Ben Metcalf

Ben Metcalf is the Managing Director of the Terner Center for Housing Innovation at UC Berkeley where he leads the expansion and deepening of Terner Center’s work addressing housing affordability challenges through rigorous research and policy analysis. In addition, he holds an appointment as Associate Research Professor with UC Berkeley’s Department of City and Regional Planning and serves as Practice Director for UC Berkeley’s Abbey Master of Real Estate Development + Design. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of Terner Labs, a nonprofit organization formed in 2021 to advance the applied innovation work of the Terner Center.

In 2015, Ben was appointed by former Governor Jerry Brown to lead California’s Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD), a role he held until 2019. During his tenure at the State, Ben played an instrumental role in the passage and implementation of the 2017 Housing Package and oversaw the Department during a period of significant expansion of the state’s financial and regulatory reach into housing and land use matters. In addition, he served on the board of directors of the California Housing Partnership Corporation, the California Housing Finance Agency, and was the founding chair of the State of California’s Homelessness Coordinating and Finance Council. Prior to joining HCD, Ben worked in the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., including as an appointee of President Obama in the role of Deputy Assistant Secretary overseeing HUD’s Office of Multifamily Housing Programs. His responsibilities included oversight of the Federal Housing Administration multifamily guaranteed loan portfolio and a subsidized affordable housing portfolio representing 30,000 multifamily properties across the U.S. As senior advisor to the FHA Commissioner on multifamily housing, he developed key Administration priorities related to energy efficiency, housing for the elderly, disabled and formerly homeless, and comprehensive neighborhood revitalization. Before that, he developed mixed-income and mixed-use communities with California-based BRIDGE Housing Corporation. He had day-to-day responsibility for a portfolio of major projects from initial due diligence and site acquisition through approvals, design and construction, bringing forward ~$125 million in development activity and played key roles in successfully securing environmental and land use approvals for four major Bay Area land opportunities representing ~$1.5 billion of new development.

He holds a Master’s in Public Policy and Urban Planning from the Harvard Kennedy School and a Bachelor of Arts from Amherst College and was an inaugural Fellow at the Center for Urban Redevelopment Excellence at the University of Pennsylvania.

Celia Smoot

Ms. Smoot has over 20 years of experience in affordable housing with an expertise focus on finance and regulatory compliance. She is currently the Senior Vice President at KeyBank heading up LIHTC Multifund, Preservation and SBIC investments. Prior to KeyBank, Celia served as Vice President at National Affordable Housing Trust focused on various duties including developing focused funds for BIPOC developers, providing technical support to nonprofit organizations and housing authorities and managing Y15 dispositions. She also served as Director of LISC Housing and managed a national team setting housing strategy and policy as well as structuring, raising capital and managing housing funds. An attorney, she has a strong background in affordable housing and community development real estate finance. Prior to joining LISC, she was an attorney with HUD, Hessel, Aluise, and O’Leary, P.C., a private national law firm with an affordable housing focus, and with Kutak Rock, LLP, in their tax credit practice group. She received a J.D. from The George Washington University and a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

Tomiquia Moss

Tomiquia Moss is the Secretary of California’s Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency. As Secretary, Tomiquia leads and oversees 12 entities, including 40 boards and bureaus, collectively responsible for the preservation and expansion of safe, affordable housing, efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protect consumers, and safeguard Californians’ civil rights. Tomiquia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors with expertise in housing and homelessness, public policy, civil rights, and community development.

Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Tomiquia founded and led All Home, a Bay Area organization advancing regional solutions to disrupt the cycles that perpetuate homelessness and poverty. She was the CEO of Hamilton Families, which offers emergency, transitional, and permanent housing services for families experiencing homelessness. She previously served directly under the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland, and as the Executive Director of the HOPE SF Initiative.

Tomiquia has been the board president for both SPUR and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California. She co-chaired the Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee, and the statewide Black Leadership Council. She also served as an Advisory Committee member for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority from its inception until her appointment as Secretary. She remains a board member of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.

Tiena Johnson Hall

Tiena Johnson Hall joined the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD) as General Manager in January 2025. She brings a strong professional background to this role, having served in various leadership positions for financial, banking, and housing organizations including Bank of the West, U.S. Bank, Abode Communities, and Bank of America Community Lending. Ms. Hall also served as Director of Major Projects at the Los Angeles Housing Department in 2004-2005.

Tiena Johnson Hall was appointed as Executive Director of the California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), the state’s affordable housing lender, by California Governor Gavin Newsom in July 2021. In that role, she worked to further the Agency’s mission to invest in diverse communities with financing programs that help more Californians have a place to call home. As part of her role, Ms. Johnson Hall engaged mortgage lenders, affordable housing developers, federal, state and local government agencies, advocacy organizations, public officials and representatives from the private financing markets to work collaboratively to create housing options for more low- and moderate-income Californians.

Prior to her appointment at CalHFA, Ms. Johnson Hall served on the CalHFA Board of Directors from 2014 and was the Senior Vice President and Manager of Community Development Finance for BBVA now a member of PNC Bank. She also serves on various housing and financial Boards and Councils, including the Federal Housing Finance Agency Advisory Committee on Affordable, Equitable and Sustainable Housing, National Housing Conference National Advisory Council, and UCLA Ziman Center for Real Estate’s Affordable Housing Advisory Council. Ms. Hall is a former Board Member for California Interagency Council on Homelessness (2021 – 2024), and California Tax Credit Allocation Committee, CDLAC (2021 – 2024).

Ms. Johnson Hall received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from Howard University and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Redlands. She is a proud lifelong member of Alpha Kappa Alpha. She brings a commitment to produce affordable housing and an expertise in housing and finance policy to her role as General Manager of LAHD.

Tia Boatman Patterson

Tia Boatman Patterson is the President and CEO of California Community Reinvestment Corporation (CCRC), a nonprofit Community Development Finance Institution, that provides financing and technical assistance to developers and owners of affordable housing in California. She joined CCRC in December 2022, bringing over 25 years of experience in housing and community development public policy and finance.

Before joining CCRC, she was appointed by President Biden to serve as the Associate Director of Housing, Treasury, & Commerce in the Executive Office of the President Office of Management & Budget. From 2014 to 2021 Ms. Patterson served as the Executive Director of California Housing Finance Agency (CalHFA), where she led the agency’s mission to create and preserve more affordable housing for low- and moderate-income Californians. Under her leadership, CalHFA increased its homeownership assistance by more than tenfold, reaching over 13,000 families and $4 billion in mortgages in 2020. She also expanded the agency’s multifamily lending and rental housing programs, creating and preserving over 60,000 affordable homes in six years. She was recognized nationally by state housing finance agencies serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Council of State Housing Agencies from 2018 to 2020. On June 5, 2024, she was awarded the 2024 Housing Visionary Award at the National Housing Conference for her diligent and needle-moving work in affordable housing that has a lasting impact through her visionary leadership and tireless advocacy.

With a legal and legislative staff background in housing and community development, she has leveraged her policy expertise and practitioner skills to build partnerships, establish trust, and collaborate with policymakers, and stakeholders, in both the government and the private sector. She holds a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific – McGeorge School of Law and a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from San Diego State University. She is licensed to practice law in California and the District of Columbia.

Ryan Johnson

Mr. Johnson has had a distinguished career in private equity, real estate developer and operator and non-profit real estate organizations. He was Vice President of Acquisitions for Whitehall Capital a $2 billion-dollar opportunistic real estate private equity fund focused on distressed real estate and special credit situations. He oversaw multifamily developments and value-add office investments for the Ashforth family including structuring and securing joint-venture partners. He ran a $800 million-dollar private equity fund for Pacific Investment Mutual Company (PIMCO) focused on multifamily development, office and multifamily value add investments targeting the Southwest and Midwest of the United States.

Mr. Johnson also co-created LISC Strategic Investment (SEC Registered Investment Advisor for national CDFI), oversaw the growth of the Greenville Housing Fund (a South Carolina non-profit) from $5 million dollars to $100 million dollar organization including taking the entity into the bond market.

Prior to LACAHSA, he was CEO & Principal of Fulham Square, a real estate owner & operator focused on mixed-income housing in the Southeast and Southwest of the United States.

Reynold Hoover

Reynold Hoover is the CEO of LA28, the Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles. He oversees the planning, delivery and execution of the Games and was appointed to the role in June of 2024.

Hoover’s held various senior civilian roles in the US federal government and leadership positions in the US military in addition as a three-star Lieutenant General. He’s led the United States through the most complex logistics operations and was awarded the highest non-combat award in the Defense Department.

Hoover graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and holds master’s degrees in public and Private Management from Birmingham Southern College, and in Strategic Studies from the U.S. Army War College. He received his law degree from The Catholic University of America’s Columbus School of Law.

Pete Rodriguez

United Brotherhood of Carpenters Western District Vice-President

Pete Rodriguez joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters on December 23, 1996, as Heavy Highway Bridge Carpenter/Form Setter and at the recommendation of his father, a Union Laborer. His career started twenty-eight years ago as an apprentice carpenter. He completed the Carpenters Apprenticeship Program, where his specialty was bridge and concrete form setting. He worked on such high-profile projects as Disney’s California Adventure and the 241 Toll Road.

Pete was hired by the Carpenters/Contractors Cooperation Committee (C/CCC), a labor-management organization committed to cracking down on civil and criminal underground economy practices, in 2001 as a Committee Representative and later became Team Coordinator. As its Team Coordinator, he worked closely with local, state and federal enforcement agencies across the Southwest, including the California and Nevada Labor Commissioner’s Offices; the California Attorney General’s Office; multiple District Attorney’s Offices and the U.S. Department of Labor, and oversaw the compliance with the law and a level playing bidding field in the construction industry. Pete was with the C/CCC for 15 years.

In 2016 Pete was hired as an Administrative Assistant for the SW Regional Council of Carpenters, where key achievements included: overseeing a regional leadership development program, spearheading the “Criminal Colorado” campaign to address rampant industry fraud in

Colorado, which resulted in the Governor’s Executive Order for a Joint Enforcement Task Force on Payroll Fraud and Employee Misclassification in the Construction Industry; and organizing the Southern California Tilt-Up concrete industry to increase market share and elevate working conditions for all carpenters in that market.

Pete went on to serve as President, and Executive Secretary-Treasurer/CEO of the Southwest Mountain States Regional Council of Carpenters. He was the first Latino EST of the SWMSRCC.

Pete is also serves as a Trustee on the Carpenters’ Health and Welfare, Pension, Vacation and Training Funds.

In January 2023 Pete was appointed as the Western District Vice President of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America. In this role, WDVP Rodriguez assists the West Coast Regional Councils – Hawaii, Northern California, and Western States – with programs, culture initiatives, and new opportunities for better Union jobs, wages, and benefits for 130,500 members and their families. He’s also focusing on increasing membership for minorities and women and overall retention of Western District members.

Pete is a first-generation U.S. citizen.

Nicole Williams

Executive Director, LISC LA

Nicole Williams leads the LISC LA office, which has invested nearly $1.6 billion over the past 36 years to support affordable housing, small businesses, economic development, health, education, and job creation throughout Los Angeles

Williams’ diverse background spans finance, government, and community-focused nonprofits, all of which she draws on to guide LISC LA’s work. Most recently, she served as senior vice president and head of nonprofit banking at Banc of California, where she built a business line focused on nonprofits and Community Development Financial Institutions (CDFIs) in California.

Prior to that, Williams spent nine years at J.P. Morgan, where she worked closely with top CDFIs across the nation as Executive Director of the Commercial Bank’s Intermediary Lending team. During her time at J.P. Morgan, she played a key role in the development and closure of the $100 million Entrepreneurs of Color Loan Fund, an impact investment initiative created in collaboration with LISC to accelerate capital flow to LMI-led businesses. Earlier in her career, she worked in the Government Banking group, providing treasury and credit solutions to municipal clients in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area.

In addition to her financial expertise, Williams brings a deep understanding of public service and local government. She spent a decade in various roles with city and county agencies, including serving as Senior Director of Economic Development under Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Williams holds an MBA from the Graziadio Business School at Pepperdine University and a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. She is also an alumna of the Los Angeles African American Women in Public Policy Leadership Institute.

Lourdes Castro Ramírez

Lourdes Castro Ramírez is an executive leader with a proven track record of impact across federal, state, and local government. As President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), she leads the nation’s second-largest public housing agency, serving over 200,000 people.

Her career is defined by high-level service, including an appointment by President Barack Obama to lead HUD’s Office of Public and Indian Housing and serving as under Governor Newsom as Secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency.

A strategic advisor to Mayor Karen Bass, Castro Ramírez specializes in scaling affordable housing production and building regional coalitions to solve homelessness.

She holds a Master’s in Urban Planning and a Bachelor’s in Political Science from UCLA.

Liam Dillon

Liam Dillon is a reporter for POLITICO covering housing in California.

He focuses on rebuilding in Los Angeles after the devastating wildfires in January 2025 and writes about broader issues surrounding affordability and homelessness across the state.

Liam has over 15 years of experience writing about politics and policy in California, with a specialty in housing reporting. He’s covered dire living conditions in Los Angeles’ Skid Row, opulence in Silicon Valley enclaves and freeway displacement in Houston and Tampa.

His work has won multiple awards and led to new laws and public policy changes. Liam frequently offers expert analysis on California housing issues on panels and in state and national media, and for five years co-hosted the Gimme Shelter California Housing Crisis podcast.

Before joining POLITICO, Liam worked for nearly a decade at the Los Angeles Times. He’s also reported on local government for news outlets in Southwest Florida and San Diego. Liam is a graduate of Georgetown University and grew up outside Philadelphia.

Mayor Karen Bass

Mayor Karen Bass has led the nation’s second largest city with unprecedented urgency that has delivered results for all Angelenos.

Thousands more unhoused Angelenos have come inside in her first year than the year before, leading to a reported drop in homelessness for the first time in years.

Under the Mayor’s leadership, LAPD received record numbers of applicants while homicides and violent crime decreased. 100,000 more city services like pothole repair and graffiti removal have been provided. Thousands of businesses opened. Hundreds of millions of dollars were secured through locking arms with state and federal partners as Los Angeles continues to urgently lead on climate.

Mayor Bass was elected to make change for the people of Los Angeles by breaking with the status quo to deliver for the people of Los Angeles.

Dr. Julio Frenk

A fourth-generation physician whose paternal grandparents fled Germany in the early 1930s to build a new life in Mexico, Julio Frenk catalyzed his deep gratitude for the kindness of strangers into a lifelong mission to improve the health, education and well-being of people around the world.

Dr. Frenk became the seventh chancellor of UCLA on January 1, 2025. He also holds an academic appointment as distinguished professor in the Department of Health Policy and Management within the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Prior to joining UCLA, he served as president of the University of Miami from 2015 to 2024, where he was also a tenured faculty member. From 2009 to 2015 he was the dean of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and the T & G Angelopoulos Professor of Public Health and International Development, a joint appointment with the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. He is the first Latino to lead these institutions of higher education.

Julio Frenk served as the federal secretary of Health of Mexico from 2000 to 2006. There he pursued an ambitious agenda to reform the nation’s health system and introduced a program of comprehensive universal coverage, known as Seguro Popular, which expanded access to health care for more than 55 million previously uninsured persons.

He was the founding director-general of the National Institute of Public Health in Mexico, one of the leading institutions of its kind in the developing world. He also served as executive director in charge of evidence and information for policy at the World Health Organization and as senior fellow in the global health program of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, among other leadership positions.

Chancellor Frenk holds a medical degree from the National University of Mexico, as well as a master of public health and a joint Ph.D. in medical care organization and in sociology from the University of Michigan. He has received honorary degrees from eleven universities in the United States, Canada, Europe and Mexico.

His scholarly production, which includes close to 200 articles in academic journals, as well as many books and book chapters, has been cited more than 37,000 times. In addition, he has written five novels for young people explaining the functions of the human body.

Frenk is a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, the U.S. National Academy of Medicine, the National Academy of Medicine of Mexico and El Colegio Nacional (the most prestigious learned society of scientists, intellectuals and artists in Mexico). He has received numerous recognitions, including the Clinton Global Citizen Award for changing the way practitioners and policy makers across the world think about health, the Bouchet Medal for Outstanding Leadership presented by Yale University for promoting diversity in graduate education, and the Welch-Rose Award for Distinguished Service from the Association of Schools and Programs of Public Health. In 2024, he was named one of TIME magazine’s top Latino leaders for his contributions to public health and higher education.

John Ackerman

John Ackerman is the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) for Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), and has oversight of Los Angeles International (LAX) and Van Nuys (VNY) airports.

Ackerman has over 30 years of experience in the aviation industry. He most recently served as Executive Vice President of Global Strategy and Development for Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport (DFW), where he was part of the team that expanded the organization’s global footprint by driving the first-ever cargo strategy — a multi-year program focused on Asia-Latin America trade flows. His team also designed and launched the first online parking system with dynamic pricing offered at a U.S. airport, and grew the business to be DFW’s largest source of earnings. Additionally, he helped develop a data and analytics strategy that led to the creation of the airport’s first data science team, deploying Data360 across the enterprise and consolidating all data in a single data lake.

Prior to his time at DFW, Ackerman served as Chief Commercial Officer for Denver International Airport (DEN), where he led teams that transformed the customer experience at every touchpoint. During his tenure, he launched new retail and restaurant concepts that transformed DEN’s customer offerings, while augmenting same-location sales; led the airport’s first major expansion since its establishment — a multi-modal infrastructure project critical to connecting DEN to the central business district; and secured the largest capacity and network growth in over 15 years, inaugurating the airport as a mega hub for United Airlines and Southwest Airlines.

Ackerman holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Duke University. He is also a trained pilot and veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces.

James Stanley

As Executive Vice President, Division Manager, Jim provides invaluable leadership over Suffolk’s portfolio of sector work and serves as a key resource for both clients and project teams. With 23 years of working in the industry, his expertise and in-depth understanding of client objectives consistently ensures project success. He is accountable for meeting all financial and schedule objectives, planning all staffing and technical resources, and ensuring that all preconstruction and construction activities are executed with optimal efficiency.

Jim is currently overseeing multiple notable projects, including Evermont – a seven-story mixed-use complex with affordable housing and commercial anchor space; and AC + Moxy Hotels – a mixed-use development featuring two separate select service hotels and conference center space adjacent to the Los Angeles Convention Center, to name a few.

Stanley’s leadership and operational skills are critical to providing effective guidance for the project team. He started his career as a project and field engineer and quickly moved up the ranks as a project manager, a project executive, and VP of operations. In 2020, he was named chief operations officer, running all the operations for Los Angeles. His client relationships speak for themselves and are at the core of his success.

Jim holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering from San Diego State University.

Jacqueline Waggoner

As president of Enterprise Community Partners’ Solutions Division, Jacqueline manages a team of more than 300, leading the company’s programmatic, policy and advisory work in alignment with its strategic priorities: increasing housing supply, advancing racial equity and building upward mobility and resilience. From working on the ground with local partners in hundreds of communities nationwide, to advocating for affordable housing policy at the highest levels of government, Jacqueline maximizes Enterprise’s impact across all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Joining Enterprise in 2005, Jacqueline has testified before Congress on key policy priorities and led advocacy on critical issues like vouchers and source of income discrimination. She also manages Equitable Path Forward, Enterprise’s $3.5 billion initiative to address racial inequities in the real estate industry. During her previous tenure as Vice President of the Southern California Market, she deployed capital, intellectual resources, and capacity building tools to invest more than $1.3 billion across the state’s Central Coast to San Diego. Tapping into more than two decades of experience in commercial real estate lending, Jacqueline works across the country with banks, collaboratives, policymakers and nonprofit partners to fund affordable housing, advocate for low-income families and advance Enterprise’s vision of making communities places of pride, power and belonging.

Jacqueline serves on a number of public, nonprofit and advisory boards, including the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs Advisory Board (Chair) and the Weingart Foundation Board. She formerly served on the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission (chair/vice-chair) and its Ad Hoc Committee on Black People Experiencing Homelessness (chair). A Los Angeles native, she holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and a master’s degree in Urban Planning from UCLA.

Assemblymember Buffy Wicks

Wicks represents the East Bay in the California State Assembly, with a district spanning the communities of Oakland to Richmond, and includes the City of Berkeley.

Asm. Wicks was recently appointed Chair of the Appropriations Committee, after serving as Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee for two years prior. Her work focuses heavily on advancing solutions to solve California’s housing and homelessness crisis, expanding our state’s social safety net, protecting kids in the digital world, and championing the rights of women and working families. A lifelong community organizer, Asm. Wicks previously served on both of President Barack Obama’s campaigns, and worked for him in the White House. She lives in Oakland with her husband, Peter, and daughters, Jojo and Elly.

Mary Leslie

President, LABC

Mary was elected to serve as chair of the Board of Trustees of California Independent System Operator, a nonprofit that is the only independent electricity grid operator in the West, coordinating the distribution of energy resources for 80% of California and part of Nevada. She was also named to Mayor Karen Bass’s transition advisory team.

Ms. Leslie has served as LABC President since 2001, growing the council into one of the most prominent business organizations in the region, working closely with leaders from business, government and the non-profit sectors to enact policies and programs to strengthen Los Angeles’ economic competitiveness and quality of life. Under her leadership, she launched the LABC Institute in 2010 as the 501 (c) 3 research and education arm, attracting local and national funding. Both organizations operate with the core mission, focused on creating cutting edge policy strategies to reduce the region’s housing affordability gap, increase sustainable development, promote international trade, and expand high-paying workforce opportunities.

Ms. Leslie currently serves on the LA Sustainability Leadership Council, LA Cleantech Incubator Board of Directors, Los Angeles Conservation Corporation Board of Directors, UCLA Advisory Committee for the Luskin Center for Innovation, and is a member of the Pacific Council of International Policy. She previously served as a Commissioner on the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power Board, Advisory Committees of L.A. Family Housing the California Women’s Law Center and the LA2028 Olympic Bid Committee.

In her previous role as Deputy Mayor for the City of Los Angeles under Mayor Richard Riordan, Ms. Leslie was responsible for the Mayor’s Business Development programs. Prior to joining the Riordan Administration, she was Deputy Director of the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), where she oversaw the Northridge Earthquake relief dollars for Los Angeles as part of her portfolio of lending and education programs for SBA Director Erskine Bowles. She also served as the Executive Director of the California Economic Development Commission, overseeing policy development and trade missions for California business. Ms. Leslie was also President Clinton’s California Finance Director in his successful 1992 race for President.

Ms. Leslie received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Santa Clara, holds a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and attended the Executive Management Program at the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

Adam Lane

Adam Lane is a Public Policy Manager for State & Local at Waymo, the autonomous driving technology company with a mission to be the world’s most trusted driver. In this role, he oversees Waymo’s relationship with policy and government stakeholders in Southern California and several states across the United States.

Prior to Waymo, Adam served as the Vice President of Government Affairs and Programs for the Los Angeles Business Council, a progressive business advocacy and research organization, where he oversaw the organization’s government affairs strategy and public policy priorities in the areas of clean energy, economic development, environmental sustainability, homelessness, housing, and transportation.

Arash Daghighian

Vice President of Operations, Ford E.C. Inc

Arash Daghighian has been an active member of Ford E.C. since 1997 and worked both in the field and in the office on a full scale of levels. Arash is responsible for all oversight and direct onsite management of any given project. In addition, Arash is actively involved with project estimating and outside public relations with subcontractors and new clients. He has a degree from University of California Los Angeles and has completed over 80 million dollars in construction projects.

Alexa Washburn

Chief Development Officer, National CORE Housing

As a developer, private consultant and public agency program manager, Alexa has prepared, managed and implemented a variety of urban planning and design projects including general, community/area, master, revitalization, downtown, and specific plans; corridor studies; housing elements; development entitlements; community engagement programs and sustainability strategies throughout California. Her projects have been recognized by 12 awards from the American Planning Association and Southern California Association of Governments. Her in-depth understanding of progressive land use, policy and implementation strategies effectively enhance the feasibility, livability, and sustainability of plans and communities.

Gustavo Velasquez

Director, California Department of Housing and Community Development

In May of 2020, Gustavo Velasquez was appointed Director of the California Department of Housing and Community Development by Governor Gavin Newsom. In this leadership role, Velasquez leads California’s housing policy agenda and administers a wide range of programs that produce, preserve, and protect affordable housing and communities of opportunity across the state. Velasquez was a senior director at the Urban Institute, a renowned national research organization working to provide data analysis and insights to policymakers and practitioners in ways both relevant and actionable. Velasquez served for nearly three years as assistant secretary for fair housing and equal opportunity at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). He served on behalf of the president as the strategic lead of the fair housing and inclusive community agenda for the Obama administration. During his tenure, HUD achieved groundbreaking enforcement victories in fair lending and in major housing discrimination cases. Velasquez led efforts to promulgate the landmark Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, a key tool for cities, states, and other HUD funding recipients to reduce inequality and disparities in access to opportunity.

Greg Mahdesian

Gregory Mahdesian currently serves as the Head of Partnerships and Government Affairs at Servicon since March 2024 and previously held the position of Director of Corporate Affairs and Communications within the same company. Additionally, Gregory is an Advisory Board Member at Climate Resolve since January 2023 and has been the Chairman of Blue Neighbors PAC since November 2017. Earlier in his career, Gregory worked as a Communications Manager at Servicon Systems Inc. Gregory earned a Bachelor’s degree in Classics and Classical Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics from the University of Southern California, where studies took place from August 2006 to May 2010.

Ken Lombard

President & CEO, BRIDGE Housing

Ken Lombard is responsible for the overall direction of BRIDGE Housing — the leading nonprofit developer and owner of affordable housing on the West Coast, with a portfolio of over 15,000 units valued at $5.3 billion. In December 2025, he was named Executive of the Year by Multi-Housing News.

Over a career that spans four decades, Mr. Lombard has garnered extensive experience in business development, management, investment banking, economic development, corporate expansion and real estate investment. Mr. Lombard joined BRIDGE in 2021 from Seritage Growth Properties (NYSE: SRG), where he served most recently as Special Advisor; he was an original board member when Seritage went public in 2015 and subsequently served as Seritage’s EVP and COO. During Mr. Lombard’s leadership, Seritage was a self-administered and self-managed REIT with properties totaling approximately 39 million square feet of space across 49 states and Puerto Rico.

Earlier, Mr. Lombard was President of MacFarlane Partners, an investment management firm that acquires, develops and manages real estate assets on behalf of pensions and institutional investors. Prior to joining MacFarlane Partners, Mr. Lombard served as Vice Chairman, Partner and head of investments for Capri Capital Partners, and President of the Capri Urban Fund, which invested in more than $1 billion in commercial, residential and mixed-use development, redevelopment and repositioning projects in densely populated urban markets of the U.S.

From 2004 to 2008, Mr. Lombard was President of Starbucks Entertainment, where he managed the collaboration with Concord Music to form a new Starbucks music label. In 1992, Mr. Lombard co-founded Johnson Development Corporation and spent 12 years as the President and Partner of the firm, creating a legacy of economic improvement in underserved communities of color in 65 cities and 17 states. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of Washington.

The Honorable Rex Richardson

Mayor, City of Long Beach

After serving as the Student Body President of Cal State Dominguez Hills, Rex Richardson became a community organizer with SEIU Local 721, helping blue-collar workers in South Los Angeles County. At age 25, Rex bought his first home in North Long Beach, becoming the first person in his family to own real estate. He soon began serving as Chief of Staff to Councilmember Steve Neal, where they brought neighborhood, labor, business, and clergy leaders together to improve economic conditions in North Long Beach.

In 2014, Rex won his City Council race with 73% of the vote and made history as Long Beach’s youngest member to ever serve.

Rex established himself as a collaborative leader and change agent. He’s earned a reputation as a hardworking leader focused on ensuring every Long Beach neighborhood receives equitable investment and access to opportunity.

His track record of pursuing positive change for his community has left a tangible mark on the entire city. He worked alongside neighborhood leaders to bring vital public safety, economic, and community investments, such as road and sidewalk repairs, as part of his “Uptown Renaissance” initiative. He secured significant investments into the revitalization of North Long Beach that led to the creation of the Michelle Obama Library, the Doris Topsy-Elvord Community Center, and the restoration of the wetlands at DeForest Park.

Rex was instrumental in building Long Beach’s first municipal homeless shelter with supportive bridge housing that has helped unhoused individuals move off the streets. He also championed creating the Long Beach Office of Equity to improve community health outcomes, which has led to a more equitable response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Rex also worked with our firefighters to restore essential public safety services, such as Paramedic Rescue 12, which shortened emergency response times citywide.
A testament to his accomplishments in his first term, he was re-elected with 79.8% of the vote. His peers also elected him to serve as Long Beach’s Vice Mayor twice.

Rex pushes for equity through regional policymaking as the Immediate Past President of the Southern California Association of Governments and as a South Coast Air Quality Management District Board Member.

Rex and his wife, Dr. Nina Richardson, are homeowners in North Long Beach, where they reside with their two young daughters.

Peter Laugharn

President & CEO, Conrad N. Hilton Foundation

Peter Laugharn (pronounced LAW-harn) serves as president and chief executive officer of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Laugharn is a passionate leader with 25 years of foundation and nonprofit experience internationally, with a focus on improving the well-being of vulnerable children.

He was executive director of the Firelight Foundation from 2008 to 2014. Firelight identifies, funds, and supports promising African nonprofits serving vulnerable children and families in the areas of education, resilience, and health.

Prior to Firelight, Laugharn served for six years as executive director of the Netherlands-based Bernard van Leer Foundation, a private foundation that works to improve opportunities for children up to age 8 who are growing up in socially and economically difficult circumstances. He was director of programs at the Foundation for three years before becoming executive director.

Laugharn began his career at Save the Children, where he worked for 11 years in a variety of roles. Eight of those years, he was based in Bamako, Mali. Laugharn helped develop the Village Schools model, which promoted access to basic education, girls’ schooling, and community participation. The model helped 45,000 children go to school and raised the number of primary schools in the country by 40 percent. Laugharn was later Save the Children’s Mali Field Office director, West Africa Area director and then education advisor for Africa, providing technical assistance for programs in 10 countries.

A graduate of Stanford and Georgetown Universities, Laugharn holds a Ph.D. in education from the University of London. He was a Peace Corps volunteer in Morocco from 1982 to 1984. Laugharn was a co-founder of the International Education Funders Group and the Coalition for Children Af fected by AIDS, and he serves on the boards of the Council on Foundations and the Pacific Council for International Policy.

U.S. Congresswoman Maxine Waters

Ranking Member, Financial Services Committee

Congresswoman Maxine Waters is considered by many to be one of the most powerful women in American politics today. She has gained a reputation as a fearless and outspoken advocate for women, children, people of color and the poor.

Elected in November 2024 to her eighteenth term in the U.S. House of Representatives with more than 75 percent of the vote in the 43rd Congressional District of California, Congresswoman Waters represents a large part of South Los Angeles including the communities of Watts and the unincorporated areas of Los Angeles County comprised of Lennox, West Athens, Willowbrook, and El Camino Village. The 43rd District also includes the diverse cities of Gardena, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Compton and Torrance.

Congresswoman Waters made history as the first woman and first African American Chair of the House Financial Services Committee. She is the Co-Chair of the bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer’s Disease. She is also a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and member and past chair of the Congressional Black Caucus.

Prior to her election to the House of Representatives in 1990, she spent 14 years in the California State Assembly, where she rose to the powerful position of Democratic Caucus Chair. She was responsible for some of the boldest legislation California has ever seen. She is a co-founder of Black Women’s Forum, a nonprofit organization of over 1,200 African American women in the Los Angeles area. In the mid-80s, she also founded Project Build, working with young people in Los Angeles housing developments on job training and placement.

As she confronts the issues such as poverty, economic development, equal justice under the law and other issues of concern to people of color, women, children, and poor people, Rep. Waters enjoys a broad cross section of support from diverse communities across the nation.

Throughout her career, Congresswoman Waters has been an advocate for international peace, justice, and human rights. Expanding access to health care services is another of Congresswoman Waters’ priorities. She spearheaded the development of the Minority AIDS Initiative in 1998 to address the alarming spread of HIV/AIDS among African Americans, Hispanics and other minorities. She is also the author of legislation to expand health services for patients with diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s disease.

Long active in the women’s movement, Rep. Waters has given encouragement and financial support to women seeking public office. Many young people, including those in the hip-hop music community, praise her for her support and understanding of young people and their efforts at self-expression. One
testament to her work is the Maxine Waters Employment Preparation Center, a multimillion dollar campus providing education and employment opportunities to residents of the Watts area.

When twice impeached former President Donald Trump was elected, Congresswoman Waters became the leader of the resistance. Many young people learned what most of us knew about her for over the past 40 years – that Maxine Waters will always speak truth to power, will always stand up and fight for what is right, for justice and equality! As a result, she has earned the title of “Auntie Maxine.”

Miguel A. Santana

PRESIDENT & CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER, CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY FOUNDATION
Miguel A. Santana has more than three decades of experience in the public, nonprofit, and philanthropic sectors, where he has led major policy reforms and delivered community-driven solutions to some of Los Angeles’ toughest challenges.

In 2023, Santana became President and CEO of the California Community Foundation (CCF), one of the nation’s largest community foundations. The foundation stewards more than $2.6 billion in assets, nearly 2,000 charitable funds, and more than $300 million in annual grants. Under his leadership, CCF has spearheaded key initiatives, including a voter engagement effort that secured the passage of Measure A, creating a permanent revenue stream for affordable housing and services. CCF has also mobilized rapid response to crises, raising more than $100 million for wildfire survivors and $2 million to support Angelenos impacted by immigration enforcement actions.

Prior to joining CCF, Santana served as President and CEO of the Weingart Foundation and Fairplex in Pomona. As City Administrative Officer for Los Angeles, he managed the City’s $9 billion budget during the Great Recession, developed its first comprehensive plan to address homelessness, and helped secure a $1.2 billion voter-approved housing bond. He also served as Deputy CEO for Los Angeles County, overseeing social service programs supporting children, families, veterans, and persons experiencing homelessness.

Santana began his career at the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF) and later served as Chief of Staff to L.A. County Supervisor Gloria Molina.

He remains active in civic leadership, serving as Chair of The Angeleno Project, Second Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Authority (LACAHSA), and as a board member of the Surdna Foundation and Black Freedom Fund.

Santana earned his BA in Sociology and Latin American Studies from Whittier College and a MPA in Public Administration from Harvard University.

H. David Nahai

David Nahai serves as Chair of the Los Angeles Business Council.

He is the President of David Nahai Consulting Services, Inc., which specializes in the renewable energy, energy efficiency, and water sectors. He is also President of David Nahai Associates, Inc., a law firm specializing in real estate and sustainability transactional matters. A leading expert in water, renewable energy, and real estate matters, Mr. Nahai previously served as the General Manager and Commission President of the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power. Mr. Nahai is also the former Chair of the L.A. Regional Water Quality Control Board, and former Senior Advisor to the Clinton Climate Initiative. He was reappointed to the Water Board by Governor Newsom in 2021 and is presently its Vice Chair. Additionally, he currently serves as Chair of the LAUSD Business Advisory Council, and as a Board Member of the UCLA Luskin Center, Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator, Climate Resolve and LAANE. Mr. Nahai holds graduate and post-graduate degrees from the London School of Economics and UC Berkeley.