Commissioners

JEFFREY J. PENICHET

As a business owner and longtime board member for multiple non-profit organizations and previous commission appointments, he is experienced in organizational management, quality effectiveness analysis, policy development, financial statement evaluation, and investment recommendations.

He founded, managed and grew from a start-up to a medium sized business entity Bilingual Educational Services, Inc. Over time, he developed systems for producing and publishing education materials; moved from manual records to computerization with specialized software; analyzed financial growth and contained labor and production costs; and, developed organizational structures for a 65,000 square foot storage and distribution warehouse.

As a Commissioner for the Los Angeles City Employee Retirement System for four years, he helped evaluate and recommend investments for a $14 billion portfolio in several investment categories including stocks and private equity.

He is a long time Board Member of the Mexican American Opportunity Foundation (MAOF), an organization that provides preschool and family services to over 100,000 clients annually. The organization has expanded its budget from $20 million to $87 million. For the last five years, he has been serving as Chairperson of Properties, Inc., supervising the acquisition of two buildings and increasing income substantially for the parent organization.

Penichet holds a Masters of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), and a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington.

NANCY G. HARRIS

Nancy G. Harris is a mortgage broker with ten years experience in mortgage lending industry. She previously held the positions of Regional Vice President, Corporate Trainer, and Loan Originator with Home Savings of America. Ms. Harris is currently a Board member of the West Angeles Community Development Corporation, member of The New Leaders Organization, affiliate member of the Consolidated Realty Board, and arbitrator for the NASD.

J. SHAWN LANDRES, Ph.D.

Connecting people, ideas, and resources, Shawn Landres, PhD, has earned international recognition for his leadership in social innovation. A widely published essayist and editor whose work has been featured by the White House and covered by TIME, the Wall Street Journal, and The New York Times, he is co-founder and Board co-chair of Jumpstart Labs, a philanthropic research and design consultancy.

A Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs, Landres is a City of Santa Monica Planning Commissioner and an appointee to the Santa Monica-Malibu Unified School District Financial Oversight Committee. He is a former chair of the City of Santa Monica Social Services Commission.

Landres brings to the Commission more than two decades of experience in academic, nonprofit, and philanthropic leadership, social entrepreneurship, network building, and organizational development, including the Clinton Administration's Reinventing Government initiative and projects funded by the U.S. State Department and the British government.

In 2015, Landres led the Commission’s Strategic Plan Update and shepherded its “Digital by Default” report; he also chaired the Santa Monica Public Library's Innovation Technology Task Force. In 2016, he co-authored the UCLA/California Community Foundation report, “The Generosity Gap: Donating Less in Post-Recession Los Angeles County.” In 2017, he co-authored co-authored the Future of Cities LA/USC Huntington Institute report, “Space to Lead: A Century of Civic Leadership in Los Angeles."

A Los Angeles native who grew up in Santa Monica, where he now lives with his wife and two young daughters, Landres holds degrees from Columbia University (BA cum laude, religion), the University of Oxford (MSt with distinction, social anthropology), and the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he earned a PhD in religious studies. He has co-edited four books and published award-winning articles and essays that advance intergroup understanding.

In 2013, the Liberty Hill Foundation honored him with its NextGen Leadership Award. He was a 2015-16 California Connections Fellow of the Southern California Leadership Network, which in 2017 selected him as a 30th anniversary “30-in-30” alumni honoree.

An active partner in early-stage ventures and social enterprises, Landres serves on the board of managers of Hub Los Angeles, and has advised Tala, The Mother Company, and TherOzone. He is a member of the Board of Directors of the Human Relations Council—Santa Monica Bay Area. Other advisory commitments include the Southern California Grantmakers Public Policy Committee, NEXUS, and the Liberty Hill Foundation. Landres, whom the Forward recognized in 2009 as one of America's 50 most influential Jewish leaders in 2009, also serves on the Jewish Federation’s ChangeMaker Challenge Steering Committee.

CLAIRE PEEPS

In her role as the Durfee Foundation’s executive leader, Claire is responsible for conceiving, shaping and implementing the foundation’s programs, working in close association with a board of directors and staff.

The Durfee Foundation is a family foundation that invests in people and possibilities in Los Angeles. With annual giving of about $3 million, the foundation is best known for its work in leadership development, community building and civic problem solving in Southern California through four cornerstone programs: 1) the Durfee Sabbatical program, which offers capacity building and renewal to nonprofit organizations and has supported more than 100 leaders in Los Angeles during the past 20 years; 2) the Stanton Fellowships, which support accomplished leaders in the public, private and nonprofit sectors to ease out solutions to problems that face the future of Los Angeles; 3) the Springboard Fund, which provides seed funding to new grassroots ventures that are testing innovative strategies toward a community need; and 4) Ignite LA, a program that seeks to stimulate student curiosity and interest in science through field research.

Claire is recognized for her progressive leadership in both the philanthropic and nonprofit sectors. She has served as the Chair of Southern California Grantmakers, Chair of Grantmakers in the Arts, President of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, Vice Chair of the California Council for the Humanities, and is a Senior Fellow of the Luskin School of Public Policy at UCLA. She is an adjunct professor at USC’s Price School of Public Policy, where she was named Outstanding Faculty in 2016. In 2015, she received the Award for Excellence in Leadership from the Joint Affinity Groups for her mentorship through Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy.

Prior to joining Durfee, Claire was the associate director of the Los Angeles Festival, an international arts festival led by Peter Sellars; the publisher of High Performance Magazine; and the director of education at The Friends of Photography/The Ansel Adams Center. Her book, Activists Speak Out, was published by St. Martins Press in 2001. Her writing has appeared in Zocalo, Time, Saturday Evening Post, the Getty Iris and Good Magazine.

JACKI BACHARACH

Jacki Bacharach served for 14 years as Mayor and Councilmember in the City of Rancho Palos Verdes and on the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission (a predecessor agency to the LACMTA) for 12 years. On the Commission, she chaired the overall Planning Committee, the Rail Construction and Planning Committees as well as the full Commission. She led the committees through the development of the overall rail plan for L.A. County and oversaw the construction of the Metro Blue and Green Lines.

Since 1985 she has been a member of the Los Angeles-San Diego Rail Corridor Agency overseeing and improving L.A.-San Diego Amtrak service representing LACMTA serving as the Vice Chair which she remained until the end of 2012 when her appointment ended.

Jacki Bacharach was a charter member of the Alameda Corridor Transportation Authority dealing with landside access to the Ports of LA and Long Beach and served as Founding Chair of the Southern California Regional Rail Authority - the five-county agency that operates the Metrolink commuter rail system.

She served on the State Commission on Local Governance for the 21st Century and as a member of the National Commission on Intermodal Transportation as well as serving as a member of President Clinton’s Transition Team Transportation Cluster Group. In both of these positions, she was the only member from California.

Her first job after graduating from UCLA was as a social worker for L.A. County Department of Social Services.

MAXWELL BILLIEON

Maxwell Billieon is the CEO of The Billieon Group. His professional experience includes executive business development of branded intellectual properties with an emphasis on the specialty markets of commercial land development, residential real estate development, entertainment multi-media, textile manufacturing, crypto-currency mining and luxury lifestyle goods development, manufacturing and distribution. He is a best-selling author and globally requested professional speaker with expertise in Generation X, socio-politics and business entrepreneurship. He is the recipient of a Gold Seal commendation from the City of Los Angeles and is a respected national television and radio host and multi-media personality.

VIGGO BUTLER

Viggo Butler brings many successful years of experience as an airport executive, where he was President of Lockheed Air Terminal, Inc. and Corporate Vice President of Lockheed Corporation. He is currently Chairman of United Airports, Limited, Inc., a privately held company specializing in privatization of businesses and airport operations and security. Previously he held the position of Chairman of Avicom International.

He is known internationally for his expertise in privatization of government enterprises, international financing transactions, airport operations, security, finance, and airline services. Mr. Butler has testified before the U.S. Congress and British Parliament, and has spoken at forums around the world, including the World Economic Forum.

Also active in the community, he serves on the Boards of Pepperdine University, Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation, and the Business Advisory Board of the Reason Foundation. Viggo was honored as the distinguished graduate of the Pepperdine Business School as well as California Polytechnic University. He earned his undergraduate BA in Business from California Polytechnic University, Pomona, and his MBA at Pepperdine University.

E. SCOTT PALMER

Scott Palmer is an experienced business lawyer and the founder of the Law Office of E. Scott Palmer. Previously, he was a partner in the law firms of Palmer, Lombardi & Donohue, and Keesal, Young & Logan. Mr. Palmer has received Martindale Hubbell’s AV preeminent rating, a testament to the fact that his peers rank him at the highest level of professional excellence.

He has been identified as a Southern California Super Lawyer every year since 2009. In addition to being appointed on the Quality and Productivity Commission by Supervisor Kathryn Barger, he proudly serves on the Board of Directors of the Pacific Battleship Foundation, which operates the USS IOWA in the port of Los Angeles.

Mr. Palmer is a graduate of the Haas School of Business at the University of California Berkeley (B.S.), and the Gould School of Law at the University of Southern California (J.D.).

ANDRES CUERVO
RODNEY C. GIBSON, Ph.D.
EVELYN GUTIERREZ

HUASHA L. LIU
EDWARD McINTYRE
WILL WRIGHT

ANDRES CUERVO

Andrés Cuervo is part of the leadership team of the Vice Chancellor of External Affairs at UCLA, where he serves as Director of Operations and Strategic Partnerships to help oversee the planning, budget, and execution of UCLA's centennial. Andrés formerly served as Director of UCLA Tech + Innovation, an initiative to engage the tech sector, foster innovation, address inequity in the tech talent pipeline, and communicate the latest scientific breakthroughs from the university to the public in new and compelling ways. In this role, Andres coordinated collaborations and projects such as the launch of the University's first innovation portal, the UCLA Tech Talk Series, Bruin Code Summer Academy with Urban TxT, the autonomous vehicle working group, and the Luskin Automated Robot Assistant.

Prior to UCLA Tech + Innovation, Andrés managed marketing and communications for UCLA’s Graduate School of Education & Information Studies, where he led the rebranding of the school, as well as the launch of seven new websites, an online magazine, and a newsletter recognized by the Council for the Advancement & Support of Education. Before joining UCLA, Andres coordinated education and workforce development programs for the Riverside Chambers of Commerce, including the Small Business Resource Expo, the Business Education Partnership Council, and the Riverside College & Career Fair.

Andrés earned his B.A. in Political Science with a minor in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside. There, he co-authored the Green Campus Action Plan, the university’s first student-led referendum to reduce campus waste and dependence on CO2. Andrés currently serves as Commissioner on the Los Angeles County's Quality and Productivity Commission and was recognized by Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas and the Empowerment Congress as one of 40 under 40 leaders in Los Angeles. He serves on the boards of Out in Tech L.A. and New Leaders Council L.A., and recently completed his two-year term as Vice President of the Palms Neighborhood Council.

[Top]

RODNEY C. GIBSON, Ph.D.

EDUCATION
University of California, Los Angeles - Ph.D. - Electrical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles – M.S - Electrical Engineering
University of California, Davis, B.S. - Electrical Engineering
Other - Defense Systems Management College Course for Industry, Brookings Institute Course on Public Policy for Acquisition Professionals, Leadership at the Peak, Center for Creative Leadership, and Edward Deming’s Course on Total Quality Management.
MILITARY - Captain U.S. Army, serving in the U.S. and Vietnam
PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Consultant for Vanguard Research, working for the Missile Defense Agency
Consultant for the development and application of commercial satellites for DoD
Extensive experience with The Aerospace Corporation, retiring after 32 years as Senior Vice President of System Planning and Engineering.

Requirement definition, planning, development, production, test, launch, and deployment of many DoD developed satellite systems
Independent reviews and technical assessments of these satellite systems January 2011

[Top]

EVELYN GUTIERREZ

Evelyn M. Gutierrez, Marketing Consultant, retired from the County of Los Angeles in 2003, with over 30 years of expertise in the development of public policy, program administration, fiscal management and marketing. As past Director of the Office of Workplace Programs and Marketing with the Chief Administrative Office, Ms. Gutierrez directed

Countywide Employee Programs and Administrative Policies for over 100,000 County employees. Ms. Gutierrez is Chair of the Commission’s Promotion Committee, Co-Chair of the Productivity and Quality Awards Program honoring County programs that promote enhanced productivity and quality public service. She is also a valued member of the Department Visit Committee and Strategic Foresight Group.

On April 17, 2012, Ms. Gutierrez was appointed by the Board of Supervisors, 1st District, to the Redevelopment Dissolution Oversight Board for the City of Baldwin Park. The Oversight Board has a fiduciary responsibility and analytical review role in the submission of enforceable obligations presented by the successor agency.

Ms. Gutierrez has been recognized by the National Association of Counties, the California State Association of Counties, Washington D.C.’s Public Employees Roundtable, and the County Board of Supervisor’s as an award winning Program Administrator. Additional Board memberships include the County Library Foundation, Eastmont Community Center and Los Amigos of the East Los Angeles Library. Supporting continued education, Ms. Gutierrez has established the Evelyn Gutierrez Scholarship Fund for financially disadvantaged high school students.

Ms. Gutierrez is a graduate of East Los Angeles College, with an Accounting major, attended Cal-State LA and California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, majoring in Management of Human Resources, with a minor in Marketing.

[Top]

HUASHA L. LIU

Ms. Huasha Liu is the Director of the Land Use and Environmental Planning at the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG). SCAG is the nation’s largest Metropolitan Planning Organization representing six counties (Imperial, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura) and 191 cities with over 18 million residents.

As part of the executive management at SCAG, Ms. Liu oversees numerous activities that are key to success of regional and local planning. She oversees the compliance with pertinent federal and state laws and regulations including transportation/air quality conformity, environmental justice, affordable housing (RHNA), California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), and climate change (AB 32 and SB 375). She oversees the Sustainability Program that fosters livable communities and healthier environment while promoting economic well-being. The Sustainability Program covers the Compass Blueprint Program, Green Region initiative, and Active Transportation. Other major activities under Ms. Liu’s responsibilities include performance monitoring, socio-economic growth forecast, development of new tools to quantify progress of the region, Local Profiles Reports for each local jurisdictions, Research and Analyses, data/GIS technical services to members, and the State of the Region Report to assess the region’s progress.

Ms. Liu has over twenty years of experience in land use, transportation, housing, and environmental planning and related fields. Ms. Liu has over ten years of management experience. Prior to joining SCAG, Ms. Liu worked for over ten years at the South Coast Air Quality Management District. In addition, Ms. Liu has substantial planning experience in China focusing on regional collaboration and public policy for economic development on the Pacific Rim.

In 2004, Ms. Liu was appointed by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors to serve on the county’s Quality and Productivity Commission. The role of the commission is to advise the board, oversee policies, and support the implementation of programs that enhance the quality and productivity of County services.

Ms. Liu earned her Bachelor’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Nanjing University, China. She earned her Master’s degree in Urban and Transportation Planning from the School of Policy, Planning, and Development at University of Southern California.

[Top]

Edward McIntyre

Edward McIntyre holds two degrees from the University of Pennsylvania, a BS from the School of Chemical Engineering and an MBA from the Wharton School. The first twenty-plus years of his career were spent with a major energy company in the areas of engineering, finance, accounting, marketing and general management.

Following that he held financial and management positions in health care, education and services, specializing in dealing with troubled companies.

Most recently he served as President of Pedus Service, Inc., a provider of janitorial, security and food services to industry and government.

Prior to joining the Quality and Productivity Commission in 2011, Mr. McIntyre served as a member of the Economy and Efficiency Commission and was Foreman of the 2009-2010 Los Angeles County Civil Grand Jury.

[Top]

WILL WRIGHT, Hon. AIA|LA

Will Wright currently serves as the Director of Government and Public Affairs for the Los Angeles chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA|LA). As Los Angeles' chief advocate for better architecture and urban design, he helps bring together design thinkers and civic leaders to solve problems and set priorities.

With more than a dozen years of experience advocating for a healthier, more beautiful and better functioning city, he is responsible for a variety of roles including connecting architects and designers with civic leaders to help shape public policy and provide critical input on project delivery methods, procurement best-practices, infrastructure investments and environmental performance.

Mr. Wright currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Los Angeles County Business Federation (BizFed) as a Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee. Previously, he served as the Vice Chair of BizFed’s Planning and Land-Use Committee. In 2013, Mr. Wright became a founding Board Member of the non-profit From Lot To Spot, which helps underserved communities transform vacant lots into parks and open space. He also currently serves as a public board member of the BOMA-LA Political Action Committee.

Mr. Wright has a BFA from Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas and a Masters in Fine Arts from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California.

[Top]

Blaine Meek

Blaine Meek was appointed to the Quality and Productivity Commission on May 19, 2017. Since 2006, he has served as Chair of the Coalition of County Unions. He also serves as General Counsel for the California Association of Professional Employees and has represented other County Unions. He has a juris doctorate from the Pepperdine University School of Law and earned a Master of Law in Dispute Resolution from the same university. He graduated from Arizona State University with a Bachelors in Political Science. He is a member of the State Bar of California.

Nichelle Henderson

Nichelle Henderson is an educator and union activist committed to grassroots capacity-building around the issues of education, labor and women’s rights. She is an alumnus of California State University, Los Angeles, where she is employed as a Lecturer with the Cal State Teach teacher preparation program and a member of the California Faculty Association - Los Angeles Chapter Executive Board and Statewide Representation Committee. Nichelle was born and raised in Los Angeles County. She is very active in local politics; holding the position of 1st Vice President of the Los Angeles African American Women’s Political Action Committee (LAAAWPAC) and is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc.