Advisory Board

Thomas McMorrow is responsible for the law firm Manatt's California policy practice and the management of the Sacramento office.

A.G. Block is the co-chair of the Community Relations Committee at the Children's Receiving Home of Sacramento. He is the former Associate Director of UC Center Sacramento

Angela Blanchard is the Associate Partner for Political Solutions, LLC.

Ben Allen is the State Senator for the 26th Senate District which contains the Westside, Hollywood, and coastal South Bay communities of Los Angeles County. He is the chair of the Senate's Environmental Quality Committee co-chairs the Legislature's Environmental Caucus.

David C. Wilson is the Dean of the Goldman School and a Professor of Public Policy at UC Berkeley.

Former Secretary CA Health and Human Services Agency, former CEO CA Children’s Hospital Association, former Vice President and General Counsel Valley Children’s Hospital.

Diane Griffiths is the General Counsel and Deputy Chief of Staff to Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins. She served as the Chief of Staff to the UC Board of Regents and as General Counsel to the California Fair Political Practices Commission.

Dotson Wilson is currently a part-time Commissioner on the Fair Political Practices Commission (FPPC). He previously served as the Chief Clerk and Parliamentarian of the California Assembly (1992-2015).

Estella Atekwana is the Dean for the UC Davis College of Letters and Sciences.

Jackson R. Gualco is the President and CEO of the Gualco Group Inc.

Jason Stewart is the Assistant Executive Vice Chancellor and Chief of Staff in the Office of the Provost and the Assistant Director in the Office of Budget and Institutional Analysis at the University of California, Davis.

Jim Lites is a Partner and Vice Chairman of the public policy firm California Strategies LLC.  Jim has been active in California government relations and association management for over 35 years and is active in the policy areas of public transit, airports and aviation and housing policy.

Kathleen Fullerton is the Associate Vice President and Director of State Governmental Relations at the UC Office of the President.

Khydeeja Alam is the Executive Director of the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs (CAPIAA). Khydeeja was sworn in by the Speaker of the California State Assembly, Robert Rivas.

Systemwide Vice Provost for Faculty Affairs and Academic Programs at the UC Office of the President and Professor of City and Regional Planning at UC Berkeley.  As Vice Provost, Dr. Varsanyi works closely with the Academic Senate and university leaders to oversee UC faculty initiatives and advance the University’s academic mission. 

She also leads a number of high impact systemwide academic programs including the California Digital Library, UC Press, the UC Education Abroad Program, the President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, UC Center Sacramento, and the UC Washington Center.  Dr. Varsanyi was previously the Associate Provost for Academic Affairs and Dean of Humanities and Social Sciences at the CUNY Graduate Center in New York City. 

Dele Ogunseitan is Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Population Health and Disease Prevention at the UC Irvine. He is also Professor of Social Ecology, and a member of the Board of Directors of the UC Systemwide Global Health Institute.

Patricia Osorio-O'Dea is the Director of Academic Program Coordination at the UC Office of the President.

Roger Niello is the State Senator for the 6th Senate District which is comprised of portions of Placer and Sacramento counties. He served as a member of the California State Assembly from the 5th district from 2004 to 2010. He served as the UCCS Governance Fellow in 2011.

Stephen A. Arditti has worked in Sacramento representing the University of California for over 30 years. He served as the Assistant Vice President and Director, State Government Relations, University of California, Emeritus.