The Economic & Policy Impact Center, known as EPIC, has announced the inaugural class for its Emerging Leaders Institute, a six-month leadership development program.
The cohort includes 25 professionals from public, private and nonprofit sectors and is composed of 75 percent people of color. As part of the program, participants will learn about the “local social and economic landscapes and the core competencies related to social and economic equity,” according to a release.
The Institute is the first of its kind in Long Beach to apply a racial and economic equity lens to leadership development, according to the organization.
Participants will take part in lectures, workshops, experiential learning and projects focusing on the challenges of the Long Beach community and how to address those challenges. Upon completion of the program, participants will be challenged to develop a policy proposal that is meant to address a pressing economic issue in the city.
“EPIC Leaders will leave the program with a deep understanding of who they are, the communities they serve, their own barriers to leadership, and a strategy to make real change in their communities—all from an equity and trauma-informed lens,” said EPIC Board President Steve Neal.
Neal, who is a former city councilmember, was interim executive director of EPIC before he was replaced with Alyssa Gutierrez, former policy director for current Councilman Rex Richardson.
EPIC launched early last year.
The program has already begun with a recent weekend retreat in partnership with Leadership Long Beach.
The Institute is funded by the JAG Molina Family Foundation which EPIC identified at a “presenting sponsor” as well as sponsorship from Long Beach Transit, County Supervisor Janice Hahn and the Adams, Ferrone and Ferrone law firm.
The cohort includes:
- Devin Ablard, Office of Councilmember Jeannine Pearce
- Anika Akhter, Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA)
- Nicole Ballard, Long Beach Historical Society
- Steven Contreras, Long Beach Collective Association (LBCA)
- Cindy De La Cruz- Brown, Long Beach Forward
- Brandon Dowling, Pacific6
- Sydney Duran, Starbucks
- Julius Franklin, First5 LA, Best Start Community
- Melissa Kyle Guy, Asset Media Production; Signal Hill Chamber of Commerce
- Rebecca Kauma, City of Long Beach, Economic Development Dept.
- Josue Lopez, Grow Mortgages
- Abigail Mejia, Office of Mayor Robert Garcia
- Erik Miller, Playa Vista Job Opportunities and Business Services (PV Jobs)
- Keyona Montgomery, Office of Councilmember Rex Richardson
- Ennette Morton, Pepperdine Graziadio Business School
- Sara Pol-Lim, CA Census 2020
- Brandon Price, SEIU Local 721
- Joni Ricks-Oddie, University of California, Irvine
- Eric Romero, City of Long Beach, Economic Development Department
- Mariela Salgado, Rug’it Cleaning, City of Long Beach Parks & Rec Commissioner
- Suely Saro, California State Senate, Office of 33rd Senate District
- Adrianne Sears, California State University, Los Angeles
- Stacey Slevcove, LINC Housing
- Masina Tuufuli, MemorialCare Health System
- Vanndearlyn Vong, California Democratic Party
John Molina is a founding member of Pacific6, the parent company of the Long Beach Post.