Harry Chandler
Board Chair

Cynthia Hirschhorn
Vice-Chair

Bob Kelly
Treasurer

Debra Wong Yang
Secretary

Debra Wong Yang is a partner in Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher’s Los Angeles office.  Reflective of her broad practice and comprehensive abilities, Ms. Yang is Chair of the Crisis Management Practice Group, former Chair of the White Collar Defense and Investigations Practice Group, which includes the FCPA Practice Group, and former Chair of the Information Technology and Data Privacy Practice Group.  She is also a member of the firm’s Executive Committee.

Ms. Yang received her Juris Doctor from Boston College Law School and was a law clerk to the Honorable Ronald S.W. Lew in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.

Krisztina "Z" Holly
Board Member

Jordan Kerner
Board Member

James Johnson
Board Member

A Los Angeles native, James Johnson most recently served as Chief Political Coordinator of the 92,000 member SEIU Local 721 and as a member of the union’s staff leadership team.  He has had an impressive 30-year career with SEIU starting in 1985, when he became a Project Organizer and worked with a team that recruited thousands of workers and new leaders into the union.

In 1987, at the urging of Gilbert Cedillo and Kent Wong (both on SEIU Local 660 staff at the time), he joined the local staff as a union representative, with responsibilities from organizing breaks to helping negotiate Los Angeles County Clerical and Supervising Clerical Contracts covering more than 19,000 workers for Los Angeles County’s largest bargaining unit.

In 1996, James joined the staff of SEIU Local 535, where he served as a Senior Field Representative, Southern Political Director, and Program Director. It was there that James was instrumental in passing landmark legislation approving the first State Workload study for Child Welfare Social Workers in 15 years and increased funding for the state’s major human services programs.

After the realignment of SEIU public sector locals in California, James became the principal liaison for SEIU Local 721 at the LA City Council and played a key role in fighting for increased public services in the aftermath of the 2008-09 recession.

James is the Political Director for the California League of Conservation Voters and currently serves on the Board of the SCLC of Southern California. From 2002-04 he served on the Liberty Hill Foundation Fund for a New LA Funding Board.  James was recognized by Congresswoman Judy Chu as the 27th Congressional District 2013 Community Activist of the Year.

David Schindler
Board Member

David Schindler is a partner in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins and former Co-Chair of the firm's White Collar Defense & Investigations Practice. Mr. Schindler advises clients on the defense of white-collar and government investigations, healthcare fraud and abuse, intellectual property, e-commerce, business litigation, and civil litigation.

Mr. Schindler has conducted internal investigations and represented companies, Boards of Directors, and individuals in connection with trials, ancillary proceedings, and government investigations involving a wide array of criminal, quasi-criminal, and regulatory matters.

Christopher Rising
Board Member

Christopher Rising manages the day-to-day business activities of Rising Realty Partners, while also serving on its Investment Committee.

Drawing on his experience as Senior Vice President, Asset Transactions at MPG Office Trust, Inc., Christopher is skilled at managing acquisitions and creative development. At MPG, he worked directly with the CEO to improve finances through debt reduction and restructuring. In 2003, he founded his own company, The Rising Real Estate Group (RREG.) As the company grew, he seized the opportunity to partner with BPG and created Hamilton Capital Partners (HCP), an equity fund vehicle. He began his professional career as an associate at Pillsbury Madison & Sutro. He worked at Cushman Realty Corporation (CRC) under brokerage legend John C. Cushman, III. Christopher then served as a Director at Cushman & Wakefield of California, Inc. (C&W), joining C&W after its merger with CRC in 2001. Christopher is a member of the Board of Regents of Loyola High School, the Athletic Advisory Board at Duke University and the Board of Overseers at Loyola Law School. Formerly he served as President of the Loyola High School Alumni Association. Christopher is a graduate of Duke University and Loyola Law School.

Ellie Kanner
Board Member

Ellie has been a Film and Television Director for over thirty years. Some of her works include The Drew Carey Show, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch, Two Guys and a Girl, Sex and the City, and Friends. She won a Casting Society of America award for her work on Friends. Kanner's other television casting credits include Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman, The Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century, Clueless, Time Trax, Special Unit 2, and The Dead Zone. She also cast the films High Strung (1991), Sleep with Me (1994), Kicking and Screaming (1995), MVP: Most Valuable Primate (2000), and Air Bud: World Pup.

Ina Coleman
Board Member

Ina Coleman is a consultant in Organizational Development at Sirenia Partners, focusing on inclusion, diversity and gender equity. She analyzes organizations environments and recommends changes to improve inclusion, employee morale and efficiency. Ms. Coleman has significant experience communicating a compelling business case for fostering diverse and inclusive workforces. She assesses, recommends, and assists in implementing the tools necessary to change mindsets surrounding the purpose and benefits. A graduate of Stanford University and Harvard Business School, she serves on several boards, including Harvard Business School’s Board of Dean’s Advisors and is Vice-Chair of the Los Angeles World Affairs Council Board of Directors. At Stanford University, she serves on the Council of the Humanities and Sciences, the Clayman Institute for Gender Research and the Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicitiy (CCSRE). In addition, she serves on the advisory board of LA-Tech.org, a non-profit initiative of the Los Angeles Tech Community and is an advisor to several start-ups.

Jeff Seabright
Board Member

Over forty years experience at senior levels in the US Government and private sector, with current focus on elevating business ambition to help solve systemic global challenges, including climate, biodiversity, inequality and the plastic crisis. Helping individual and collectives of companies create purpose-led, long term value through courageous leadership and strategic collaboration. Strong business development professional with a M.Sc, focused in International Relations from London School of Economics and Political Science.

Fred Boltz
Board Member

Fred Boltz heads Resolute Development Solutions, a consulting firm specialized in climate change, environment and resilience. Dr. Boltz formerly served as Managing Director and member of the leadership team at The Rockefeller Foundation, where he led the environment program and key resilience initiatives. He earlier served in Conservation International’s leadership team as head of conservation strategy and practice, climate change lead and head of international policy. He holds a Ph.D. in natural resource economics from the University of Florida. A native English speaker, Dr. Boltz is fluent in French and Spanish, and conversant in Portuguese, Malagasy and Mandarin Chinese.

Richard Sneider
Board Member

Born in Mexico City Richard came to the USA to pursue his university education, and obtained his PhD at Claremont Graduate School in Intellectual History in 1991. Richard Founded One World Apparel LLC and served as CEO of Unger Fabrik/One World Apparel LLC. With manufacturing in 14 countries, One World and Unger served as the leader in the apparel manufacturing arena, distributing to most of the USA retail world. Sneider sits on boards and or serves as an advisor for groups ranging from Conservation International to National Geographic to IUCN.  He participates in multiple bio-diversity research expeditions and projects, analysis, funding, and advocacy for environmental concerns.  

Gary Ross
Board Member

Gary Ross is an American film director, writer, and author. He wrote and directed the film The Hunger Games , as well as Pleasantville and the Best Picture nominated Seabiscuit , among others. 

Gary Ross is married to Allison Thomas and they have settled their family on the LA River in the valley. Gary bikes the LA River multiple times a week.