About Us Office of Planning and Research Staff
Meet OPR’s talented team.
Leadership
Russ Fong has served as Chief Administrative Officer at the State Controller’s Office since May of 2020. He began his career 34 years ago in the financial industry before entering state service in 2000. Since that time, he has worked for the California Department of Technology, CalPERS, California High-Speed Rail Authority, Department of Housing and Community Development, State Controller’s Office, and now the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research. He has served in many roles including Chief Deputy Director, Chief Administrative Officer, Chief Operations Officer, Deputy Director, Chief Financial Officer, Deputy Executive Officer, Assistant Executive Officer, Risk Officer, and Division Chief . Russ has lived his entire life in the Golden State, attending C.K. McClatchy High School and the University of California, Los Angeles. He enjoys volunteering for youth sports programs and has coached high school, club, and AAU basketball over the past three decades.
Saharnaz was the Deputy Director of Community Investment and Planning at California Strategic Growth Council overseeing more than 3 billion dollars of investment in infrastructure programs and community driven policy solutions. She worked with local and regional governments to pilot new initiatives for bridging climate and equity goals including Transformative Climate Communities program.
Saharnaz has over fifteen years of experience working in the public and private sectors on infrastructure development, climate resiliency, and community development. Before joining the SGC, she worked for the City of Thousand Oaks, supporting the development of the City Municipal Sustainability Plan and Community Climate Action Plan. Saharnaz also worked with ICLEI-Local Governments for Sustainability for more than three years, supporting local governments in combating the impact of climate change through local actions. As a consultant in the private sector, Saharnaz worked on multiple community revitalization and urban design projects in low-income and disadvantaged communities in Iran.
Saharnaz has a Master of Urban and Regional Planning with a Certificate of Sustainable Urban Infrastructure from University of Colorado Denver, a Master of Urban Design and Planning from Shahid Beheshti University, and a B.A. in Architecture from Iran University of Science and Technology.
Planning & Community Development
Austin Kerr is an Air Quality & GHG Analyst in the Planning & Community Development team, where he focuses on implementation of the SB 7 Program. Austin provides guidance about the quantification of GHGs associated with projects seeking Environmental Leadership and Development Project certification. As a CEQA practitioner, Austin brings more than 20 years of experience preparing air quality, GHG, and noise sections of Environmental Impact Reports for land use development and infrastructure projects. He has also managed preparation of CEQA guidance on behalf of air districts and CARB and more recently examined the role of carbon offsets as GHG mitigation. Austin has also overseen the preparation of Health Risk Assessments and noise constraint analyses to support local long-range planning and CEQA documentation. Austin spends his free time coaching youth sports and enjoys traveling and the outdoors.
As a Senior Planner on OPR’s Regional Early Action Planning Grants (REAP) 2.0 team, Brianne Masukawa supports the program’s interagency coordination and implementation efforts to expand California's housing supply and reduce vehicle miles traveled. Her responsibilities include technical assistance to applicants, innovative tool and resource development, and other stakeholder assistance.
She brings to the team her extensive experience developing and implementing thoughtful solutions, performing extensive community engagement, and securing funding for communities of color in Southern California to improve access to safe and convenient transportation choices for all ages and abilities. Her body of work previously focused on safe routes to school, complete streets, and active transportation plans.
Brianne earned her BA in Urban Studies and Planning from UCSD and her MA in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA.
Kim Danko is an Acting Program Manager of the Regional Early Action Planning Grants (REAP) 2.0 team. As a member of the REAP team, Kim coordinates internally and externally to ensure delivery of this innovative statewide program aimed at accelerating housing in California, while reducing greenhouse gas emissions through a decrease in vehicle miles traveled.
Kim has years of public service in the planning and sustainable communities field. She has experience in advancing climate change initiatives at the state, regional and local levels and is passionate about helping California reach its climate goals in practical and equitable ways. Most recently, she has helped rural and under-resourced cities secure California Climate Investments grants that address community resilience and transform their communities into walkable/bikeable thriving destinations and has worked with the Central Valley to create community-led emissions reduction plans to address poor air quality and declining public health.
Kim was born and raised in Sacramento and obtained a BA in Communications from California State University, Long Beach. Her enthusiasm for government started during a public relations internship for the U.S. Coast Guard and since then she has continuously developed those communications skills to connect with government officials and staff who are navigating the complex challenges of climate, transportation, housing and community engagement.
As the Land Use and Planning Manager, Leila Hakimizadeh, AICP, manages and engages in a broad range of statewide planning and policy initiatives related to land use, housing, transportation, transit, climate change, and other issues, with a focus on advancing the State’s climate, housing, and equity goals.
She has over 15 years of planning and community development experience at the private and public sectors at the building, regional and state scales. Her leadership experience includes leading multidisciplinary groups of consultants, supervising planners, facilitating community workshops, and collaborating with government agencies, nonprofit organizations, and neighborhood groups.
As a Planner IV-Supervising Planner for the City of San Jose, Leila directed the approval for over 50 development projects and four long-range plans from start to completion. In addition, she was the Lead Project Manager for award winning San José’s Downtown and Citywide Design Guidelines and managed several customer service and training programs. Leila was on the design review panel that guided applicants and developers for planning and design of market and affordable housing projects. As a Long-range planner for the City of Los Angeles and urban designer in Toronto, Canada, Leila had a key role in the approval of several community planning, urban and landscape design, transit-oriented development, streetscape, and bike and pedestrian planning projects.
Leila has masters’ degrees in architecture, landscape architecture, and urban design and has certifications in Applied Digital Geography and GIS and LEED AP ND.
Parker is a CivicSpark Fellow, 2022-2023, with Planning and Community Planning Team. During the next year, he will be assisting OPR with updating General Plan Guidelines (GPG) to help jurisdictions throughout the state with capacity building and resilience. He will specifically be helping in updating the community engagement section of GPG with an equity focus and doing research and recommendations on making the GPG be more user-friendly and easier to navigate.
Parker recently graduated from UC San Diego with a bachelor's degree in Urban Studies & Planning and a minor in Real Estate & Development. After CivicSpark, Parker plans to either continue working in the public sector or go to graduate school to get a master's degree in urban planning, real estate development, landscape architecture, or a similar field.
Climate
Abby Edwards is the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program’s Adaptation Planning Grant Program Manager. In this role she will lead and manage the development, implementation, and administration of three rounds of adaptation planning grants. Abby brings to her work a commitment to equity, innovation, and evidence-based decision making. Prior to working at the OPR, Abby was a manager for the Local Government Commission’s AmeriCorps program, CivicSpark. In this role she managed state and federal grants, conducted regular monitoring and evaluation, coordinated with state and local partners, and oversaw day-to-day operations. Abby also served in the Peace Corps as a Sustainable Agriculture volunteer in southeastern Senegal. During her service, Abby worked side-by-side with farmers and community leaders on a variety of food security interventions. Abby is currently pursuing a Master’s in Public Administration with a focus on Environmental Management and Policy in the School of Public Affairs from UC Denver Online. Her Master’s studies build upon her undergraduate degree in Environmental Studies and Education. In her spare time, Abby is the chair of the Fundraising and Finance committee for the Sacramento chapter of Showing Up for Racial Justice.
Allie Larman is an Assistant Planner on the ICARP Extreme Heat and Community Resilience Program team. Allie is passionate about community led planning and climate justice. Prior to joining OPR, Allie worked as an Intern with the US Environmental Protection Agency working on issues related to air pollution. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Community and Regional Development and a minor in Spanish from the University of California, Davis.
Ankitha Doddanari is the Staff Analyst of Climate Equity and Resilience Engagement for the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program’s Vulnerable Communities Platform (VCP). Prior to joining OPR, Ankitha worked for Southern California Edison where she developed the equity framework for their first Climate Adaptation and Vulnerability Assessment and performed a variety of analyses related to clean energy issues. Before SCE, Ankitha worked as an intern for the Oakland Department of Transportation where she supported community engagement efforts as well as performed GIS analysis and mapping. Ankitha earned her B.A. at the University of California, Berkeley in Sustainable Environmental Design.
Prior to joining the ICARP team, Brandon was a full-time affordable housing and climate resiliency planner. Though born and raised in California, his expertise in urban innovation and community planning enabled him to work on social and environmental justice projects as far as Cuba, Kenya, Nicaragua, Portugal, Taiwan, and Turkey. Brandon has given lectures about city planning and development in the United States and the Caribbean, as well as taught at UC Berkeley. As a contributing author and facilitator, his work can be seen in the Redwood City’s Anti-Displacement Strategy, San Mateo County’s Climate Ready Collaborative, City of Emeryville’s Housing Element 2015–2023, the Emeryville Berkeley Oakland Transit Study, Alqueva: Changing Ecologies of the Montado Landscape, and Slum Sanitation and the Social Determinant of Women’s Health in Nairobi, Kenya. Brandon holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from UC Berkeley, a BA from the University of New Mexico and a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Urban Permaculture Institute of San Francisco.
Ben McMahan is the ICARP Climate Services Program Manager. Prior to joining OPR, Ben was a research professor at the University of Arizona, a principal investigator for Climate Assessment for the Southwest (CLIMAS, a NOAA RISA program), and affiliated faculty in the School of Anthropology and the Bureau of Applied Research in Anthropology (BARA). At UA, he led or supported research on climate risks and impacts in the Southwest and developed climate services and outreach to support or inform policy and decision making, including innovations in using data visualization and science communication. He also served as a faculty mentor for a student research internship program and led or supported teams on projects working a range of diverse partners and stakeholders on climate impacts and adaptation strategies, equity and climate vulnerability in frontline communities, and binational community collaborations in Arizona/Sonora.
Ben holds a Ph.D. in Environmental Anthropology from the University of Arizona and has extensive experience in ethnographic, qualitative, quantitative, and geospatial methods, as well as community-based research design, implementation, and stakeholder engagement.
Braden Kay is the new Extreme Heat Program Manager in California's Governor's Office of Planning and Research. Recently, he was the founding Sustainability and Resilience Director for the City of Tempe in Arizona. Braden grew the office from one to six full time employees, including building programs in youth climate action, energy equity, local food, and resilience to extreme heat. Braden developed community co-created climate action plans, tripled capital investments in resilient infrastructure, and brought in over 3.5 Million dollars in grant funds from the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Pew Charitable Trusts, USDA, NSF, FEMA, State Farm, USDN, and local foundations. Braden has held sustainability program manager positions at the City of Tempe, Arizona State University and the City of Orlando. Braden received a PhD in Sustainability from Arizona State University and a BA in American Studies from Carleton College (MN). He was the Vice-chair of the Planning and Advisory Committee for the Urban Sustainability Directors Network and was the Chair of the Steering Committee of the Sustainable Cities Network. Braden currently serves on the Local Support Commission's Emerging Leaders Council, the International WELL Buildings Institute Advisory Board and is the co-chair of the Western Adaptation Alliance.
Dolores Barajas is the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program’s Regional Resilience Grant Program Manager. In this role, she leads the implementation of three rounds of regional grants, to accelerate regional-scale climate resilience action. Prior to joining OPR, Dolores worked for the City of Fresno as Chief of Staff to a Councilmember, where she contributed to citywide policies and programs including critical COVID relief efforts. Prior to her work in local government, she served as Executive Director to the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition (CVAQ), an environmental justice organization focused on air and climate policy advocacy in the San Joaquin Valley. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.
Elea Becker Lowe is a Senior Planner for Climate Science and Resilience as a part of the Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program’s Fifth Climate Change Assessment Team. Prior to her role with OPR, Elea worked as an Environmental Scientist with the California Natural Resources Agency. She holds an MA in International Environmental Policy from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a BS in Applied Mathematics from the University of Vermont.
As a Senior Analyst with OPR’s Integrated Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Program (ICARP), Nikki manages the State Adaptation Clearinghouse and coordinates climate services, adaptation planning guidance, and technical assistance under the ICARP Climate Services team. Nikki brings a commitment to accessibility and equitable climate solutions to her work. Prior to OPR, Nikki managed the Sierra Climate Adaptation and Mitigation Partnership at Sierra Business Council, advocating for and coordinating local and regional climate solutions for the Sierra Nevada region. Nikki also served as a 2016–17 CivicSpark Climate Fellow at Sierra Business Council, providing climate planning and implementation technical assistance to local governments. Nikki has a B.A. in Anthropology and a Concentration in Environmental Studies from Williams College, where she graduated in 2016 as a Class of 1960 Environmental Scholar.
As an Assistant Planner on the OPR Climate team, Sarah serves as a project manager overseeing the day to day implementation of the FEMA-OPR Cooperating Technical Partners (CTP) Grant. The CTP grant will support California’s climate resiliency goals and streamline federal and state funding programs, as well as advance the statutory charge of the Integrated Climate Adaptation Resiliency Program (ICARP). Prior to joining OPR, Sarah served as the 2019-20 Executive Fellow at California Strategic Growth Council (SGC) through the Capital Fellows Program. In this capacity, she supported SGC's grant programs and policy initiatives by providing research and analysis on issues related to housing, sustainability, land use, and racial equity. Sarah is a first-generation college graduate and received a Bachelor of Science in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning from the University of California, Davis.
External Affairs & Communications
Agustin Arreola serves as the External Affairs Manager of the Governor's Office of Planning and Research. In his role Agustin works with teams to ensure diverse communities in California are informed of, and have access to OPR’s programs, initiatives, and resources. He works closely with policy leads, other state departments, and the Deputy Director of Communications and External Affairs to ensure correct information and messaging, including talking points, is communicated to key stakeholders.
Prior to joining the Governor's Office of Planning and Research Agustin served as Senior Implementation Manger at Lift To Rise, a cross-sector collective impact organization mobilizing 50+ local, regional, and national partners to build a more inclusive and equitable future for all Coachella Valley residents. In his role, Agustin led and supported critical community interventions, including the Mission Asset’s innovative Lending Circles, housing stability and economic mobility collaborative action networks, and most recently, the United Lift Rental Assistance program which helped thousands of Riverside County residents impacted financially during the COVID-19 pandemic stay housed. Agustin holds a Bachelor's of Political Science and Chicana/o Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Agustin is passionate about expanding access and opportunity in the areas of housing and economic mobility.
Lauren Perrin is a Graphic Designer for OPR, with a focus on human centered design, user interface, and illustration. Prior to joining OPR, Lauren was working for a public health non-profit, focusing on improving the access to health equity and creating meaningful and useful digital products. Lauren has been working in public sector design for over four years and freelancing for over five years.
Lauren has a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design from Sacramento State University and is an active member in the Sacramento design community.
Michael Wilson is the Senior Graphic and User Interface Designer for OPR, where he manages their website as well as designs visual communication pieces such as fact sheets and information graphics.
He also serves as the webmaster and designer for the Strategic Growth Council, where he has worked on projects such as the 2018 website redesign as well as the design for the Fourth California Climate Assessment website. Prior to his appointment with OPR, he was the graphic designer and art director for the California Energy Commission.
I was born and raised in Sacramento, California. I graduated from Sacramento City College in 2019 with an Associate's Degree in Anthropology. I have worked previously as a Seasonal Clerk with the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities and as an Excel Data Analyst with Physicians For A Healthy California. In my spare time I enjoy cooking, listening to music, reading science fiction and fantasy novels, and traveling to new places.
Risa is passionate about health equity and environmental justice. Risa previously worked for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, where she focused on paid advertising, social-media strategy, and Spanish-English translations for a wide variety of communications campaigns to promote health equity and prevent chronic disease. One campaign sought to decrease disparities in children's dental health and another promoted resources to reduce renters' exposure to secondhand smoke at home.
Risa has also worked for a social-impact advertising agency and several health and environmental nonprofits. She holds B.A.s in Communication & Sociology and a Minor in Spanish from the University of California, Santa Barbara and has co-authored research on climate-policy communication.
Legal & Legislative Team
Jennifer Holman was appointed Chief Counsel of the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research in December 2022. Ms. Holman and the Legal Affairs office provide legal advice to OPR on a range of legal issues covering the scope of OPR’s statutory charge, including environmental and land use law.
Before joining OPR, Ms. Holman served as legal counsel for various agencies in the State of California, including CalRecycle, the Department of Housing and Community Development, and the Department of Toxic Substances Control. From 1998 to 2016, Ms. Holman worked in private practice, primarily focusing on practice under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the Planning and Zoning Law. She also clerked at the Alaska Supreme Court immediately after law school.
Ms. Holman received her JD from the University of California, Davis, where she graduated Order of the Coif. She also holds a BA from the University of Texas, Austin, with majors in biology and English and an LLM from the University of Waikato, New Zealand, where she focused on comparative environmental law and graduated with first class honors. She is currently working on her PhD in law at the University of Waikato, where her research examines durable climate law.
Jack Wursten is the Legislative Manager at OPR. He brings a background of environmental, transportation, and legislative expertise. Prior to his work at OPR, Jack spent five years working in the legislative office at the California High-Speed Rail Authority (HSR) where he monitored and analyzed legislation, coordinated legislative outreach, and provided administrative support. Before his work at HSR, Jack worked as an analyst in the Legal Office of the California Air Resources Board assisting with a broad environmental portfolio and the rulemaking process. Prior to his work for the State, Jack worked as a paralegal at a private law firm.
Shannon Clark is Land Use Counsel at OPR, where she works with the Legal, Legislative and Planning and Community Development teams on issues related to CEQA, housing, transportation planning and administrative law, including implementation of the CEQA Judicial Streamlining program. Prior to working at OPR, Shannon was a Deputy Attorney General in the California Department of Justice’s Environment Section, where she litigated CEQA and other administrative law issues on behalf of the People of California and agency clients in both federal and state courts. Before attending law school, Shannon worked as a project manager for an energy efficiency nonprofit.
William Robinson is the Legislative Director of OPR and SGC where he brings over seven years of legislative and transportation policy experience to the role. Prior to joining OPR, William was a Legislative Liaison at the California Department of Transportation and California High-Speed Rail Authority where he represented the Administration’s transportation policy interests and helped manage the legislative programs of each department. Prior to his work in transportation, William served in various roles in the Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr. William has a Bachelor’s in Cultural Anthropology from U.C. Davis.
CEQA & State Clearinghouse
Amy Miller is the Federal Grant Administrator at OPR, where she serves as a primary point of contact for information on federal grants and serves as a coordinator to manage and maximize federal grant opportunities within the state.
Jamie Burke is the CEQA Touchpoint Program Manager where he provides application development and technical support for the State Clearinghouse internal applications. He has almost 30 years’ IT experience working for the State of California starting at the California Department of Justice where he assisted in the Y2K effort for the Criminal History System and maintained law enforcement communication software connecting law enforcement to California’s law enforcement databases, DMV, the federal government, and other states. He transitioned to FI$Cal where he was part of the team writing the technical requirements. Following FI$Cal Jamie became a solution architect at the Department of Technology where he analyzed customers hosting needs to find the best solution within the Department of Technology’s data center. Recently he was the lead developer maintaining the CEQA application and helped modernize the Department of Technology’s internal applications using best practices.
Alexandra Owens is a CEQA Technician in the State Clearinghouse. She processes and reviews documents submitted to the CEQA Database, assists with quality assurance and provides assistance to the public and local and state agencies.
Christine Asiata Rodriguez, is the Manager of the State Clearinghouse (SCH) at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research (OPR). With a tenure of over 15 years, her focus is on the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) process and guidance. Christine is the Project Leader and Manager who facilitates training on the new CEQA database pursuant to the SB 122 which requires environmental documents and notices prepared pursuant to the CEQA, to be available online. The CEQA Guidelines governs the operation of the SCH, and defines its roles and responsibilities. Consecutively, the SCH serves government agencies and the public by coordinating state-level review of environmental document distribution, providing assistance with the environmental review process, and managing the environmental information collected.
Daunte is a CEQA Technician in the State Clearinghouse (SCH). He reviews environmental documents and notices submitted to the state’s CEQA database. He also assists with providing technical support to public agencies and members of the public.
Mikayla Vaba is a Clearinghouse Technician in the State Clearinghouse. She processes and reviews documents submitted to the CEQA Database, assisting with quality assurance and providing technical assistance to public agencies and the general public.
Supports the State Clearinghouse daily operations in compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act.
Special Projects
Lark Park is Director of the California Education Learning Lab, a grantmaking program at OPR focused on supporting improved human learning and reducing equity gaps in California’s public institutions of higher education.
Peter van Deventer, is the Director of the Coast to Coast Smart e-Mobility program at OPR, where he connects governments, industry and academia on smart and clean transportation solutions. Before joining OPR in 2013, Peter worked in the Netherlands and Africa where he was responsible for transportation and land use departments both within local and regional governments as well as within consultancy. Peter holds Engineering degrees from Ohio State University (PhD) and Wageningen University (MSc and BSc) and a Master of Public Administration from the Dutch School for Public Policy.
Morgan Rose serves as Graduate Assistant for the Coast to Coast initiative at OPR. She is an urban planning master’s student at USC’s Sol Price School of Public Policy where she is concentrating on clean and accessible transportation, urban green space, and community engagement. Morgan has previously held positions with Here LA, Sundance Institute, and the Child Care Law Center. She grew up in Berkeley and received her bachelor’s degree in international development studies from UCLA.
Clarissa is one of two fellows placed at OPR through the Executive Fellowship program. Clarissa has a B.A. from University of California, San Diego, where she majored in Political Science and minored in Urban Studies and Planning.
Clarissa engaged in numerous internship opportunities while earning her undergraduate degree. Through her community college’s student government, she was responsible for overseeing the college’s Student Court as its Chief Justice in ensuring that the student government at large was acting in fairness and in concert with the Brown Act. At UC San Diego, Clarissa engaged with student advocacy groups such as UC Advocacy Network and CalPIRG students: Her focus with both organizations was to empower students to be involved with the state budget process regarding tuition and with environmentalism, respectively. Clarissa also served as a student member and then after graduating from UC San Diego, as a Fellow through JusticeCorps San Diego, an Americorps program which charges its members to aid in providing equitable access to the justice system for pro se litigants by helping those who cannot afford legal services with information, referrals and forms assistance.
Jocelyn is an Executive Fellow placed at OPR. She grew up in Caruthers, California, in Fresno County, and has a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and Global Studies with a minor in Applied Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.
Before working with OPR, she dedicated her time to promoting equity through various positions. While studying abroad at the University of Barcelona, she interned for the nonprofit, Fundación Social del Raval, where she helped prepare low-income children for academic success. Jocelyn has served as the only undergraduate representative for the Academic Senate’s Committee on Diversity and Equity and was Chair of the Space Allocation Committee for the University Center’s Governance Board, where she helped manage the budget and assist with planning and development of the Center in matters involving policy. She was also a student assistant at the Office of the Vice-Chancellor for Student Affairs and a research assistant for a project under the Department of Counseling, Clinical, and School Psychology. Jocelyn has worked as a legal intern and community worker for California Rural Legal Assistance, where she helped low-income workers across rural communities in California exercise their rights through the COVID-19 Workers’ Rights Helpline. In the future, she hopes to continue her advocacy work for underrepresented groups.
California Jobs First
Mary Collins is Senior Advisor for Climate and Economy at the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research, where she advises on issues related to climate change and economic development. She provides strategic direction and oversight for the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF), which is a $600 million multi-year program created to promote sustainability and equity by supporting new plans and strategies to diversify local economies and develop sustainable industries that produce high-quality, broadly accessible jobs for all Californians. Prior to joining OPR, Mary was the Managing Director for the American Jobs Project, a non-profit think tank founded by Jennifer Granholm that focused on place-based economic development strategies to decarbonize our economy. She was a Visiting Scholar at UC Berkeley’s California Institute for Energy and Environment, working at the US-Mexico Binational Laboratory. Mary has worked on energy, climate, and industrial policy for the UK and Norway. She served in Peace Corps Panama, working hand-in-glove with farmers, community members, and the Panamanian government. Mary has an MPP from the UC Berkeley Goldman School of Public Policy and a B.S. from Virginia Tech. She is a certified yoga instructor and likes to garden and hike with her husband, daughter, and dog.
As California Jobs First Program Manager, Alicia leads the strategic development and implementation of initiatives that advance the Administration’s climate-equity-jobs portfolio. Her team advises California’s 13 regions on economic development approaches that prioritize disinvested communities and align with the State’s climate goals. Most recently, Alicia worked on significant government transformation efforts at the Government Operations Agency. Her leadership in expanding equitable access to the polls at the Secretary of State’s office and her pivotal role in including all Californians in the most recent decennial census highlight her commitment to impactful work. Alicia holds a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration. Outside of the office, Alicia enjoys exploring new places, engaging in strategic board games, and spending quality time with her miniature poodle, Alfie.
As the Senior Program Analyst, Fabiha Zaman supports interagency coordination, stakeholder engagement, and communications operations for the Just Transition Program. Fabiha previously held the Special Assistant role at SGC, where she worked closely with the Executive Director and was responsible for day-to-day administration of the office. Before working at SGC, Fabiha was an intern at the Governor’s Office of Planning and Research where she helped consolidate best practices for climate adaptation in local California communities, led racial equity initiatives within the office, and conducted research on wildfire resiliency. Fabiha has a wide range of experience in State government, as she also interned in the California State Senate and California Department of Justice.
Fabiha holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science-Public Service with a minor in Professional Writing from the University of California, Davis. She also has a certificate from the London School of Economics for Global and International Studies.
Jesus Salazar is a Senior Program Analyst with the office of Planning and Research (OPR) working on the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF). As a Senior Program Analyst, Jesus provides strategic direction of program development and day to day management of key operations of the CERF program. Additionally, Jesus assists with outreach to state, local, and regional entities to implement program objectives. Prior to working with OPR, Jesus worked with the Blue Green Alliance, the California Labor Federation, and the UC Berkeley Labor Center on a just transition for communities impacted by California's energy transition. Jesus has also worked as a Labor Organizer for SEIU United Service Workers West, a union that represents and empowers service workers across California.
Jesus Salazar holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a minor in communications from San Francisco State University and a masters from the Goldman School of Public Policy.
Matt is a Senior Program Analyst on the Community Economic Resilience Fund (CERF) team. He works at the intersection of economic development, labor, and climate resilience planning. Prior to joining OPR, Matt conducted and lead research on climate change adaptation and workforce development with local governments, labor unions, and academic partners. He has a wide range of experience in community planning processes and prioritizes equity, transparency, and shared decision-making among stakeholders. Matt holds a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA.
Michael is an Associate Planner for Wood Product Innovation and has been with OPR since 2015. Michael manages the Woody Feedstock Aggregation Pilot Program. In this role, he is responsible for implementing the state’s Forest Sector Market Development initiative as directed under Key Action 3.10 of the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Action Plan. Previously, Michael managed the Wildfire Resilience and Recovery Grant Program, as well as the Biochar Research Advisory Committee as part of the office’s larger wildfire prevention, biomass utilization and forest management portfolio. Michael currently serves as an Advisory Council member for the Joint Institute for Wood Products Innovation at the California Board of Forestry, as well as OPR’s representative on the Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee at the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. Michael also serves on several working groups under the Wildfire and Forest Resilience Task Force, such as the Risk Modeling Working Group, The Fire Adapted Communities Working Group, and the Wood Utilization Working Group. Michael has a B.A. in Environmental Studies from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.S. in Environmental Policy and Management from the University of California at Davis.
Military Affairs
Allison serves as Policy Advisor to the Governor’s Military Council (GMC) which works to sustain and enhance the national security posture in the state by bridging the gaps between citizens, public servants, industry, and military on myriad topics that touch on military operations. GMC works with active duty and reserve forces, community stakeholder groups, veterans, aerospace and defense industry members, as well as military spouse and children advocates throughout the state and informs and advises the state government’s executive, legislative, and local level leaders on issues that impact national security such as: environment, energy, transportation and infrastructure, housing, technology, education and workforce development and economic opportunity in the state.
Ms. Eileen Sánchez serves the California Governor in the Office of Planning and Research (OPR) military affairs team where she leads Defense Industry Cybersecurity Resilience. Prior to OPR, Ms. Sánchez served as director of economic development for Los Angeles Mayor, overseeing the small and minority business team, contracting relations and a broad range of entrepreneurship initiatives. Ms. Sánchez previously served as a U.S. Small Business Administration associate administrator in Washington, D.C., reporting to the Administrator and serving on the SBA Management Board. In her role, Ms. Sánchez spearheaded SBA's small business global and international trade initiatives and programs, including the $1.45 billion SBA guaranteed export lending portfolio and field staff located at U.S. Export Assistance Centers. She led several government initiatives to improve the economic environment for American small businesses and entrepreneurs in the United States and abroad, and she was responsible for ensuring small business interests were represented in trade negotiations and commercial dialogues. Ms. Sánchez also oversaw the launch and implementation of the State Trade Expansion Program.
Precision Medicine
Julianne McCall serves as Director of Precision Medicine at the California Governor's Office of Planning and Research. In that role, she oversees cross-sector health policy working groups and projects, research grantmaking, and state government interagency efforts, which include co-authoring the first-ever California Surgeon General's Report. Previously, Dr. McCall worked on public health and research policy in the California Senate Office of Research and as a Science and Technology Policy Fellow of the California Council on Science and Technology. Prior to her career in policy, she spent sixteen years in neuroscience research labs, including at the Salk Institute, Stanford University, the Cleveland Clinic, and the National Center for Microscopy Imaging Research. She conducted medical research as a Fulbright Fellow in Sweden and as a neuroscientist at the Neuroregeneration Laboratory of Heidelberg University in Germany.
In the community, Dr. McCall teaches graduate science policy courses at UC Davis, UC Riverside, and the Japan-US Science Policy Fellowship, leads the Journal of Science Policy & Governance as CEO, serves on the Editorial Board of the California Journal of Politics and Policy, the Board of Directors of Future of Research, and the Board of the Sacramento Chapter of New Leaders Council, occasionally directs the International "Brain Bee" Neuroscience Olympiad for high school students, and is the co-founder of TEDxFulbright, local science outreach organizations, and a chapter of the Sustained Dialogue Campus Network for racial justice. She earned a PhD in Neuroscience from Heidelberg University in Germany, a Master's degree in Biomedical Sciences from UC San Diego, and a Bachelor's degree in Neuroscience from Denison University.
Saga Barberis joins CIAPM as its new Project Administrator, focusing primarily on the new Representative Research Collaborative, a cross-sector project in partnership with the National Institutes of Health. Equipped with a JD, Ms. Barberis brings a collection of rich experiences in policy, including at the U.S. House of Representatives, the California Legislature, the Nevada County District Attorney’s Office, and the Bar Association of San Francisco. She additionally serves as Board Secretary of KCBP Radio, Modesto Peace/Life Center. Ms. Barberis is an alumnus of UCLA, University of Nevada, Reno, and UC College of the Law, San Francisco (formerly known as UC Hastings, College of the Law).
David Reiner is a Science Officer within the California Initiative to Advance Precision Medicine. In this role, David oversees CIAPM's demonstration projects on cancer and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs). Prior to joining CIAPM, he spent 18 years conducting neuroscience research at the NIH, University of Pennsylvania, University of Rochester, and University of Tennessee Health Science Center. Most recently, David was a postdoctoral fellow at the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) and National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) PRAT fellow, where he studied a rodent model of fentanyl relapse and the effect of pain on opioid relapse.
David has a record of engaging in community-minded leadership opportunities, through founding a neuroscience public lecture series to engage researchers with the broader community. He also co-founded a trainee-led inclusion, diversity, and equity activities committee at the NIH, which strives for a more equitable and inclusive workplace. David earned his Ph.D. in Neuroscience at the University of Pennsylvania and his B.S. in Neuroscience at the University of Rochester.
Hanna is a PhD Candidate at UC Davis in Animal Behavior. Her thesis focuses on how social behavior can be altered by oxytocin and social stress. A transfer student from Sacramento City College, Hanna obtained her BA in Psychology at UC Davis before completing her MS in Biology at San Francisco State. She has published numerous journal articles about improving the welfare and methodology of laboratory animal research. Her love of teaching and mentoring is expressed through her efforts within her local science communication organization, Science Says at UC Davis. Her goal is to use her wealth of knowledge to not only expand minds at the University level but also within her community. At CIAPM, she will act as a policy intern assisting with numerous projects on a broad level such as the Depression Request for Proposals and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) project.
Joanna is a Psychology PhD student in the developmental area at the University of California, Davis. She received her BA in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She then went on to spend three years working at the University of California, San Francisco in the Center for Health and Community, the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, and the Department of Medicine. There, she worked on a series of studies in discovery, intervention, and implementation research across Northern and Central California to understand the psychobiological mechanisms linking stress to risk for, and resilience against, maladaptive health outcomes. Here at CIAPM, Joanna is assisting with the team’s demonstration projects, as well as other communications and outreach endeavors.
Ramon received his PhD in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Maryland, Baltimore where he studied novel therapeutics for skin cancer. As part of his duties as Science Communications Officer, Ramon will coordinate external reports, newsletter releases, web content, legislative outreach, and staff the CIAPM Advisory Council. Prior to joining CIAPM, he served as the Health & Mental Health Policy Fellow with the Missouri Science and Technology (MOST) Policy Initiative, where he authored more than 50 Science Notes and presented 10 committee presentations for the Missouri State Legislature regarding bills under negotiation. A native of California, he earned his double Bachelor’s degrees in Biochemistry & Molecular Biology and Psychology at UC Santa Cruz.
Theresa holds a Ph.D. in Public Health with an emphasis in behavioral and health economics. As the Equity Officer for CIAPM, she will be engaging with research and communities to increase representation of all Californians, especially those in underserved populations, in precision medicine research. Previously, Theresa has had over 15 years of experience in the development and evaluation of community health programs in the San Joaquin Valley. Much of her research focuses on health behavior change and using behavioral economics and education to improve individual and family health choices. She has taught classes at the university level in health promotion, health communication, personal health, and US health systems. In addition to her professional affiliations, she is a board member for two community non-profits in Stanislaus County, Central Valley Community Resouces and the Stanislaus County Commission for Women.
Yuki is a PhD Candidate at UCLA in Molecular Biology, with a focus on Gene Regulation, Epigenomics and Transcriptomics. She received a BA and MA in Molecular Biology and Biochemistry from Wesleyan University, conducting research into genetic mechanisms. In addition to her work in the lab, Yuki serves as President of the Science Policy Group at UCLA and co-founded and directs the Neuroscience Communication Seminars at the UCLA Brain Research Institute. Beyond academia, she is also engaged in scientific publishing as an Editor of Knowing Neurons, science communication as a published author of policy memos in the Journal of Science Policy & Governance, and public outreach as a volunteer with numerous community organizations. At CIAPM, she will support the Impact Assessment project, among others.
Information Technology
Zaid have over 15 years of experience in information technology in both private and public sectors. Prior to being appointed OPR Chief Information Officer, Zaid was the Deputy Chief Technology Officer at Covered California, the state’s health benefit exchange program since 2012 , whose highly effective technology department he helped establish. He is passionate about technology’s role in advancing and supporting effectiveness of programs that serve communities. Zaid earned a Master degree in electrical engineering from California State University Northridge.
Administration
Lynn Walters is an IT professional that is part of your Governor’s office technology unit. This September I have been with OPR for forty years. I am a retired annuitant working part time to support technology needs. I support the OPR Blue Anchor building fielding all hardware and software helpdesk questions.
Marie Her is the small businesses (SB),disabled veteran business enterprises (DVBE), and target area contract preference act (TACPA) Liaison overseeing all functions of the Business Services Office. In this role, she leads OPR’s commitment to helping SBs and DVBEs thrive. Marie comes to OPR from the California Victim Compensation Board where she was responsible for the activities and operations of the Business Services, Human Resources, and Training Units providing policy direction, priorities and management support. In this role, she led the Board’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic by implementing regulations and requirements issued by the various control agencies and instrumental in the shift to telework by providing policies and guidance to Board employees. Prior to that role, she has held a variety of management roles in all areas of State administrative. Marie holds a Bachelor’s in Biological Science from CSU Fullerton and a Master’s in Accountancy from CSU Sacramento.
Mark Hedlund is a GIS technician supporting the work of the CaMEO CAMP program and other geospatial projects at OPR. He is a geographer whose interests are in human and cultural geography, and automation with very large datasets. He graduated from Sacramento State with a BA in geography and metropolitan planning in 2018. He is currently finishing a Master of Science program in geographic information systems at Johns Hopkins University.”
Supports the accounting activities across all of the OPR budget programs.
Manages mailroom Services and Travel Services and supports the office’s procurement team.
Oversees office operations and building management.
Supports the accounting activities across all of the OPR budget programs.
Supports the accounting activities across all of the OPR budget programs.
OPR’s Chief Accountant managing the accounting team and responsible for accounting activities across all the OPR budget programs.