NLC Fellow's Class 2010

RhiannonM.Jones Rhiannon M. Jones, Proactive Strategies Director – The Ballot Initiative Strategy Center (BISC)

Rhiannon serves as the Proactive Strategies Director at BISC, where she is responsible for identifying, cultivating and supporting state and national efforts to move the progressive agenda forward through the citizens’ initiative process and catalyzing a national proactive ballot measure strategy.
Prior to BISC, Jones spent 10 years with the Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest running their legislative, advocacy and electoral campaigns. During that time, she also served as

Aaron Frieberg

Aaron Frieberg--Associate, Latham & Watkins

Aaron is an attorney for the firm of Latham & Watkins LLP with a practice focusing on financing in the gaming/hospitality and alternative energy sectors. Aaron serves on the board of the San Diego County Young Democrats and as an appointed representative on the Consolidated Plan Advisory Board. Previously, he worked as the field director for the David Alvarez for City Council 2010 campaign. Aaron lives with his wife and 1 year old child in downtown San Diego.

Mejia Carlos

Carlos Mejia--Political Organizer, AFSCME Council 36 –Local 127

Carlos Mejia is the Political Organizer for AFSCME Council 36 –Local 127, the public employees Union that represents the blue-collar workers of the City of San Diego. Prior to working at AFSCME, Carlos served as an intern at the Bi-National Center for Human Rights in Tijuana, Mexico, investigating and recording human rights violations in the Tijuana Border Region. He is a graduate of San Diego State University, with a dual degree in Political Science & International Security and Conflict Resolution.

Steven Lei

Steven Lei--Assistant for Program and Professional Development, Avid Center of San Diego

Steven Lei is an organizational management and public affairs professional, working in program and professional development at the San Diego-based education non-profit AVID Center. He is responsible for managing a national educational leadership training program for the organization, whose mission is to prepare all students for college readiness and success in a global society.

Jason Everitt

Jason Everitt--Research and Policy Analyst for the Center on Policy Initiatives

A native San Diegan, Jason Everitt works as a Research and Policy Analyst for the Center on Policy Initiatives. Previously, he served as an organizer for San Diego Coastkeeper and the Sierra Club. Jason earned a Bachelor's Degree in

Midori Wong Midori Wong--The Treadstone Companies

Midori Wong works for The Treadstone Companies, a national real estate development and advisory group specializing in the creation and preservation of affordable rental housing. She previously served as Chief of Staff to the 2010 Redistricting Commission of the City of San Diego and as a regional planner for the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG). An alumna of the University of California - San Diego, she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with a BA in Urban Studies and Planning and Environmental Studies minor. Affiliations include LEAD San Diego, the Junior League of San Diego,

Sarah Boot

Sarah Boot--Associate, Cooley Godward Kronish, LLP

Sarah Boot is an associate at the law firm of Cooley Godward Kronish, LLP. She primarily represents Internet and technology companies, and her legal practice focuses on complex civil litigation and intellectual property litigation.

Udoka Nwanna

Udoka Nwanna, Esq.--Associate, Andrews Lagasse Branch & Bell LLP

Udoka Nwanna received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Emory University and her Juris Doctor degree from California Western, with a concentration in Criminal Prosecution and Defense Practice. After her first year of law school, Ms. Nwanna served as a summer law clerk to the late Honorable Napoleon A. Jones, Jr., United States District Court, Southern District of California.

Laura Sheppard

Laura Sheppard--Student, Thomas Jefferson School of Law

Laura Sheppard was raised in Berkeley, and moved to San Diego in 2003 to care for her grandmother in Poway. She has lived in Golden Hills, North Park, Normal Heights, Spring Valley, and the College area. She now owns her first home in City Heights, where she is a dog owner, and the president of her Homeowner’s Association. Her favorite San Diego locales are the Zoo, the local dog parks in Balboa Park and Kearney Mesa,

Deborah Spindelman

Deborah Spindelman--Community Inclusion Coordinator, Community Coaching Center

Deborah graduated magna cum laude from Cal State University, Long Beach in 2005, where she majored in Sociocultural Anthropology and minored in Women’s Studies. As an undergraduate, she performed ethnographic research with members of Costa Rica’s indigenous Cavecar and Bribri communities , and boosted CSULB’s surf team to win their first NSSA National Championships.

Aaron Frieberg

Tyler Hewes--Executive Director, Orchestra Nova San Diego

Tyler Richards Hewes is the Executive Director of Orchestra Nova San Diego (formerly the San Diego Chamber Orchestra). Mr. Hewes received his bachelors' degree at Eastern Connecticut State University in Theatre, before moving to San Diego in 2002.

Newman Elizabeth Elizabeth Newman--Labor to Neighbor Field Organizer, San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council

Elizabeth Newman is the Labor to Neighbor Field Organizer for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council. She is from both Minnesota and Colorado, where she grew up snowboarding and singing. She graduated with her B.A. from Macalester College, in St. Paul, MN in 2007, majoring in Sociology and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. There she developed her real passion for social justice and equal rights.

Aaron Frieberg

Erin Donahue--Legislative Coordinator, Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties

Erin Donahue is the Legislative Coordinator for Planned Parenthood of San Diego & Riverside Counties. Erin received her Bachelor of Arts degree in International Studies with a minor in Middle East Politics from University California-Irvine.

Breanna Zwart

Alex Hunsucker--Senior Product Manager, Eventful.com

Alex Hunsucker is a Senior Product Manager at Eventful.com. He has worked at Eventful since 2006 developing Internet products, building strategic business relationships and leading a technical team in the event and social media space.

Moreno_Vivian

Elizabeth Taylor--Attorney, Brown & Winters

Elizabeth Taylor is an environmental attorney with the firm Brown & Winters where she represents California public entities as well as environmental non-profit organizations. She manages the firm’s pro bono legal program and specializes in coastal resources and Clean Water Act cases. Elizabeth began her legal career as a fellow with the United States Marine Mammal Commission where she worked on domestic and international marine policy issues.

Katherine Field-- District Director, U.S. Senator Feinstein

Katherine currently serves as the District Director for U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, managing the daily operations of the Senator's San Diego Regional Office. In this capacity she works on a number of issues including border infrastructure, homeland security, environment, and education policy. She has worked for the Senator since 2006.

Moreno_Vivian

Vivian Moreno--Broker Buyer, Industrial Metal Supply

Born and raised in San Diego, Vivian Moreno attended and earned her Bachelor’s Degree at UCSD in Political Science with a concentration in International Relations.

Vivian is a Broker Buyer at Industrial Metal Supply a top leading Metal distribution facility that provides alloy needs for the South Western

Johanna S. Schiavoni--Partner, Jacobs & Schlesinger LLP

Johanna S. Schiavoni is the Co-Director of the Board of the San Diego Leadership Alliance. Schiavoni has been involved with SDLA’s benchmark program, the New Leaders Council Institute, since 2010, and is a former Chair of the Institute in San Diego. In her day job as an attorney, Schiavoni is a partner with Jacobs & Schlesinger LLP, a boutique San Diego law firm, where she specializes in appellate litigation and strategic counseling in high stakes litigation matters.

Jared Quient

Jared Quient--Director of Project Development, AMSOLAR Corporation

Jared Quient currently serves as the Director of Project Development with AMSOLAR Corporation – a solar energy in Solana Beach company focused on providing innovate solar solutions to educational institutions and select commercial enterprises.

Breanna Zwart

Breanna Zwart--Budget and Finance Committee Consultant, City of San Diego, Councilmember Tony Young

Breanna Zwart has a Masters Degree in Public Policy and Management from Carnegie Mellon University. She is currently working for the City of San Diego as the Budget and Finance Committee Consultant. Breanna has a diverse background in political science, drama, and education.

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