Speakers

Assemblymember David Alvarez was elected to the California State Assembly in June of 2022 to represent the 80^th Assembly District in San Diego County.

Assemblymember Alvarez is a small business owner and has served for fifteen years in government, including eight years as a San Diego City Councilmember. A proud advocate of the underserved in San Diego, his previous successes included building parks, libraries and fire stations in neighborhoods that did not have them.

Assemblymember Alvarez is Chair of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and serves on the following legislative committees: Aging and Long-Term Care, Business and Professions, Military and Veterans Affairs, Rules, Joint Legislative Audit Subcommittee on the Selection of the State Auditor, and the Select Committee on California-Mexico Bi-National Affairs. Assemblymember Alvarez is also a member of the CSG West Border Legislative Conference and the Colorado River Forum.

During his brief time in office, Assemblymember Alvarez has supported historic investments in both K-12 and higher education, increasing childcare funding, economic relief for working families and investments in housing and critical infrastructure improvements. He was able to secure $25 million in state funding for a new state of the art Cinematic Arts Library in east Chula Vista which will include expansion of San Diego State University’s Film School, bring four year and graduate degrees to South County, and planning for a future university in Chula Vista.

David was born and raised in Barrio Logan. David and his wife Xochitl, a lifelong educator also from the area, are raising their daughter and son in the community they grew up in. He most recently volunteered on the boards of Kim Center for Gender Equity, Camarada, the San Diego Coffee Training Institute, Circulate San Diego and his childrens’ school PTA.

Tasha Boerner was first elected to the California State Assembly in November of 2018 and re-elected for her third term in November of 2022. She represents the 77th District, encompassing Carlsbad, Encinitas, Solana Beach, Del Mar, and the coastal communities of La Jolla south to Coronado.

Tasha was selected by Speaker Anthony Rendon to chair the Assembly Communications and Conveyance Committee for the 2023-24 session. She serves on the Joint Legislative Audit Committee and the following policy committees: Local Government, Health, and Veterans Affairs.  In addition, she chairs the Select Committee on Sea Level Rise & the California Economy.

Before serving in the State Assembly, Tasha served as a local City Councilmember, businesswoman, and former PTA leader. A fourth-generation San Diego County resident, she served as a member of the city’s Planning Commission prior to her election to the Encinitas City Council in 2016.

Professionally, Tasha has worked for global Fortune 500 companies, non-profits, and higher-education institutions. In response to her daughter’s struggle with a sensory processing disorder, Tasha started a business designing sensory-friendly clothing for little girls.

Assemblywoman Laurie Davies represents the 74th Assembly District, which includes the communities of southern Orange County, including Dana Point, Laguna Niguel, San Clemente, and San Juan Capistrano plus the communities of northern San Diego County, including Camp Pendleton, Oceanside and Vista.

Laurie Davies is a small business owner and former Mayor who was elected to the State Assembly in 2020 and re-elected in 2022.

Laurie serves on the Assembly’s committees for: Military (Vice Chair), Accountability, Transportation, Communications and Conveyance, Governmental Organization and Water, Parks & Wildlife.

Like so many, Laurie packed up everything and headed west in pursuit of the California Dream. Originally from Wisconsin, after graduating from high school and saving enough money to buy a Cutlass Supreme, Laurie moved to Southern California to attend Cal State Long Beach.

After earning her degree, Laurie planted roots in Orange County where she worked locally in the Restaurant and Hospitality sector. Two decades ago, she launched a small business specializing in weddings and special events that she successfully still operates today.

Over the course of nearly the last twenty years as an entrepreneur and small business owner, Laurie became active in the community. In recognition of her involvement in the community, she was awarded the Melvin Jones Fellowship Award from the Lions Club.

Laurie was first elected in 2012 to the Laguna Niguel City Council in 2012. She was appointed Mayor in 2015 and re-elected in 2016. During her time on the Council, Laurie served as a Board Member on the Transportation Corridor Agency, Chaired the League of Cities Committee on Transportation, Communication and Public Works, and was elected to the OCTA. Laurie served the Board of the Association of California Cities Orange County as President.

Ben Golombek joined the California Chamber of Commerce on January 17, 2022 as executive vice president and chief of staff for policy. 

In this role, Golombek heads the CalChamber policy staff, providing strategic oversight and management of CalChamber’s legislative and regulatory priorities. 

Most recently, Golombek served as the West Region vice president for public affairs for AT&T, where he managed a team of 20 to create and implement legislative campaigns and media strategies to educate and influence lawmakers, regulators and consumers for eight states including California. 

Golombek has previous experience serving as chief of staff to three members of the California State Assembly, including the chairs of the Assembly Revenue and Taxation, and Assembly Appropriations committees. 

Prior to his State Capitol experience, Golombek worked at Los Angeles City Hall, where he served as deputy city controller, communications director for a city councilmember and deputy press secretary for Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. 

Golombek graduated from Northwestern University, has an M.B.A. from the University of California, Davis, and completed the prestigious Coro Fellows Program in Public Affairs. 

James Hacker is currently Deputy Cabinet Secretary in the Office of the Governor, where I cover housing, homelessness, transportation, and broadband issues.

Previously James was Principal Consultant to the Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal review, a Finance Budget Analyst at the California Department of Finance, and a Fiscal & Policy Analyst with the Legislative Analyst's Office.

Previously James was an energy & sustainability consultant with experience across both the public and private sectors, and an author and editor with a focus on sustainable development and environmental policy.

James graduated from the Maxwell School at Syracuse University, where he was the Alvin L. Alm Scholar in Environmental Policy and the L. Edgar Prina Scholar in Journalism in the Public Interest.

Mitch Mitchell is senior vice president and chief legislative officer for Southern California Gas Company (SoCalGas) and San Diego Gas &Electric (SDG&E). He oversees state legislative activities and advances the California utilities' strategic policy objectives.
Mitchell has held various senior executive roles at Sempra, SoCalGas, and SDG&E.

He was Sempra's senior vice president, diversity, and community partnerships. In this role, he advanced the company's high-performance culture by leading a collective effort to enhance diversity and inclusion within Sempra, its operating companies, and the communities it serves. Mitchell also previously served as vice president of state governmental and external affairs for SoCalGas and SDG&E.

Prior to his work with Sempra's California utilities, Mitchell served in a variety of roles in governmental affairs and community relations for the City of San Diego, labor, and business entities.

Mitchell holds a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Redlands. He serves on the boards of the Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, San Diego Housing Commission, and Sharp Hospital Board of Trustees.

Senator Steve Padilla was elected to the Senate in November 2022, representing the counties of San Diego, Imperial, Riverside and San Bernardino.  Senator Padilla is a native of San Diego, a graduate of Bonita Vista High school, and lifelong Chula Vista resident.

Senator Padilla has dedicated his life to public service. Before becoming an elected official, he served 13 years in law enforcement, beginning in the City of Chula Vista and concluding in the City of Coronado, where he served as a Detective, specializing in domestic violence and child abuse. Senator Padilla’s interest in public affairs began early in life, as did his service to Chula Vista, where he served as a member of the Board of Ethics and Safety Commission. He was elected for the first time to the City Council in 1994 and served two terms. In 2002, Steve was elected the City’s 38th Mayor and served from 2002 – 2006. Senator Padilla returned to elected office in 2016 and, only one year later, was appointed for the second time to the California Coastal Commission, where he served as Chairman from 2019-2021.

Prior to being elected to the State Senate, Steve worked with a variety of private entities, non-profit organizations, and public interest groups advocating on economic development projects, and transportation, housing, environmental and social justice issues. In 2008, he served as a member of the Independent Task Force on U.S. Immigration Policy for the Council on Foreign Relations.

Senator Padilla is noted for being the first person of color ever elected to City office in Chula Vista history, the first Latino Mayor, and the first openly LGBT person to serve or be elected to city office. He holds undergraduate degrees in Liberal Arts and Public Administration from Southwestern College and National University, and studied law at Western State University, College of Law. He has been a published columnist writing on local, state, and national policy issues. Senator Padilla is a proud father to Ashleigh, an accomplished professional in political and policy advocacy, and his son-in-law, Nelson, a former political staffer and current U.S. Naval officer.

Speaker Robert Rivas was first elected to the State Assembly in 2018. During his first term, he was appointed as the Chair of the Assembly Agriculture Committee and elected as Vice-Chair of the influential Latino Legislative Caucus. A lifelong resident of the 29th Assembly District, Rivas previously served two terms on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors prior to becoming an Assemblymember.

Rivas was raised in Paicines, California, where his grandfather was a farmworker at Almaden Vineyards. Rivas and his brother grew up in farmworker housing, cared for by their single mother and beloved grandparents, who emigrated from Mexico in the 1960s in search of the California Dream.

As a child, Rivas watched his grandfather stand side-by-side with Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta, and the UFW as a leader in the fight to win fair contracts for farmworkers. Rivas’ grandfather was known for his passionate advocacy on behalf of his fellow workers, but also for his ability to work with owners to negotiate contracts acceptable to both sides.

Through his grandfather, Rivas learned that you could fight fiercely for your beliefs, while respecting those with whom you disagreed. Still, it seemed unlikely that Rivas would become a community leader, at least not if doing so required public speaking. For much of his childhood he struggled to overcome a severe stutter, a condition he continues to contend with today.

Rivas’ childhood experiences – growing up in a farmworker community, struggling to overcome a disability – gave him a direct understanding of the challenges faced by many residents as they struggle to build better lives for themselves and their families. His efforts on behalf of those who have faced similar and other challenges is apparent in his legislative work.

During his tenure in the Assembly, Speaker Rivas has championed legislation to improve California’s supply of affordable housing, increase workplace health and safety protections, create the Golden State Teacher Grant Program, and secure the first-in-the-nation COVID-19 Farmworker Relief Package, which included critical efforts related to access to PPE and testing, temporary housing, and healthcare.

A long-time champion of the environment, Rivas won bipartisan support for the Oil Transportation Safety Act, which improved the state’s preparedness to protect coastal regions after a potential spill of non-floating oil. Further, Rivas has led efforts to accelerate the construction of renewable energy and ensure the state explores all options to use public lands and oceans to effectively sequester carbon.

Rivas attended local public schools in San Juan Bautista and Hollister. He graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Government from CSU Sacramento and later earned a Master’s in Public Administration from San Jose State University. Speaker Rivas lives in Hollister with his wife Christen and their daughter Melina.

Councilmember Stephen Whitburn represents San Diego City Council District 3, which includes the neighborhoods of Downtown, Little Italy, Bankers Hill/Park West, Middletown, Mission Hills, Mission Valley, Hillcrest, University Heights, North Park, Balboa Park, South Park, and Golden Hill. 

He serves on several communities and outside organizations. He is Chair of the City’s Audit Committee, and a member of the Land Use and Housing Committee, and the Community and Neighborhood Services Committee.  

He also serves as Chair of the MTS Board of Directors, Vice Chair of the San Diego County Local Agency Formation Commission, and member of the SANDAG Regional Planning Committee. He is also a member of the League of Cities Executive Committee, and the Regional Task Force on the Homeless Continuum of Care Advisory Board. Addressing the City’s homelessness and affordable housing crises are top priorities for the Councilmember, along with ensuring a just and equitable recovery from the pandemic, and a more sustainable future for San Diegans. 

Councilmember Whitburn has lived and been involved in the communities of District 3 for two decades. An award-winning nonprofit leader, he has helped sick and injured San Diegans at the American Red Cross, worked to advance equality for the LGBTQ community, and led a staff of twenty at the American Cancer Society which coordinated charitable efforts for cancer patients and their families across Southern California. 

The Councilmember’s volunteer work has also included serving on advisory panels for the City and County of San Diego, the San Diego Human Dignity Foundation Board of Directors, the Greater San Diego Business Association Advocacy Committee, and as Vice-Chair of the North Park Planning Committee. 

Councilmember Whitburn is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin, and earned a Leadership Certificate from the Center for Executive Development at UC San Diego’s Rady School of Management.