In his role as chief medical officer and executive vice president of clinical research, medical informatics, and telehealth, Dr. Zia Agha advances West Health’s mission to enable seniors to successfully age, living life on their own terms with access to high-quality health and support services that preserve and protect their dignity, quality of life and independence.

Dr. Agha serves as physician leader for West Health, which includes the West Health Institute, Gary and Mary West Health Policy Center and Gary and Mary West Foundation, ensuring its research portfolio and initiatives are translated into clinical practice, policy reform, and scalable innovations that will allow seniors to successfully age in place. Dr. Agha leads the development and execution of clinical research activities and brings a comprehensive understanding of the evolving field of clinical informatics such as clinical information systems, telehealth and data science.

Dr. Agha joined the West Health Institute in 2014 and leads the organization's clinical research and medical informatics initiatives, focused on creating and advancing senior-appropriate acute and chronic care models, and improving access to long-term services and supports. Prior to joining West Health, Dr. Agha was Director for the Health Services Research and Development division at VA San Diego Healthcare System and Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD). He is a Diplomat of the American Board of Internal Medicine.

In November 2016, Cecilia Aguiar-Curry was elected to the California Assembly to represent the 4th District, which includes all of Napa, Lake, Yolo, Colusa Counties and part of Sonoma County.

Cecilia grew up in western Yolo County and has long served her community. After going to school and working in the Bay Area for several years, she moved back to her hometown of Winters, where she almost immediately became active in the local community and a regional leader on several issues. She first served as planning commissioner and then was elected to the city council, eventually serving as the first female mayor of Winters.

While growing up, Cecilia was surrounded by agriculture. As a youth, she cut apricots in the packing shed and helped her father in the walnut orchards in the area. She is still involved in local agriculture to this day as she and her brothers own an 80-acre walnut orchard.

After earning a degree in business administration from San Jose State University, she launched a consulting firm that specialized in public outreach with government agencies.

As mayor of Winters, Cecilia oversaw improvements in the downtown area and worked to improve local schools, including securing computers for every sixth grader in the city. She also brought broadband internet to rural communities, built senior housing, and helped the area to become an agricultural and food innovation hub for the region.

With the understanding that employment is central to any successful community, Cecilia helped bring a PG& E training facility to Winters that provided hundreds of jobs for local residents.

Cecilia was also involved in efforts to create the Berryessa Snow Mountain National Monument in the inner California Coast Ranges that was proclaimed by President Obama in 2015.

She currently resides in Winters a block from her childhood home with her longtime partner, Larry Harris, and has a stepson and two grown daughters.

Michelle Baass was appointed Director of the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2021. The Department supports the health of over 13 million Californians.

Before her appointment to DHCS, Ms. Baass served as Undersecretary of California Health and Human Services Agency (Agency) since 2018 and Deputy Secretary of the Office of Program and Fiscal Affairs at Agency from 2017 to 2018. Prior to joining the executive branch, Ms. Baass worked for the Legislature for 13 years, including positions at the California State Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review, the Senate Office of Research, and the California Legislative Analyst’s Office.

Ms. Baass earned a Master of Public Policy and Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento and a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Notre Dame.

Ms. Baass is honored to serve Californians.

Xavier Becerra is the 25th Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the first Latino to hold the office in the history of the United States. As Secretary, he will carry out President Biden's vision to build a healthy America, and his work will focus on ensuring that all Americans have health security and access to healthcare.

Throughout his career, the Secretary has made it his priority to ensure that Americans have access to the affordable healthcare they need to survive and thrive - from his early days as a legal advocate representing individuals with mental illness, to his role as the Attorney General of the state of California.

Secretary Becerra served 12 terms in Congress as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives. During his tenure, he was the first Latino to serve as a member of the powerful Committee on Ways and Means, he served as Chairman of his party's caucus, and as the Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Subcommittee on Social Security and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Health.

For over two decades in Congress, Secretary Becerra worked so that every family had the assurance of care that his own family had when he was growing up. As a member of the Ways and Means Committee, Secretary Becerra introduced legislation -- the Medicare Savings Programs Improvement Act of 2007 -- that expanded cost-sharing subsidies for low-income seniors who receive both Medicare and Medicaid benefits by increasing the amount of resources they could receive. He championed provisions of the Medicare Improvements for Patients and Providers Act of 2008 that required physicians who perform imaging to be accredited and trained to ensure patient safety. And he was one of the original cosponsors of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA) which strengthened Medicare and lowered costs for seniors.

As Attorney General of the state of California, Secretary Becerra helped to promote competition by taking on a number of pharmaceutical companies that restricted competition through "pay-for-delay" schemes, held several companies accountable for legal violations for not protecting patients' health information, and took action early in the pandemic to keep Californians safe by using his authority to protect workers from exposure to COVID-19, secure key safeguards for frontline health care workers' rights, and take on fraudsters trying to take advantage of people during the pandemic. In addition, he cracked down on Medicare and Medicaid fraud, acted to combat the opioid crisis, including holding drug makers accountable, won an unprecedented $575 million antitrust settlement against one of the largest health systems in California, and he led the three-year federal court fight to save the ACA and with it, the protections of the 133 million Americans with preexisting conditions.

Born in Sacramento Secretary Becerra is the son of working-class parents. He was the first in his family to receive a four-year degree, earning his Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Stanford University. He earned his Juris Doctorate from Stanford Law School. His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico and immigrated to the United States after marrying his father, a day laborer turned construction worker. He is married to Dr. Carolina Reyes, and he is proud of his three daughters: Clarisa, Olivia and Natalia, and son-in-law Ivan.

Catherine Blakemore has worked for more than 40 years advocating to ensure that Californians with disabilities and older adults have equal rights and opportunities to be fully included in the communities of their choice. She retired as the executive Director of Disability Rights California in 2020. Catherine was a Co-Chair of the Master Plan for Aging Long-Term Services and Support Sub-Committee. Currently she helps lead the California’s Master Plan for Developmental Services as a facilitator and subject matter expert.

Catherine is the Chair of California’s Health and Human Services Agency Alzheimer’s Advisory Committee. She previously was a member of Governor Newsom’s Business and Jobs Recovery Task. She continues her decades-long work increasing access to legal services for indigent and modest-means Californias as the Chair of the California Commission on Access to Justice and the Legal Services Trust Fund Commission. Catherine is the 2016 recipient of the Loren Miller Legal Services Award, recognizing her long-standing commitment to equality and justice for disenfranchised Californians.

Cheryl R. Brown of San Bernardino is a former member of the California State Assembly and a family owned small business owner. While in the Legislature she chaired the Assembly Aging and Long-Term Care Committee and authored a concurrent resolution establishing the California Task Force on Family Caregiving. Brown also served on the San Bernardino County and City Planning Commission for 17 years. Brown is a journalist who served as a television talk show host for 12 years. She is a veteran Caregiver and now care gives for her husband Hardy.

Mareva Brown is the Human Services policy consultant for Senate President Pro Tempore Mike McGuire. In that role, she advises the Pro Tem on issues including Aging and Long-Term Care Services and Supports, Social Services programs such as Community Care Licensing, Developmental Services, the Department of Rehabilitation and other issues. Prior to joining the Pro Tem’s staff, she was Chief Consultant for the Senate Committee on Human Services, and had worked at the Senate Office of Research, focusing on policy and fiscal issues related to social services, developmental disabilities, mental health and others.

Sheri Burns is a San Jose native and has worked in independent living/disability services for forty years, with twenty-five years of experience as an executive or deputy executive director in independent living. Ms. Burns holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Occupational Therapy, is a Registered Occupational Therapist, and obtained a certificate in non-profit management from the United Way, Silicon Valley. She also has extensive training in disability rights and laws, ADA access standards, and disaster services focusing on Access and Functional Needs. Ms. Burns has served for three decades on the board of the Collaborating Agencies Disaster Relief Effort (CADRE) which is the Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) for Santa Clara County.

Ms. Burns is a strong disability and aging advocate serving on several state and local boards that address aging & long-term services & supports, disaster readiness, and housing. She is currently the stakeholder co-chair of California’s Disability and Aging Community Living Advisory Committee (DACLAC), the chair of the Santa Clara County Aging Services Collaborative, and the co-chair of the Santa Clara County Long-Term Services and Supports Integration Committee. Ms. Burns has been the Executive Director at Silicon Valley Center for Independent Living Center (SVILC) in San Jose, CA since July, 2015 (www.svilc.org). Prior to that, she was the Executive Director for more than eight years at Community Resources for Independent Living (CRIL) in Hayward, CA.

Dr. Wynnelena Canlas Canio, MD, AGSF, CMD, is an experienced geriatrician and psychiatrist who cares for older adults in Kaiser Permanente San Rafael and Petaluma. As the Chief of Geriatrics, she is actively involved in the strategic planning and implementation of programs to improve care for older adults, leads the training of staff and clinicians supporting these programs, and collaborates with community organizations to ease access to their services. Dr. Canio is a subject matter expert in geriatric models of care, including dementia care and senior surgical care programs, and is actively involved in aging matters at the local and state levels. She is the Regional Dementia Care Clinical Lead at Northern California Kaiser Permanente. She was appointed by Governor Newsom to participate in the CA Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force and participates in multiple other committees. She completed her training at the University of Kansas Medical Center and UCLA and has received numerous awards and recognition for her work.

Vincent Crisostomo; (age 63), is a queer identifying native Chamorro based in San Francisco who’s been living with HIV/AIDS over 35 years.  He is passionate about community and bringing health care and social justice equity to people of every sexual identity, HIV status, gender, race and age. He has dedicated over 30 years to HIV/AIDS activism and serving LGBTQ communities at international, regional, national and grassroots levels.

Crisostomo has been an HIV/AIDS activist for more than 35 years in the U.S. and abroad, serving as an organizer, peer advocate, outreach, education and training provider, researcher and executive. Diagnosed with AIDS in 1995, Crisostomo brings a unique personal perspective to the challenges faced by medically disadvantaged populations and deep connections within the BIPOC and LGBTQ communities. He has been a caretaker to many friends and loved ones affected or lost to the AIDS epidemic as well as a caretaker to his own parents. Vincent is a current member of the San Francisco Mayor's Long-Term Care Coordinating Care Council, has chaired the city’s HIV & Aging Work Group, served on the SF Dignity Fund Steering Committee and currently co-chairs the SF Dignity Fund Oversight Committee. He is currently the Director of Aging Services at the San Francisco AIDS Foundation and was appointed by the Mayor London Breed to the San Francisco Human Rights Committee’s LGBTQI+ Advisory Committee.

Dr. Darci Delgado is a clinical psychologist by training and currently serves as an Assistant Secretary for California Health and Human Services (CalHHS). Her Agency oversees departments and state entities that support California’s most vulnerable, with the goal of ensuring a Healthy California for All. Darci oversees the budgets and programs within four departments: California Department of Aging, the Department of Healthcare Access and Innovation, the Department of State Hospitals and the Office of Youth and Community Restoration. Her work focuses on equity and using data to drive action that addresses persistent and systemic inequities within the health and human services system. During the COVID-19 pandemic response, Darci worked closely with public, private and charter schools to implement school-based testing programs that allowed children to return to school.

Prior to her time at CalHHS, Darci was a psychologist within the state hospital system for almost 15 years – providing assessment and treatment to those at the intersection of the criminal justice and behavioral health systems.

Darci lives outside of Sacramento, CA with her partner and two young children. She also fosters dogs with a local rescue agency.

Susan DeMarois was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as Director of the California Department of Aging effective November 1, 2021. As Director, Ms. DeMarois is committed to stakeholder engagement; equity and inclusion; and system transformation to prepare our state for the year 2030 when one in four Californians will be aged 60 or older.

Prior to joining CDA, Director DeMarois led public policy and advocacy for the national Alzheimer’s Association in California, serving as the nonprofit organization’s registered lobbyist in Sacramento where she advocated for legislative, budget, and regulatory changes at the state capitol. The organization led the effort to enact the first dementia early detection initiative in the nation focused on the Medicaid population: SB 48 (Limón) signed into law by Governor Newsom.

Ms. DeMarois served as an appointee to Governor Newsom’s Alzheimer’s Prevention and Preparedness Task Force, chaired by former First Lady Maria Shriver, in addition to the Master Plan for Aging Stakeholder Advisory Committee, a workgroup established by Executive Order. In addition, she represented the Alzheimer’s Association on the CalHHS Agency Secretary’s Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Disorders Advisory Committee.

Before working for the Alzheimer’s Association, Ms. DeMarois led government and community relations for the UC Davis Health System where she gained deep health policy and clinical workforce experience. Early in her career, she worked for LeadingAge California, the professional trade association representing not-for-profit housing, residential care and skilled nursing providers.

A graduate of CSU Chico, Director DeMarois started her career working for the U.S. Congress and California State Assembly. She is a proud mom to two adult daughters, and draws inspiration for her work from her own mom’s experience with dementia.

Joining Justice in Aging in 2022, Hagar leads California's advocacy to improve long-term services and supports and ensure all low-income older adults can access the services they need to age in place. Hagar’s work focuses on reducing barriers to access, and increasing availability of quality services so that older Californians can thrive in their preferred community settings. Hagar leads aging and disability coalitions in navigating both administrative and legislative landscapes, amplifying voices for aging and disability rights. She provides education and training to aging and disability advocates, and regularly works with the Department of Health Care Services, Department of Social Services and Department of Aging to build a robust, accessible and equitable system of home and community-based services.

Before her tenure at Justice in Aging, Hagar spent over a decade providing legal representation to marginalized communities, including those with mental health disabilities, justice-involved individuals, and veterans. Hagar received her undergraduate degree in Anthropology from Brandeis University, and her law degree in 2010 from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. She is admitted to the California Bar.

Hagar lives in the Bay Area with her husband, four children, and 10 pets. In her spare time, she is an accomplished home baker.

Liz has twenty plus years in the Capitol, with 13 learning on the job as Consultant to the Legislative Women’s Caucus. Her policy knowledge grew in all areas impacting women and children and in the fall of 2019 she transferred her policy knowledge and passion for caregiving to the position of Chief Consultant to the Assembly Aging and Long Term Care Committee, a policy area with endless opportunities for collaboration and growth. During the pandemic she realized this is exactly where she is meant to be. She is a proud mama bear, wife, sister, daughter, caregiver and friend. She tries to live each day with her whole heart.

Consuelo Gambino is the Tribal Affairs Manager for the California Department of Aging (CDA) and serves as the lead of and directs CDA’s tribal engagement. She has over ten years of experience providing resources and support to the California tribes and tribal and urban Indian health programs. Consuelo has expertise in program development, implementation, and management. She is from the Yuki Tribe and a member of the Round Valley Indian Tribes in Covelo, CA. Consuelo holds a Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from the California State University Sacramento and a Master of Public Administration from the California State University Northridge.

Heather has been serving in the California State Senate since 2014. She has worked as a policy analyst for Senators Corbett, Leno, and Dodd and joined the Senate Human Services Committee in the spring of 2023.

Assemblymember Corey A. Jackson, DSW, MSW, was elected to the California State Assembly in November of 2022 to represent the 60th Assembly District. In 2023, he chaired the Human Services Committee and currently serves as the chair of Budget Subcommittee No. 2 on Human Services.

Assemblymember Jackson served on the Riverside County Board of Education in 2020 and represented portions of the cities of Riverside, Moreno Valley, Perris, and the unincorporated community of Mead Valley. He also served as the founder and Chief Executive Officer of SBX Youth and Family Services who’s mission is to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. The organization was instrumental in a historic settlement of a lawsuit against the unconstitutional Youth Accountability Team (YAT) program in Riverside County that treated thousands of youths — especially those of color — like criminals for minor adolescent misbehaviors, the county agreed to groundbreaking measures.

Dr. Jackson graduated from CSU San Bernardino, where he received his degree in political science and served as a member of the CSU Board of Trustees and Chair of the Santo Manuel Student Union Board of Directors. He is also a graduate of California Baptist University, where he received his Master of Social Work degree and a Doctor of Social Work degree.

Kim Johnson was appointed Secretary of the California Health & Human Services Agency in September 2024 by Governor Gavin Newsom.

Prior to her appointment as Secretary, Ms. Johnson was appointed Director of the California Department of Social Services by Governor Gavin Newsom, a position she held from July 2019 – August 2024. In this role, Ms. Johnson led a team of over 5,500 employees – the largest Department in the California Health and Human Services Agency – serving over 7 million Californians.

Ms. Johnson started with the California Department of Social Services in 2015 and had previously been appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to serve as Deputy Director of the Family Engagement and Empowerment Division, CalWORKs and Child Care Branch Chief, and Child Care and Refugee Programs Branch Chief.

Ms. Johnson has over 25 years of experience working in both community-based organizations and government focused on advancing the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities most in need of resources.

The mission of the California Health & Human Services Agency is aligned with her purpose.

Aili Kato is a video producer based in California, specializing in documentary storytelling and commercial video production. Born and raised in California, Kato is also passionate about mentoring aspiring filmmakers and is actively involved in various film communities across California.

Over the last 10 years Kato has been a care giver to his mother’s closest friend. These experiences have informed his belief in the vital importance of aging with dignity. His hope is as the older adult population rapidly grows, we as a society ensure access to quality healthcare, affordable housing, and social support systems that allow older adults to maintain their independence and live with dignity and respect.

Elizabeth A. Landsberg was appointed Director of the Department of Health Care Access and Information (HCAI) by Governor Newsom in December 2020. She is committed to the varied work the HCAI team does to support access to affordable, equitable, quality health care for all Californians as part of 24+ years advocating for the needs of health care consumers.

Previously, Director Landsberg was a Deputy Director at the Department of Managed Health Care (DMHC) where she oversaw the Help Center program that assists consumers and providers with healthcare complaints.

Before joining the DMHC, Director Landsberg was an advocate for healthcare consumers in the nonprofit realm for more than 16 years. She was the Director of Policy Advocacy for the Western Center on Law & Poverty, where she focused on health reform implementation, Medi-Cal, Covered California and other issues affecting low-income Californians and the Supervising Attorney at the Health Rights Hotline.

Vivianne joined Justice in Aging in April of 2019 and leads a cross issue team that ensures our work on elder justice issues is grounded in advancing equity for older adults of color, LGBTQ older adults, immigrant older adults, those with limited English proficiency, and others. She also works with the National Center on Law & Elder Rights.

Vivianne started her legal career working as a staff attorney for the Utah State Courts Self Help Center. She has also worked as a legal aid attorney in Utah and California, practicing consumer and public benefits law. Vivianne completed an appellate clerkship with the Honorable Senior Justice Petra Jimenez-Maes of the New Mexico Supreme Court.

Vivianne is a 2012 graduate of the University of Utah’s S.J. Quinney College of Law and earned a B.A. in Politics and Latin American Studies from Scripps College. She also serves as a stakeholder member of the California Elder & Disability Justice Coordinating Council.

Vivianne lives in her favorite city in the world, Los Angeles with her husband. She enjoys traveling, learning languages and finding new restaurants.

Kim McCoy Wade serves as the Senior Advisor on Aging, Disability and Alzheimer’s for the Office of Governor Gavin Newsom. Prior to this, McCoy Wade was the Director of the California Department of Aging, CalFresh and Nutrition Branch Chief at the California Department of Social Services, a Public Policy and Philanthropy Consultant, and Campaign Manager for Together for California’s Future. She also served as the Executive Director of the California Association of Food Banks, Director of Education and Advocacy for Food Banks of Northern California, Campaign Manager for the Alliance for Justice, and Senior Domestic Policy Analyst for Bread for the World. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the New York University School of Law.

Mike McGuire was elected to the California State Senate in 2014, and re-elected in 2018 and again in 2022. He became the Majority Leader in 2022, and now serves as President pro Tempore of the Senate.

Mike is a third generation Northern Californian whose family farmed prunes and grapes in the Alexander Valley of Sonoma County for nearly a half century. Mike served on his local school board, city council, and board of supervisors before being elected to the Senate.

He represents the Second Senate District that stretches from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border, and includes Del Norte, Trinity, Humboldt, Lake, Mendocino, Sonoma, and Marin counties.

Mike, his wife Erika, an elementary school principal, along with their son Connor, call Sonoma County home with their lazy pug, Gertrude.

Sarita A. Mohanty, MD, MPH, MBA, serves as the President and Chief Executive Officer of The SCAN Foundation. The SCAN Foundation is an independent public charity that envisions a society where every older adult has the choices and opportunity to age well. Its mission is to ignite bold and equitable changes in how older adults age in both home and community. Previously, Sarita served as the Vice President of Care Coordination for Medicaid and Vulnerable Populations at Kaiser Permanente. Sarita was formerly Assistant Professor of Medicine at USC; Chief Medical Officer of COPE Health Solutions, a health care management consulting company; and Senior Medical Director at L.A. Care, the largest U.S. public health plan.

Sarita completed her Internal Medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center and research fellowship at Harvard Medical School. She earned her MD from Boston University, MPH from Harvard University, and MBA from UCLA. She completed undergraduate work at UC Berkeley. She currently is an Associate Professor at the Kaiser Permanente Bernard J. Tyson School of Medicine and is a practicing internal medicine physician with Kaiser Permanente. Sarita enjoys international travel, tennis, and spending time with her husband, three kids, and her dog, Apollo.

Her professional journey encompasses a broad range of specialties, including utilization management, care coordination/case management, quality improvement, pharmacy, disease management, health services research, managed care health plan operations, health policy, social impact investing, and philanthropy.

Notably, her areas of expertise lie in the integration and care coordination for Medicaid, Medicare, and vulnerable populations, as well as safety net systems of care. She is well-versed in addressing the social determinants of health (SDOH) and chronic disease management, with a particular focus on integrating physical health, behavioral health, and non-medical/social care needs.

In 2021, Sarita was appointed to sit on the Implementing the MPA in California Together (IMPACT) Stakeholder Committee, with membership representing diverse areas of expertise and experience in aging, disability, and racial justice programs, operations, services, and policy.

In 2023, Sarita earned a position on ForbesWomen's third annual 50 Over 50 list, produced in partnership with Mika Brzezinski and her Know Your Value initiative, of women creating their greatest impact at 50 and beyond. The acknowledgment in the announcement about age being a superpower resonates deeply with the worldview The SCAN Foundation embraces and the positive impact the Foundation strives to make.

Tomiquia Moss was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency in November 2023 and was sworn in on February 13, 2024. As Secretary, Tomiquia leads and oversees 12 entities, including 40 boards and bureaus, collectively responsible for the preservation and expansion of safe, affordable housing, efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protect consumers, and safeguard Californians’ civil rights.

Tomiquia brings more than 20 years of leadership experience in the nonprofit and public sectors with deep expertise in housing and homelessness, public policy, civil rights, and community development. She is a dynamic and visionary leader, known for her ability to bring people together to tackle complex problems in a strategic and collaborative way.

In 2019, Tomiquia founded All Home, a Bay Area organization advancing regional solutions to disrupt the cycles that perpetuate homelessness and poverty. In its first four years, All Home convened the Regional Impact Council that developed two ambitious regional plans, and built a team to implement those plans to increase housing and economic security for people with extremely low incomes in the Bay Area. They have advocated successfully for state and local policy change, launched multiple new programs, and granted millions of dollars to nonprofit and local government partners to prevent homelessness and create economic mobility for the people who need it most.

Before founding All Home, Tomiquia served as the CEO of Hamilton Families, which offers emergency, transitional, and permanent housing services for families experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. From 2014 to 2017, she served directly under the mayors of both San Francisco and Oakland, including as Chief of Staff for Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. Previously, she was the Executive Director of the HOPE SF Initiative, a public housing and neighborhood revitalization effort with the office of the late San Francisco Mayor Edwin Lee. Tomiquia also served as the founding project director of the San Francisco Community Justice Center of the Superior Court of California.

In 2022, Tomiquia was appointed by Senate Pro-Tem Toni Atkins to serve as a member of the California Interagency Council on Homelessness. As BCSH Secretary, she now serves as co-chair of Cal ICH. Tomiquia is a former board president for both SPUR and the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California, former co-chair of the Bay Area Council’s Homelessness Committee and of the Black Leadership Council, and former board member for Oakland Promise. She served as an Advisory Committee member for the Bay Area Housing Finance Authority from its inception until her appointment as Secretary. She remains a board member of the Charles and Helen Schwab Foundation.

Tomiquia holds a Masters’ in Public Administration from Golden Gate University. She and her family are proud to call Oakland home.

Dr. Angie Perone, PhD, JD, MSW, MA is the Director of the Center for the Advanced Study of Aging Services at UC Berkeley and an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley's School of Social Welfare. She is a licensed attorney and practiced for nearly 10 years before serving as Executive Director of a community-based organization focused on services and advocacy for LGBTQ+ older adults. She also served as a senior health policy fellow in the U.S. Senate and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Dr. Perone serves on California's Aging and Disability Research Partnership. Her research focuses on equitable aging and examines three often overlapping areas: long-term care and caregiving, LGBTQIA+ aging, and workforce issues. She currently serves as the Chair of the Gerontological Society of America's Public Policy Advisory Panel.

Claire Ramsey is Chief Deputy Director for Disability, Adults, and Housing Integration at the California Department of Social Services. In this role, she is responsible for overseeing four divisions: Adult Programs, Community Care Licensing, Disability Determination Services, and Housing and Homelessness. Prior to joining the Department, Ms. Ramsey worked for five years at Justice in Aging as a Senior Staff Attorney leading legislative, budget, and administrative advocacy related to In-Home Supportive Services, Medi-Cal, and other long-term services and supports, as well as the Master Plan for Aging. Before joining Justice in Aging, Ms. Ramsey worked as a legal services attorney for almost 10 years. She holds a Juris Doctor from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, a Master of Arts in Drama from San Francisco State University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature from the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Ramsey is passionate about improving the lives of low-income and vulnerable Californians.

Kim Rutledge was appointed Deputy Director of the Office of Legislation and Communications at the California Department of Rehabilitation by Governor Gavin Newsom in April 2022. In this role, Rutledge oversees all external affairs for the nation’s largest vocational rehabilitation and independent living programs, which advance employment and independence for people with disabilities. Previously, Rutledge held multiple positions at the California Department of Social Services, including policy branch chief for In-Home Supportive Services and program administrator for Adult Protective Services.

Before entering state government, she was Assistant Legislative Director at the United Domestic Workers of America, which represents nearly 200,000 In-Home Supportive Services providers throughout California. She was the Sweeney Graduate Intern on Disability Policy at the National Academy of Social Insurance in Washington, D.C., and a Graduate Policy Intern at the Disability Community Resource Center in Los Angeles.

Earlier in her career, Rutledge worked as a newspaper reporter and editor at several publications, including the Sacramento Bee and the Oakland Tribune.

She earned a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri-Columbia and a Master of Social Welfare degree from the University of California-Los Angeles. Rutledge was born with a significant physical disability and has been a wheelchair user since she was a toddler. This lived experience informs her work as a nationally recognized leader in the disability community.

Elaine is a retired licensed vocational nurse of 44 years in the state of California, with experience working in the jails of San Francisco's Department of Public Health as well as in mental health rehabilitation facilities. Currently, she is a senior participant and member at Booker T. Washington Community Service Center in San Francisco. Elaine is also a mother and grandmother who loves to write, walk in nature, dance, and connect with family members and like-minded people

Bertha Sanchez Hayden serves as a Directing Attorney at Bet Tzedek Legal Services. Bet Tzedek is a nationally recognized premier legal services firm in Los Angeles, California. Ms. Hayden currently oversees Direct Services for Seniors, Dependent Adults, and Caregivers. Ms. Hayden has dedicated her career in legal services to serving older adults, dependent adults and their caregivers navigate elder law issues. Current project highlights include launching the Leaving a Legacy, an estate planning program within Bet Tzedek’s Elder Justice unit providing estate planning services to older adults with the aim of preventing financial elder abuse and building intergenerational wealth for low-income families. Committed to addressing access to justice issues, Ms. Hayden also led the effort to launch an interactive platform to improve accessibility to advance planning tools and expand access to self-help services.

In 2020, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Ms. Hayden to the Professional Fiduciaries Advisory Committee where she currently serves as chair. In 2022, Ms. Hayden served as a delegate at the World Congress on Adult Capacity. In 2023, Chief Justice Patricia Guerrero appointed Ms. Hayden to the California’s Judicial Council Probate and Mental Health Advisory Committee. Ms. Hayden also appointed to serves as stakeholder co-chair of California’s Elder and Disability Justice Coordinating Council (EDJCC) and chair of the EDJCC’s conservatorship subcommittee.

Abby Snay joined the California Labor and Workforce Development Agency in January 2020 as Deputy Secretary for the Future of Work. She leads workforce strategy for the Labor Agency, driving programs, partnerships and initiatives for high impact, job quality and equity. She has worked to increase economic mobility for immigrants and refugees, to create a new healthcare workforce initiative in partnership with the California Health and Human Service Agency, to expand apprenticeships in California and to develop training and workforce opportunities through the state’s climate strategies.

Before joining the Labor Agency, Snay served as CEO of Jewish Vocational Service in San Francisco for over 35 years, building that organization from a $300,000 budget to over $13 million. Under her leadership, JVS built training and employment programs to help workers with barriers to employment build competitive skills and get jobs with family sustaining wages. JVS programs in health care, water utilities, financial services and youth employment have received national recognition for their innovation and impact. Snay also served on the Board of Directors of the National Skills Coalition from 2011-2022, four of those years as Board Chair. She holds a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in counseling from Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri.

Sarah Steenhausen serves as Deputy Director of the Division of Aging Policy, Research and Equity. In this role, she collaborates with state departments and stakeholders in developing policy and research impacting older adults and family caregivers in areas related to long-term services and supports, health, housing, equity, inclusion, and isolation prevention, among others. Previously, Sarah served as Director of Policy and Advocacy at The SCAN Foundation where she focused on advancing policy solutions to improve the system of care serving older adults and their family caregivers.

Sarah began her policy career in 2001 as a Consultant to the Senate Subcommittee on Aging and Long-Term Care. After her tenure in the Legislature, she served as Assistant Secretary for Long Term Care at the California Health and Human Services Agency, and later as Assistant Director for Strategic Planning at the Department of Developmental Services. Sarah’s interest in the field of aging grew from her experience with the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) where she served as the Community Education Coordinator at Legal Assistance for Seniors in Oakland.

Sarah holds a Master of Science in Gerontology from the USC Davis School of Gerontology.

Mark Tollefson was appointed Undersecretary of the California State Transportation Agency (CalSTA) by Governor Gavin Newsom in December 2022. As Undersecretary, Mark advises the Secretary on CalSTA issues, programs and departments, and oversees personnel, fiscal and administrative functions, and planning.

Previously, Mark served as Governor Newsom’s Senior Counselor on Infrastructure and Fiscal Affairs and as a Deputy Cabinet Secretary. He held several positions at the California Department of Finance from 2007 to 2019. Mark earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento.

Fernando M. Torres-Gil’s multifaceted career spans the academic, professional, and policy arenas. He is a Professor of Social Welfare and Public Policy at UCLA, Director of the UCLA Center for Policy Research on Aging and an Adjunct Professor of Gerontology at USC. He has served as Acting Dean and Associate Dean at the UCLA School of Public Affairs, and Chair of the Social Welfare Department. He has written or co-edited seven books and over l00 publications, including The New Aging: Politics and Change in America (1992) and Aging, Health and Longevity in the Mexican-Origin Population (2012). His most recent book (with J. Angel, 20l9) examines The Politics of a Majority-Minority Nation: Aging, Diversity and Immigration. His academic contributions have earned him membership in the prestigious Academies of Public Administration, Gerontology and Social Insurance. His research spans the important topics of health and long-term care, disability, entitlement reform, and the politics of aging.

Professor Torres-Gil is an accomplished academic and national leader in public policy. He has an impressive portfolio of public service and national and international recognition as a leading spokesperson on demographics, aging, and social policy. He earned his first presidential appointment in 1978 when President Jimmy Carter appointed him to the Federal Council on Aging. He was selected as a White House Fellow and served under Joseph Califano, then Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW), and continued as a Special Assistant to the subsequent Secretary of HEW, Patricia Harris. He was appointed (with Senate Confirmation) by President Bill Clinton as the first-ever U.S. Assistant Secretary on Aging in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS, 1993-1996). As the Clinton Administration’s chief advocate on aging, Dr. Torres-Gil played a key role in promoting the importance of aging, long-term care and disability, community services for the elderly, and baby boomer preparation for retirement. He served under HHS Secretary Donna Shalala, managing the Administration on Aging and organizing the 1995 White House Conference on Aging. In addition, he served as a member of the President’s Welfare Reform Working Group.

In 20l0 he received his third presidential appointment (with Senate Confirmation) when President Barack Obama appointed him as Vice Chair of the National Council on Disability, an independent federal agency that reports to the Congress and White House on federal matters related to disability policy. During his public service in Washington, D.C., he also served as Staff Director of the U.S. House Select Committee on Aging under his mentor, Congressman Edward R. Roybal. In 2013, he received the coveted John W. Gardner Legacy of Leadership Award from the White House Fellows Foundation and Association.

At the local level, Dr. Torres-Gil has served as Vice President of the Los Angeles City Planning Commission and as a member of the Harbor and Taxi Commissions for the city of Los Angeles. During the administration of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa he served on the Board of Airport Commissioners. At the state level, he was appointed by former Governor Gray Davis to the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Task Force on Veterans’ Homes; by former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a delegate to the 2005 White House Conference on Aging; and recently, appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to an Advisory Committee developing a Master Plan for Aging.

He has provided important leadership in philanthropy and non-profit organizations including as a former board member for the Council on Foundations, Villers Foundation, AARP, The California Endowment, The National Steinbeck Center in Salinas, California, and the Los Angeles Chinatown Service Center. He currently serves on Boards serving the homeless (Step-Up), advocating for vulnerable elders (Justice in Aging), and addressing educational disparities (Alliance for a Better Community). He is Co-Chair of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine Forum on Aging, Disability and Independence and previously served as a member of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) End-of-Life Committee (2012-2014).

Professor Torres-Gil, the son of migrant farm workers, was born and raised in Salinas, California. He earned his A.A. in Political Science at Hartnell Community College (1968), a B.A. with honors in Political Science from San Jose State University (1970), and an M.S.W. (1972) and Ph.D. (1976) in Social Policy, Planning and Research from the Heller Graduate School in Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.

Juwan Trotter is a Fiscal and Policy Analyst at the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO). He works in the Human Services and Governance unit covering aging, long-term care, and immigration policy. Through his work at the LAO, Juwan serves as a nonpartisan fiscal and policy advisor to both houses of the California Legislature. Specifically, Juwan provides oversight and analysis on the California state budget, and focuses on many of the programs pivotal to the success of the Master Plan for Aging including: In-Home Supportive Services, Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payments, and Adult Protective Services.

Juwan earned a Master of Public Policy from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern University.

Nicole Vazquez serves as the Deputy Chief Consultant for the California State Assembly Budget Committee and has staffed the committee since 2007. She is responsible for the budgets in the human services area, including CalWORKs, CalFresh, SSI/SSP, In-Home Supportive Services, child welfare and foster care, and aging services. Prior to this, she was a consultant with the Senate Health Committee for five years, where she analyzed legislation and staffed bills across a range of health areas, including long-term care and chronic disease. She has also worked as the legislative director for the California Primary Care Association and as a legislative aide. Prior to moving to Sacramento, she was a research analyst with the City of Los Angeles Charter Reform Commission and a John Gardner Public Service Fellow with the Los Angeles Unified School District’s Board of Education and Office of Government Relations. A native of the Westlake community near downtown Los Angeles, she earned her bachelor’s degree from Stanford University, where she studied English Literature and political science. She has served on the board of directors for the Chicano/Latino Youth Leadership Project and the Women's Foundation of California, and currently serves on the board of directors for One Community Health, a federally qualified health center in Sacramento.

Joe Xavier, Director of the Department of Rehabilitation (DOR), has over 40 years of experience in business and public administration as well as many years participating in advocacy and community organizations. As an immigrant, a blind consumer, and a beneficiary of DOR’s services, Joe has the experience and understands the challenges and opportunities available to individuals with disabilities, and the services required to maximize an individual’s full potential. Joe believes in the talent and potential of individuals with disabilities; investing in the future through creativity, ingenuity, and innovation; ensuring decisions and actions are informed by interested individuals and groups; pursuing excellence through continuous improvement; and preserving the public’s trust through compassionate and responsible provision of services.

Priscilla Yeung is currently the manager of the Society for the Blind’s Senior Impact Project, a program that supports older adults living with vision loss and blindness to remain independent through training, tools, mentorship, and a supportive community. Through the program, she facilitates support groups to help clients work through their feelings associated vision loss, runs workshops to support client’s caregivers, and conducts trainings in client homes and in group settings to teach them to live independently to reach their desired potential. Priscilla enjoys hiking, walking her dog, gardening, traveling, and cheering on her teenage children in their high school softball and basketball games.