Angela Glover Blackwell, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, founded PolicyLink in 1999. A renowned community building activist and advocate, Blackwell served as senior vice president of the Rockefeller Foundation where she oversaw the Foundation's Domestic and Cultural divisions. Blackwell also developed Rockefeller's Building Democracy division, which focused on race and policy, and created the Next Generation Leadership program. A lawyer by training, she gained national recognition as founder of the Oakland (CA) Urban Strategies Council, where she pioneered new approaches to neighborhood revitalization. From 1977 to 1987, Blackwell was a partner at Public Advocates, a nationally known public interest law firm. She is the co-author of Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground: New Dimensions on Race in America (W.W. Norton & Co., 2002), and contributed to Ending Poverty in America: How to Restore the American Dream (The New Press, 2007), an anthology edited by John Edwards. Blackwell earned a bachelor’s degree from Howard University, and a law degree from the University of California at Berkeley. She serves on numerous boards and co-chairs a task force on poverty for the Center for American Progress. (Click here to read the full bio.)
Judith Bell, President, oversees policy development, strategic planning, program implementation, and policy campaign strategy. She leads projects focused on equitable regional development policy to enhance the income and assets of the poor. Her portfolio includes the fair distribution of affordable housing throughout regions, equity in public investment and land use, and community strategies to reduce health disparities. She has supervised and engaged in extensive research and advocacy, particularly at the statewide level, and edited and written numerous reports on these topics. She is a regular speaker and trainer on advocacy and consults with organizations and leaders about strategy development and implementation. Her advocacy work with PolicyLink has included efforts to improve access to healthy foods, solutions to overcrowding in K-12 schools, and equitable approaches to infrastructure investment. Prior to joining PolicyLink, Bell was director of the West Coast regional office of Consumers Union, where she focused on changing public policies to promote greater access to health care, financial services, and low-cost auto insurance. Bell also developed and co-directed a 32-state project to preserve charitable assets as nonprofit health care institutions converted into for-profit businesses. The project’s work was instrumental in preserving more than $15 billion dollars of charitable funds, creating 125 new health care foundations in 35 states across the country, and changing applicable state laws.
Joe Brooks, Vice President for Civic Engagement, works to foster civic engagement by individuals and community organizations, a key component of the PolicyLink mission and goals. As a member of the senior management team, Brooks develops and maintains close working relationships with local, regional, and national organizations. Brooks is also the team leader for the PolicyLink Men and Boys of Color Policy Planning and Advocacy project. Brooks has also served as president of the Emergency Land Fund, Atlanta, Georgia, and was editor of the Review of Black Political Economy. He was formerly program executive for Neighborhood and Community Development at the San Francisco Foundation, where he directed the foundation’s Workforce Development and interfaith initiative, FAITHS. Brooks served as the national co-chair of the Neighborhood Funders Group and vice-chair of the Association of Black Foundation Executives.
Milly Hawk Daniel, Vice President for Communications,
leads the PolicyLink team responsible for strategically applying media, online, editorial, and special events efforts to advance economic and social equity. A speechwriter, editor, and author, Daniel has directed communications activities in several nonprofit organizations and provided consulting services for many others. PolicyLink uses communications to urge policymakers, foundations, advocates, and the public to use policy to address the needs of low-income people and people of color. In its work with partner organizations across the country, PolicyLink helps identify media and web opportunities, plan advocacy efforts, draft opinion pieces and letters to the editor, and produce print materials for successful policy change. In her work at PolicyLink, Daniel has led communications efforts related to affordable housing, transit oriented development, equitable rebuilding in New Orleans, and revitalizing older core cities.
Rebecca Flournoy, Associate Director, leads a project designed to improve access to grocery stores and other healthy food retail options in underserved communities and advises coalitions on advocacy strategy for policies that will improve community conditions and residents’ health. Before joining PolicyLink, she worked at the Kaiser Family Foundation to amplify the public’s voice on health and social policy issues through public opinion research, often in collaboration with The Washington Post, National Public Radio, and other partners. Flournoy has published extensively on health policy topics and holds a master’s degree in public health from the University of Michigan.
Radhika K. Fox, Associate Director, leads PolicyLink efforts to bring greater attention, resources, and equitable policy change to older core cities in America. She provides technical assistance, training, and policy development support to local and state coalitions across the country, to build the capacity of local change agents who are advocating for economic and social equity in their communities. Her work also focuses on inclusionary zoning and other strategies to promote the equitable distribution of affordable housing across regions. Fox earned a bachelor’s degree from Columbia University and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley, where she was a HUD Community Development Fellow.
Glenda Johnson, Associate Director, works closely with the communications staff to develop and implement targeted communications strategies designed to promote the image and identity of PolicyLink and its partner organizations, and to increase media coverage on issues around equitable development. As a New York Community Fellow with the Open Society Institute, she provided strategic communications consultancy to immigrant-serving organizations. She has over 10 years experience in print and interactive media. Johnson earned her bachelor’s degree in English literature from Spelman College and her master’s degree from Howard University.
Josh Kirschenbaum, Director of Planning and Development, was one of the original PolicyLink staff members; he led community building and technology projects for six years, and now brings a wealth of organizational knowledge to build diverse, multisector alliances and implement strategic initiatives. Prior to joining PolicyLink, Kirschenbaum was the director of special projects at the University of California, Berkeley Institute of Urban and Regional Development, where he managed a defense conversion research program and a community collaboration project that fostered partnerships between the university and the City of Oakland to strengthen and revitalize low-income neighborhoods. He holds a BA from Brown University and a master’s degree in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dan Lavoie, Associate Director, helps guide media and outreach strategy, working with our on-the-ground partners to spread the word and drive change. Prior to coming to PolicyLink, he reported for daily newspapers in Washington, DC, the San Francisco Bay Area, and Chicago. From the oak daises of the U.S. Capitol to the kitchen tables of families struggling to make ends meet, he has spent his career chronicling the legislative process and its impact on America’s working families.
Mary Lee, Associate Director, is a member of the health team, providing research, technical assistance, and training to public and private agencies collaborating to build healthy communities. Lee is a practicing attorney with more than 20 years of experience working on land use and economic development strategies to revitalize neighborhoods and enhance public participation in the public policy arena. She is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law, University of California, Berkeley.
Rubén Lizardo, Associate Director, leads equitable public investment efforts to ensure public investments in infrastructure generate community benefits including employment, small business opportunities, transportation access and quality, affordable housing, and socially just allocations of environmental costs and resources. His work includes research and public education to shed light on the implications of infrastructure investment; he also provides training and technical assistance to strengthen community and civic participation in decision-making, and works with public officials to develop investment strategies and policies that further equity and economic vitality. Prior to joining PolicyLink, he was the capacity building director of California Tomorrow, where he led advocacy, training, and technical assistance efforts to address diversity and equity issues in community colleges, K-12 education, after-school and youth development, community building, family resource centers, and philanthropy. He also served as director of the Community Planning and Economic Development Program at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. He is a former president of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission and was awarded The California Wellness Foundation’s California Peace Prize for his work to address root causes of youth violence. He currently serves on the boards of Californians for Justice and Justice Matters.
Dwayne S. Marsh, Director for Policy Engagement, staffs PolicyLink programs on fair distribution of affordable housing, coalition building for regional equity, and leadership development for policy change. He provides technical assistance and capacity building expertise to equitable development initiatives in several regions of the nation that address continuing disparities in affordable housing, transportation investment, and environmental justice. Marsh worked for eight years at The San Francisco Foundation, where he initiated conversations with Bay Area religious leadership resulting in the comprehensive community building and advocacy effort known as the FAITHS Initiative.
Kalima Rose, Senior Director, is the leader of the PolicyLink affordable housing and regional equity team. She manages local and statewide housing initiatives for PolicyLink and has expertise in helping communities pass policies that: finance affordable housing; change land use policy to better support mixed-income housing development; and advance fair housing practices. Rose also coordinates the organization’s Louisiana recovery work, collaborating with state officials, community organizations, national institutions, and faith leaders to shape equitable rebuilding of New Orleans and Louisiana. She led the creation of the Equitable Development Toolkit, an online resource that brings best social equity practices for housing, land use, asset building, and financing of equitable development. Her previous experience includes many years of work with rural indigenous communities on economic development and cultural continuity, as well as over a decade of expertise in social change philanthropy, supporting economic justice, community organizing, and civil rights. Rose is also a community leader in the Bay Area on educational equity issues.
Victor Rubin, Vice President for Research, leads knowledge-building, evaluation, and qualitative and quantitative analysis activities to build a strong research base for equitable development strategy, community capacity building, and policy advocacy. Rubin previously directed the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of University Partnerships, where he administered grants to institutions of higher education for community engagement and support of students in community development fields. He also served for 13 years as director of Research and Community Programs of the University-Oakland Metropolitan Forum, a partnership based at the University of California, Berkeley, where he was concurrently an adjunct associate professor of city and regional planning. Rubin holds a bachelor’s degree in public affairs from the University of Chicago, and a master’s and doctorate in city and regional planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Kay Fernandez Smith, Associate Director,
staffs PolicyLink programs on transportation equity, Gulf Coast recovery, and coalition building for regional equity. She provides technical assistance, training, and research to grassroots organizations and public agencies interested in equitable development. She developed and managed "Regional Equity ’08: The Third National Summit on Equitable Development, Social Justice, and Smart Growth," held in New Orleans in March 2008. Previously, Fernandez Smith served as program fellow of the FAITHS Initiative at the San Francisco Foundation, overseeing grantmaking in social justice and coordinating youth leadership training. She was also a Fulbright Hayes Scholar to the Philippines. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts in social welfare from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Public Policy from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.
Jennifer Thompson, Associate Director, Administration and Human Resources, is responsible for managing the Oakland facility. Thompson also coordinates staff recruitment and retention programs and administers PolicyLink benefits plans. Previously, she held positions in both finance and fundraising and managed events for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Thompson earned her BA in economics from San Jose State University.
Mildred Thompson, Senior Director and Director of the PolicyLink Center for Health and Place, leads the work of the organization's health team, participates in research focused on understanding community factors that impact health disparities, and identifies practice and policy changes needed to improve individual, family, and community health. She has authored several reports and journal articles focused on reducing health disparities, increasing awareness about social determinants of health, and effective ways to impact policy change. Prior to joining PolicyLink, she was director of Community Health Services for Alameda County Public Health Department; director in Oakland for Healthy Start, a federal infant mortality reduction program; and director of San Antonio Neighborhood Health Center. Thompson has degrees in nursing and psychology and a graduate degree in social work from New York University. She has also taught at Mills College and San Francisco State University, and has worked as an organizational development consultant. Thompson speaks frequently on health and place issues and serves on several boards and commissions including The Zellerbach Family Foundation and The Institute of Medicine’s Health Disparities Roundtable.
Sandra Whisler, Director of Finance and Operations, Director of Finance and Operations, oversees financial management, human relations, information technology, and facilities at PolicyLink. She and her colleagues work to make PolicyLink a supportive, attractive, efficient, and fun place to work. Whisler comes to PolicyLink from CompuMentor, where she was first the launch director for www.techsoup.org and then vice president and managing director responsible for finance, human resources, IT, and facilities (during which time CompuMentor grew from 47 to 140 employees). Previously, she had a long career in academic publishing, including serving as Director of Electronic Publishing and associate director, Journals Division at the University of California Press and assistant director and director of Journals Marketing at the University of Chicago Press. She holds a degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago.
Program and Communications Staff
Rajni Banthia, Program Associate, contributes to projects that aim to increase opportunities for physical activity and access to healthy food by providing research and technical assistance. Her efforts are focused upon chronic illness prevention and health behavior change through public policy initiatives that target neighborhood factors, reduce health disparities, and promote sociocultural transformation. Banthia earned a BA in psychology from the University of California, Berkeley with a minor in South Asian Studies and a PhD in behavioral medicine from the University of California San Diego/San Diego State University joint doctoral program in clinical psychology. She completed her clinical internship at the Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System and her postdoctoral fellowship at the University of California, San Francisco with funding from the W.K. Kellogg Scholars in Health Disparities program.
Nicole Boucher, Development Associate, contributes to the coordination and advancement of grant fund development activities. Previously, she supported PolicyLink projects on equitable development in older core cities and public policy strategies to improve affordable housing and transportation options. Prior to PolicyLink, she developed and implemented programs and services for low-income housing communities in East and West Oakland. Boucher earned her bachelor's degree in women's studies from San Francisco State University.
Annie Clark, Program Associate, conducts policy analysis and research studies for the organization’s Louisiana recovery work, in collaboration with state and local officials, community-based organizations, and faith leaders. She also provides data and mapping analysis for Gulf Coast recovery projects. Previously, Clark worked at the Brooklyn Center for the Urban Environment, a nonprofit organization that grows local stewardship of the built and natural environments of New York City through working with young people to help them perceive local environmental problems and develop plans for change. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in urban studies from the University of Pennsylvania and a Master of Science in city and regional planning from Pratt Institute.
Dominique Duval-Diop, Senior Associate, works in Louisiana to advance research initiatives on equitable development in the hurricane recovery process. Previously Duval-Diop assisted in the start-up of the Louisiana Recovery Authority, acting as its director of Long-Term Planning and served for one year as the policy and reporting manager in the disaster recovery unit of the Office of Community Development in the Louisiana Division of Administration. She has an extensive background in budget and fiscal analysis, GIS and planning, economic development, social services, and labor policy; she was a National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) Technical Advisor in Madagascar and the Ivory Coast, and a member of the Leadership/Greater Baton Rouge Class of 2005. Duval-Diop holds a Bachelors of Arts in economics from Northwestern University, a Master of Public Administration from Columbia University, and a doctorate in economic geography from Louisiana State University.
Chione L. Flegal, Senior Associate, works to ensure that infrastructure policy, and public investments in infrastructure promote social, economic, and environmental equality. Prior to joining PolicyLink Flegal was the Senior Program Manager for Latino Issues Forum’s Sustainable Development program where she directed the organization’s work on issues of environmental health and justice, and managed a team of staff members working to promote solutions to the environmental problems impacting California’s Latino communities. She has also worked as an independent consultant for organizations in the United States and abroad including, among others, CARE International and the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations. Currently, Flegal advises the State of California on the implementation of climate change policy by serving on the AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee for the California Air Resources Board. Chione is a recipient of the Environmental Protection Agency’s STAR Fellowship and received both a Masters in City Planning and a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science, Policy and Management from UC Berkeley.
Natalie Gluck, Program Associate, works closely with community organizers and practitioners at the ground level on projects that identify challenges and highlight opportunities for communities of color. She is actively engaged in an initiative that addresses the multi-faceted challenges facing men and boys of color in crisis in California. Previously, she was responsible for coordinating and drafting the bestselling Covenant with Black America and the Covenant in Action. Gluck earned her bachelor’s degree in American Studies with a concentration in Education and Public Policy from the University of California Berkeley.
Shireen Malekafzali, Program Associate, is a member of the health team working to create environmental and policy changes aimed at addressing health disparities. She provides research, technical assistance and training to collaborative efforts intended to create health-enabling environments for all, regardless of race, class or gender. Prior to joining PolicyLink, Shireen worked with the San Francisco Department of Public Health on a land use and health team developing area-based methodology to measure the impacts of land use projects and policies on health, analyzing urban planning policies, and conducting a community health impact assessment. She also taught environmental health and research methods at San Francisco State University. Shireen comes with a Bachelor of Science in environmental studies from UC Santa Barbara and a Master of Public Health from San Francisco State University.
Jme McLean, Research Associate, provides technical assistance, research, writing, and policy analysis to advance strategies to improve community environments and reduce health inequities. Her work focuses on the intersection of land use planning, economic development, equity, and public health. She brings a diverse background in research, health impact assessment, community health education, and international HIV/AIDS prevention program planning and evaluation. McLean holds a master's degree in public health from the University of California at Berkeley, where she was a Foreign Language and Area Studies Fellow in Mandarin Chinese, and is an alumna of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. McLean will earn her master's degree in city and regional planning from UC Berkeley this spring.
Jennifer Pinto, Communications Associate, contributes to building and maintaining the image and identity of PolicyLink by providing research, copy-editing, writing, media outreach, event planning, content for the website and newsletters, and general communication support to PolicyLink staff. Previously, she worked as an Editorial and Production Assistant at two weekly newspapers where she reported on local issues, and assisted the production and editorial teams with layout and copyediting. She holds a BA in journalism from Rutgers University.
Melissa Saavedra, Program Associate, researches and writes on a broad array of issues in support of CEO and founder Angela Glover Blackwell. In addition to developing material for Ms. Blackwell’s speaking engagements, Ms. Saavedra also acts as a liaison between Ms. Blackwell and national and community partner organizations. Previously, Melissa served as a program fellow on the community health team at The San Francisco Foundation – overseeing grant-making for community health organizations and coordinating training for the FAITHS Youth Leadership Program.
Rafael Shimunov, Senior Online Communications Associate, helps drive development of online communication technology and design for PolicyLink and its partners to increase media coverage around equitable development. He is currently implementing an event management system for the Regional Equity '08 summit as well as an org-wide database integration. Rafael's 10 years of consulting includes award-winning websites, intranets, and content management development for The Rockefeller Foundation and The Ford Foundation, as well as commercial design for BBDO, Berlin Cameron, MTV, Citigroup, IBM, and the Cannes Cyber Lion-winning Douglas Elliman website. He continues to explore the potential of e-Advocacy with regard to engagement of media, government, NPOs, and communities.
Sarah Treuhaft, Senior Associate, researches and writes on a variety of equitable development topics including the use of information technology tools for community building, regional equity strategies, economic development, and healthy neighborhood environments. She also provides data and mapping analysis for PolicyLink projects. Treuhaft holds a master’s degree in city planning and a master’s in international and area studies from the University of California, Berkeley.
Leslie Yang, Design and Production Manager, coordinates layout, design, and production for PolicyLink publications. She works on a range of communications strategies and provides media outreach, editing, and research assistance to the program staff. Previously, she led student-run forums on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders in public service and has a background in media relations, union organizing, and public health advocacy. Yang holds a BA in sociology with honors from the University of California, Berkeley.
Administrators, Managers, and Assistants
Cynthia Bazan, Senior Program Assistant, coordinates the offices of the President and CFO and provides administrative, research, and program support for the Convergence Partnership. Previously, she worked as a Biologics Data Steward for a birth defects research organization in Berkeley, CA where she acted as a liaison between health study participants, researchers, and funders.
Erika Bernabei, Senior Program Assistant, provides administrative, research, and program support for teams working on equitable infrastructure investment and health disparities. Prior to joining PolicyLink, she worked on youth justice issues at the New York City-based Vera Institute of Justice and in the housing division at Legal Aid in Oakland. Bernabei holds a BA in political science theory and pan-African studies from Barnard College.
Twana Carney, Office Manager, staffs the New York front desk and serves as finance, facilities, and information systems liaison to the Oakland headquarters. Carney also assists in the production of materials for communications outreach. Previously, she provided administrative support to the United Nations Retirement Pension Fund and was an administrative assistant in the Office of the Public Advocate, New York City.
Kass Cazier, Systems Administrator, coordinates information technology resources at PolicyLink, assessing the organization's computing and telecommunications needs and providing technical support to staff. She previously worked in human resources at PolicyLink and at the Haas Center for Public Service at Stanford University, where she also served as local network administrator for seven years.
Latonia Ellingberg, Executive Assistant, coordinates the office of the founder and CEO, including scheduling, providing administrative support, and acting as liaison to the board of directors. She was formerly a senior program assistant to the PolicyLink Louisiana initiative and a program assistant on the organization’s health team. Her background includes work as executive assistant with the West Oakland Health Council and positions in human resources, training and development, and education. Ellingberg earned her BA in English from Santa Clara University.
Niva Flor, Program Assistant
Jennifer Gaynor, Senior Development Assistant, provides administrative, research, and development support to the director of Development and Planning. She coordinates fundraising correspondence, grant reporting, and foundation and individual donor cultivation. She also manages and leads staff trainings on the organization’s fundraising database. Prior to joining PolicyLink, she worked in marketing and event planning for Wind River, a software company based in Alameda.
Ari Gluck, Manager of Information Systems, plans, implements and maintains the technology infrastructure of PolicyLink. Prior to joining PolicyLink, Gluck managed network services for Cain Travel and Financial Times Energy in Boulder, Colorado. He holds a BA from the University of California, Santa Cruz where he studied computer information sciences and history.
Rita A. Goldberger, Accounting Manager, compiles financial statements and performs financial analyses. Goldberger is responsible for annual audit preparation and for payroll and 401(k) plan accounting. Prior to joining PolicyLink, she was the Accounting Manager at Mother Jones magazine. She earned her accounting degree at San Francisco State University and has more than thirty years of experience as a grassroots political activist.
Monica Gyan, Junior Accountant, handles accounts receivable and payable (including expense reimbursements and vendor invoices) and works with the accounting manager to research, verify, and balance the organization’s financial records. Prior to joining PolicyLink, she worked for Publishers Group West and Alameda County Medical Center. She holds a BS in management from San Francisco State University.
Keith L. Forest, Communications Assistant, provides media research and general communications support to the New York communications staff. Forest holds a BA in Mass Communications from Clark Atlanta University and has worked as a consultant and freelance media/communications coordinator for various community based organizations, emerging artists, designers, entrepreneurs, and creative individuals; while conceptualizing and producing event-driven press initiatives for non profit organizations, politicians, and others.
Lisa M. Johnson, Program Assistant, provides administrative and program support for PolicyLink work in Louisiana and in the Mid-South Delta, as well as projects related to affordable housing and civic engagement. She has an extensive background in philanthropic programmatic initiatives, event and conference planning, and executive administrative support.
Iman Mills, Senior Program Assistant, provides administrative, research, and program support for PolicyLink projects on health disparities and health in communities. Previously, she was the circulation manager for a health management publishing firm in New York City, where she served as a liaison between the production and marketing departments. Mills holds a BA in English and comparative literature with a minor in neuroscience and behavior from Columbia University.
Alette Pittman, Office Manager, assists with operations and facilities management for the Oakland, CA PolicyLink headquarters. She has over 12 years of administrative experience as a school secretary with Berkeley Unified Schools and as a lead customer service representative with Domino’s Pizza.
Farzana Serang, Senior Program Assistant, supports projects on equitable development in older core cities and advancing regional equity in Massachusetts. She was previously a student activities advisor for Berkeley City College and also worked as a translator with Narika, a South Asian women’s organization. She graduated from the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied political science and cultural anthropology.
Amber Washington, Program Assistant, assisted with the development and management of a major health disparities convening planned for December 2007 and Regional Equity ’08: The Third National Summit on Equitable Development, Social Justice, and Smart Growth. She has a background in production coordination with media outlets in Los Angeles and also planned recruitment and retention events for African American students at the University of California, Berkeley, where she earned a BA in American studies.
Last updated June 2008