Dates/Time
February 20, 2018
10:00 am-11:00 am
Join funders for a dialogue via video conference to understand the impacts of California’s recently-adopted affordable housing package, as well as opportunities to help leverage successful implementation.
We will spend the majority of the conversation discussing the two land use bills, AB 1505 and SB 35, including how they may play out across the state. We will also look at SB 3, the $4 billion housing bond that will be on the November 2018 ballot.
Speakers Include
- Vu-Bang Nguyen, Program Officer, Silicon Valley Community Foundation (moderator)
- Dora Gallo, CEO, A Community of Friends
- Lisa Hershey, Executive Director, Housing California
- Anya Lawler, Policy Advocate, Western Center on Law and Poverty
Speaker Bios
Vu-Bang Nguyen, Program Officer, Silicon Valley Community Foundation
Vu-Bang focuses on SVCF’s regional planning grantmaking strategy. He was previously an associate director of land use and housing at Urban Habitat, where he was site lead for the Great Communities Collaborative, working on regional planning initiatives and local transit-oriented development campaigns. He also co-authored Moving Silicon Valley Forward, a research report on the costs of inequitable development in Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Vu-Bang also has worked for the City of Berkeley’s Department of Planning, the Town of Los Gatos Planning Division, and for a real estate development company working on infill residential development projects in Fremont, San José and Los Gatos. Vu-Bang holds a Master in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley.
Dora Gallo, Chief Executive Officer, A Community of Friends
Dora joined A Community of Friends in February 2003. As CEO, Ms. Gallo is responsible for leading ACOF’s efforts in project development, asset management, residential services, advocacy and fundraising. Prior to joining ACOF, she served as Chief of Staff for Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas (now a County Supervisor). With 12 years in the public sector, she comes to ACOF with experience in housing policy, planning and entitlements, environmental quality, public art, advocacy, government affairs, and constituent development. Dora holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a B.S. in Public Administration from the University of Southern California.
Lisa Hershey, Executive Director, Housing California
Lisa has served as Executive Director of Housing California, based in Sacramento, since November 2016, working to cultivate non-traditional partnerships with multi-sector coalitions, networks and agencies, bringing the housing sector into greater conversations around climate change, equity, health and resident organizing. During her 21 years in state and local public sector roles, Lisa managed department-wide equity and place-based initiatives. She also served as an advisor to the director and deputy director on Policy and Programs in the California Department Public Health (CDPH) to inform SB 375 and AB 32 initial implementation and development of the Strategic Growth Council. She represented CDPH as a liaison for the department’s executive team with other state departments, agencies, and diverse external partners.
Anya Lawler, Policy Advocate, Western Center on Law & Poverty
Anya Lawler has over 15 years of experience working in policy at the state level, including a decade as a committee consultant in the Legislature. Her primary expertise is in housing and land use issues, including housing element law, housing finance, homelessness, and mobile homes. She played a key role in shaping a number of the programs funded through Proposition 1C and helped ensure ongoing funding for affordable housing from cap and trade funds. She is particularly interested in sustainable development issues and ensuring that low-income communities benefit from state policies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions through more compact development patterns.
