The Governor Gavin Newsom announced appointments to the first California Commission on Racial Equity, which will recommend tools and opportunities to promote racial justice and address structural racism, as well as provide technical assistance to state and local governments.
"At this time of national reckoning over racial justice, I am proud to appoint these various leaders to advise our ongoing work to ensure that all of our communities have a fair chance to achieve the California dream," Newsom said.
Thus, the Governor announced Dr. Larissa Estes as executive director of the Racial Equity Commission, which has been the director of ALL IN Alameda County since 2019. She was manager of Community Partnerships with UCSF Benioff Children's Hospitals from 2018 to 2019; and Program Manager at the Prevention Institute from 2015 to 2018, among other positions.
Estes has a Doctor of Public Health in Community Health Practice from the University of Texas Health Science Center in Houston, a Master of Public Health in Family and Child Health from the University of Arizona, and a Bachelor of Science in Athletic Training. from Duquesne University.
Virginia Hedrick, was one of seven additional appointments to the Commission on Racial Equity. She has been the Executive Director of the California Consortium for Urban Indian Health Inc. since 2017; she was the other Programs Coordinator for the California Rural Indian Health Board from 2007 to 2017. She has a master's degree in Public Health from Drexel University.
She is followed by Gabriel Maldonado, from Los Angeles. Maldonado has been the CEO of TruEvolution since 2008. He earned an MBA in Global Business from the University of Redlands and a BA in Political Science and International Affairs from the University of California, Riverside.
Traco Matthews, joins the team. He has been Director of Health Equity at Kern Health Systems since 2023, in addition to serving as a local pastor, an adjunct professor at California State University, Bakersfield, and as a community advocate for fair housing, public safety, economic opportunity, and voting rights.
Matthews earned an MBA from California State University, Bakersfield and a BS in Economics from the University of California, Davis.
Another member is Jolie Onodera, of Sacramento, who has been a Senior Legislative Advocate in the California State Association of Counties since 2022. She served as Legislative Director in the California Department of Finance from 2018 to 2022, as well as Assistant Secretary for Legislation in the California Agency for Housing, Consumer and Business Services from 2017 to 2018.
Manuel Pastor, of Pasadena, has also been appointed to the Racial Equity Commission. He is a pastor and has been a director and professor at the USC Equity Research Institute since 2007. He served as a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz from 1996 to 2007 and at Occidental College from 1984 to 1996. He earned a bachelor's degree in Ph.D. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and a BA in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Yolanda R. Richardson, of Roseville, will be on the team. She has been the Executive Director of the San Francisco Health Plan since 2022, and served as Secretary of the California Government Operations Agency from 2020 to 2022, among other various positions. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Vocational Education from California State University, Sacramento.
Finally Simboa Wright, from Fontana, will seal the group. He has served as Vice President of SEIU Local 721 since 2021, as well as a Wastewater Collection Worker II for the City of Los Angeles since 2001. Wright is a member of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps Board of Directors.
The Governor, in partnership with the Legislature, invested $3.8 million from the General Fund in 2023-24 and $3.1 million in 2024-25 through 2029-30, to support the Racial Equity Commission and the Youth Empowerment Commission.
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