9:30am | Envisioning a Path to an Inclusive Economy

Panel Description: What would it look like for our local economy to keep and circulate wealth and resources created? What needs to be in place to support the livelihoods of all workers? What is the roadmap to an economically empowered future for our communities?

Moderator:

James W. Head is the President & Chief Executive Officer of the East Bay Community Foundation. Before coming to the Foundation in 2014, he served for 10 years as Vice President for Programs at The San Francisco Foundation, where he spearheaded initiatives on race, equity, poverty, housing, economic development, and youth development.

James has more than 30 years of experience in philanthropy, nonprofit management and technical assistance; community and economic development; and public interest and civil rights law. Prior to joining The San Francisco Foundation, he was president of the National Economic Development and Law Center for 18 years.

Additionally, he served as legal counsel of the California Community Economic Development Association and has been a member of numerous foundation advisory boards, including the Open Society Foundation of New York and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation of Michigan. James served as a Commissioner on the Port Authority of Oakland from 2008 through 2015; leading the Commission as President from 2010 – 2011.

James holds a juris doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law. He has been an adjunct professor at University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law, University of California at San Francisco’s Hastings School of Law, and University of Santa Clara’s School of Law.

James has lived in Oakland with his wife, Bernida Reagan, for more than 25 years.

Panelists:

Nayeli Maxson is the Executive Director, Bay Area Alliance for Community Development. A graduate of UC Hastings College of Law with a double concentration in Government and Social Justice, Nayeli is dedicated to improving the lives of Bay Area residents through creative problem-solving and community-engagement. Nayeli is a former Policy Analyst and Community Liaison for Oakland Vice Mayor and District 4 Councilmember Annie Campbell Washington, and was a Legal Analyst for the California State Senate Public Safety Committee. She also worked as a strategist and consultant with innovation consulting firm Lens Ventures, co-directed the 2008 Reno, Nevada Moveon.org voter registration and persuasion campaign office and was a grant writer for one of the Bay Area’s most impact-driven addiction treatment non-profit organizations, Options Recovery Services.

Marissa Raya is the Economic Development Strategy Project Manager for the City of Oakland where her work includes: Economic research and policy development, including citywide Economic Development Strategy, real estate, industry, and employment analysis, business development lead for startups, nonprofits and the tech sector.