Commission Members

Irma Archuleta 

Irma Archuleta is an educator, public servant and community activist who has an administrative track record in higher education from the California State University and Community College systems as a Trustee for Long Beach City College.  She demonstrated her commitment to students and issues with a focus on educational equity, social justice and student success.  Ms. Archuleta worked with the Mexican American Legal Defense & Education Fund (MALDEF) and state and national elected officials on legislation to support the rights of undocumented immigrant students.  She is co-founder, member and co-chair of the Leticia A Network (LAN), an immigrant student advocacy group.

Elizabeth Alcantar

2026 First District Appointee. She currently serves as a Councilmember for the City of Cudahy and is an advocate and organizer by heart and trade for her community in Southeast Los Angeles. She is now at Local Progress, an organization supporting a movement of progressive local elected officials advancing a racial, economic, and gender justice agenda.

Maria de Lourdes Caracoza

Lourdes Caracoza is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Alma Family Services, an organization established in 1975 in East Los Angeles by parents to provide a comprehensive range of multilingual, multicultural and intergenerational community-based services for all individuals, including those with special needs. Ms. Caracoza considers herself fortunate to have grown up in East Los Angeles with a strong sense of family, community and service. Having a brother with Down syndrome allowed her to broaden her sense of community, understand the importance of advocacy and fostered a desire to work with the developmentally disabled. As a youth volunteer at Alma Family Services, Ms. Caracoza’s passion for community services was solidified and culminated in the pursuit of further education and training. After college in 1985, she returned to Alma to manage a Social Rehabilitation program for individuals with emotional, physical and/or developmental delays and their families. Five years later, she left to pursue other callings in the community, taking with her a strong commitment to serve the developmentally disabled. During the next 13 years she served on the Alma’s Board of Director, chairing the Board for one year. 20 years ago, she returned to Alma as a Director, to assist in the development of Centro Estrella, a multipurpose center in East LA. In collaboration with a great team, they have been able to develop multiple services including specialized aquatic programs, behavioral health services, parenting classes, an inclusive preschool, a resource library, community integration and socialization services for individuals with developmental disabilities. This Family Resource Center has been recognized as a model. Ms. Caracoza has collaborated with Regional Centers in developing collaborative service models that serve adults with Developmental Disabilities and mental health needs to communities throughout the San Gabriel Valley to Pomona and have presented on these models at the State level. Ms. Caracoza’s experience has been critical in the development of child abuse prevention programs funded by the Department of Children and Family Services, Parent Mentorship services in collaboration with the San Gabriel Pomona Regional Center, and the establishment of a various community clinics and service sites including Alma’s new Family & Youth Services Center in Boyle Heights. Ms. Caracoza is a strong advocate for the many talents, strengths and needs of individuals and families. Her lifelong pursuit of lifting their voices led her to serve in the LA County Disability Commission for the 1st Supervisorial District under Supervisor Hilda Solis. As a mentor to the new generation of community leaders, Ms. Caracoza often speaks on how fortunate she is to belong to an organization that is inclusive in trying to serve the whole family and finding opportunities to play a role in the enhancement of families’ lives.

Karriann Farrell-Hinds, Esq.

Karriann Farrell Hinds, Esq. has dedicated her career to advocating for equal rights and access to opportunity and services in her community.  A graduate of the University of California at Berkeley and Loyola Law School, she has committed her professional life to serving and advocating for others, first as a volunteer attorney with the Harriett Buhai Center for Family Law, and later as an engaged board member of the ACLU of Southern California.  In addition to the ACLU of Southern California, Ms. Hinds serves on the boards of and collaborates with multiple organizations committed to advocating for equal representation of women and people of color in elected and appointed office, as well.  Ms. Hinds was appointed to the Los Angeles County Commission for Women in 2015 and was recently appointed as a public member to the California Board of Accountancy.  Currently, Ms. Hinds works as a consultant with the Public Policy Institute of Santa Monica College.

Dr. Yolanda J. Gorman, MBA, PhD

Dr. Gorman is the Senior Advisor and Chief of Staff to the Chancellor at the University of California, Los Angeles.  As the Chief Strategy Officer for the campus she is responsible for representing the Chancellor to a variety of internal and external constituencies, articulating the overall vision and short and long-term goals for the campus.  Previously, Dr. Gorman was president and CEO of Phillips Graduate University.  A professor of research and organizational management, Dr. Gorman is the author of articles on strategic planning and organizational development.  She has conducted training and workshops for nonprofit organizations and for-profit corporations.  Committed to civic engagement, Dr. Gorman serves as the Chair of the Board for CalNonprofits Insurance Services a private for-profit insurance brokerage.  She is a governor’s appointee to the Baldwin Hills Conservancy, a Los Angeles County Commissioner for Women.  Dr. Gorman is Regent Emerita for the University of California, Board of Regents (having served twice as an Alumni Regent), a former member of the Board of the UCLA Foundation, and the first African American woman to chair the board of the UCLA Alumni Association.

Dr. Regina Smith 

Dr. Regina Smith exemplifies fearless leadership through her advocacy for students', women's, and cancer survivor's rights.  As a Vice President of Los Angeles Community College District, Dr. Smith faithfully and successfully fights for social justice, educational equity, and inclusion for the underserved.  Upon completing her second Master of Arts degree, she wrote a thesis on women of color experience at historically white universities.  Dr. Smith's doctoral dissertation from the University of Southern California (USC) was on factors that hinder and promote over 200 women's advancement in higher education.  She has also been an educator and leader in health services, as a senior consultant for the California State Legislature Health Committee.

She Chaired the Los Angeles County Baldwin Hills American Cancer Society Relay for Life, where she provided current research and data trends.  She was also the lead fundraiser, advocate for cancer survivors and care givers, and educator to the community on cancer prevention.  As a Commissioner on Women, Dr. Smith's goal is to create a gateway to educate and build strong alliances and resources to assist women in accessing doors that would otherwise be closed.

Dr. Roberta "Bobbie" Emetu, PhD, MPH, MLS 

​Dr. Emetu is an Associate Professor of Public Health Education at California State University-Northridge, Department of Health Sciences within the Public Health Program.  She received her Ph.D. from Indiana University-Bloomington, School of Public Health.  Her practical experiences in public health include positions as an HIV counselor and an evaluator for health initiatives prior to her doctoral studies.  Since many structural, social, and behavioral challenges exist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer/questioning (LGBTQ+) emerging adults, Dr. Emetu’s overall research trajectory is to improve the sexual wellbeing among this population.  Her research focuses on sexual transmitted infection (STI) and HIV/AIDS risk behaviors.  She has conducted projects that encompassed community-based participatory research, minority health, health behavior, and healthcare utilization.  Dr. Emetu has multiple peer-reviewed publications and is a frequent presenter at national conferences. She has taught multiple courses on public health, human sexuality, and HIV/STI prevention.  Dr. Emetu has worked extensively in educating the community and providing STI and HIV/AIDS education.  She serves on the Los Angeles County Lesbian, Bisexual and Queer (LBQ) Women's Health Collaborative.  Within that capacity, she has conducted a plethora of trainings focused on caring for LBQ women at various organizations within LA County.  Dr. Emetu continues to conduct applied research and engage in advocacy within the areas of sexual health, healthcare utilization, and disease prevention. 

Julie Friedman, MPH

Julie Friedman has an eclectic background in health education, worksite wellness, early childhood development, and workforce development.  She is the director of the Iris Cantor-UCLA Women’s Health Education and Research Center.  Her work at the Center promotes women’s health equity across the lifespan by looking beyond gender and genetics to address the social determinants of women’s health.   Through engaging in research, advocacy, and education, she collaborates extensively with cross-sector partners in reaching vulnerable women in LA County to advance their health status.  From working at Planned Parenthood to launching the lactation program for Los Angeles Times employees, women's health issues have been central to her work.  Julie helped establish Worksite Wellness LA in 1995, a nonprofit organization providing onsite health education to low wage workers and served as its board chair from 2015-2017. She is a board member of the National Council of Jewish Women LA, a nonprofit organization that advances economic justice and equity for women. 

Yi Ding

Yi Ding (Ding) is a tenured faculty librarian at California State University Northridge, leading the Library Online Instruction Team and the Affordable Learning $olutions initiative to support students in the blended learning environment, particularly those struggling with basic needs. In the realm of woman’s empowerment, Ding conducts research on feminized labor in higher education, spearheads voter engagement through collaboration with organizations like the League of Women Voters and provides support to survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault through the Center for the Pacific Asia Family. An advocate for gender justice narrative change in grassroots praxis, Ding also heads the podcast team through the Xīn Shēng | 心声 Project, a political-education and counter-disinformation initiative by and for the Chinese diaspora, which has appeared in media outlets including Los Angeles Times, Vox, Foreign Policy, and MIT Technology Review. A firm believer in the power of civic engagement in building an equitable educational pipeline, she also chairs the Equity Task Force at Our Community School to enact equitable school governance practices in the local community. Ding is a New Leaders Council Los Angeles Fellow and a CA AD 40 Woman of the Year nominee.

Alexa Castanon

Alexa Castañon is a trans Latina, and immigrant advocate with five years of community activism focused on civil rights and social justice. She completed ESL coursework and is pursuing computer skills training. Her work is centered on advancing equity and support to the trans Latina community, including the marginalized HIV impacted people.

Denise Diaz

Denise Diaz, a proud native of southeast Los Angeles, has dedicated the past 20 years to serving her community. Notably, she made history as the youngest Latina elected to the South Gate City Council, exemplifying her steadfast commitment to local leadership. Appointed by Governor Newsom to the Rivers and Mountains Conservancy, Denise advocated tirelessly for green spaces in cities confronting challenges. Presently, she serves as the National Director of Public Affairs for The Chicago School, a non-profit private university with seven campuses nationwide. In this role, she passionately advocates for mental health policies on a national scale, prioritizing access, education, and cultural competency in California, Illinois, Texas, and Washington, DC. Furthermore, she actively seeks solutions to address the shortage of physicians in these areas.

Jannelle So-Perkins (Vice President)

Jannelle So is a Filipino-American media pioneer who is based in the Los Angeles area. She first made a name for herself in the United States as the creator, producer and original host of America’s first and only daily show for and about the Filipinos. “Kababayan TODAY” on KSCITV LA18 ran for over eight years under So’s leadership. 

After leaving the show in 2014, So started her own production company, Jannelle So Productions. In July 2017, she launched her new weekly magazine/lifestyle show, “SO Jannelle” which airs every Sunday on The Filipino Channel, the premier Global Filipino Channel, with replays shown on the ABS-CBN News Channel.

Aside from being Executive Producer/ TV Host, Jannelle and her JSP team also produce internal videos for select corporate clients. In 2021, Jannelle So Productions announced a partnership with Rappler, an online Filipino news outlet that was founded by 2021 Nobel Peace Prize awardee Maria Ressa.

So’s hard work and accomplishments as a media practitioner have been recognized by prestigious mainstream and Filipino organizations. She is the recipient of the 2021 “Banaag” Presidential Awards, conferred by Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, for her exemplary achievements and contributions as a successful media professional and entrepreneur.  She also received the 2021 Migration Advocacy Awards from the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. In 2020 – So was included in the prestigious inaugural list of 100 MOST INFLUENTIAL FILIPINOS, to celebrate the 10th year of TOFA, The Outstanding Filipinos in America, at the Carnegie Hall in New York City, to which Jannelle was first inducted in 2018.

Jennifer Baird Anderson

Jennifer Baird Anderson has over 16 years of volunteer leadership experience advocating for families in her community.  She is currently a Governing School Board Member for Monrovia Unified School District and is part of the Monrovia Arcadia Duarte (MAD) Town Council. Jennifer believes it's critical to promote equity for all people by making sure everyone's voice is recognized, valued, and understood. During her time within the school district, she was part of numerous STEM related clubs to help foster a supportive environment for women interested in these science and math programs.  Before serving as a Governing School Board Member, Jennifer taught Mathematics at both the middle school and college levels as well as raising four children.

Lena Louise Kennedy

A visionary leader and tireless volunteer, Lena Louise Kennedy serves as CEO of L. L. Kennedy & Associates and the founder of a nonprofit: Community Women of Vital Voices which focus women and girl’s health and empowerment issues.  She hosts a group called Women in Leadership Vital Voices which informs women about public policy and community engagement. 

Her 42 years of consulting includes working with numerous corporate and nonprofit executives, city governments, and elected officials.

Her board service, on numerous civic and arts organizations, and volunteering has earned her recognition from numerous organizations.

In 2000, she founded the SoCal Women’s Conference, which has attracted 32,000 attendees to empower and provide practical lectures health/wellness, and lifestyle lectures from healthcare professionals. 

A Pasadena native, she draws strength from her deep community roots and family, which includes 10 siblings; children Tyesa, Jonathan, Chris, and Kari; and two beautiful grandchildren: Christopher and Savannah.

Dr. Stacy Claire  Brightman

A native Angeleno, Dr. Stacy Brightman serves as The Ebell of LA's first Executive Director in the nonprofit's 129-year history and works to inspire women and build community through arts, culture, education, and service. She guides initiatives and partnerships that center The Ebell as a women-led intersectional space and vibrant hub for the performing, literary and visual arts, public scholarship, community impact, and civic leadership. Prior to joining The Ebell, she served as Vice President for LA Opera’s renowned community, education, and learning department from 2000-2021. She has held senior leadership positions at Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts, Shakespeare Center LA, and LA Stage Alliance, as well as teaching positions at USC, LMU, and FIDM. She holds a Ph.D. in Dramatic Arts from UC Davis, a Masters in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Arizona State University, and a BA in Theatre and Religious Studies from Pomona College. She serves as a trustee for Friends of the Michael White Adobe and continues to serve on the Steering Committee for Women in Opera and on Opera America's Learning and Leadership Council. She has previously served on The San Marino School's Foundation Board and was honored by LA County Supervisor Don Knabe with an arts education scholarship named after her.