The Silent Epidemic:
Missing, Murdered and Exploited
Indigenous and Latina Women

The Silent Epidemic: Missing, Murdered and Exploited Indigenous and Latina Women of the Central Coast March’s panel discussion will convene community leaders, advocates, and experts to examine the urgent crisis of missing, murdered, and exploited Indigenous and Latina women in California’s Central Coast.

Through compelling narratives, critical analysis, and meaningful dialogue, panelists will highlight the systemic and historical factors contributing to this crisis, including exploitation and trafficking. The discussion will also explore current initiatives, advocacy efforts, and actionable solutions to support Indigenous communities in their fight for justice, safety, and visibility.

Please Note

We will be at a new location:
Laguna Seca Golf Ranch
10520 York Road, Monterey, CA 93940

Panelists

Desteney Garcia:
Human Trafficking Outreach Specialist

Desteney is the Human Trafficking Outreach Specialist with the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center (MCRCC). She has been with the agency for four years, two as a volunteer and two as a staff member. She is from Salinas, California, and attended CSUMB, where she got her B.A. in Human Development and Family Studies. A fun fact about her is that she also volunteers with the Marine Mammal Center.  

Airam Coronado:
Community Organizer

Airam Coronado is of Yoeme and Cora indigenous descent who grew up in East Salinas, California. A devoted mother and first-generation college student at the University of California, Santa Cruz, she is actively involved in community organizing, focusing on social justice and farmworker rights. Her personal experience living in an under-resourced community and navigating the school-to-prison pipeline, has significantly influenced her advocacy work. With over eight years of service, Airam has worked closely with youth and communities on critical issues such as criminal justice reform, supporting families affected by state violence. In addition, she has actively supported  families of missing brown women who have historically been neglected and received inadequate support in finding their loved ones. Airam was instrumental in drafting and passing SB 474, The Basics Act, aimed at reducing the financial burden on families of incarcerated individuals. As a commissioner on the Monterey County Juvenile Justice Commission, she passionately advocates for the welfare and rights of youth in the juvenile justice system. Beyond that, she's dedicated to dismantling negative stereotypes of East Salinas, amplifying the inspiring stories of strength and perseverance that truly define its residents. Her studies in Political Science and Sociology reflect her commitment to applying theoretical knowledge to practical community issues. Through her research at UCSC, she aims to bolster her effectiveness in addressing these critical social challenges.

Morning Star Gali:
Executive Director, Indigenous Justice

Morning Star Gali is a proud member of the Ajumawi band of the Pit River Tribe in Northeastern California. She serves as the Director of Indigenous Justice and has served for 16 years as the California Tribal and Community Liaison for the International Indian Treaty Council, dedicated to advancing the sovereignty and self-determination of Indigenous Peoples. Her work focuses on the recognition and protection of Indigenous rights, treaties, traditional cultures, and sacred lands. Passionate about uplifting California’s urban and rural Native communities, Gali supports Indigenous-led organizing efforts, coordinating cultural, spiritual, academic, and political gatherings across the state. She is a leader in advocating for critical issues such as Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women (MMIW), climate justice, gender justice, and the preservation of sacred places. Her work reflects her lifelong dedication to the tribal and inter-tribal communities in which she was raised.Before returning to her ancestral homelands to work for her Tribe, Gali spent over two decades in the Bay Area, volunteering and advocating on behalf of incarcerated and formerly incarcerated Indigenous people through grassroots, Indigenous-led organizations. Her commitment to Indigenous Justice continues to shape her leadership and activism. In addition to her professional roles, Gali serves on several advisory committees advocating for the sovereignty and self-determination of California’s Indigenous peoples and the protection of sacred landscapes. Since 2008, she has been a rotating host of Bay Native Circle on KPFA 94.1. She is also a proud mother of four children. 

Concluding Remarks

Tina Nieto:
Monterey County Sheriff

 Sheriff Tina M. Nieto has 36 years in law enforcement.  She is the first elected Latina Sheriff in the history of the State of California, and the first female sheriff for Monterey County. Sheriff Nieto served over five years as the Police Chief for the City of Marina, after spending 28.5 years with the Los Angeles Police Department.  With LAPD, she was the first female Hispanic Command Officer in their history.  Sheriff Nieto is currently a California Commission on Peace Officer Standards and Training Commissioner that certifies California law enforcement officers.  She also serves on the California Homeland Security Advisory Committee. Sheriff Nieto served eight years with the United States Army Reserve, attaining the rank of Captain.   

 Sheriff Nieto has an extensive teaching background in leadership.  She has a Master’s Degree in Leadership and Management, and a B.S. in Criminal Justice. Sheriff Nieto has also been the recipient of numerous awards both locally, nationally, and internationally for her work with diverse communities.

The Future of
Monterey County from a Female Perspective:
A Discussion with Supervisor Wendy Root Askew and Supervisor-Elect Kate Daniels

Update:
Post-Election Introductory Remarks
with
CA Dems Vice-Chair, Betty Yee

Please note: this will be held WEDNESDAY, November 13th, 6-8pm

Join the DWMC at the Hilton Garden Inn for an evening of conversation with Supervisor Wendy Root Askew and Supervisor-Elect Kate Daniels.

This will be an engaging and thought provoking event as these two powerful and dynamic women share their experiences, hopes, and visions for Monterey County.

We look forward to being with you for our last event of the year!

PLEASE NOTE: THIS EVENT IS ON A WEDNESDAY!

The DWMC is pleased to host our endorsed candidate and current Congressman, Jimmy Panetta, to our October luncheon.

Congressman Panetta will discuss key issues in Washington that impact Monterey County as well as how the Democratic Party is preparing to preserve our democracy regardless of the November 5th election outcome.

Meet & Greet with the 2024 DWMC Endorsed Candidates!

Share in an evening of wine and hors d'oeuvres with the DWMC 2024 endorsed candidates.

(More information coming once DWMC endorsed candidates are announced September 18th!)

Democracy Depends on You!!

Join Us for the
2024 Sustainability Gala

Check out and join our growing list of sponsors here!

Our sustainability gala theme this year is Democracy Depends on You! The location of our gala will be at Bayonet & Black Horse Golf Club in Seaside and will honor two incredible contributors to equity and democracy in Monterey County, Dr. Dana Kent and Chelsea Tu (read more about them below!).

This promises to again be a spectacular event!

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT IS CLOSED.

If you have any questions, contact us at info@dw-mc.org

2024 Awardees

Visionary Leader

Dr. Dana Kent

Dana Kent, M.D.  received a B.A. in philosophy from Radcliffe College/Harvard University and an R.N. degree from Hartnell College.  She returned to school at Harvard Medical School at age 34 with 2 young children.  Dana completed the residency program in Family Medicine at Natividad, where she was co-chief resident.

Dana first became involved in progressive causes in high school, in the late 1960’s.
After college and before nursing and medical schools, Dana worked for the United Farm Workers Union (UFW) for 3 years.  She met her future husband, Sen. Bill Monning (Ret.), on Gabilan Street in Salinas, CA in 1976. 

In the early 1980’s, in response to the increasing number of Salvadoran refugees and their needs, Dana co-founded the Salvadoran Medical Relief Fund.  Also in the early 1980’s, after a mass pesticide poisoning incident, Dana volunteered as an interpreter at what would become the Monterey County Pesticide Coalition. 

After finishing residency, Dana spent her clinical career as a family doctor at Natividad in Salinas and at Monterey County Health Department’s clinics in Marina and Seaside. At that time, she also worked in indigenous communities in Chiapas, Mexico during a cholera epidemic. 

Dana spent the last 10 years of her professional career at Natividad Foundation, with a focus on disease prevention in the underserved population.  She co-created and co-directed “5 Steps to Prevent Diabetes”, an evidence-based program located in community sites throughout Monterey County.  Dana was also Medical Director of Natividad’s Diabetes Education Center.

Dana and her husband Bill live in Monterey County. They have 2 adult daughters and 3 grandchildren.  Dana currently volunteers with Swing Left.

Emergent Leader

Chelsea Hsin-Feng Tu

Chelsea Hsin-Feng Tu is the Executive Director of Monterey Waterkeeper. Her vision is to ensure safe drinking water and coastal access for all communities. Previously, Ms. Tu worked as a senior attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment. She also led climate justice advocacy at Public Advocates, and worked to protect freshwater resources, curb sprawl, and reduce toxins and pesticides at the Center for Biological Diversity. Ms. Tu also teaches the Environmental Justice: Race, Class & the Environment course at the UC Berkeley School of Law.

The Democratic Women of Monterey County is dedicated to creating opportunities for Democrats to interact, participate, and educate themselves and the community about political candidates and issues. Our objective is to inspire and empower all women who will be the architects of progressive social change. In the last three years, our organization has contributed more than $150,000 to local Democratic candidates (women and men) and organizations to achieve these goals.

The DWMC is proud to be a sponsor of the Black Leaders And Allies Collaborative (BLAAC)’s 2nd Annual Race Relations Summit!

Join our Board Members, the Black Leaders And Allies Collaborative for a day of important discussions and networking opportunities focused on improving race relations throughout our community.

Come be a part of the conversation and help make a positive impact on our community.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte's Role in
Protecting Abortion Access, Care, and Democracy in 2024

In light of the upcoming 2024 election and a conservative-leaning Supreme Court, Planned Parenthood Advocates Mar Monte is addressing the challenges of providing abortion access and comprehensive healthcare. They are in the forefront of protecting democracy for all Americans.  Please join us for this important discussion with PPAMM CEO Stacy Cross.

About Our Speaker

PPAMM’s President & CEO Stacy Cross has more than 22 years of service as a Planned Parenthood CEO and 30 years in health care administration. Prior to taking the helm at PPMM, Stacy led affiliates in Montana and Oregon. Stacy is leading PPMM at a critical time in the organization’s history, protecting health care access for PPMM’s communities and patients – many of whom live at or below the federal poverty level -- even as those rights and services are under constant attack in the current political climate.

Planned Parenthood Mar Monte is the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country with 34 health centers throughout half the counties in California and northern Nevada, where they provide a broad array of healthcare. With PPMM’s extensive education, research, and advocacy programs, PPMM programs reached nearly 300,000 unique individuals.

DWMC Annual Membership Meeting and Congressional Update with Representatives Panetta and Lofgren

Join the DWMC on Monday, January 22, 2024 for our Annual Membership Meeting where we will review the accomplishments of 2023 and vote our new Board in. Following will be a panel discussion with Representatives Panetta and Lofgren.

NOTE: This meeting will be held on a Monday

Congressman Jimmy Panetta has been a strong supporter of the DWMC since he was elected in 2016. He proudly serves California’s 19th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives.  His diverse and beautiful district stretches from south San Jose in Santa Clara County, over the hills into Santa Cruz County, down the coastline of Monterey County, and into northern San Luis Obispo County.  First elected in 2016, he is serving his fourth term in Congress.  He currently serves on the House Committee on Ways and Means, the House Committee on Armed Services, and House Committee on the Budget.  He also serves as a Chief Deputy Whip in the 118th Congress. You can learn more about Congressman Panetta here

Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren has been a strong supporter of DWMC since serving Montery County in 2022. She has been a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives since 1995. She represents the 18th District of California, which serves communities in Monterey, San Benito, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz counties. She is currently the Ranking Member of the House Science, Space and Technology Committee and serves on the House Judiciary Committee. Zoe is also the elected Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation. It is the most diverse delegation in the House and outnumbers all other state House delegations. You can learn more about Congresswoman Lofgren here.

Join the DWMC for this exciting and empowering event as we hear from Monterey County Black Caucus (MCBC).

MCBC ‘s mission is to heal and empower the Black community, by providing a safe space for Monterey County residents to unpack and reflect upon current and historical issues by cultivating leadership through resident information/resource/education sessions and mentorship. MCBC also advocates for racial equity and inspiring Black culture through creative arts and honoring our Ancestors.

In this discussion, we will learn more about who MCBC is and the powerful work they are doing. We will also learn ways to participate and partner with them to create greater equity within our cities and county.

Speakers include:

Da'Ja Robinson, Black Power Building Organizer for Building Healthy Communities Monterey County, Administrative Support Coordinator with The Helen Rucker Center for Black Excellence at CSUMB, Healing Circle Facilitator for Wellness Wednesday at Seaside High School, Digital Marketing and Graphing Designer for Juneteenth Monterey County, Founding Member and Community Organizer for The Monterey County Black Caucus. 17 years of organizing, community relations and public engagement experience. Helping and supporting the youth to establish personal goals and creating action plans to help them achieve academic success. Providing resources, visibility and leadership. Organizing and advocating to combat anti-black racism, discrimination, violence and hate in the community to achieve transformational and lasting change.

Skylar Chubbs graduated in the pandemic 2020 was accepted at UC Santa Barbara where she stayed one semester before coming back home to organize during the Black Lives Matter Movement. This organizing led to Seaside City Council setting aside 1/2M $ for Community to reimagine safety. She is the Youth Organizer for Building Healthy Communities and Monterey County Black Caucus where she leads Seaside Rising Youth Leadership Academy.

Seaside native Rosalyn Green was recognized as DWMC’s 2023 Extraordinary Civic Leader. For more than 35 years, she has been a leader of activism, advocacy and organizing to end systemic racism, anti-blackness, and gender inequities. As part of the Seaside Faith-Based Community, she has been unrelenting in building partnerships and pooling resources to strengthen community and decrease economic disparities; to these ends, she founded the Monterey County Black Caucus and co-founded the Monterey County Black and Brown Solidarity Coalition. She serves as Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Director of Regional Black Power Building and Justice Reinvestment.

She was appointed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as District 4 Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights Commissioner and as an uncontested candidate to serve as Monterey Peninsula College District Trustee where she currently serves as Chair. Ms. Green is deeply vested in capacity building, youth support, leadership development, and public policy initiatives. She is Vice-Chair of the California Community College Black Caucus, Executive Education Chair for NAACP Monterey County, and is a member of several Statewide Coalitions for Education and Anti-Blackness. She also organized The Village Project, Inc., Parent Advisory Council, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) African American Parent Advisory Council and SUHSD African American Advisory Council. And she is the Board Chair of Ladies First, a mentoring program for “Girls of Color”.

Our Featured Non-Profit

Our featured nonprofit this month is Community Human Services. For over 50 years this local nonprofit has provided substance abuse treatment and prevention, mental health and homelessness services to those most in need, with a focus on women, families, and youth. Next month they are opening Shuman HeartHouse, the first shelter for homeless women and families with children in Monterey, with a free community open house on Saturday, November 4th (RSVP here). Learn more about who they serve and how you can help.

Please Join the DWMC and our Fabulous Sponsors

for

Our Annual Sustainable Feast:

20 Years of Sustaining Democracy:
It’s All About the Vote!

This promises to be a spectacular event!

Join us at
Hacienda Carmel Valley
(formerly Hacienda Hay & Feed)

SPONSOR
LEVELS

BENEFACTOR
$1500 (6-Tickets)

PARTNER
$1000 (4 -Tickets)

ADVOCATE
$750 (2-Tickets & Special Gift)

ENTHUSIAST
$500 (2-Tickets & Gift)

FRIEND
$250 (1-Ticket & Gift)

NO ONE TURNED AWAY—JOIN OUR TEAM AS A VOLUNTEER!

Sustaining Democracy: It’s All About the Vote!

VISIONARY LEADER AWARD:

Sylvia Panetta

This year, the DWMC is thrilled to honor Sylvia Panetta for her outstanding work with Monterey County Reads. Recognizing that reading contributes to young people achieving a happy and productive life as well as being a strong contributor to the prevention of unemployment, incarceration, and poverty, Mrs. Panetta founded this transformational program in 1997.  Since that time, Monterey County Reads has taught approximately 100,000 people how to read. 

Sylvia Marie Panetta is Co-Chair and CEO of The Panetta Institute for Public Policy. She and her husband, Leon, began the Institute on December 17, 1997, with a mission to encourage young people to pursue lives of public service and to bring discussion of important issues to the community. As CEO of the Panetta Institute, Mrs. Panetta oversees the day-to-day operations of all its programs and projects. She has also served as an advisor to the Chancellor of California State University since March 1997.

In 1995, Mrs. Panetta was appointed Deputy Director for Staff and Finance at the President’s Crime Prevention Council in Washington, D.C. This agency was responsible for coordinating federal programs related to youth development and crime prevention. From 1977 to 1993, she directed five Congressional district offices in the 16th (now 20th) Congressional District as a volunteer for Secretary Panetta, who represented the area for sixteen years. She directed each of his re-election campaigns from 1980 to 1992.

Mrs. Panetta actively supports the Sylvia Panetta Scholarship Fund, a grant program established in her name in 1990 at Monterey Peninsula College that helps financially disadvantaged second-year students to continue their education at a four-year educational institution. She is a past board member of the National Steinbeck Center, where she served as the Vice President for Education and Chair of the Education Committee. She is also a past board member of the Community Foundation for Monterey County and served on the board of directors for the University of California, Santa Cruz Foundation.

Mrs. Panetta’s community involvement has extended to many non-profit organizations with an interest in public education. This began in the mid 1960s when her children attended public schools in Washington, D.C., New York City, and later the Monterey Peninsula. She served on parent advisory committees including ESEA Title I and early childhood education programs. Mrs. Panetta also was the founding executive director of the Foundation to Support the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, a non-profit organization designed to promote and provide grants to programs serving children within that district.

In addition to public education, Mrs. Panetta has a particular interest in healthcare and youth development issues. In past years, she has served as honorary chair for numerous fundraising campaigns for the Hospice of the Central Coast, the Visiting Nurses Associations of Santa Cruz County and the Central Coast, the March of Dimes of the Monterey Peninsula, and the Boy Scouts of America, Monterey Peninsula. She also has taught courses in childbirth and home healthcare for the American Red Cross.

OUTSTANDING DEMOCRATIC LEGISLATOR:

Senator Anna M. Caballero

Serving her second term as a California Senator, Senator Anna M. Caballero is a woman of firsts. The first female Mayor elected in the City of Salinas. The first Latina elected to represent the 28th Assembly District in 2006. In 2011, she served as the Secretary of the Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency under Gov. Brown. Caballero’s responsibility as Secretary included the oversight of departments charged with funding affordable housing, civil rights enforcement, banking and financial transactions, consumer protection, and the licensing of three million working professionals.

A graduate of UCLA law school and UC San Diego, Caballero has dedicated her professional life to families in rural California, first representing farm workers as an attorney for California Rural Legal Assistance. She empowers working families and creates opportunities for them and their children to be successful.

Prior to her election to the Assembly, Caballero established a non-profit organization dedicated to youth violence prevention which helped parents and youth develop stronger family bonds and encouraged healthy behavior including supporting literacy, youth employment and high school dropout prevention strategies.

EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Dr. Laura Solorio

Laura Solorio was born and raised in Hollister and has lived in Salinas for more than 30 years. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Stanford University and received her medical degree from University of California, San Francisco.  Her 30-year career as an Internal Medicine physician has included Director of Intensive Care Unit, Chief of Internal Medicine and Medical Director of the Monterey County Health Department Clinics.  In 1993, Laura was named an Outstanding Woman of Monterey County by the Monterey County Commission on the Status of Women and was named a Distinguished Fellow of CSUMB in the area of health.  She has served on the Boards of the Community Foundation for Monterey County and the Center for Community Advocacy, a Salinas based organization which helps farmworkers improve their health and living conditions.  Dr. Solorio currently sits on the Board of Directors for the Elkhorn Slough Foundation and is President of Protect Monterey County (the organization which passed Measure Z in 2016 (no fracking, no wastewater injection and no new oil wells). Hiking and gardening are her favorite pastimes.

EXTRAORDINARY COMMUNITY SERVICE:

Tanya Kosta

Tanya Kosta is the founder of ALL IN Monterey, a 100% volunteer organization that provides immediate relief to ever-unfolding community needs. Whether it’s continuing to operate their weekly food drive and clothing donation center at Seaside High School, delivering essentials daily to neighbors without means of transportation, setting up Holiday drive thru events or even COVID-19 vaccination clinics, Tanya and her team are bringing hope, smiles, and rescue to families in our 831 area. With partnerships like the Food Bank for Monterey County and the Monterey Peninsula Unified School District, as well as local family businesses like English Ales brewery in Marina, ALL IN is showing what positive local change can occur when a Central CA community rises to support itself. (bio from: KION News)

EXTRAORDINARY CIVIC LEADER:

Rosalyn Green

Seaside native Rosalyn Green has, for more than 35 years, been a leader of activism, advocacy and organizing to end systemic racism, anti-blackness, and gender inequities. As part of the Seaside Faith-Based Community, she has been unrelenting in building partnerships and pooling resources to strengthen community and decrease economic disparities; to these ends, she founded the Monterey County Black Caucus and co-founded the Monterey County Black and Brown Solidarity Coalition. She serves as Building Healthy Communities (BHC) Director of Regional Black Power Building and Justice Reinvestment.

She was appointed by the Monterey County Board of Supervisors as District 4 Equal Opportunity and Civil Rights Commissioner and as an uncontested candidate to serve as Monterey Peninsula College District Trustee where she currently serves as Chair. Ms. Green is deeply vested in capacity building, youth support, leadership development, and public policy initiatives. She is Vice-Chair of the California Community College Black Caucus, Executive Education Chair for NAACP Monterey County, and is a member of several Statewide Coalitions for Education and Anti-Blackness. She also organized The Village Project, Inc., Parent Advisory Council, Monterey Peninsula Unified School District (MPUSD) African American Parent Advisory Council and SUHSD African American Advisory Council. And she is the Board Chair of Ladies First, a mentoring program for “Girls of Color”.

BLACK AUGUST:
Reflect, Study, Honor and Take Action on African American Community Priorities in the U.S.

Acknowledgment and commemoration of the countless organizers, activists, and freedom fighters who sacrificed their freedom and lives in the struggle for Black Liberation.

This is a call for reflection, study, and action to promote Black Liberation. Let’s come together to take a deep dive on our African American community priorities throughout the county.

Join us on Thursday, August 31st from 6:00pm to 8:00pm in the Community Center at Soper Field for a dinner and discussion hosted by @montereycountyblackcaucus.

Can’t wait to see you there! #BlackAugust #MontereyCounty

As climate change and atmospheric rivers bring flooding, wind storms, and power outages to the Central Coast, Monterey County must prepare for an ongoing shift in our communities. This includes being faced with significant social and economic impacts including displaced populations.

Please Join County Supervisor (District 2) Glenn Church and County Supervisor (District 5) Mary Adams for an important discussion about the ways in which Climate Change and Atmospheric Rivers are impacting our county—especially the area of San Ardo, and the Pajaro, Salinas, and Carmel Rivers—and how our leadership is working to address these challenges.

Also… please stay tuned! We will soon be announcing our highlighted not-for-profit.

Please join the DWMC on June 29th for this important conversation on Intersections of Sustainability and Social Justice: a Global and Local Issue with Lacey Raak.

This luncheon will be especially heart warming and exciting, as we will be honoring Former County Supervisor, Jane Parker for her outstanding contributions to Monterey County.

Honoring
Former County Supervisor
Jane Parker

Former Monterey County Supervisor Jane Parker, served the Fourth District between 2009 and 2020.  During her successful tenure, she implemented key environmental protections, spurred economic development and local job creation programs, and increased the availability of crime and gang violence prevention resources.  Additionally, Jane Parker's leadership resulted in fundamental changes, notably increased transparency and accountability, in the culture of County government.

Jane Parker has been a strong advocate for progressive values rooted in social and economic justice over the course of her entire career. Of paramount importance for her has always been the advancement of women, both in and out of government. Under her leadership, Monterey County became one of four counties in the state to claim a progressive Lactation Accommodation policy for its employees. Prior serving as an elected official, Jane worked as Associate Director of the ACTION Council of Monterey County where she focused on improving the quality of life for residents including developing affordable housing solutions, re-designing the Child Welfare System, and developing a strong financial base of support for Girls Inc. of the Central Coast. Before joining the ACTION Council, Jane served as Vice President of Development for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte.

Today, Jane Parker continues to encourage and support socially progressive community and elected leaders. 

It is our great honor to acknowledge Jane Parker for her outstanding work to advance women and promote a world rooted in care and well-being.

Intersections of Sustainability and Social Justice:
A Global and Local Issue

Throughout her career, Lacey has worked in the field of sustainability and environmental policy. First, as a U.S. Department of State Intern on international sustainable development in Washington, D. C., and later in Indonesia, where she was a Fulbright Scholar researching regional implementation of the National Sustainable Development Strategy.

Following her work at the City of Monterey, where she helped to develop the City’s first Climate Action Plan, Lacey started her career in higher education.  She served as the University of California at Santa Cruz’s first Climate Action Manager and later became the Director of Sustainability for the campus. In 2016, Lacey continued her career becoming the first Sustainability Director at California State University, Monterey Bay. At CSUMB Lacey supported the evolution of sustainability from a facilities-focused, expert-oriented field to “Inclusive Sustainability”, as coined by faculty and staff at UCSC. Inclusive Sustainability focuses on improving the environment and the lives of those living within it regardless of income, class or identity. In fact, it seeks to promote all unique cultural and ethnic traditions that support, respect and provide stewardship for the earth and its resources. She also served as founding Chair of the City of Seaside Environmental Commission until 2022, helping to pass a plastics ordinace designed to also support small local businesses.

Lacey holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Minnesota, where she majored in Global Studies with a minor in Journalism and Mass Communication, and a Master of Arts from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies in International Environmental Policy. She has two young kids and enjoys Saturdays at the Seaside Park work days.

This Month’s Highlighted Not-for-Profit:

Regeneración Pajaro Valley

Regeneración was founded in early 2016 through a series of conversations with community leaders. These conversations illuminated the need for a climate justice organization in Watsonville; Regeneración has emerged to address this need. Regeneración was founded on the principle that climate change is a social justice issue with local impacts and must be engaged with on a local level in order to build resilient communities.  Regeneración amplifies the voices of the people most affected by climate change in the Pajaro Valley by conducting research, holding public events, and hosting webinars/online forums with the purpose of educating the general public. Learn more about Regeneración Pajaro Valley here.

A short Presentation about Regeneración Pajaro Valley will be given by Maria Perez.

Maria Perez was born in Salvatierra, Guanajuato, Mexico and immigrated to the United States when she was 11 years old.  She obtained her Bachelors of Science in Conservation and Resource Studies from the U.C. Berkeley with a focus on climate and energy policy. Maria has been involved in multiple environmental educational programs around Watsonville and was a founding member of Regeneración while in High School. Recently she joined the Commision for the Environment for Santa Cruz County. Hoping to continue advocating for community-centered climate solutions, Maria currently serves as the Community Organizer for Regeneración Pajaro Valley.

Bring your lawn chairs and blankets! Join the Monterey County Black Caucus for this upcoming National Event in celebration of Black Businesses, speakers, music, entertainment and so much more! Food vendors with delicious food and drink as well as a “kid zone” will be there too.

Professor Angie Ngọc Trần teaches political economy and global studies at CSU Monterey Bay since 1996. She was born and raised in Vietnam, from which she escaped by boat at seventeen. An activist scholar, she has been publishing on transnational labor migration and resistance in Vietnam and Malaysia, and researching on Mexico and the US, using fieldwork interviews with migrant workers, workers’ families, labor unions, journalists, government and corporations.  

Her 2022 book, Ethnic Dissent and Empowerment: Economic Migration between Vietnam and Malaysia, looks at the plight and fight of five ethnic groups from Vietnam sent to Malaysia by the Vietnamese Labor Brokerage State. Her articles on Vietnamese domestic workers in Saudi Arabia exposed appalling working and living conditions that migrants faced in Saudi homes and how they overcame the exploitation of the bilateral labor agreement, exacerbated during Covid-19.

Dr. Tran has been awarded a Russell Sage Foundation grant to research on the precarities of Mexican migrant workers working in California under the US H-2A visa program, and how they utilize their networks to improve their lives.

Locally, she is active in the California Faculty Association at CSUMB, and co-founded the Coalition for Asian Justice for Asian and Asian-American rights. 

Please note: scholarships are available. If you are interested, please contact us.

Join the DWMC for a discussion with Chelsea Tu about environmental justice and water issues.

Chelsea Hsin-Feng Tu is the Executive Director of Monterey Waterkeeper where she works to ensure safe drinking water and access to clean water for all communities. Chelsea also teaches Environmental Justice: Race, Class, and the Environment at the University of California Berkeley School of Law.

Previously, Chelsea worked as a senior attorney at the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment (CRPE), where she advocated for sustainable land use and infrastructure investments in low-income communities and communities of color. She also led statewide climate justice advocacy at Public Advocates, and worked to protect freshwater resources, curb sprawl, and reduce toxins and pesticides at the Center for Biological Diversity. Ms. Tu received her law degree from the American University Washington College of Law and completed her undergraduate work in environmental sciences at the University of California, Berkeley. Chelsea lives in Seaside and enjoys kayaking, diving, and backpacking.

Join
Planned Parenthood Mar Monte's

Meghan Macaluso,
Chief Development Officer
and
Dianna Zamora-Marroquin,
Director of Public Affairs

for a conversation about
Abortion in Post-Roe America.

Meghan Macaluso is a charitable and political fundraiser who has worked for 20 years at leading California nonprofit organizations. She has served in fundraising and leadership positions at United Way of the Bay Area, Save The Bay, and NARAL Pro-Choice America, and currently serves as Chief Development Officer for Planned Parenthood Mar Monte – the largest Planned Parenthood affiliate in the country, which operates two health centers in Monterey County.

Meghan is a graduate of Emerge California and volunteers her time advising people, organizations, and campaigns on how to effectively fundraise in competitive and rapidly changing environments. In 2015, Meghan was namedChampion of Choice by NARAL Pro-Choice California, and in 2020 she was named Oakland City Council District 4 Local Hero by Councilmember Sheng Thao.

Meghan currently serves on the Board of Directors for MEarth and lives in Carmel Valley with her family.

Dianna Zamora-Marroquin is a seasoned communications and political staff operative with a demonstrated history of working in government and the civic organization industry. She has extensive experience in the creation and implementation of bilingual, innovative public relations campaigns, public policy, messaging, and digital media programs.

Skilled in crisis communications, government, policy development, event management, and media relations, Dianna is accustomed to working in a fast-paced environment with multiple objectives and initiatives requiring internal and external collaborative solutions. Dianna possess a proven ability to manage, lead, and direct a team of individuals to accomplish goals on behalf of an organization. She currently serves as Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s Director of Public Affairs.