Thank you for attending CIVruta and committing to bring the values of inclusion, dialogue and equity to service on local boards and commissions.
Additional Resources:
Seeking the Welfare of the City
Resource Guide to Local Boards and Commissions (Curated by Shawn Landres)
Responding to Implicit Bias and Cultural Incompetence in Public Meetings
CIVruta will convene emerging leaders from across Los Angeles for a day of civic learning about how to bring the democratic values of diversity, inclusion, and dignity to service on public boards and commissions. CIVruta aims to equip civic volunteers to be in productive public service relationships with people from across the rich diversity of L.A.’s ethnic and religious communities.
Thursday, February 20, 2020
8:00 AM-5:00 PM
Japanese American Cultural & Community Center
244 South San Pedro Street, Los Angeles 90012
Overall Goals
- Strengthen local government and increase community knowledge
- Improve the quality and breadth of democratic discourse
- Increase participant effectiveness on public boards and commissions
Key Topics
- Purpose: How to lead through inclusive and equitable inquiry
- Preparation: How to prepare for and seek appointment to a public board or commission
- Skills: How to respond to “explicit bias and cultural incompetence” in public meetings
- Results: How to succeed on a public board or commission
The day will feature speakers and trainers with hands-on federal, state, county, and city experience and perspectives.
Confirmed Speakers & Guests (list in formation)*
- Honorable Supervisor Hilda Solis, Supervisor (1st District) and Chair Pro Tem, Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
- Kelli Bernard, Immediate Past Chair, LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission
- Eileen Decker, President, City of LA Police Commission
- Edward Eng, Executive Director, LA County Citizens’ Economy and Efficiency Commission
- Rabbi Noah Farkas, Past Chair, LA Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission
- Alisa Finsten, Commissioner, City of LA Board of Animal Services Commissioners
- Mike Fong, Director of Policy and Government Relations, Department of Neighborhood Empowerment; Immediate Past President, Los Angeles Community College District Board
- Marisa Glucoft, Secretary, Mid City West Community Council
- Ana Guerrero, Chief of Staff, Office of City of LA Mayor Eric Garcetti
- Aziza Hasan, Commissioner, City of LA Civil and Human Rights Commission
- Shawn Landres, Vice Chair, City of Santa Monica Planning Commission; Immediate Past Chair, LA County Quality & Productivity Commission
- Eli Lipmen, President, City of LA Board of Neighborhood Commissioners
- Anthony Mack, Commissioner, City of LA Commission on Human Relations
- Samantha Millman, President, City of LA Planning Commission
- Torie Osborn, Senior Strategist, Office of LA County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl
- Nicole Powell, Homelessness Policy Fellow, Office of LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas
- Professor Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director, Cal State LA Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs
- Cathryn Rivera-Hernandez, Appointments Secretary, Office of Governor Gavin Newsom
- Robert Sowell, Assistant Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission
- Robin Toma, Executive Director, LA County Human Relations Commission
- Effie Turnbull Sanders, Commissioner, California Coastal Commission ; Executive Director, South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z)
Organizing Team*
- Alisa Finsten, Senior Vice President, Jewish Federation Los Angeles
- Mary Kohav, Vice President, Jewish Federation Los Angeles
- Shawn Landres, Co-founder, Jumpstart Labs; Senior Fellow, UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs
Advisory Board*
- Ana Guerrero, Chief of Staff, Office of Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti
- Aziza Hasan, Executive Director, NewGround: A Muslim-Jewish Partnership for Change and Commissioner, City of Los Angeles Civil and Human Rights Commission
- Joanna Kabat, Director of Grantmaking and Capacity Building, Liberty Hill Foundation
- Brie Loskota, Executive Director, University of Southern California Center for Religion and Civic Culture
- Professor Raphael Sonenshein, Executive Director, Cal State Los Angeles Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs
- Rabbi Noah Farkas, Valley Beth Shalom; Past Chair, LA Homeless Services Authority; Facilitator, Rautenberg New Leaders Project
*Affiliations listed for identification purposes only
