California Complete Count Committee Member Biographies

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Alex Padilla, Chair

Alex Padilla, 46, was elected California’s Secretary of State in November 2014, becoming the first Latino elected to that office. He currently serves as co-chair of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund’s bipartisan National Latino Commission on Census 2020. Padilla previously served in the California State Senate (2006-2014) and on the Los Angeles City Council (1999-2006) where he served as council president. Padilla earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Padilla is a Democrat.  View the official announcement here.

Gita Amar

Gita Amar, 48, of Los Angeles, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Amar has been senior director at PMK BNC since 2016. She was a self-employed senior media relations consultant from 2004 to 2016, a senior consulting producer at Fleishman-Hillard Communications from 2001 to 2016 and a senior media relations consultant at Golin Harris from 2004 to 2006. Amar was a producer at National Public Radio from 2002 to 2003 and an executive producer at Fox News Channel and Fox News Online from 1996 to 2001. She is a member of the Asian American Journalists Association. Amar earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Syracuse University College of Law and a Master of Arts degree in television, radio and film from the Syracuse University S.I. Newhouse School of Communications.

Tho Vinh Banh

Tho Vinh Banh, 44, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Banh has been supervising attorney and supervisor of the multicultural affairs outreach unit at Disability Rights California since 2015, where she has held several positions since 2001, including staff attorney and advocate. She was a legal intern at the Lindesmith Center, Drug Policy Foundation through the University of California, Hastings College of the Law’s Civil Justice Clinic in 2001. Banh earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Miguel Bustos

Miguel Bustos, 49, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Bustos has been senior director of the Center for Social Justice at GLIDE SF since 2018 and principal at Bustos and Associates since 2000. He was senior vice president for government and community relations at Wells Fargo from 2013 to 2017, senior program manager for the Americas at the Levi Strauss Foundation from 2014 to 2015 and deputy district manager for Congresswoman Barbara Lee from 2004 to 2007. Bustos earned a Master of Business Administration degree in corporate social responsibility from St. Mary’s College of California and a Master of Arts degree in international peace and conflict resolution from American University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Bustos is a Democrat.

Carolyn Coleman

Carolyn Coleman, 56, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Coleman has been executive director at the League of California Cities since 2016. She was senior executive, director of federal advocacy at the National League of Cities from 2006 to 2016, vice president and of counsel at B&D Consulting from 2005 to 2006 and deputy mayor and director of the Department of Metropolitan Development for the City of Indianapolis from 2000 to 2005. Coleman was an attorney at Baker and Daniels from 1997 to 2000. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Indiana University School of Law.

Kathleen Domingo

Kathleen Domingo, 43, of Pasadena, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Domingo has been a director in the Office of Life, Justice and Peace at the Archdiocese of Los Angeles since 2013. She earned a Master of Arts degree in theology from the John Paul II Institute.

Amy Fairweather

Amy Fairweather, 53, of San Francisco, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Fairweather has been a policy director at Swords to Plowshares’ Institute for Veteran Policy since 2005. She was a policy associate at the Trauma Foundation from 1999 to 2003. Fairweather is a member of the California Association of Veteran Service Organizations. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.

Francis Guzman

Francis Guzman, 39, of Oakland, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Guzman has been an attorney at the National Center for Youth Law since 2012. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Guzman is a Democrat.

Nicholas Hatten

Nicholas Hatten, 43, of Stockton, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Hatten has been executive director at the San Joaquin Pride Center since 2011.

Alma Hernandez

Alma Hernandez, 39, of Glendale, was appointed by Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon to the California Complete Count Committee. Hernandez has been executive director of the Service Employees International Union California State Council since 2016. She was political director of the Service Employees International Union California State Council from 2010 to 2016. Hernandez held multiple positions in the California Legislature from 2001 to 2010, including legislative and district director, press secretary, legislative aid and field representative. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Hernandez is a Democrat.

Lisa Hershey

Lisa Hershey, 54, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Hershey has been an executive director at Housing California since 2016, where she was associate director in 2016 and a sustainable communities coordinator from 2014 to 2015. She was an associate and program manager-director at the Public Health Institute from 2009 to 2014 and a chief in the Office for Obesity Prevention at the California Department of Public Health from 2007 to 2009. Hershey served in several positions at the California Department of Health Services from 1993 to 2007, including special assistant to the state public health officer, chief, program coordinator and program director. She was a health educator at Sacramento County Health and Human Services from 1990 to 1993 and health educator specialist at the California Department of Health Services from 1988 to 1990. Hershey earned a Master of Public Health degree from the Loma Linda University School of Public Health.

Marian Kaanon

Marian Kaanon, 45, of Modesto, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Kaanon has been president and chief executive officer of the Stanislaus Community Foundation since 2012. She was vice president of marketing for Community Hospice from 2005 to 2012 and policy planning and public relations specialist for the Arizona Commission for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing from 2003 to 2005. Kaanon was account executive for HMA Public Relations from 2001 to 2003, account executive for Pacific Group International from 2000 to 2001 and news reporter and public services director for KUIC 93.5 Radio from 1997 to 1999. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Kaanon is registered without party preference.

Loren Kaye

Loren Kaye, 61, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Kaye has been a foundation president at the California Chamber of Commerce since 2006. He was a partner at KP Public Affairs from 1996 to 2005, an undersecretary at the California Trade and Commerce Agency from 1993 to 1996 and cabinet secretary in the Governor’s Office from 1991 to 1992. Kaye was a director of issues and research for Governor Pete Wilson’s campaign in 1990, a deputy cabinet secretary in the Governor’s Office from 1987 to 1989 and director of writing and research for Governor George Deukmejian’s campaign in 1986. He was a policy advocate at the California Taxpayers Association from 1983 to 1985, where he was a senior research analyst from 1981 to 1982. Kaye was a research director for Pete Wilson’s Senate Campaign Committee in 1982 and a policy analyst for the California State Senate Republican Caucus in 1980.

Jesus Martinez

Jesus Martinez, 57, of Clovis, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Martinez has been a founding member and chair at the Central Valley Immigrant Integration Collaborative since 2014. He was a coordinator of the Central Valley DACA Project at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center from 2012 to 2015, an independent consultant from 2008 to 2013 and a postdoctoral fellow at El Instituto de Investigaciones Dr. Jose Maria Luis Mora from 2009 to 2010. Martinez was a director general at the Michoacán Institute for Michoacanos Abroad from 2007 to 2008, state legislator at the Michoacán State Congress from 2005 to 2007 and an assistant professor in the Chicano and Latin American Studies Department at California State University, Fresno from 2000 to 2004. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in ethnic studies and a Master of Arts degree in Latin American studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Gerald McIntyre

Gerald McIntyre, 74, of Los Angeles, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. McIntyre has been special counsel at Justice in Aging, formerly the National Senior Citizens Law Center, since 2016, where he was directing attorney from 1993 to 2016. He was a lecturer and staff attorney at Cornell Law School from 1991 to 1992. McIntyre held several positions at the Monroe County Legal Assistance Corporation from 1973 to 1979, including counsel and project director of the Southern Tier Legal Services Unit and of the Flood Disaster Relief Project. McIntyre was a staff attorney at Bronx Legal Services from 1970 to 1973 and a Peace Corps volunteer in Guatemala from 1967 to 1970. He earned a Bachelor of Laws degree from Yale Law School.

Keisha Nzewi

Keisha Nzewi, 44, of Pleasant Hill, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Nzewi has been public policy director for the California Child Care Resource and Referral Network since 2016. She was advocacy manager for Alameda County Community Food Bank from 2010 to 2016, advocacy manager for the American Heart Association from 2002 to 2010 and health educator for Berkeley Youth Alternatives from 2002 to 2003. She was a field representative in the Office of Assemblymember Carole Migden from 2001 to 2002 and project coordinator for the Youth Leadership Institute from 2000 to 2001. Nzewi earned a Master of Public Health degree in health education from California State University, San Francisco. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Nzewi is a Democrat.

Eloy Ortiz Oakley

Eloy Ortiz Oakley, 52, of Long Beach, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Oakley has served as chancellor of the California Community Colleges since 2016.  He was superintendent and president at Long Beach City College from 2007 to 2016, where he was executive vice president of administrative services from 2004 to 2006 and vice president of administrative services from 2002 to 2004. He was vice president of college services at Oxnard College from 2001 to 2002 and an assistant vice president at Keenan and Associates from 1999 to 2001. Oakley was a program coordinator and adjunct instructor at Golden West College from 1994 to 1999 and a manager of risk services at the Coast Community College District from 1993 to 1999. He was appointed by Governor Brown to the University of California Board of Regents in 2014. Oakley is a member of the LA 2028 Board of Directors and Rework America Task Force and a board member of the California Chamber of Commerce and the College Futures Foundation. He earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of California, Irvine.

Tom Saenz

Tom Saenz, 51, of Alhambra, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Saenz has been president and general counsel at MALDEF since 2009. He was counsel to Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa from 2005 to 2009. Saenz is a board member of the Campaign for College Opportunity, Los Angeles County Board of Education, Leadership Conference for Civil and Human Rights and the National Hispanic Leadership Agenda. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from Yale Law School.

Lee Salter

Lee Salter, 76, of Redding, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Salter was president and chief executive officer at the McConnell Foundation from 1989 to 2016 and an attorney at Carr, Kennedy, Peterson from 1977 to 1989. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of the Pacific, McGeorge School of Law.

Susan Shain

Susan Shain, 70, of San Francisco, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Shain was chief executive officer of Coro Northern California from 2009 to 2015. She was director of development for the San Francisco Foundation from 2006 to 2009, principal in the charitable asset management group at State Street Global Advisors from 2001 to 2006 and financial analyst for the University of California, San Francisco Foundation from 1998 to 2001. She is co-lead of Swing Left San Francisco. Shain earned a Master of Arts degree in Chinese from San Francisco State University. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Shain is a Democrat.

Robert Smith

Robert Smith, 58, of Pala, has been appointed to the California Complete Count Committee. Smith has been chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians since 1990. He was vice-chairman of the Pala Band of Mission Indians from 1987 to 1989. Smith is a member of the San Diego County Farm Bureau, the Southern California Tribal Chairmen’s Association, the California Tribal Business Alliance and the California Tribal Families Coalition. This position does not require Senate confirmation and there is no compensation. Smith is a Democrat.

Regina Brown Wilson

Regina Brown Wilson, 41, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Wilson has been a director at California Black Media since 2013. She was a statewide education and faith-based outreach manager for Census 2010 and head of communications in the California Secretary of Education’s Office from 2007 to 2008.

Christopher Wilson

Christopher Wilson, 51, of San Diego, was appointed by Senate President pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins. Wilson has been an associate director at Alliance San Diego since 2015, where he was a director of civic engagement from 2010 to 2015. He was principal consultant at CRW Enterprises from 2006 to 2010, general manager at KeytoChange Publishing Inc. from 2003 to 2006 and an independent consultant at Jones and Associates Consulting Inc. from 2002 to 2009. Wilson was a senior field service engineer at ITT Gilfillan from 1992 to 1999 and an air traffic control RADAR technician for the U.S. Marine Corps from 1985 to 1992. He is a member of the Urban League of San Diego County Board of Directors and the Engage San Diego Mobilization Fund.

Tom K. Wong

Tom K. Wong, 36, of San Diego, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Wong has been an associate professor at the University of California, San Diego since 2017, where he served as an assistant professor from 2012 to 2016. He served as an advisor to the White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in 2016. Wong is a member of the California Immigrant Policy Center, New American Leaders and Alliance San Diego. He earned a Doctor of Philosophy degree in political science from the University of California, Riverside.

Past Committee Members

Basim Elkarra, 38, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Elkarra has been an executive director at the Sacramento Valley Chapter of the Council on American-Islamic Relations since 2004. He is a member of the Twin Rivers Unified School District Board of Trustees, chair of the City of Sacramento Community Policy Review Commission and an executive board member of the California Democratic Party.

John Joanino, 25, of Los Angeles, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Joanino has been a senior communications associate at Advancement Project California since 2017. He was an account associate at RALLY from 2016 to 2017 and a partnerships associate at Omaze.com from 2014 to 2016.

Alex Johnson, 37, of Los Angeles, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Johnson has been managing director at Californians for Safety and Justice since 2017. He was executive director at Children’s Defense Fund-California from 2014 to 2016. Johnson was assistant senior deputy for education and public safety in the Office of Los Angeles County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas from 2012 to 2014, where he was deputy for education and public safety from 2010 to 2012. He was an attorney at the New York City Department of Education from 2008 to 2010 and an assistant district attorney in the Bronx District Attorney’s Office from 2005 to 2008. Johnson is president of the Los Angeles County Board of Education and a member of the Arts for Incarcerated Youth Network Board of Directors and the Wiley Center for Speech and Language Development Board. He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the American University College of Law.

Kate Kendell, 57, of San Francisco, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Kendell has been executive director at the National Center for Lesbian Rights since 1994. She was a staff attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Utah from 1990 to 1994. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Utah College of Law.

Margie Mejia, 61, of Atwater, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Mejia has been chairwoman at the Lytton Rancheria of California since 1995.

Daniel Torres (Committee Chair), 44, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Torres has served as director of immigrant integration in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. since 2016. He was chief of the Immigration Branch at the California Department of Social Services’ Welfare to Work Division from 2015 to 2016. He was deputy director of programs and new initiatives and program director at California Rural Legal Assistance, Inc. from 2010 to 2015. Torres was an attorney at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center from 2008 to 2010, at the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit from 2005 to 2008 and at the California Rural Legal Assistance Foundation from 2001 to 2005. He was a clinical instructor at the University of California, Davis School of Law Immigration Law Clinic from 2004 to 2005. Torres earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis School of Law.

Angie Wei, 47, of Sacramento, was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown. Wei has been chief of staff at the California Labor Federation since 2011, where she has held several positions since 2000, including legislative director and public policy director. She was a program associate at PolicyLink in 2000, policy analyst at the California Immigrant Welfare Collaborative from 1998 to 1999 and policy director at the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights from 1996 to 1998. Wei earned a Master of Public Policy degree from the Harvard University, Kennedy School of Government.