Samantha has over 25 years of experience in advocacy, community engagement and government affairs. Prior to starting Kindel Gagan, Samantha was a principal with Rose & Kindel from 1996 through 2009. Samantha has a breadth of experience managing a diverse combination of clients in industries and interests ranging from entertainment and hospitality to public works and technology. She represents clients before multiple jurisdictions in Southern California and has experience working with officials at all levels of government. On behalf of both public and private sector clients, Samantha develops and executes comprehensive public affairs programs to gain support for a broad range of issue areas. In addition to her work, Samantha is involved in many civic and non-profit activities. Samantha also serves on the Board of Homeless Healthcare Los Angeles and is on the board of Mujeres de la Tierra. She is a past-president of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, a graduate of the Anti-Defamation League’s Salvin Leadership program and is an alumna of the Leadership LA Program of the Los Angeles Business Council. A former White House Intern, Samantha received her bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara and her master’s degree in International Political Economy from the University of Southern California. Samantha lives in Cheviot Hills with her husband David and their two children.
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Dawn Wilson, formerly Director of Environmental Affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE) retired, was responsible for the development of an integrated environmental strategy in support of Company objectives. These responsibilities included Environmental Policy, Natural Resources & Public Lands and the administration of the Corporate Responsibility Program. Prior to that role, Dawn served as the Director of Corporate Resources where she directed the strategy and operations of a $1 billion portfolio of SCE’s non-electric facilities. Her responsibilities extended to back-office functions such as mailing operations, drawing management and event management and the corporate travel program; she had management responsibility for a budget of approximately $300 million with approximately 300 employees. Over the years Dawn has held a variety of management positions at SCE, including Director of Business and Organizational Support, Manager Transportation Services, and Manager of Environmental Health & Safety. Dawn began her career as a real estate transactional attorney and practiced with two private law firms before joining the law department of SCE where she practiced environmental law for 14 years. Dawn has served on various non-profit boards and currently is the President of her Wellesley College Alumnae Class.. Dawn has a bachelor’s degree in political science from Wellesley College and a law degree from the University of Michigan. She is a licensed attorney in the state of California.
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Frank Lopez, director of regional public affairs for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas), oversees local government relations, public affairs, franchises, and strategic initiatives across SoCalGas’ service territory. Prior to joining SoCalGas, Frank served as director of public policy for the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce. Lopez also served as a coordinator for Urban Habitat, an environmental justice non-profit organization in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Lopez holds a bachelor’s degree in business economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara and a master’s degree in public policy from University of California at Los Angeles where he was a Bohnett Mayoral Public Service Fellow in the Los Angeles Mayor’s Office of Economic Development. Frank also serves on the boards of Koreatown Youth Community Center, Central City Association, and USC’s Executive Education Forum for Local Leaders Program. He lives in the San Gabriel Valley with his wife and two children.
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Tom Eisenhauer is a Principal at Renewable Resources Group, which owns, manages, and develops agriculture, land, water, conservation and renewable energy assets in the United States and internationally. Previously, Tom worked in senior positions in politics and government, including in the leadership of the U.S. House of Representatives and on Presidential, Congressional, and U.S. Senate campaigns around the country.
Tom serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles League of Conservation Voters (President, 2013-2017), as well as of a local youth baseball league. He formerly served on the Board of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council. Tom earned a B.A. from Washington and Lee University, and a M.A. from the University of London. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife and children.
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Rosalie Barcinas has over 20 years of experience that span across multiple areas of Southern California Edison (SCE) and include policy development and advocacy, operations, external engagement, permitting for major infrastructure projects and land rights management. Her current position is serving as the Director of Catalina Operations & Strategy. In this position she oversees operations of the electric, water, and gas systems, special projects, and overall strategy for the long-term sustainability of the island operations. Rosalie also supports multiple Employee Resource Groups and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts across the company. Rosalie has a B.S. in mathematics from the California State University of Long Beach.
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Jasson Crockett joined Netflix in 2024, where he leads state regulatory and production policy for California. Jasson’s responsibilities include liaising with state electeds, regulatory agencies and community organizations, to advance strategic partnerships and civic initiatives.
Prior to joining Netflix, Jasson led state policy at Snap Inc. for the western region. In this role, Jasson was charged with spearheading policy on issues related to social media safety, artificial intelligence, data privacy, and parental controls.
Before joining Snap, Jasson was Director of Community Business in the Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. Jasson led engagement with small businesses, and oversaw policy and business development in the life science, healthcare and tech sectors, as well as sports, and tax policy. Jasson worked to connect companies of all sizes to resources within City Hall to enable their growth in the City of L.A., and develop a more connected ecosystem wherein companies can thrive.
Prior to joining the Mayor’s Office, Jasson worked with Nonprofit Finance Fund, a national consulting firm, specializing in strategic financial management consulting for nonprofit organizations. Additionally,
Jasson has experience as a teacher and case manager for a nonprofit organization located in South-Los Angeles, and as an Associate with SEI Investments, a mid-cap asset management and trust software company. He currently serves on the boards of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, Coro Southern California, the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce, and PledgeLA. Jasson holds a bachelor’s degree from Georgetown University where he majored in Finance and Management, and earned his MBA at the University of California Los Angeles where he was awarded the John Wooden Fellowship.
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Anne Freiermuth, CPA is a Principal at Mission Math and has 15 years of experience working with nonprofit organizations in the areas of accounting, audit preparation, human resource management, board presentations, and governance policy development, working with over 40 nonprofit organizations. After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Vassar College in New York, Anne worked for JP Morgan Chase as a credit analyst in Connecticut. Looking for a milder climate and a more personally meaningful career, Anne returned to Los Angeles, where she grew up. She soon began bookkeeping for a tiny nonprofit with a staff office located in the room behind the garage of the board chairman’s home. It was love. Anne pursued her interest in accounting by taking coursework at UCLA Extension while working full-time and received her Certificate in Accounting in 2009. She then became a California-licensed Certified Public Accountant in 2011. Anne has also taught nonprofit accounting for UCLA Extension, the California Society of CPAs, American Jewish University and Riordan Leadership Institute.
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Tony is an Executive with more than 30 years of aerospace and defense experience in design, production, operations, and leadership. He is the Chief Executive Officer of Millennium Space Systems (MSS), A Boeing Company. Millennium is a small satellite prime, delivering high-performance constellation solutions for National Security Space and beyond.
Through his early and mid-career, Tony spent more than two decades with Boeing Satellites Systems in roles spanning space, ground, engineering, operations, and leadership. He supported and led programs across the Commercial, Civil/Defense, and National Security Space Customer sectors.
Subsequently, Tony helmed Airbus OneWeb Satellites (AOS) as Chief Executive Officer, where he led Design, Low-Rate-Initial Production, Pilot Launches, and Full Production. Under his leadership, AOS revolutionized a new approach to aerospace manufacturing, building a 100,000-square-foot factory, and scaling production to greater than two satellites per day. He then served as Chief Operating Officer at Virgin Orbit where he was responsible for the day-to-day operations. His team achieved incredible milestones in the industry such as the first liquid-fueled air-launched rocket, four successful Customer launches, and a first-ever launch from Spaceport Cornwall. His most recent role was as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Terran Orbital Corporation, a global leader in satellite-based solutions, primarily serving the aerospace and defense industries, where he was responsible for daily operations of the company.
He received his Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical & Astronautical Engineering from Purdue University and was awarded Purdue’s 2019 Outstanding Aerospace Engineer award. He was also awarded a Charles Stark Draper Laboratories Fellowship and received his Master of Science in Aeronautics and Astronautics at MIT.
Tony has a passion for, and has been active in Corporate Citizenship events and outreach activities, at the local, state, and national levels. He is a passionate advocate for a diverse and inclusive workforce in the Aerospace industry and industry at-large. Descended from generations of Midwestern farmers, Tony learnt to respect, appreciate, protect, and nurture our natural environment. He is an ardent proponent of conservation and service projects that benefit our community. Outside of work his personal interests include, multimedia design, artistic pursuits, and landscaping his home in the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, near Los Angeles, where he and his husband Sean reside.
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Bryan LeRoy is a Los Angeles partner at the law firm of Nixon Peabody where he specializes in land use, real estate and environmental compliance matters. Bryan advises public and private entities regarding the processing of land use permits and other approvals for development, energy and infrastructure projects, as well as strategies to manage environmental concerns and other project impacts. He specializes in the application of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), including the review and processing of environmental assessments, environmental impact statements/reports, and negative declarations.
Bryan previously served as city attorney for a number of cities in southern California, and as general counsel to the Orange County Council of Governments, a joint powers agency made up of 29 cities and eight special agencies. He has passionately served as a member of the Board of Directors for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps for more than six years, and is currently the Chair of the Program Committee.
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Mercedes has been an active member and advisor to the Board of Directors for over 15 years. She is committed to providing opportunities for underserved youth to transform their lives through work experience and education while caring for our environment and revitalizing our communities. In addition to serving as the President and Chair of the LA Conservation Corps, Mercedes was a founding board member and served 7 years as Vice Chair the Board of the YouthBuild Charter School of California, and serves on the Advisory Board for Walk with Sally. She is also an active volunteer in her local community, her childrens’ schools, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, and sports teams. Mercedes is a corporate attorney, advising companies with start-ups, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, and governance matters as well as advising entrepreneurs, executives, and partnerships. Prior to her own legal practice, Mercedes was a corporate and securities attorney at Manatt, Phelps and Phillips, LLP. Prior to Manatt, she was a corporate attorney at Orrick, Herrington & Sutcliffe, LLP.
Mercedes earned her J.D. from Stanford Law School. Mercedes graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a B.A. in Political Science and Beta Gamma Sigma with a MBA with a concentration in Entrepreneurship from the University of Arizona. She resides in Manhattan Beach with her husband and three children.
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Praneet is a Managing Director at Accenture, with over 9 years of Strategy and Consulting experience within the organization. Over the past 5 years, his focus has been on partnering with various departments within the LA County and City of LA, guiding them through transformative journeys. His expertise extends into Public Health, Social Services, and the Affordable Care Act, where he has successfully collaborated with over 10 State agencies nationwide.
Beyond his professional achievements, Praneet is deeply committed to sustainability and empowering under-served communities. He has spearheaded numerous community service initiatives, targeting Hispanic, African-American, and Native American groups, facilitating skill-building and fostering job readiness.
Praneet holds a Bachelor of Science from Mangalore University, India, and a Master of Science from Syracuse University, NY, both in Computer Engineering.
Outside of his professional endeavors, Praneet finds fulfillment in woodworking, gardening, and camping adventures with his wife Kate and two sons, Neel and Jay.
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Nicolo Rusconi is a downtown Los Angeles-based entrepreneur specializing in real estate development and hospitality. Nico, along with co-founder Jon Blanchard, owns and operates BLVD745 and BLVD Hospitality. BLVD focuses on all aspects of real estate and hotel development, from concepting to acquisitions to project and construction management. BLVD’s most notable project to date was the conversion of downtown’s United Artist Building and Theatre into a 182 key Ace Hotel. BLVD is currently working on multiple hospitality developments throughout Los Angeles and abroad, and recently expanded their company to include in-house Food and Beverage concepts, development, and operations. They recently opened up Chicas Tacos in downtown Los Angeles – the first of many food and beverage concepts to come from BLVD.
Previously, Nicolo brought modern branding strategies into the food service industry with his import and wholesale distribution company, Paradise Spice Foods, making it a major player in the West Coast food service market in just two short years after founding the company. Upon leaving Paradise Spice in 2012, Nicolo joined with Mitch Carricart, Justin Weiss, and Paul Vizcaino to create the renowned downtown Los Angeles promotional and event brand, LaunchDTLA. Since their inception, LaunchDTLA has proved to be the go-to company for outreach to Los Angeles’ most significant stakeholders. Rusconi and his associates have built one of the strongest social networks in Los Angeles and continue to introduce downtown’s newest and best venues to their private, invite-only member-base.
Nicolo has lived in downtown Los Angeles for the past 6 years and is a large proponent for the continued growth of the downtown community. He stays actively involved in the neighborhood and is constantly looking for new business and real estate opportunities.
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Kamara Sams works in Boeing’s Sustainability business unit and manages site closure and future land-use strategy for Boeing’s portion of the Santa Susana Field Laboratory, a former rocket engine testing facility that sits within a critical wildlife corridor in Southern California. In this role, Sams is also responsible for leading remediation community outreach activities, coordinating engagement with Native American tribes, maintaining relationships with conservation organizations and coordinating with regulatory agencies (California Department of Toxic Substances Control and Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board), as well as the other onsite responsible parties, NASA and U.S. Department of Energy.
In addition to her program director responsibilities in Southern California, Sams also leads strategic community outreach activities, including stakeholder relationship building, public meetings and tours, collateral material production, key message development and photo and video storytelling for more than 10 remediation sites in the United States. She also works closely with Boeing’s State & Local Government Relations on elected official updates and lobbying and Boeing’s Global Engagement organization for environmental charitable giving.
In her 17-year tenure at Boeing, Sams has held several communications positions and has provided support to the Commercial Airplanes Leadership Team, Engineering, Ethics, Export Compliance, Human Resources and Remediation. In addition, Sams served as lead communicator for UAW 887 labor negotiations.
Prior to joining Boeing, Sams worked at a number of Southern California-based organizations including The Salvation Army Southern California Divisional Headquarters where she served as Senior Director of Marketing and Communications; PR Newswire, where she held the position of Editorial Supervisor; and The Associated Press where she worked as a Broadcast Editor.
Sams holds two Bachelor’s degrees in Communications and Black Studies from U.C. Santa Barbara, a Master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from the University of Southern California (USC) and is working on a Graduate Certificate in Business & Sustainability from USC.
In her spare time, Sams writes children’s books using her family as inspiration. Her first book, Clark’s Summer Vacation, takes readers on a journey with her son Clark as he visits grandparents in California and Washington. Cole’s Family Reunion chronicles the adventures of her younger son Cole as he attends family reunions in Louisiana and Washington.
Sams is also a member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. and enjoys participating in numerous community service projects. She lives in Woodland Hills with her husband, two sons and three cats.
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Dana S. Treister focuses his practice on a wide variety of real estate transactions, with an emphasis on the acquisition and sale of commercial properties, real estate finance, land use and entitlement work, and commercial leasing transactions. He also has extensive experience representing parties in the formation of joint ventures and in structuring tax-advantaged real estate transactions. Dana chaired the Corps’ Board from July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2023. He has served as an adjunct professor of law at the USC Gould School of Law, and currently chairs the Adam Scott Grant Committee at USC Law School. He obtained his undergraduate degree at Stanford, where he was a member of the tennis team, and received his law degree from USC in 1994. Dana has four children and lives in Pasadena.
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Becky is a founder of Elevate Public Affairs and heads up the strategic communications practice, which includes media relations, public affairs, and crisis and litigation communication. With over 25+ years of experience, Becky provides communications counsel to several Fortune 200 companies, including some of the most disruptive and talked-about technology companies in the world. She has also been the spokesperson for various statewide and regional initiatives as well as handled challenging crisis communications issues. Becky was named one of the Sacramento Capitol’s 100 Best & Brightest: “She’s one of the Capitol’s hardest-working professionals, and easily one of the most effective behind-the-scenes political operatives in the state.”
Prior to founding Elevate, Becky was a partner at a Los Angeles public affairs firm. She previously was the managing director for the Sacramento office of Mercury Public Affairs – a national communications and public affairs firm. Before that, she served as the Deputy Communications Director for Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger managing his public appearances, crafting his messaging, and driving media coverage.
Prior to her tenure with the Schwarzenegger Administration, she served as the Communications and Legislative Director for California legislative leadership and headed up public affairs for the state’s restaurant association.
She is on the Board of Directors for the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce and served as Chair of the Board in 2020-2021. She also serves as a member of Santa Monica’s Experience Management Committee and a vice-chair of the subcommittee “Ensure Santa Monica Is a Safe and Clean Place to Live and Visit”. She lives in Santa Monica.
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Kecia M. Washington is the Director of Innovation and Strategic Partnerships for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP). In this role, Kecia has a leadership role in various relationships and initiatives involving diversity, innovation, and a sustainability workforce. Her responsibilities run the gamut from Co-chairing the Economic Activities work group for the South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone to serving as the LADWP lead on the Los Angeles Clean Tech Incubator’s Diversity Committee to creating partnerships with nonprofits to funnel foster youth into careers in the energy and water sectors. Kecia has also partnered with the Mayor’s Office of Innovation in securing and implementing a Living Cities Grant on Procurement reform.
Prior to this Kecia was the Director of Economic Development for the LADWP. In that role she was tasked with managing legacy economic development programs as well as developing and implementing initiatives that focus on the retention, expansion and attraction of business customers.
Other past roles include the Executive Director of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa’s Office of Contractor Relations, Assistant Director of Supply Chain at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP), and the Director of Education and Outreach for LADWP. In that position she was able to establish and maintain beneficial relationships with education institutions and other stakeholders to both educate them on water and power issues and create beneficial partnerships to provide training and education to LADWP customers. Additionally, in this role she was tasked with managing LADWP’s Job Opportunity and Training Program wherein a small percentage of contracting dollars were set aside to provide training and jobs for the unemployed and underemployed.
Kecia also served as Mayor Villaraigosa’s Associate Director for Energy.
Kecia is a voluntarily inactive member of the California Bar. She obtained a Juris Doctorate from the University of California at Los Angeles School of Law. She obtained her undergraduate degree from the University of California at Berkeley. Kecia is on the Executive Management Committee of the Valley Economic Alliance. Kecia is a charter member of the Omega Delta Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated. Kecia sits on the Board for the Los Angeles Business Council Institute.
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Caroline is a former federal prosecutor and currently teaches at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She spent the first four years of her career as a trial attorney with the Civil Rights Division of the U.S. Department of Justice in Washington, D.C. prosecuting criminal civil rights violations throughout the United States. From 1997-2008, she served as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Central District of California in Los Angeles, where she specialized in prosecuting hate crimes, police misconduct, human trafficking, and sex trafficking of minors. Caroline was Chief of the Civil Rights Section of the United States Attorney’s Office for four years and also co-chaired the Los Angeles Metro Task Force on Human Trafficking. Since 2008, she has taught as an adjunct professor at the University of Southern California Gould School of Law.
Caroline earned an A.B. at Stanford University and a J.D. at Harvard Law School. She clerked for Ninth Circuit Judge A. Wallace Tashima while he was a U.S. district court judge. She is married and has three children.
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Elizabeth Levin is a Manatt Real Estate partner in the firm’s Los Angeles office. Her recent representations include representing a museum client regarding its real estate design, development and construction in its ambitious plan to transform its existing museum campus and representing a national grocery chain in leasing, warehousing and acquisitions. Liz regularly represents landlords and tenants in connection with office, industrial and R&D leases.
She is a native Southern Californian, a graduate of Pomona College and UCLA Law, and a former Fulbright Fellow.
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A 22-year veteran of the LA Conservation Corps, Wendy Butts has been leading the organization as CEO since July 2014.
Wendy’s interest in the environment and its impact on communities started in 1994 when she worked as a United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Ecuador. She planned community recycling projects, created an environmental club and educated middle school students in conservation-related studies in a rural coastal town. She began her career at the LA Conservation Corps in 1998 working directly with Corpsmembers and training them in natural and urban environmental studies. She moved from program delivery into Administration and served as Development Director and Contract Compliance Officer before leaving the Corps at the end of 2010 to serve as Corporate Compliance Officer at QueensCare/QueensCare Family Clinics, which together provide accessible healthcare to thousands of un- and under-insured individuals and families in Los Angeles County each year. At QueensCare, she developed a new compliance program, conducted internal audits and developed written standards and procedures.
In July 2013, Wendy returned to co-lead the LA Conservation Corps as Managing Director, responsible for the organization’s administration, operations, and achievement of financial objectives. After a year in that role, the Corps’ Board appointed Wendy as the CEO. Under Wendy’s leadership, the LA Conservation Corps has streamlined financial management and other administrative processes and implemented the Corps’ Green Career Pathways Program which provides Corpsmembers with the skills, training and experience that will ensure their success in green jobs after the Corps.
“The LA Conservation Corps has a rich history of improving the urban environment and the lives of Corpsmembers,” said Wendy. “I am honored to serve as CEO and look forward to working with the Board, staff and our partners as we make LA a better place to live for everyone.”
Wendy holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Northern Arizona University and an MBA in International Finance from Loyola Marymount University and enjoys running, camping and hiking with her husband and two children.
Tamara serves as the Chief Operating Officer (COO) for the Los Angeles Conservation Corps. Her priorities are to ensure the financial health and sustainability of the organization through oversight of the Finance and Accounting department, provide a strategic approach to Human Resources (including Corpsmember Recruitment), assess and improve the technological infrastructure of the organization, and develop and implement systems for workflow efficiency, administrative operations, fleet acquisition, and facility maintenance.
As COO, Tamara is also focused on supporting the Corps’ environmental conservation efforts, ensuring that operational strategies align with sustainability goals.
Before her current role as COO, Tamara held leadership positions as Chief Administrative Officer, Director of Administration, and Director of Fiscal Operations at the Corps. With over 24 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, Tamara has a diverse background in direct service and advocacy, working with organizations such as The Children’s Partnership, A Place Called Home, The Salvation Army, and Boys and Girls Clubs.
Tamara’s purpose is to be of service to others, and she is passionate about driving her work collaborations with creativity and innovation. She is also deeply committed to developing the next generation of leaders through staff development and coaching.
She holds a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Loyola Marymount University, a master’s degree, and a Doctorate in Business Administration from Jones International University.
Like many of our senior leaders, Bo has been with the Corps for many years during which his commitment to providing equity and opportunity to young people and improved quality of life to every neighborhood of Los Angeles has seen the organization grow and evolve in exciting ways. He began his career here in 1988 as a summer Team Leader in the Clean & Green Program. He began full time in 1992 as a Clean & Green crew supervisor and steadily progressed. In 2015, he was named Deputy Director of Operations. In this role he is responsible for overseeing a staff of approximately 80 program staff at six sites throughout greater Los Angeles who implement the LA Corps’ Young Adult and Clean & Green programs. His primary responsibility within the organization is to develop and oversee the nearly 100 contracts that the Corps undertakes on an annual basis in order to employ over 500 Corpsmembers. These urban forestry, habitat restoration, and other conservation-related contracts total in excess of $17 million annually.
During his time at the Corps, Bo has been proud to answer the call to serve during times of crisis like the 1994 Northridge earthquake and the 2020 onset of the COVID pandemic. He has also been inspired by the strength, ingenuity, and commitment of Corpsmembers and staff members in tackling environmental and community benefit projects of all size. Some of his favorite projects that the Corps has completed include the Wiseburn Walking Path, the Descanso Gardens Oak Woodlands restoration, the Compton Creek Natural Park, and the Sycamore Canyon Trail in Claremont.
Bo is active in the national Corps movement and with other community benefit organizations including YouthBuild. Bo earned his BA from Cal State Long Beach. Prior to coming out to California, he was a collegiate swimmer who passed down his passion to his two children.
Becki was hired as the Compliance Director in 2022. She oversees the compliance department including the Corps’ many contracts and grants, manages internal and external audits, and ensures compliance with ethics policies and practices.
Becki comes to the Corps after practicing law for 14 years. She is the founder and former CEO of Sustainable Law Group, a Certified B Corp law firm, where she served many nonprofit and social enterprise clients on a wide range of litigation and transactional matters.
Becki has a lifelong passion for protecting the environment and social justice. Over the past 26 years, she has worn many hats in the nonprofit sector: as a volunteer, fundraiser, campaign organizer, and board director. Now, she is thrilled to be working with the Corps, bringing together her passion for environmentalism and social justice and the skills she honed as a lawyer and advocate.
Becki holds a BA from the University of Colorado in Environmental Studies, and a JD from the University of Oregon School of Law in Environmental and Natural Resources Law. In her free time, she serves as the den leader for her children’s scout pack, and is a board member of Project O, a nonprofit that works with local municipalities on ocean protection.
Pablo’s first experience in youth development was in the late 90’s. He as an arts educator with an organization called the HeArt Project, and his first assignment was working with the Clean & Green crew based out of Carver Middle School. After over 20 years of leadership in the youth development field, he has returned to Los Angeles Conservation Corps in the capacity of Chief Programs Officer.
Pablo holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology, and a master’s degree in education – curriculum and instruction. Throughout the 90’s, he worked in the AIDS service field running food drives for APLA’s Necessities of Life Program, training emotional support volunteers at LA Shanti, and managing Out of the Closet Thrift Store in Atwater Village for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. After a switch to youth development programs in 1998 he was a program manager for the Youth Policy Institute, the Operations Director for Woodcraft Rangers, Executive Director of Youth Speak!, and the Grants and Funding Program Manager for Los Angeles Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell Branch.
He is a member of the California After School Network’s Leadership Board, as well as a founding board member of the local LGTBQ+ youth organization Rainbow Labs. Pablo has also participated in number of state-level strategic planning committees for the Expanded Learning Division of the California Department of Education, specifically in the areas of continuous quality improvement and standards for quality expanded learning programs. He lives in Sylmar with his husband, two teenaged sons, two labradors, a cat, and an albino corn snake named Rosie.
Da’Lana started her service at the Corps in 1994 as an AmeriCorps Member with what was then known as our Building Up Los Angeles program. Just a few years prior, in response to the 1992 Los Angeles civil unrest, 60 community-based organizations, faith-based non-profit organizations and educational institutions convened to develop strategies for better servicing youth and families. The outcome was the founding of Building Up Los Angeles. It was the largest AmeriCorps Program in Los Angeles at the time, utilizing over 125 AmeriCorps Members to address critical education, gang prevention and intervention, social service, public safety, and environmental needs at the local level. Da’Lana worked in many AmeriCorps capacities from AmeriCorps Member to Program Manager until 1999. Education being one of the initiatives, in 1999, Da’Lana had the opportunity to work with some of the first state funded after school programs in Los Angeles. Today, she is the Sr. Director of our renowned After School Program. Da’Lana has direct oversight of the department which operates on a $4 million budget at twenty-two schools, with over 150 staff responsible for the expanded learning services delivered to over 3,000 elementary, middle, and high school students every day.
On the local level, Da’Lana is a member of the LA Afterschool Providers Group and the Los Angeles County of Education (LACOE) Workplan Advisory Group. On the State level, she’s an Advocacy Representative of the California After School Advocacy Alliance that speaks to Appointed and Elected representatives of California on the importance of expanded learning opportunities. A native of Los Angeles, Da’Lana is a mother of two sons, graduated from Dorsey Senior High School and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Phoenix in Business Management.
Da’Lana is also an Alumni of the African American Board Leadership Institute, which helps place professionals of color on for profit, nonprofit, and private organization boards, a graduate of the Connective Leadership Institute through the Center for Nonprofit Management’s 2019 Next Leaders Development Program and is a 2023 inaugural fellow of Great Public Schools Now – LA Leads.
Natasha Perez brings over a decade of nonprofit financial leadership to her role as our Director of Finance. She holds both a Master of Business Administration and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. She is mission-driven and dedicated to strengthening financial operations that support impactful community work.
Before joining the Corps, she served as the first in-house Finance Director at Outdoor Afro, an Oakland-based nonprofit committed to celebrating and inspiring Black connections to nature. There, she revamped the organization’s functional expense reporting, doubling the program ratio to better reflect impact, and implemented integrated systems like QuickBooks and Salesforce to enhance operational efficiency.
Prior to that, she advanced through multiple roles to become Director of Financial Operations at Spirit of America. In her role, she implemented plans to scale during periods of rapid organizational growth while maintaining financial integrity. She also oversaw international financial operations, including processing wire transfers, tracking complex donor restricted net assets and managing complex currency reconciliations.
Beyond her professional achievements, Natasha is a wife and a proud mother of two boys and three adorable dogs.
Ryan Fleury is a fundraising professional with 15 years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit development, communications and political advocacy.
Currently serving as the Director of Development and Communications at the LA Conservation Corps, Ryan oversees a dedicated team, spearheads donor engagement, and drives philanthropic growth to support workforce development and environmental conservation programs. Prior to this role, he led major donor fundraising efforts at The Aspen Institute and the Center for American Progress (CAP), where he expanded donor communities and managed high-performing teams.
Ryan’s career also includes leadership roles in national political fundraising, working on three (3) presidential campaigns, including Obama for America and Hillary for America. He enjoys developing innovative fundraising strategies, organizing high-profile donor events, and fostering partnerships that advance organizational impact.
Ryan holds a B.A. in Political Communication from Emerson College and currently resides in Los Angeles, California. Beyond his professional life, he enjoys hiking and catching the latest blockbuster movie.
Alex began his tenure as a Corpsmember in 1991. Progressive promotions led to his current position where he oversees 12 conservation staff members at the Corps’ East Los Angeles site. Led by his dedicated team, over 70 young adult Corpsmembers at any given time work on various environmental projects, including: building community gardens, constructing parks, planting trees and native vegetation, habitat restoration, and other conservation-related projects.
Alex is an effective and accomplished educator/facilitator well known for his high standards and values in program leadership. He is a persuasive advocate for young people, who are strongly affected by both his passion and commitment because he relates directly to their backgrounds. He possesses strong skills in leadership, counseling, intervention, and has a wealth of experience in overseeing community service projects. Along with his service to the Corps, he has served on the board of the San Gabriel Valley Conservation Corps and is a member of the California YouthBuild Coalition and Los Angeles YouthBuild collaborative. He has an associate degree in Liberal Arts and is working toward a bachelor’s degree in Sociology at California State University Los Angeles.
Robert began working at the Corps in 1999 as a Team Leader with the Clean & Green program. Like other Directors at the Corps his skill and dedication to the mission and the young people of Los Angeles has led him to over two decades of growth and advancement into the Corps’ senior leadership. Today, Robert oversees operations at the Corps’ South LA Site which manages our beverage container recycling, used tire recycling, graffiti abatement work with the City of Los Angeles, and unique wilderness habitat restoration projects in partnership with organizations like US Fish & Wildlife, Angeles National Forest, Catalina Island Conservancy, and others. Robert also serves as a key liaison with the staff at Saito High School which is housed at our South LA Site and offers Corpsmembers the opportunity to finish their high school diploma.
Lawrence Melendez serves as the Director of Conservation Programs and Planning at our Northeast LA Site. With a robust background as a Project Management Professional, he is an expert in equipping young minds with the tools they need to thrive. In 2016, he brought over a decade of classroom experience from the Moreno Valley Unified School District, Montebello Unified School District, and Whittier Union High School District to the Corps.
Possessing a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from CSUSB and a Master’s in Education with an Emphasis in Cross-Cultural Studies from National University, Lawrence’s journey was steered by his desire to blend youth development with conservation. Since joining us in 2016, he has proven his leadership ability in numerous technical projects, including the Woodcrest Library Learning Garden, Compton Creek Walking Path, Buford Elementary School Urban Greening Project, and ongoing Sidewalk Repair initiatives in Council District 15.
A leader in inter-departmental innovation through his contributions to the Program Innovation Team and Green Career Pathways 2.0 working group, Lawrence has also excelled as a Planning Manager, streamlining agency-wide planning processes. His enthusiasm is dedicated to propelling a diverse array of projects to our Northeast LA Site, while also refining our educational delivery approach.
Beyond his professional commitments, Lawrence expresses his love for the outdoors in trail running, hiking, and camping. He also wears hats as a certified personal trainer, nutritionist, and holds an FAA Remote Pilot License.
Karla has been with the Corps since 2007 and has grown within her many roles to become the Program Director to our two San Fernando Valley sites. Before joining as a staff member, she was a Clean & Green participant in the late 1990’s, which sparked her interest in environmental work. She became a real estate agent shortly after college serving the community where she grew up – Northeast San Fernando Valley – for a few years. Prior to the market crash of 2008, she had a change of heart and realized she wanted to do more in her community, particularly helping to mentor young adults. She began as a Program Associate at our Griffith Park satellite office and progressed through different roles at our South LA site where she managed a multitude of projects including our CalRecycle grants and other community beautification projects. In 2017, the Corps opened up a site in Tujunga to serve youth from the Northeast San Fernando Valley and Karla took on management of this new endeavor. A year later, our site in Reseda opened its doors. Both sites have thrived under her direction. She is responsible for developing, implementing, and overseeing contracts ranging from food waste and mattress diversion rescue projects, fire fuel reduction and sidewalk clean-up, to growing our tree canopies in the Valley and nearby forests.
Karla enjoys spending time with her family and doing outdoor activities and has developed a real interest in flora and fauna. She is driven to serve others and see our Corpsmembers transform during their time at the Corps. She holds a BA from UC Santa Barbara.
Adrianne came to the Corps in 2017, starting as a Crew Supervisor for the Corps’ SEA Lab program which provided marine science education to South Bay and surrounding communities. She transitioned to the Corps’ Administrative Office in 2019 where she has held several positions that progressed into her current role as Chief of Staff.
As Chief of Staff, Adrianne supports the senior leadership team by overseeing strategic planning initiatives, managing executive operations and serving as a liaison between the Corps and various government and community partners. She oversees programmatic development efforts across various departments, supports the Corps’ Board of Directors, and helps to manage data collection, analysis and reporting efforts.
Her passion for the environment and desire to become involved in conservation efforts began very early in life and followed her to UC Santa Barbara where she earned a B.S. in Aquatic Biology. She has previously worked as a Manager and Assistant Curator at the Santra Barbara Natural History Museum and volunteered with stranded marine mammals for over 5 years.
Outside of her work life, Adrianne enjoys hiking, running along the beach, and going to musicals with her husband.
LA Conservation Corps Headquarters
1400 N Spring Street
Los Angeles, CA 90012
Main: (213) 362-9000
