Welcome 2022 Commissions Training Program Cohort!

Liberty Hill Foundation and Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell recently partnered to prepare and train community leaders in Supervisorial District 2 for positions on LA County Boards and Public Commissions.

Offered through Liberty Hill’s Wally Marks Leadership Institute—which provides specialized training and capacity-building services—the 2022 Commissions Training Program Cohort includes residents who are engaged in advocacy within the district or working with one or more Liberty Hill grantee organizations.

Participants were selected based on their commitment to equity and their deep ties to community-based organizations with a focus in Supervisorial District 2.

With a 46-year track record of investment and training among LA’s diverse community leadership, Liberty Hill brought its Commissions Training Program to District 2 to build power for communities throughout Los Angeles and help community leaders expand their influence by serving on boards and commissions which wield significant political power across L.A. County.

Liberty Hill Foundation envisions an LA County in which all people and communities can wield power to reshape our democracy to be more just, equitable, and inclusive.

Liberty Hill utilizes its expertise in recruiting and training to create a pipeline of board and commissions leaders from Black, Latinx, and other communities of color. This year — for the first time ever — Liberty Hill partnered with Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell and her team to support residents, advocates, and individuals who work in Supervisorial District 2.

Today there are 205 commissions, committees, task forces, and special district agency boards.

“My office is proud to welcome the 2022 Commissions Training Program Cohort with the Liberty Hill Foundation to a community of public servants. Our commissioners play a vital role in helping to ensure local residents have a voice in countywide policies and services,” said Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Holly J. Mitchell. “This partnership leads with equity and makes the process of becoming a commissioner more accessible by preparing residents from our district with the skills to lead equitably.”

This year’s cohort includes community organizers working across issues like housing rights, racial justice, environmental justice, worker rights, housing, transportation, gender justice and others. In addition to one-on-one coaching, participants have opportunities to interact with experienced current and past commissioners and effective, knowledgeable community organizations.

Participants also engage in opportunities for learning, networking, placement preparation, technical support, and mentoring with inside and outside advocates from the city, the county, and beyond.

“This program prepares diverse community leaders to make their voices heard on core policies and programs to advance equity and justice for their communities across Los Angeles,” said Shane Murphy Goldsmith, president and CEO at the Liberty Hill Foundation. “We know that the decisions made by these boards can have a major impact on residents throughout the county. This cohort knows what their communities need and will ensure residents most impacted by systemic injustice have a voice in the future of their communities.”

2022 Emerging Leaders Commissions Training Program Cohort

• Teodora E. Reyes, Community Organizer, Pacoima Beautiful
• Elice Hennessee, Area 5 Representative, The Empowerment Congress Southwest Area Neighborhood Development Council
• Bruno Huizar, Program Manager, OneJustice
• Abril Dozal, Contract Organizer, SEUI/CIR
• Zoe Giesberg, Community Outreach Associate, FACT (Families and Children Therapies)
• Freddy Pablo, Lead Project Coordinator, Southern CA Crossroads
• Alejandro Haezaert-House, Program Coordinator, CA Conference for Equality and Justice (CCEJ)
• Luis Angel Martinez, CARE Lead Intern, Communities for a Better Environment (CBE)
• Alonzo Warren, Community Organizer, CADRE
• Randell Erving, Jr., Director of Student & Staff Support Services, Pueblo Nuevo Education & Development Group
• Imelda Padilla, Government & Community Engagement Manager, Heritage Sierra Medical Group-Growth Department
• Khush Cooper, Adjunct Professor, UCLA Luskin School of Social Work
• Marsha Mitchell, Director of Communications, Community Coalition (COCO)
• Florence Annang, Co-Chair, Pasadenans Organizing Progress
• Guilmar Perdomo, Prevention and Special Projects Coordinator, The Wall of Las Memorias
• Ebony S. Murphy, Steering Committee Member, Stonewall Democratic Club
• Francisco Arvizu, Tenant Organizer and Education Specialist, Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE)