CA – NewDEAL

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson

Rachel Walsh — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 11:00:23 +0000

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson

City Councilmember | Santa Cruz, CA

Shebreh Kalantari-Johnson is committed to community well-being and works towards this in her professional, elected and volunteer roles. Shebreh was first elected to Santa Cruz City Council in November of 2020 and reelected for a four year term in March of 2024. Shebreh’s has focused her city council work on youth well-being, addressing the challenges around homelessness, increasing affordable and workforce housing, enhancing economic vitality, environmental stewardship, climate response, and improved transportation systems. As a pro-growth leader, Shebreh has worked on housing development in the community. Shebreh formed a council sub-committee dedicated to actively revising our local Housing Element to include forward thinking policies that promote all levels of housing. One of the key initiatives Shebreh championed includes the introduction of ministerial approval for housing projects, particularly those designated as 100% affordable. In her nearly four years of service on the City Council, Shebreh takes pride in my unwavering support for housing projects, consistently voting ‘yes’ on all proposals to advance our community’s housing needs. Shebreh’s philosophy on housing is that to uphold our community’s core values of equity, diversity, and well-being, we must embrace housing diversity at all affordability levels and types.

Shebreh has also focused on a vibrant and safe downtown. She has focused on policies and initiatives such as permanent outdoor dining, downtown ambassadors’ program, activation of alley-ways, and ensuring a vibrant and clean downtown for both locals and visitors. Shebreh has supported filling empty storefronts with high-opportunity industries and implementing administrative streamlining for first-time business owners. Currently, Shebreh is leading a policy effort to address negligent property owners that negatively impact safety and experience of community members and visitors.

Shebreh is also commitment to environmental sustainability. When coastal erosion occurred during the 2023 California storms, Shebreh worked with the city teams to restore coastal safety and develop a long-term coastal resiliency plan. Shebreh also serves on the public transportation board, the Metro, and served as Board chair in 2023. Shebreh has also been focusing improved bike safety including safe routes to schools.

Shebreh has demonstrated her commitment to the community and the community has responded with the relreection to her second term by attaining over 70% of the votes.

Shebreh received her B.A. in Psychology and French/Francophonie Studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC) and a Masters in Social Work from San Jose State University. She is a mother of two boys, is married and lives in Santa Cruz California. Shebreh is a native of Iran and has lived in Santa Cruz, CA for over 20 years.

Matt Mahan

Rachel Walsh — Fri, 02 Jun 2023 14:18:28 +0000

Matt Mahan

Mayor | San José, CA

Matt Mahan ran for San José City Council in 2020 because he knew it was time to give local government a “wake-up call.” Between a crisis of homelessness, crime, dirty streets and dysfunctional government, Matt knows we deserve better – and we can do better. In 2022, Matt was elected Mayor of San José.

Matt comes from the business world where he founded and grew companies dedicated to empowering neighborhoods and communities and holding government accountable. Since taking office, he has focused on key quality of life issues impacting all neighborhoods. On homelessness, for example, Matt put forth memos calling on the City and County to identify land for low-cost, safe and secure shelter for those living on our streets. He has outlined in detail how, with just 50 acres across the county and the amount of money we are already spending through Measure A, we could end street homelessness today. He has also advocated for requiring that people use shelter when it is provided. On fiscal issues, Matt has worked hard to overhaul City Hall’s budget and goal-setting process to align our government with achieving key results for San Joséans. In June 2021, Matt secured the City Council’s support in tying the funding of a department or project with the quality of service it provides to residents. This performance-based budgeting approach, while common in the business world, has not been implemented at City Hall. Matt is now working with the city’s budget department to bring real transparency and accountability to how our tax dollars are spent.

While Matt was proud of the work he and his team have done to represent the residents of District 10 in a short time, he became acutely aware of the dysfunction at City Hall that prevented the city’s biggest problems from being solved. Matt decided to run for Mayor to force the Council and the bureaucracy to focus on the key problems facing the community, such as homeless, trash, crime and traffic, and to pursue common sense solutions that are both affordable and effective.

Bobbie Singh-Allen

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 23:06:00 +0000

Bobbie Singh-Allen

Mayor | Elk Grove, CA

Bobbie Singh-Allen was elected Mayor of Elk Grove in November 2020. She is the first directly elected Sikh woman mayor in the country. As Mayor, she serves on numerous boards and commissions on behalf of the city including: GSEC (Greater Sacramento Economic Council), Chair of STA (Sacramento Transportation Authority), Sacramento Library Authority, Sacramento Regional Sanitation District, Sacramento Air Quality District, and various subcommittees.

Previously, Singh-Allen served as a Trustee for Elk Grove Unified School District from August 2012 to December 2020. Trustee Singh-Allen served as Board President for 2 years. She has helped lead the fifth largest school district to strong financial reserves, strengthened relationships between management and labor, robust Career and Technical Education programs, higher graduation rates, inclusive curriculum, enhanced Visual and Performing Arts, and more.

Singh-Allen has represented the private sector for over twenty years. She has led statewide associations representing gas stations and convenience stores, the hotel and lodging industry, special education service providers and schools, housing and community development companies, and government relations- public affairs consultant for various clients on issues including land use development, affordable housing, real estate, and more.

She is committed to bringing her leadership skills, professional development training in collaboration, equity, and implicit bias to help lead the City of Elk Grove. Singh-Allen is a champion for good governance which includes transparency, accountability, collaboration, and stakeholder engagement.

Singh-Allen received her J.D. from Lincoln Law School of Sacramento and earned her B.A. in Government from California State University, Sacramento.

Singh-Allen is a native of India and a wife and mother of two children. She has lived in Elk Grove for nearly 30 years. She is an elected State Commissioner for Visit California. She also serves as a member of the Sacramento Regional Coalition for Tolerance, California Chamber of Commerce, Cal-Travel, and more. Previously, she served on the Elk Grove Teen Center Board of Directors, Elk Grove Food Bank Board of Directors and was an active member of the Rotary Club of Laguna Sunrise. Her civic and community engagement earned several awards and recognitions. In 2015, she was selected as “Woman of the Year” for Assembly District 9 and recognized for her many achievements in front of the California Legislature.

Colin Parent

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 22:52:43 +0000

Colin Parent

Former City Councilmember | La Mesa, CA

Colin Parent was elected to the La Mesa City Council in November 2016.

Currently, Colin works as the Executive Director and General Counsel at the nonprofit Circulate San Diego. He is responsible for advocating for affordable transit, safe walkable neighborhoods, and effective land use policy.

Colin served on the Jerry Brown for Governor 2010 campaign, and was appointed by Governor Brown as the Director of External Affairs for the California Department of Housing and Community Development. Prior to working for Governor Brown, Colin practiced law for three years as a commercial litigator at the San Diego office of the international law firm of DLA Piper US LLP. During 2013 and 2014, Colin served as the Director of Policy at the San Diego Housing Commission.

Colin is a serial social entrepreneur in San Diego. He co-founded the San Diego Leadership Alliance, an organization that trains young San Diegans to be equipped for civic leadership. As a board member of the League of Conservation Voters San Diego, he chaired the first ever coalition to grade the environmental records of elected officials in the City of San Diego.

Colin grew up in East County San Diego and is a graduate of Valhalla High School, U.C. San Diego, and NYU Law School. He enjoys spending time with his Kindle, and taking pictures of his food.

Josh Becker

Andrea Cruz — Tue, 11 Oct 2022 22:41:57 +0000

Josh Becker

Senator | Menlo Park, CA

Senator Josh Becker is a public policy innovator working at the nexus of community activism, technology and social justice. Elected to the State Senate in November 2020, Senator Becker represents the residents of California’s 13th Senate District, which comprises most of San Mateo County and the northern part of Santa Clara County.

He is the author of several bills focused on accelerating California’s transition to 100% clean energy and net zero emissions, voter access and justice reforms, and leveraging technology to provide greater economic mobility for all Californians.

Josh’s commitment to service crystalized when he traveled to war-torn Guatemala to work with refugees in the early ’90s and later started a basic school for repatriated refugees in El Salvador.

In 2000, Josh created Full Circle, a community leadership and policy innovation organization that funds nonprofits creating positive change in the Bay Area and building civic leaders for the future. He has been the driving force for Full Circle, which has supported policy innovations and community organizations in economic opportunity, education, environmental sustainability and health.

Appointed by Governor Jerry Brown, Josh served seven years on the California State Workforce Development Board, and he served on the Child Care Partnership Council in San Mateo County. Josh also is a founding trustee at the University of California Merced.

Josh has long been a champion in pushing businesses to create social good. After losing his father to brain cancer, Josh helped start a biotech company researching cancer cures. Uniting entrepreneurial expertise with his passion for social change, Josh cofounded New Cycle Capital, a pioneer in building socially responsible businesses. In 2011, Josh joined Lex Machina, which has a mission of bringing openness and transparency to the law. As CEO, he grew the company from a Stanford University public interest project into a nationally recognized platform. Most recently he founded a legal tech accelerator to support entrepreneurs who want to innovate in our legal and public policy system.

Josh earned a JD/MBA from Stanford University in 1999. While a student, Josh cofounded the Stanford Board Fellows program, which trains students to serve on the boards of local nonprofits, engaging them in social progress at the beginning of their careers, rather than the end.

Josh is a 20-year resident of Menlo Park, where he lives with his wife, Jonna, their two children, Leo and Aaron, and the family dog, Percy.

James Gore

join.us — Mon, 18 Apr 2022 21:24:48 +0000

James Gore

Supervisor | Sonoma County, CA

Serving his home county in Northern California for the last seven years, James has shown steadfast and innovative leadership through an unprecedented barrage of fires, floods, droughts, and more. He has become a well-known champion of resiliency by engaging and empowering residents through recovery and rebuilding in the wake of wildfires. James led efforts to secure historic regional, state, and federal funding for emergency preparedness and infrastructure investments. He’s also a key local and state leader on housing, homelessness, and behavioral health.

During the pandemic, James led the California State Association of Counties as President through the multitude of statewide prevention and response actions. Locally, he spearheaded the creation of Sonoma County’s Office of Equity to take on the disparate impacts of COVID on underserved communities.

Raul Campillo

join.us — Tue, 09 Nov 2021 16:28:32 +0000

Raul Campillo

Councilmember | San Diego, CA

Raul Armando Campillo was born in San Diego and raised in El Cajon, CA. After college, Raul worked as a fifth-grade public school teacher in one of the country’s poorest school districts in North Las Vegas, NV. After earning a Master’s Degree in Education, Raul left teaching to pursue a career in law. After several years practicing complex litigation and conducting white-collar criminal investigations, Raul returned to public service here at home with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office. Raul principally prosecuted DUIs, helped find diversion programs and therapy for individuals suffering from drug addiction, and worked in the Gun Violence Response Unit, taking firearms out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves or their community. Raul was elected to a 4-year term on the San Diego City Council on November 3, 2020.

Bringing his legal experience and attention to detail to every decision, Raul is dedicated to ensuring the people in the Seventh Council District are well served at City Hall. Raul believes that the City must provide a strong economic environment for families to be able to afford living in San Diego, to provide their children with opportunities, and to build social cohesion across diverse communities. Because District 7 is centrally located with opportunities for commerce, housing, transit, and education, Raul sees great progress with proper planning for additional housing, investment in infrastructure and child care, and protecting our natural resources like the San Diego River and Mission Trails Regional Park. Raul also brings his expertise as a prosecutor to the task of implementing smart and effective changes to policing.

Blanca Rubio

Ben Moore — Thu, 06 May 2021 13:23:47 +0000

Blanca Rubio

Assemblymember | Baldwin Park, CA

Assemblywoman Rubio represents the 48th Assembly District encompassing cities of the East San Gabriel Valley. Blanca has worked tirelessly to give her constituents a voice in the Capitol, placing advocacy for children, women, families, students, and immigrants at the forefront of her work. Since her election in 2016, Blanca has authored bills that support victims of domestic violence, create opportunities for children within the foster care system, ensure our youngest students are given proper support to succeed in school, and support for immigrant communities. In addition, the Assemblywoman has been a vocal moderator of the California State Legislatures strong progressive roots encouraging an interface between innovative business ideas and economic stability. In 2021, she was elected Chair of the New Democrats which creates an opportunity for business organizations across the state to come to the table with a variety of legislative ideologies. The Assemblywoman has continuously advocated for cooperation between the progressive and moderate wings of the California Legislature leading to effective negotiations on major policy items including recycling, family leave, and business grants.

Ben Allen

Ben Moore — Thu, 06 May 2021 13:21:19 +0000

Ben Allen

Senator | Los Angeles, CA

Senator Ben Allen was elected in 2014 (and reelected in 2018) to represent the 1 million residents of California’s 26th Senate District covering the Westside, Hollywood and coastal South Bay communities of Los Angeles County. Senator Allen has thrown himself into the important work of state government, focusing on wise decision-making and pushing for reforms that address systemic inadequacies in our state. He has authored important laws in a variety of areas, from environmental protection to electoral reform, and chairs the Legislature’s Environmental Quality Committee, the Legislature’s Joint Committee on the Arts, and the Senate Select Committee on Aerospace and Defense.

Allen played a pivotal role in efforts to ensure that public transit construction would receive a substantial component of the recent statewide transportation gas tax funds and has been a leader in efforts to ensure that transit projects received expedited environmental reviews. He has championed the important Los Angeles industries of aerospace, tourism, arts, and entertainment, playing an important role in the state’s recent extension of the television and film production tax credit that has spurred economic growth around the state by encouraging production to come home to California.

Libby Schaaf

join.us — Wed, 13 May 2020 14:25:39 +0000

Libby Schaaf

Former Mayor | Oakland, CA

Former Mayor Libby Schaaf was born and raised in Oakland, which she proudly describes as, “The most unapologetic Sanctuary City in America.” During her tenure, Oakland underwent an economic revitalization and building boom, as well as cut gun violence in half.

Her “17K/17K Housing Plan” helped increase Oakland’s affordable housing production, stabilize rents, and decrease evictions. Her innovative public-private partnerships Keep Oakland Housed and Cabin Communities are credited with preventing 1,800 families a year from losing their housing while resolving some of Oakland’s most unsafe street encampments. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Mayor Schaaf to California’s first Council of Regional Homeless Advisors.

She created Oakland’s first Department of Transportation, whose equity-based paving plan is the first of its kind in the nation and will make previously underserved neighborhoods safer while addressing the city’s decades-old infrastructure backlog.

Mayor Schaaf is most proud of launching the Oakland Promise, a bold cradle-to-career initiative to send more low-income Oakland kids to college. The Oakland Promise gives every baby born into poverty a $500 savings account at birth. The Oakland Promise has sent more than 1,400 Oakland students (and counting) to college with scholarships and mentors.