OFFICERS

PRESIDENT -GARY SIRBU is MGO’s president.  He grew up in San Francisco and attended Cal, receiving an A.B. in anthropology,and then Boalt Hall, now known as Cal Law.  After graduating from law school, he worked for several years as an Alameda County Assistant Public Defender, co-founding the Alameda County Public Defenders Association, which functioned as a union. He then entered private practice and is certified by the State Bar as a specialist in criminal law.  Gary is a former chair of California Common Cause.  Gary co-chaired a county-wide coalition of Democratic clubs, organized by MGO, which successfully led a campaign to persuade the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to support a moratorium on the death penalty. He currently chairs the Proposition 13 Reform Task Force, another coalition of Democratic clubs initiated by MGO (www.prop13reformtaskforce.org).

TREASURER – Nancy Sidebotham… Nancy is a past board member, has been a resident since 1964 and has been very active in the politics of Oakland for over 27 years. She has served on the Community Policing Advisory Board and for many years has been chairing the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council in her own area.  Nancy says she has “a passion and love for this wonderful City and looks forward to continue to serve and fight for positive change that brings with it open and transparent government.”

SECRETARY – Jim Mordecai

VICE PRESIDENT – Alfred Twu

PAST OFFICERS AND BOARD MEMBERS

Steve Statler… Born in Findlay, Ohio, Steve grew up in both Ohio and Indiana, and graduated from The Ohio State University as Business Major.  He served in US Navy as a Supply Corps Officer, worked in retail and electronics distribution management, and for the Social Security Administration. Steven currently works as an advocate with Mental Health Association of Alameda County.  Steven also has been the Club Treasurer for several years.

Annie Flores… Annie was raised in Brentwood, California.  Her family is originally from El Salvador.  Annie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Mills College and a Master’s degree in Public Health Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Annie has worked in public health care policy in Contra Costa County and San Francisco City and County. She has been at the forefront of progressive public health care policy initiatives addressing under-served populations throughout the state of California.  She worked for California State Legislature, she was the Associate Director of the Women’s Economic Agenda Project and currently she works as a Family Resources Specialist for Lincoln Child Center in Oakland.

In addition to her work in public policy Annie has lead several successful political campaigns, focusing on electing women to public office.  Annie has served on the following boards and commissions: Co-Chair of The National Women’s Political Caucus, Alameda County, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, League of Latin American Citizens and co-chair of California’s PODER-Pac.

Judy Cox… Judy served as president of MGO for three years.  Prior to that, she was co-president of League of Women Voters of Oakland for three years, during which time the LWVO got the limited charter review on strong mayor, after defeating Jerry Brown’s attempt to make the strong mayor trial period sunset and the original strong mayor proposal permanent.  She also was one of seven people who put instant runoff voting on the Oakland ballot in 2006, and ran the campaign to successful completion.  She is a retired training and organization development consultant, specializing in team building and management development.  She is also a member of National Women’s Political Caucus, Common Cause, Wellstone Democratic Club, and is co-chair of the East Bay Working Group for Clean Money Elections.

LANIECE JONES – MGO’s immediate past President from 2014-2017 – is an Oakland native, attended Fremont High School in Oakland and then earned her BA from California State University, Hayward. In 2012 earned a Master’s at Pepperdine University (Los Angeles) in Social Entrepreneurship and Change.

She has been an active member of the Oakland/Bay Area business, nonprofit and civic communities.  Her corporate experience includes working for IBM, CITIBANK, Businessland, CNET, AT&T and COMCAST.  She led major initiatives at several nonprofits, including Healthy Communities and the Alameda County Health Foundation.  During two electoral seasons, she led the California Democratic Party’s “Get Out The Vote” East Bay operations.  Since 2000, LaNiece has served in a volunteer capacity as the executive director for Black Women of Political Action (BWOPA) and The Training Institute for Leadership Enrichment (TILE), both of which support her goal of increasing the engagement of African-American women in leadership roles. LaNiece is a principal in LaNiece Jones and Associates, a marketing public relations and events firm.

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2015-2016

E-BOARD MEMBERS AT-LARGE

WINNIE LU ANDERSON  is currently with East Bay Municipal Utility District (EBMUD). Prior to her joining EBMUD, she was the Acting Employee Relations Director for the City of Oakland and Campaign Manager for Abel Guillen for Assembly District 18 where she helped mobilize over four hundred volunteers in one of the tightest races in California in 2012.

She experienced firsthand the plight of being an illegal immigrant in the United States and earned her citizenship at the age of nineteen. She helped begin the first 24-hour sexual assault hotline on the campus of UC Irvine and served as Captain until graduation. She received her BA from UC Irvine and her MPA from USC. She served on Lieutenant Governor Cruz M. Bustamante’s staff and later lobbied on behalf of health care technological advancements that would make breast examinations more comprehensive and comfortable.

Winnie has worked nationally for Kaiser Permanente and helped implement many of their performance management programs. She has gained knowledge of the Bay Area and California through her work for San Francisco City and County, Alameda County and Service Employees International Union. In 2007, she was appointed by Mayor Ron Dellums to the Mayor’s Committee on Persons with Disabilities to allow her to champion for more awareness on autism. Later in she was appointed again by Mayor Dellums and then reappointed by Mayor Quan to Oakland’s Civil Service Board and served as Vice-Chair for both terms.  Winnie currently sits on the Executive Board of the National Women’s Political Caucus-Alameda North and the Oakland Asian Cultural Center.

CHRIS DOBBINS has served on the Board of MGO for the past three years.  He served on the  Oakland Board of Education representing the 15 schools in District 6 in East Oakland.  He was the School Board’s representative to the Chabot Space and Science Center and is one of Alameda County’s Appointees to the Oakland Coliseum Joint Powers Authority.  A third generation Oakland teacher, Chris is an attorney and presently works in business for Viz Glass (a hand-blown glass company) as well as doing criminal defense.  A season ticket holder to all three Oakland sports teams, Chris is President and Co-Founder of Save Oakland Sports and Founder of The Green Stampede Oakland A’s Homework Club.  He is a member of St. Paschal’s Church and is an Eagle Scout from Troop 305 in Oakland.

ANNIE FLORES  was raised in Brentwood, California. Her family is originally from El Salvador. Annie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Mills College and a Master’s degree in Public Health Administration from the University of San Francisco.

Annie has worked in public health care policy in Contra Costa County and San Francisco City and County. She has been at the forefront of progressive public health care policy initiatives addressing under-served populations throughout the state of California.  She worked for California State Legislature, she was the Associate Director of the Women’s Economic Agenda Project, WEAP, and currently she works as a Family Resources Specialist for Lincoln Child Center in Oakland. In addition to her work in public policy Annie has lead several successful political campaigns, focusing on electing women to public office. She is Co-Chair of The National Women’s Political Caucus, Alameda County, NWPC, HOPE, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality, LULAC, League of Latin American Citizens and co-chair of California’s PODER-Pac.

EILEEN PIPPINS, San Francisco Bay Area native, consults and trains leaders, groups, organizations and academic programs nationwide in learning development, organizational change, and legacy building. As a communications professor, personal performance coach, and learning/organizational development consultant, Eileen has delivered solutions focusing on workforce development, community empowerment and civic engagement, conflict management, leadership development, team building, change management, public speaking, and strategic planning.

Eileen is a change agent for the promotion of dialogues across differences within organizations and relationships. Eileen is passionate about succession planning and legacy building. “Each one Reach One!”  Eileen received her M.A. in Speech and Communication Studies at San Francisco State University with an emphasis in intercultural, interpersonal communication and family systems, and instructional design. Eileen has worked in the insurance, education, and human services industries. She is an educator in communication and organizational behavior studies and exploring the possibility of pursuing a doctorate in Organizational Psychology.

NANCY SIDEBOTHAM, a current board member, has been a resident since 1964 and has been very active in the politics of Oakland for over 27 years. She has served on the Community Policing Advisory Board and for many years has been chairing the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council in her own area.  Nancy says she has “a passion and love for this wonderful City and looks forward to continue to serve and fight for positive change that brings with it open and transparent government.”

GARY SIRBU is an MGO past president.  He grew up in San Francisco and attended Cal, receiving an A.B. in anthropology,and then Boalt Hall, now known as Cal Law.  After graduating from law school, he worked for several years as an Alameda County Assistant Public Defender, co-founding the Alameda County Public Defenders Association, which functioned as a union. He then entered private practice and is certified by the State Bar as a specialist in criminal law.  Gary is a former chair of California Common Cause.  Gary co-chaired a county-wide coalition of Democratic clubs, organized by MGO, which successfully led a campaign to persuade the Alameda County Board of Supervisors to support a moratorium on the death penalty. He currently chairs the Proposition 13 Reform Task Force, another coalition of Democratic clubs initiated by MGO (www.prop13reformtaskforce.org).

GRETCHEN WHITE is MGO’s immediate past President from October 2012 – June 2014.  Gretchen grew up as a military brat and lived all over the world, including Japan, India, Pakistan, Kashmir, and Norway, where she attended high school.  She is a forensic psychologist in independent practice in Oakland and a CASA volunteer for foster children.