Holly J. Mitchell serves on the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, where she brings a
deep understanding of the vital safety net LA County provides to millions and a commitment to
ensuring that all residents can thrive.

Since being elected to the Board of Supervisors in 2020, Supervisor Mitchell has spearheaded
the creation of the county’s first safe RV parking lot to help address the homelessness crisis,
passed a countywide guaranteed income program that includes foster youth, established the first community budget program for unincorporated areas of LA County, created a first-of-its kind
program to protect small business owners from displacement, and made LA County the first in
the nation to phase out urban oil drilling.

A third-generation Angeleno and internationally recognized author of the landmark anti-
discrimination law, the CROWN Act, Supervisor Mitchell is honored to represent the two million residents of Los Angeles County’s vibrant and diverse Second District – which includes 12 cities
and dozens of unincorporated communities spanning from as far north as Park La Brea to Carson in the South Bay and as far west as Manhattan Beach to East Rancho Dominguez.

Driven by her commitment to racial and social justice, Joanna has over 25 years of experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors. Joanna joined Weingart Foundation in 2008 and after five years on the leadership team, Joanna was appointed President & CEO as of June 7, 2024.

Prior to joining Weingart Foundation, Joanna held roles at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF, The California Endowment, the City of San Jose and several other nonprofit organizations. Joanna currently serves on the boards of Southern California Grantmakers and Grantmakers for Effective Organizations (GEO).

Joanna earned a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, The City University of New York, where she was a National Urban Fellow. She is also a proud HBCU graduate having received her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia. Originally from New York, Joanna lives in Mid City Los Angeles with her husband and children, who are the joy of her life. Thank you in advance and I look forward to hearing from you.

Erin Jackson-Ward is the Executive Director of Grantmaking and Social Impact at Cedars-Sinai, with oversight of a philanthropic portfolio that has disbursed over $180 million since 2018 to over 200 nonprofit, community-based organizations, as well as leadership of Cedars-Sinai’s social responsibility efforts across the domains of sustainability, supplier diversity, employee volunteerism, in-kind donations, and impact investing. 

Additionally, Erin serves as a national expert and speaker on community benefit practices and is an adjunct faculty member for doctoral students at George Washington University’s Milken Institute School of Public Health. 

Prior to joining Cedars-Sinai, Erin was involved with many nonprofit organizations throughout the country, working primarily on the sociomedical needs of pediatric HIV, homeless, and formerly incarcerated populations. Erin received her DrPH in Health Management and Leadership from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and holds both an MPH from Columbia University and a BA in Psychology and Genetics from UCLA.

Stephanie Wiggins is the CEO of the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (Metro), the lead transportation planning, programming, financing, and construction agency for LA County and the US’s second busiest transit agency. As CEO, Wiggins leads an agency with 12,000 employees, an annual budget of $9 billion and a $26 billion capital program. Ms. Wiggins is the first woman – and first African American woman – to lead Metro.

At Metro, Wiggins has led massive investments to improve the customer experience, expanding safety programs, fare discounts, and implementing the nation’s largest transit ambassador program. She has also overseen a massive expansion of the Metro system, connecting it to new destinations in south LA and downtown LA. Ahead of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, Wiggins is also leading the delivery of dozens of projects that will leave a legacy of permanent transit improvements for LA County’s residents. Before joining Metro as CEO in June 2021, Wiggins served as the CEO of Metrolink and the Deputy CEO of Metro, where she assisted the CEO in achieving strategic public transportation objectives, including the passage of a permanent half-cent sales tax to support transit.

Wiggins is a graduate of Whittier College and holds an MBA from the University of Southern California Marshall School of Business.

Michele Siqueiros is the CEO of the L.A. Local News Initiative, leading efforts to strengthen civic life through community-centered journalism across Los Angeles. A proud Los Angeles native, Siqueiros has spent her career driving systemic change in California. As president of the Campaign for College Opportunity from 2008 to 2024, she transformed the organization from a startup into the state’s most influential higher education advocacy group, helping secure historic policy reforms and more than $6 billion in additional state funding for colleges and universities. A first-generation college graduate, Siqueiros credits her success to the mentors, policies, and support systems that opened doors for her, fueling her lifelong commitment to equity and opportunity.

Throughout her career, Siqueiros has been a trusted bridge-builder across Los Angeles’s diverse communities. She has served on the boards of The California Endowment, Pitzer College, and Community Coalition, among others, and was appointed by the Governor to various statewide bodies. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, the Excellence in Community Service Award from MALDEF, and being named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

At the L.A. Local News Initiative, Siqueiros brings the same coalition-building approach she successfully applied in education reform, uniting unlikely allies to advocate for local journalism that represents and informs all Angelenos. Her lifelong dedication to service, civic engagement, and access continues to guide her vision for a more just, informed, and connected Los Angeles.

Lesley McKendrick, RN, serves as Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for Kaiser Permanente Southern California and Hawaii, providing executive leadership for operations serving over 4.8 million members. She oversees day-to-day operations across San Diego, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, and leads regional Support Services—including Security Services, Environmental Services, Food and Nutrition, Supply Chain Management, Facilities Management, and Emergency Response. Since stepping into her role in January 2019, McKendrick has been a key leader within Kaiser Permanente’s regional executive team, recognized for operational excellence and crisis leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2023 Coalition labor strike, and Southern California wildfires. Her leadership ensures seamless care delivery and service coordination across all 12 Southern California service areas.

Originally from Scotland, McKendrick began her career as a staff nurse in the Accident and Emergency Department at Royal Alexandra Hospital in Paisley. After immigrating to the U.S. in 1988, she joined Kaiser Permanente’s Anaheim Medical Center as a surgical care nurse and progressed into leadership roles in hospital and ambulatory settings. From 2012 to 2019, she served as Senior Vice President and Area Manager of the South Bay Medical Center, driving improvements in margins, membership growth, and top-quartile performance in patient safety, quality, and service. Passionate about community health, she championed initiatives like Project SEARCH and Kaiser Permanente’s Summer Youth Employment program. McKendrick holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Chapman University, completed the Harvard Business School Executive Leadership Program, and earned her nursing credentials from Inverclyde and Bute College of Nursing and Midwifery in Scotland.

Cori Close has served as The Michael Price Family UCLA Women’s Head Basketball Coach since 2011 and is one of the most respected leaders in collegiate athletics. With an overall record of 287–140 (.672), she is one of only three coaches in UCLA women’s basketball history to surpass 200 career wins. Under her guidance, the Bruins have advanced to the NCAA Tournament in seven of the last nine seasons, including multiple Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearances. Close has built a program known for its resilience, toughness, and excellence—on and off the court—earning national recognition for her leadership, including the 2024 WBCA Carol Eckman Integrity in Coaching Award and the 2025 Werner Ladder Naismith Women’s College Coach of the Year honor.Close’s leadership style centers on developing the whole student-athlete. Her teams consistently rank among the nation’s best in rebounding and defense, and she has coached seven WNBA draft picks while mentoring countless All-Pac-12 players. Her top-ranked recruiting classes have made immediate impacts, and her players routinely praise her for cultivating a culture of accountability, unity, and growth. In the 2024–25 season, she guided UCLA to its first-ever NCAA Final Four appearance and secured the Big Ten Tournament championship—solidifying the Bruins’ place among the nation’s elite.

Natalie is President and CEO of Coro Southern California. Coro’s mission is to strengthen the democratic process by preparing individuals for effective and ethical leadership. Under Natalie’s leadership, Coro has developed a new strategic plan, expanded programs, partnerships, and revenue, and cultivated a growing community of Coro alumni who are transforming communities across the country.

Natalie comes to Coro Southern California from the California Women’s Law Center (CWLC), where she worked to address the comprehensive and unique legal needs of women and girls through impact litigation, public policy advocacy and legal education. Prior to CWLC, Natalie was Staff Attorney and Dickran Tevrizian Fellow at Neighborhood Legal Services of Los Angeles County (NLSLA), where she provided individual representation to victims of domestic violence, supported impact litigation, including a successful appeal in Montagner v. Montagner, engaged in public policy advocacy, and conducted extensive community outreach and legal education. Before joining NLSLA, Natalie was a Labor and Employment litigator at Rutan & Tucker, LLP. While at Rutan, Natalie was actively engaged in pro bono efforts, successfully representing an asylum seeker before the Department of Homeland Security. Prior to embarking on her legal career, Natalie was a Human Capital Consultant in Deloitte & Touche LLP’s Public Sector practice where she led the firm’s National Public Sector Human Capital Community of Practice Initiative.

Natalie earned her Juris Doctorate from UCLA School of Law, her Master of Science at the Heinz School of Public Policy & Management at Carnegie Mellon University, and her Bachelor of Arts UCLA. Natalie is an alumnus of the Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs and Emerge California, and was a recipient of the Empowerment Congress’ Emerging Civic Leaders 40 Under 40 award and a recipient of LA Impact-Makers to Watch award. Natalie serves on the boards of Public Counsel and the UCLA Alumni Association.

Michele Siqueiros is the CEO of the L.A. Local News Initiative, leading efforts to strengthen civic life through community-centered journalism across Los Angeles. A proud Los Angeles native, Siqueiros has spent her career driving systemic change in California. As president of the Campaign for College Opportunity from 2008 to 2024, she transformed the organization from a startup into the state’s most influential higher education advocacy group, helping secure historic policy reforms and more than $6 billion in additional state funding for colleges and universities. A first-generation college graduate, Siqueiros credits her success to the mentors, policies, and support systems that opened doors for her, fueling her lifelong commitment to equity and opportunity.

Throughout her career, Siqueiros has been a trusted bridge-builder across Los Angeles’s diverse communities. She has served on the boards of The California Endowment, Pitzer College, and Community Coalition, among others, and was appointed by the Governor to various statewide bodies. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the James Irvine Foundation Leadership Award, the Excellence in Community Service Award from MALDEF, and being named Woman of the Year by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors.

At the L.A. Local News Initiative, Siqueiros brings the same coalition-building approach she successfully applied in education reform, uniting unlikely allies to advocate for local journalism that represents and informs all Angelenos. Her lifelong dedication to service, civic engagement, and access continues to guide her vision for a more just, informed, and connected Los Angeles.