblymember; Owner & Partner, Cunningham Law Group; Partner, CM Public Affairs, LLC
Jordan represented the Central Coast in the State Assembly from 2016-2022. His pragmatism and balance allowed him to win all three of his elections by wide margins in a "purple" coastal district. While in the Assembly, Jordan earned a reputation as a thoughtful and bipartisan legislator, and was a founding Member and Co-Chair of the California Problem Solvers Caucus.
Jordan was known by his constituents and local media as an effective advocate for the Central Coast, who was able to deliver results even from the minority. Utilizing his ability to bring diverse groups together for a common goal, Jordan created local coalitions that spoke with one voice and allowed the Central Coast to punch above its weight. As a result, Jordan delivered more than a billion dollars for local highway, water, and workforce projects.
Jordan served on a number of policy committees in the Assembly, where he developed policy expertise in the fields of energy and climate, transportation, and public safety. As a result of this expertise, Jordan was routinely called on by the press to break down complicated policies and publicly provide input on major proposals. He authored several major pieces of legislation related to energy and infrastructure, including AB 525 (setting state targets for Offshore Wind Power development), SB 1090 (workforce retention/economic development for the Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant), and SB 846 (extending operations of Diablo Canyon until 2030). In addition, he was part of the coalition that extended the state's "Cap and Trade" emissions law.
Jordan earned a Bachelor's degree in Physics (minor in Economics), magna cum laude, from Point Loma Nazarene University. He earned his law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law. He is a practicing attorney and co-owner of Cunningham Law Group with his wife, Shauna. They live in Paso Robles, where they are raising their four kids. In his free time, you can find him coaching high school soccer or skiing in the Sierras.
Job Titles:
- CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
- CEO of CA FWD
Kate Gordon is the CEO of CA FWD, a statewide organization dedicated to a more sustainable, resilient, and inclusive economy across every region of the state. Gordon has spent the past two decades working at the intersection of climate change, energy policy, and equitable economic development. Most recently, she served within the Biden-Harris administration as Senior Advisor to U.S. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm. During her time at the Department of Energy, Gordon led a variety of locally focused initiatives to help drive a more sustainable and resilient energy transition, including creating the Community Benefits Plan framework for DOE funding under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act; driving the agency's efforts to site clean energy projects on DOE lands through the Cleanup to Clean Energy initiative; and collaborating with the White House to lead the Interagency Working Group on Coal and Power Plant Communities. Gordon served on the Secretary of Energy's Advisory Board (SEAB) through the end of the Biden-Harris administration.
Prior to her time in the Biden-Harris administration, Gordon served for several years in California state government as the Director of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research and Senior Climate Policy Advisor to Governor Gavin Newsom. In this role, Gordon launched or led several initiatives to better integrate climate and economic development strategy across the state, including the Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery, the Regions Rise Together initiative, and the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF), now known as California Jobs First. As founder and head of California's interagency "climate cabinet," she also led the creation of the first-ever integrated California climate budget as part of the Governor's 2020 budget proposal. Gordon's policy work in California earned her CA FWD's 2022 California Steward Leader Award.
Before entering public service, Gordon was the founding director of the Risky Business Project, co-chaired by Mike Bloomberg, Hank Paulson, and Tom Steyer and focused on quantifying and communicating the financial risks and economic impacts of climate change on key U.S. regions and sectors. Gordon has also served in senior leadership positions at several nonpartisan think tanks including the Henry M. Paulson Institute, the Center for the Next Generation, the Center for American Progress, and the Center on Global Energy Policy at Columbia University. Gordon got her start on energy and climate issues working at the national Apollo Alliance, where she ultimately served as co-Executive Director until the merger with the Blue-Green Alliance in 2011.
Gordon earned a J.D. and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from the University of California-Berkeley, and an undergraduate degree from Wesleyan University. Gordon serves on multiple boards, including for Brown Advisory and Element Resources. She teaches a regular course on "Climate: Politics, Finance, and Infrastructure" at the University of California-Berkeley and serves as a Non-resident Scholar at Carnegie California.
Job Titles:
- Executive Vice President of Strategy, Corporate Development & Partnerships, PayPal
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- Partner, Madigan Consulting, Inc
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- Chairman of Children Now
- Director Emeritus ( Retired Senior Partner ) from the Washington D.C
Former Chief Economic and Business Advisor for Governor Gavin Newsom and Director of the Office of Business and Economic Development; Senior Partner Emeritus of McKinsey & Company
Lenny Mendonca is a director emeritus (retired senior partner) from the Washington D.C. and San Francisco offices of McKinsey & Company, a global management consulting firm. He is a senior fellow at the Presidio Institute. He is also an advisor to several entrepreneurs.
Lenny founded McKinsey's U.S. state and local public sector practice. For many years Lenny led the Firm's knowledge development efforts overseeing the McKinsey Global Institute and the Firm's communications, which includes the McKinsey Quarterly. He served for a decade on the McKinsey Shareholder Council (its board of directors). Over the course of his career he helped dozens of government, corporate, and nonprofit clients solve their most difficult management challenges.
Lenny is the Chair of Children Now, co-Chair of California Forward, and founder and Chair of Fusecorps. He is the Chair Emeritus of the Bay Area Council and the Economic Institute of the Bay Area, and was vice-chair of the Stanford Graduate School of Business Advisory Council. He serves on the boards of New America, Western Governors University, The Committee for Economic Development, Common Cause, the Bay Area Science and Innovation Consortium, The Campaign for Business & Educational Excellence, The Educational Results Partnership, The College Futures Foundation and the Super Bowl 50 Fund. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, the Board of Trustees for Junior Statesmen of America and the Advisory Boards of QB3 and The Public Policy Institute of California.
He received his MBA and certificate in public management from the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He holds an AB, magna cum laude, in economics from Harvard College.
Lenny lives on the Half Moon Bay coast, south of San Francisco, with his wife, Christine. They raised their two daughters, Allie and Rebecca, there and are the founders and owners of the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company and the Mavericks Beer Company.
Luther King, Jr., Coretta Scott King, at the MLK, Jr. Federal Holiday Commission. Patrick is a graduate scholar of the Coverdell Leadership Institute founded by former Georgia U.S. Senator Paul Coverdell and the Conservative Policy Leadership Institute. He served on the Board of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and is a member of the 2013 class of Leadership Atlanta.
Job Titles:
- Master of Public Policy
- UC Berkeley Capstone Student and Research Assistant
Mel Moyce is a Master of Public Policy candidate at UC Berkeley, specializing in energy and environmental policy and equitable transitions to renewable energy. With over eight years of professional experience, she has led ambitious research efforts, advised on large-scale infrastructure projects, and utilized predictive analytics to inform forward-thinking environmental and energy policies. Her career includes roles with the New South Wales (Australian) Government and Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. Outside of work and academics, Mel enjoys spending time with her sister in San Francisco, playing Magic: The Gathering, and organizing community events on campus.
Job Titles:
- CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation
- CEO, Inland Empire Community Foundation
Michelle is the CEO of the Inland Empire Community Foundation in Southern California where she focuses on impact, equity, and growth. For over 30 years Michelle held leadership positions in community economic development nonprofits focused on participatory development, and has specialized in building or rebuilding organizations in both urban and rural communities. Prior to joining IECF, Michelle was the 10-year CEO of Rural Action, a community development corporation in Appalachian Ohio working on local sustainable development and mission-based social enterprises including projects in food systems, forestry, water quality, and environmental education. As the IECF CEO Michelle is responsible for strategic direction, board engagement, and leading on building a culture of philanthropy in the IE, an effort which sets IECF's 10 year direction.
Job Titles:
- Director of California Public Policy for Meta
Mona Pasquil Rogers serves as Director of California Public Policy for Meta, where she is responsible for managing relationships with policymakers and stakeholders throughout the state. She is also President of The California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus Institute.
Prior to that, Pasquil Rogers served as Appointments Secretary in the Office of Governors Gavin Newsom and Edmund G. Brown Jr. where she was responsible for helping the Governor build his administration by recruiting top candidates to serve the state.
In 2009, Pasquil Rogers served as Chief of Staff to California Lieutenant Governor John Garamendi and Acting Lieutenant Governor, after Garamendi was elected to Congress. This marked the first time a woman, Asian Pacific Islander or Filipino-American served in this role.
She served as deputy CEO for the 2000 Democratic National Convention in Los Angeles, California political director for the Gore-Lieberman campaign, and western political director for the White House Office of Political Affairs under President Bill Clinton. Mona was a member of the Democratic National Committee from 2003-2009 and worked as a strategic consultant for IBM's national, state and local government sales team.
Mona has served on the California State Personnel Board since January 2019. She was also appointed to serve on the California American Water Board in May 2020.
Her awards include a Presidential Citation to commemorate her service as the first Filipino-American lieutenant governor of California from former Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Mona is most proud of her work mentoring California's youth to become more active in their communities. This work includes founding the Asian Pacific Youth Leadership Project of California, an organization dedicated to boosting Asian and Pacific Islander youth involvement in California policy. Mona continues her commitment to mentorship and is the immediate past president of California Women Lead.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director of Programs at California Forward
Nuin-Tara Key is Executive Director of Programs at California Forward. In this role, she supports the overall strategy and development of programs across the organization. She has nearly 20 years of experience in climate adaptation and mitigation policy, climate finance, urban and regional planning, and social and environmental equity.
Prior to joining CA FWD, Nuin-Tara served as a Senior Advisor and Consultant, including working with Resilient Cities Catalyst (RCC) to stand up the Mediterranean Climate Action Partnership (MCAP) and support implementation of the California Resilience Partnership (CRP). She served as Director of the North America Public Sector Practice in the Climate and Resilience Hub (CRH) at WTW, a global risk and insurance firm, working with public sector clients to better manage climate risks and guide the transition to a net zero economy.
From 2016-2022, Nuin-Tara worked in the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research (OPR) as an appointee under Governors Brown and Newson, including as Deputy Director for Climate Resilience. As part of the executive team, Nuin-Tara built the State's Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program and oversaw development of state adaptation planning and implementation grant programs, the Fifth California Climate Change Assessment - including building the first of its kind Tribal Climate Research Grant Program - and coordinated the state's climate risk disclosure agenda, including integration of physical climate risk into state asset investments. She also served as Chair of the ICARP Technical Advisory Council and oversaw the development of the State's Climate Adaptation Clearinghouse. Nuin-Tara also served as the state lead for long-term Community Planning and Capacity Building, under that California Disaster Recovery Framework.
Prior to OPR, Nuin-Tara co-founded an international initiative on community-based climate action, combining documentary film and policy research. She has worked in local and regional government, including building the first Regional Racial Equity Program at Metro, the regional government in Portland, OR. She has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from Portland State University and a BA from Lewis and Clark College.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director, Sonoma County Human Services Department
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- Secretary
- Founder and CEO of VOCATIO
Patrick is currently the Founder and CEO of VOCATIO, an award-winning, innovative insurgent in the talent scouting and sourcing domain for interns and postgrad hires.
As an increasingly sought after public speaker and workshop presenter, Patrick has been invited to speak to more than 75 college and corporate audiences on a variety of topics such as innovation, digital media, social entrepreneurship, political activism and diversity matters.
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- Dean, Pepperdine School of Public Policy & Sr. Fellow, Davenport Institute
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- Senate Majority Leader, California State Senate
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- Director of Communications
- Director of Communications for CA FWD
Sarah Walsh serves as the Director of Communications for CA FWD, supporting the organization's messaging and content, including digital and social media content, newsletters, and materials for the California Economic Summit and other CA FWD projects.
Prior to joining CA FWD, Sarah worked in communications roles in public sector consulting, pharmaceutical manufacturing, tribal government, and for elected officials.
Job Titles:
- Controller
- Controller at CA FWD
Selina Williams is the Controller at CA FWD and has 20 years' experience in the nonprofit sector overseeing financial operations for private foundations, operating nonprofits, political action committees and social welfare organizations across many industries, including accountancy, public relations, environmental law, real estate development and more.
Selina believes in the importance of community engagement and arts and culture. She attended Otis Art Institute of Parsons School of Design (Los Angeles) and UC Berkeley (Accounting); is a founding member of Pinole, Hercules, Rodeo and El Sobrante for Equity and Diversity (PHREED); and a founding board member of the Hercules Democratic Club and Sambao Pro Provo, a performing arts group in San Francisco.
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- President & Executive Director, Asian Americans Advancing Justice
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- Superintendent / President, MiraCosta Community College District
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- President & CEO, California Emerging Technology Fund
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- Project Manager
- Project Manager at California Forward
As a Project Manager at California Forward, Taylor Carnevale supports the organization's strategic planning and program development initiatives.
Taylor's work focuses on supporting California's communities in bolstering their access to resources and solutions that are key to strengthening their climate resilience. Most recently, Taylor served as a Climate Finance Associate with California IBank, a green banking entity for the State of California. In this role, Taylor supported the development of public and private partnerships and innovative financing mechanisms to increase investments and accelerate the development of clean energy.
Prior to her time in climate finance, Taylor was a Senior Climate Resilience Planner at the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research, where she managed the development and implementation of California's Extreme Heat Action Plan. Over her tenure at the Office, she advanced California's climate, community resilience, and land-use planning goals through the development of the Climate Resilience Plan Alignment Toolkit, grant funding opportunities, and Administration-wide approaches to climate adaptation.
Taylor is an alumnus of the California State University Capital Fellows Program. She holds a bachelor's degree in International Relations and Economics from Gonzaga University and a graduate certificate in Applied Policy and Government from California State University - Sacramento, and is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate in Financing and Deploying Clean Energy from Yale University.
Job Titles:
- Founding Co - Chair / Chair of the Board, Automobile Club of Southern California
Job Titles:
- CEO, Futuro Health and Executive Vice Chancellor Emeritus, Workforce & Digital Futures at the California Community Colleges
Job Titles:
- Vice President of External & Government Relations, Dignity Health