Commission

Tanisha Saunders is a passionate advocate guided by curiosity and a desire to empower others to be the change they wish to see in this world. Born and raised in Compton ,CA she has overcome facets of adversity such as foster care, homelessness and gun violence. She graduated from Los Angeles Pierce College with an AA in Child Development in 2016 and earned her Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development from California State University, Dominguez Hills in 2018. Tanisha most recently graduated from the Los Angeles African American Women's Public Policy Institute in 2023.

Tanisha is a community advocate who uses her skills to empower others while advocating locally, statewide and nationally around issues of homelessness and child welfare. Her advocacy efforts have been featured in Cosmopolitan Magazine, Teen Vogue, Spectrum News: In Focus, Dominguez Hills Today Magazine, and other media outlets. Tanisha has worked as a community organizer with the National Foster Youth Institute, a servant leader with the Children's Defense Fund, and served as a Foster Youth Voice Representative for the Los Angeles County Office of Education. She completed fellowships in LA City Council and the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority focusing with a focus on ending homelessness through community capacity building.

Tanisha has worked as a housing service provider since 2019 gaining firsthand knowledge of the work to end homelessness from the perspective of those on the frontlines of homeless services. In her current role as a Resident Manager for a Permanent Supportive Housing building in Venice, CA, she uses her education and lived experience to contribute to ending homelessness. As a LAHSA commissioner, she continues to utilize her knowledge and experience to champion transformational solutions to end the homeless crisis in Los Angeles.

Supervisor Lindsey P. Horvath is the youngest-ever Chair of the Board of Supervisors and is focused on bringing young and marginalized voices into the work of the County. She is the first millennial, and currently the only renter to serve on the Board, bringing a much-needed perspective to Los Angeles County leadership.

Upon taking office in December 2022, she authored LA County's homelessness emergency declaration, bringing added urgency and transparency to the region's homelessness response. Supervisor Horvath also appointed herself to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) Commission, where she now serves as Chair, to focus accountability and transparency on the use of resources to address the emergency.

A member of the Metro Board of Directors and Vice Chair of Clean Power Alliance, she is also a longtime champion for transportation, environmental sustainability and justice, and women's and LGBTQ+ rights.

She previously served as Councilmember and the longest consecutively serving Mayor of West Hollywood.

Wendy Gruel was appointed by Mayor Eric Garcetti to the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority Commission in 2015.

A working mom and lifelong Angeleno, Wendy Greuel attended LA public schools and graduated from UCLA. Wendy started her career in public service working for former Mayor Tom Bradley on a wide range of public policy issues including child care, senior care homelessness, housing, public health and education. She helped lead the fight to combat HIV and AIDS, establishing the first city/county AIDS task force and ensuring that the L.A. Gay and Lesbian Community Services Center remained open at a time when closure was threatened.

She served in President Clinton's administration as the Deputy Director of the Interagency Council on Homelessness and later as the Southern California Regional Director at the Department of Housing and Urban Development.

She worked for five years in the film industry as an executive at DreamWorks SKG leading efforts to fight piracy, protect intellectual property rights and pass strong incentives to stem runaway production, keeping these quality jobs in Los Angeles.

Wendy was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 2002 and quickly developed an impressive record of accomplishment by creating jobs, preserving open space and reducing traffic congestion.

In 2009, Wendy was elected City Controller, becoming only the second woman in LA's history elected to citywide office. As Controller, she brought a laser focus to examining government finances ensuring our taxpayer dollars were spent efficiently and greater transparency to government.

In 2013, Wendy was engaged by the Orange County Discovery Science Center to help open a new facility in the San Fernando Valley. Discovery Cube LA will be the first major museum in the area and will focus on four core initiatives: STEM proficiency, early learning, healthy living and environmental sustainability.

Throughout her career, Wendy has gained a reputation as a consensus builder, a passionate advocate and a tough fiscal watchdog.

Wendy and her husband Dean are the proud parents of Thomas, who attends public school.

Diego Rodrigues is a dedicated nonprofit executive and behavioral health specialist with two decades of experience in social services, including 17 years of clinical practice. He earned his M.A. in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University in 2008 and has since devoted his career to advancing community wellness, equity, and integrated systems of care that uplift vulnerable populations across Los Angeles County.

As Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of Alma Family Services, Diego has overseen the expansion of behavioral health clinics, child-abuse prevention and youth development programs, while leading rent control, housing assistance, and case management initiatives that support individuals and families experiencing homelessness, trauma, and mental health challenges. His leadership emphasizes collaboration, accountability, and culturally responsive approaches that build sustainable community capacity.

Since 2020, Diego has served as a Los Angeles County Public Health Commissioner representing the First Supervisorial District, where his leadership has been pivotal in major humanitarian and public health efforts. He coordinated Alma's Case Management Team at Camp Hope, the Federal Family Reunification site at the Pomona Fairplex, which supported the reunification of over 8,000 children with their families. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he directed Alma's vaccination clinics, food and essential-needs distributions, and other community recovery initiatives, leveraging partnerships with healthcare providers, schools, and faith-based organizations.

A licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Ph.D. Candidate in Public Administration (expected completion in 2026), Diego was recognized as one of the First District's Latino Leaders of the Year in 2024 and has received multiple commendations from the City and County of Los Angeles for his contributions to community wellness. Drawing from his experience, he remains deeply committed to advancing compassionate, inclusive, and community-centered solutions to homelessness and related public health challenges. Together with his wife, Yvette Rodrigues, he volunteers extensively in initiatives addressing the needs of unhoused community members throughout Los Angeles County.

Charlie Stringer is a Managing Director and Investment Committee member at RRG Capital Management (RRG), a Los Angeles–based natural capital investment firm and Certified B Corporation, ImpactAssets 50 member, and signatory to the UN Principles for Responsible Investment. He has more than two decades of experience sourcing, structuring, and managing investments and partnerships that align environmental and community outcomes with strong financial returns and rigorous governance standards.

Before joining RRG, Mr. Stringer worked as a commercial litigator at a major Seattle law firm, an enforcement attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and senior legal counsel and natural resources policy advisor to more than 20 American Indian tribes. He has served on numerous public, private, and nonprofit boards, including in roles requiring fiduciary and regulatory oversight and cross sector leadership. His 35 year career spans local, regional, and international jurisdictions, and has focused on building durable collaborations that translate policy and financial objectives into measurable, on the ground results.

Mr. Stringer holds an M.P.A. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government, a J.D. from the University of Minnesota Law School, and a B.A. from Gustavus Adolphus College.

Amy Perkins, MSW, is the Senior Housing and Homelessness Deputy for LA County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, supporting the Supervisor's policies to address the region's homelessness crisis and create more affordable housing.

Amy joined the Supervisor's office after directing the Los Angeles continuum's Housing Central Command (HCC), a robust cross-agency collaboration committed to streamlining the rehousing process and maximizing utilization of the Permanent Supportive Housing inventory and federal and local grants. Before her work on HCC, Amy worked as the Director of Interim Housing Strategies for the Office of Mayor Garcetti, overseeing the benchmark A Bridge Home initiative and working to identify innovative interim housing solutions. Amy came to the city from LAHSA, where she was the Associate Director of the Access & Engagement Department, overseeing the training and development of over 100 street outreach workers and aligning the department's operations and strategic vision.

Amy was a founding representative at the city's Unified Homelessness Response Center, where she worked to help develop relationships and align the missions of multiple agencies engaged in coordinated efforts to end homelessness. Prior to her work at LAHSA, Amy was the Director of Strategic Partnerships and oversaw Housing Navigation programs in the San Fernando Valley at LA Family Housing, one of the largest comprehensive real estate developers and homeless service providers in Los Angeles.

With a background in both domestic violence services and the adoption and foster care systems, Amy understands how the intersection of trauma, environment, and oppression can impact the lives of marginalized communities.

Amy is a proud resident of LA County's Third Supervisorial District and the City of Los Angeles. She lives in Van Nuys with her husband, two daughters, and three little pups.

Amber is a lifelong Angeleno, business owner, mother of two — and the proud daughter of immigrants from Pakistan and England.

She is the chief impact officer and owner at Sheikh/Impact, a social-sector consulting firm where she and her incredible team work to raise the capacity of nonprofit organizations solving the toughest issues facing California communities — including justice reform, income inequality and access to healthcare. Prior to this, Amber spent 10 years in homeless services and urban poverty alleviation with organizations such as the Downtown Women's Center, Children Today in Long Beach and Indcare Trust in Delhi, India.

Advocating for our neighbors experiencing homelessness is Amber's bedrock. Along with an ongoing dedication to street-level outreach and direct advocacy, in 2017 she helped build the first council district-wide homeless coalition, the CD15 Working Group on Homelessness. This group has been credited with paving the way for thousands of housing units and shifting community culture around homelessness.

In 2019 Amber was chosen as LA City Council District 15's Woman of the Year for her work on homelessness. Amber currently serves as a board member of Social Justice Partners LA, Abode Community Housing and Maternal Mental Health Now. She also proudly serves on the Harbor Connects board and Providence South Bay Mission and Community Health Committee, lending her expertise to direct intentional philanthropy throughout vSouth LA.

She is most in her element when educating kindergarten classes, various faith-based congregations, or dinner party companions on the nuts and bolts of homelessness — while imparting her contagious optimism that we can solve this crisis. She firmly believes by doing so, we can impact every other challenging issue our society faces.

Yasmine-Imani McMorrin is an attorney, advocate and mom.

McMorrin was elected as Councilmember in Culver City in November 2020 and currently serves as Vice Mayor. She is the first Black woman to serve in both capacities. She previously served as Vice Chair of Culver City's General Plan Advisory Committee and now sits on various Ad Hoc committees of the city Council including Education, Housing and Homelessness, and Sustainability, among others.

McMorrin previously worked for The City University of NY, Essex County Community College, and University of Southern California Gould School of Law. She has also organized parents with the Culver City Community of Color Collective and LA Parents Empowered Conference.

McMorrin proudly serves on the board of Civic Well and Clean Power Alliance. She is a graduate of the Los Angeles African American Women's Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPPI) and New Leaders Council-Los Angeles. McMorrin earned a J.D. from Rutgers School of Law and B.A. in Economics from Spelman College. She is admitted to the New York Bar.

Justin Szlasa is a hands-on executive with 25+ years of experience in technology, finance, accounting, marketing, media, and board service/corporate governance. He currently serves as Director of Homeless Initiatives at Future Communities Institute, a DTLA non-profit "action-tank" that is working to solve some of society's toughest challenges. Justin is a long-time outreach volunteer, former board member, and treasurer of SELAH Neighborhood Homeless Coalition where he served a twelve-month term as Transitional Executive Director. As SELAH's first full-time staff member, Justin established a sustainable operational infrastructure for the organization. Justin previously served as the COO of AZA Battery and currently serves on the AZA Board. He has made two feature documentaries and built two startups at the intersection of media and technology. Justin bootstrapped his first company, which built websites and software for large law firms. Justin earned a bachelor's degree in international relations from Johns Hopkins and a master's degree in international economic policy from Columbia University. He lives with his family in Los Feliz and hikes Griffith every morning.

Karen Bass is the 43rd Mayor of Los Angeles and the first woman and second African American to be elected as the city's chief executive. With an agenda focused on bringing urgency, accountability, and a new direction to Los Angeles, she has started her term with a focus on housing people immediately and increasing safety and opportunity in every part of Los Angeles.

A daughter of our city, Mayor Bass was raised with her three brothers in the Venice/Fairfax neighborhood and is a proud graduate of Hamilton High School. After serving as a front-line healthcare provider as a nurse and as a Physician Assistant, Mayor Bass founded the Community Coalition to organize the predominantly Black and Latino residents of South L.A. against substance abuse, poverty and crime, and to pioneer strategies to address the root causes behind the challenges faced by underserved neighborhoods.

She then went on to represent Los Angeles in the State Assembly and was elected by her peers to serve as Speaker, making her the first African American woman to ever lead a state legislative body in the history of the United States. Her time in leadership intersected with the Great Recession, and she was honored with the John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award for reaching across party lines and making tough decisions to keep the state from bankruptcy while protecting vital services.

While representing Los Angeles and Culver City in Congress, Mayor Bass helped protect small businesses during the pandemic, created policy to drive local jobs from federal infrastructure funding, and led the passage of what the Los Angeles Times called "the most significant child welfare policy reform in decades."

Mayor Bass earned her bachelor's degree in health sciences from CSU Dominguez Hills before graduating from the USC Keck School of Medicine Physician Assistant Program and earning her masters degree in social work from USC.

Mayor Bass's oldest daughter Emilia planned to follow in her mother's footsteps working for social change. The Mayor continues to be inspired by Emilia and her son-in-law Michael's passion for life. She has three other children, Scythia, Omar and Yvette, and two grandchildren, Michael and Henry, who live in the Los Angeles area.

Stephanie Graves is a Los Angeles native whose leadership philosophy blends data‐driven strategies, innovative solutions, and a deep commitment to community. Since 2013, she has served as CEO of Lee Andrews Group, an award‐winning public relations firm headquartered in downtown Los Angeles with over 60 employees. Under her leadership, the firm has achieved steady year‐over‐year growth by leveraging clear KPIs and establishing itself as the go‐to Los Angeles partner for delivering impactful results across public, private, and nonprofit sectors.

She has led strategic planning, communications, and interagency coordination for many of the region's most significant public infrastructure, housing, and transportation projects—often deploying cutting‐edge project management platforms to ensure accountability, transparent reporting, and seamless stakeholder engagement. By uniting government agencies, community organizations, and private enterprises, she has fostered partnerships that break down silos, streamline resources, and produce transformative solutions.

A longtime advocate for the vibrancy of Downtown Los Angeles, Ms. Graves has also been a dedicated proponent for regional business advancement through her service on the boards of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Central City Association of Los Angeles (where she served as Chair), Los Angeles Business Council, LAEDC, Global LA, and the Steinberg Institute. In her current role as Chair of the Steinberg Institute—a prominent think tank based in Sacramento—she helps shape and advance public policy aimed at improving mental health and substance abuse treatment statewide. Drawing on her legal training (USC undergraduate and JD), she champions thoughtful, results‐oriented legislation that directly benefits some of California's most vulnerable populations.