SR 11-28-2017 13C 13.C
November 28, 2017
Council Meeting: November 28, 2017 Santa Monica, California
1 of 1
CITY CLERK’S OFFICE - MEMORANDUM
To: Mayor and City Council
From: Denise Anderson-Warren, City Clerk, Records & Elections Services
Department
Date: November 28, 2017
13.C Appointment to one unscheduled vacancy on the Commission on the
Status of Women for a term ending on 6/30/2020.
13-C
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
13-C
NOVEMBER 28, 2017
SPECIAL VACANCY APPOINTMENT WORKSHEET
COMMISSION ON THE
STATUS OF WOMEN NEW TERM ENDING
SPECIAL
QUALIFICATIONS
REQUIRED
Unscheduled Vacancy
(Nicole Phillis –
resignation accepted on
10/10/2017)
06/30/2020 Must be a resident of the
City of Santa Monica.
City of Santa Monica
Board and Commissions Applicants
Commission on the Status of Women
Name Original Application
Date
Last Application Date
Carville, Damian 6/20/2017
Eden, Jennifer 6/19/2017
Lautzenhiser, Ashley M. 6/16/2017
Maturo, Vicki L. 3/11/2017
O’Hara, Kelsey R. 11/15/2017
Payton, Jordan J. 11/9/2017
Pepper, Jacqueline 10/16/2017
Regan, Tara R. 7/25/2017
Taylor, Ty-Juana T., Dr. 8/22/2017
TOTAL
APPLICANTS: 9
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Damian Carville
Application Date: 06/20/17
PROFILE
damiancarville@yahoo.com
201 San Vicente Blvd
Apt 7
Santa Monica , CA 90402
Mobile: (310) 849-8617
Home: (310) 260-0906
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: 12
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
I have no prior service on City Boards/Commissions - I became a US Citizen on June 13th!
Community activities:
I am a member of the SMMUSD PTA and an active participant in the PTA of Kigala Preschool in Santa
Monica.
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have a BA in Modern Languages (Spanish, French, Catalan) from the University of Manchester in the
UK, along with several marketing diplomas from British institutions.
I work in analytics, and assist scientists and engineers in using statistical techniques in the design and
development of technology and pharmaceutical products.
I am a member of the ACLU, Let America Vote and a donor to Unchained At Last (an advocacy group
focused on ending child marriage in the USA).
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
This is my first time applying for public service, despite being an active supporter of various political
campaigns throughout my adult life. Notwithstanding, I have expertise in selling, marketing and
promoting various technologies and products throughout my adult career
Goals:
I decided to become a US Citizen during the recent general election campaign, in order to be able to
volunteer for public service, and take more of a contributory role in society. As the father of two young
girls, some of personal aims in serving on this commission include:
- desire to play a role in developing Santa Monica as a world-class city for any girl or woman in which to
receive an education
- be part of a team that helps create a more female-friendly business community
- add a diverse voice and viewpoint to the commission in order to help grow the scope of its intent and
reach
- learn how to serve the public from my team members, with their diverse experience in public service
Vision:
Not having served on this commission, I would not like to make too many assumptions on its current
scope and potential at this point. There are always constraints which a wide-eyed new member is not
yet aware.
However, some of the areas I would hope that I could contribute would include the following:
- Data and Metrics. What are the data-driven benchmarks against which we would measure Santa
Monica against other cities, in terms of women's roles and fairness? How do we rate ourselves? How do
we move the needle in order to be able to confidently state that Santa Monica is a leader in these areas?
- Education and Promotion. What can we do to promote and educate our residents on the success
stories of Santa Monica girls and women, in diverse fields (arts, business, public service, sports)? How
do we promote the success of our females? This is a great way to build pride and drive to achieve more,
among our female population. What can we do to promote further the great public education offered by
our schools and college? These institutions are producing, many fantastic female role-models and
examples.
- Businesses. How can we advocate to the existing - and growing - Santa Monica business community
on behalf of women? Many of these businesses are in technology - what can we do to join-up the need
for our girls to focus on STEM with the growing business needs of our local companies for such talent?
- Santa Monica as a great place to live for women. It already is, but can we do more to promote the city
in the contact of girls' education, career opportunities, a city which takes provides a path forwards for its
vulnerable women.
Personal Qualities:
I have managed sales, technical and marketing teams in the UK and the US for the past 20 years, and as
such, have a passion for driving positive change through collaboration.
I consider myself creative, but balance this with a continual curiosity to grow and learn from others.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: Software Sales
Business name: SAS Institute, Inc
Business address: Cary, NC
Business phone:
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Jennifer Eden
Application Date: 06/19/17
PROFILE
jennifereden@hotmail.com
2021 California Ave, Apt 22
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Mobile:
Home:
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: 4
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
Prior to relocating to Santa Monica, I served on SALT Group's Advisory and Education boards for 8 years.
Here I was directly involved with grassroots initiatives that saw migrant women and men enter the
workforce in a supported capacity to maximize their potential and address challenges. A focus on health,
education, housing and children's services enabled those in underserved communities an improved
transition to new work opportunities and enhanced quality of life.
Community activities:
I am currently Founder and CEO of Santa Monica-based social impact company Tampon Tribe. We enable
access to organic feminine hygiene for all women. Our giveback Period Project and Purse Project
provides free feminine hygiene and supplied to homeless women on our streets. I volunteer regularly
with Heal The Bay and Xanadu Life in their clean up and plastic-free projects and I am Executive Editor at
Mirror Media Group (Santa Monica Mirror), which sees me support and attend a range of community
events and activities on a daily and weekly basis.
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have a BA - Communication (Journalism) from Charles Sturt University (Australia) with a triple major in
Economics, Politics and Sociology, as well as Language and Community qualifications from Tsinghua
University (China). For the past 25 years I have traveled extensively and worked as a local, national and
international journalist across the globe. I have seen first hand the plight of women, services and society.
I have extensive experience in analytics, metrics, publications, presentations and getting work done. I am
deadline driven and accomplish maximum goals in allotted time.
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
Working as a reporter has given me 20 years of up-close-and-personal experience at a myriad of people
here, and throughout the world, impacted by social services, healthcare and housing. I have first hand
experience in navigating associated agencies, policy and subsequent implication and effects. My reports
have instigated change, highlighted imbalances and celebrated successes. I have contributed to the
drafting of new policy, both from a research point of view and as an author too. I understand the
complexities of government as well as the transformative impact it can have on people's lives. I am
passionate about education, and as the daughter of a refugee family, I know first hand the importance of
learning, education, confidence and the profound impact it can have on not only an individual, but an
entire family unit. As a small business owner who has recently completely fundraising for a start-up,
including both private and government application, I am aware of the processes, metrics, presentations
and reports required to attain success.
Goals:
Using data-driven and grassroots metrics, as well as observation and proactive implementation, my goals
are to create, advocate, and improve the status of women in Santa Monica. My passion and proven
ability is to drive change when necessary, analyse available resources, and to provide a clear voice for
women and their betterment within our community. I also believe strongly on the impact of education,
both of girls and women in our education system, and older women who may not be aware of existing
resources, but of whose life and contribution to society could improve dramatically by awareness
campaigns and information dissemination.
Vision:
For the board to play both an analytical and proactive role in Santa Monica. To take a broad goal of
improving the life of women and girls by boosting access to services, identifying and improving current
shortcomings, and to uniting women of all ethnicities and socio-economic backgrounds in a forward-
looking direction of continual prominence in our City.
Personal Qualities:
Working as a journalist and small business women with continual success involves the application of
quick analytical thought, listening to all points of view, and creating informed conclusions by
investigation and grassroots experience. I recently co-founded Tampon Tribe - a women's owned start-up
that benefits women and girls at both a local and international level via access to organic feminine
hygiene. Here a balance of giving, impact, profit, needs and regulation form the basis of demanding
informed daily decisions with insight, adjudication, and application with far-reaching effects. I have a
strong sense of civic duty and I have been passionately involved in community groups wherever I have
lived.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: Executive Editor/Founder & CEO
Business name: Mirror Media Group/Tampon Tribe
Business address: 2016 Wilshire Boulevard Santa Monica and
201 Bicknell Ave Santa Monica
Business phone: 3105923193
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Ashley M Lautzenhiser
Application Date: 06/16/17
PROFILE
ashleylautzenhiser@gmail.com
1504 Berkeley Street
Unit A
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Mobile: (310) 968-3556
Home:
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: 2.5
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
I do not currently serve on any Boards or Commissions, and have held no Board or Commission positions
in the past. My goal is to get more involved in Santa Monica civic life.
Community activities:
I am a new member of the League of Women Voters of Santa Monica, a member of Planned Parenthood
Young Professionals, and am currently a volunteer for a California gubernatorial campaign. I have been
active at the Unruh Institute of Politics at USC, providing guidance to undergraduate political science
students interested in pursuing careers in public policy advocacy. I also periodically volunteer my time to
a local arts advocacy nonprofit's fellowship program, providing feedback and conferring with program
participants as they develop action plans and projects in their local communities.
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have extensive experience building coalitions, planning and managing issue advocacy campaigns, and
conducting stakeholder outreach.
I have worked on campaigns and projects for individuals and organizations such as the California Arts
Council, the Pew Charitable Trusts, the California Grocers Association, Autism Speaks, former California
First Lady Maria Shriver, the California Community Foundation, and on City of LA ordinances. I've led the
voter contact team for a local ballot measure, and am skilled at community outreach, developing
partnerships, and mobilizing people and organizations to take action on issues important to them. I
actively monitor and analyze policy proposals at the state and local level, and I’m adept at identifying
windows of opportunity for advocacy.
I am personally and professionally dedicated to equity in my community, especially as it relates to civic
engagement and women in leadership.
I earned a master's degree in public policy from the Sol Price School of Public Policy at USC, and possess
an undergraduate degree in political science. I started my career working for Senator Evan Bayh in
Washington, DC.
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
As a public affairs consultant, I have worked on a broad array of projects spanning issues from arts
education, early childhood education, healthcare for the underserved, increased funding for national
parks and recreation areas, and the health of marine ecosystems off the West Coast.
I have worked on organizing large scale free health clinics for low-income people in the Los Angeles
region, developing a measure to increase access to arts education in an underserved school district, and
working with the California Arts Council on crafting their current 3-5 year strategic plan. I have built
coalitions to advocate on budget matters at the local, state, and federal level and am well-versed in the
particulars of each process. I have lead community outreach for private and nonprofit clients, and have
experience executing projects within the public sector as well as for the business community.
Tracking policy proposals and local funding measures are a critical part of my work, so I am well versed in
matters such as the deployment of Measure H and Measure M funds, and the planning and construction
of local bond-funded projects.
Goals:
I would have three main goals if selected:
1. Promote civic engagement to ensure that the Commission on the Status of Women is discharging its
duties in a manner that is inclusive, open, and impactful to women and girls in the city, including people
not currently involved in local government.
2. Facilitate the ability of the Commission on the Status of Women to take the lead on issues impacting
women and girls, potentially including paid family leave, child care, homelessness, STEM/STEAM
education, civic engagement, professional opportunities, and financial literacy.
3. Collaborate with state and local initiatives and groups such as LA County's Women and Girls Initiative
and the Legislative Women's Caucus to find creative ways to partner and deepen the impact of the
Commission.
Vision:
I would like to see the Commission recognized as the model for similar commissions throughout the
region through a combination of developing policy positions, engaging regularly with both citizens and
decision-makers, and advancing leadership opportunities for women and girls in the city of Santa
Monica. For example, we could create mentoring opportunities between SMMUSD students and women
working in STEAM careers in Silicon Beach, and develop a working group to make recommendations in
preparation for the 2020 Census. I would also work hard to ensure that the Commission on the Status of
Women's work is integrated and fully considered at all levels throughout the city government.
Personal Qualities:
I am a strong collaborator and an energetic leader. I have extensive experience as a project manager and
coalition builder, and I am routinely tasked with finding creative solutions for difficult problems in a
quickly moving environment. My work as a consultant requires diplomacy, discretion, and the ability to
juggle the competing interests of various stakeholders in an inclusive and respectful manner. I have
experience recruiting volunteers, communicating with voters in a targeted fashion, and securing support
from high-level organizations.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: Public Affairs Consultant
Business name: Rodriguez Strategies
Business address: 12121 Wilshire Blvd.
Suite 1260
Los Angeles, CA 90025
Business phone: 310-968-3556
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Miss Vicki L Maturo
Application Date: 03/11/17
PROFILE
maturo2012@gmail.com
1751 Cloverfield Blvd.
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Home:
Home:
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: 3 years
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
I have no such experience.
Community activities:
I am the volunteer President Emeritus of Daybreak Designs, a project of The People Concern that helps
women recovering from homelessness and mental health challenges to rebuild their lives through
personal, financial and creative growth by participating as members and independent artists in an arts
and crafts business run by themselves. I currently still sell my own handcrafted arts and crafts through
that organization.
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have a BA from Swarthmore College with a major in English literature and a minor in
sociology/anthropology. I also hold an MFA in Film Production from the University of Southern California
School of Cinematic Arts. I currently work part-time as a studio prep associate for the non-profit Piece by
Piece, a Los Angeles-based mosaics company dedicated to helping homeless and low-income people
develop through making and selling mosaics. I have worked as a political organizer and have volunteered
for Organizing for Action for many years. I also formerly worked full-time as a production coordinator for
the TV Guide Network.
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
As a President Emeritus of Daybreak Designs and a studio prep associate for Piece by Piece, I see
firsthand the plentiful needs of the homeless and low-income community. Social services and supportive
housing remain weak, and healthcare teeters always on the brink of collapse. Accessibility remains low
for vulnerable individuals when they can't necessarily attain lighting at night or cover during the rain or
cold. Government as well as private funding have remained wholly inadequate despite claims of all that
the government and private donors do, leaving many people long-term homeless and miserably poor.
Legislation such as Measure H may be just drops in the bucket of long-term poverty and lack of
substantial opportunity in our community. This cruelty is a blight on our society and a recipe for disaster
that we must fix.
Goals:
My goal is to attain equal status for women and girls in our society, and to combat such social ills as
poverty, homelessness, hunger, environmental destruction, animal abuse, income inequality, unsanitary
conditions, lack of education, violence and civil rights violations. I also hope to advance the arts.
Vision:
I would love to see the Santa Monica Commission on the Status of Women be a number one, world
leader in helping women and girls to attain full equality, and to address women's social concerns such as
poverty, homelessness, reproductive freedom, access to education, sexual harassment, violence,
domestic abuse, equal opportunity, health and well-being, child care, labor and aging. My hope is that
this Commission may become more involved in outreach and formulating legislation to address women's
concerns successfully.
Personal Qualities:
As the President Emeritus of Daybreak Designs, I work with women recovering from homelessness and
mental health challenges to create their own handcrafted arts and crafts and to sell them through their
own business. With so many competing demands and arguments between members, I've had to balance
my own needs with theirs effectively to run this organization, formerly as President. With a diverse group
of members with which to work, I’ve successfully helped members make great strides in artistic and
business development. I hope to see the success continue to grow in more financially rewarding ways in
the future.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: Studio Prep Associate
Business name: Piece by Piece
Business address: 1317 E. 7th Street
Los Angeles, CA 90021
Business phone: (213) 683-0522
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Tara R Regan
Application Date: 07/25/17
PROFILE
tararenee323@gmail.com
2913 3rd Street
Santa Monica, CA 90405
Mobile: (914) 912-7808
Home:
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: less than 1 (since January 2017)
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
Member of New York Junior League and New York State Public Affairs Committee (recently moved to SM
from NYC)
Community activities:
Currently none in Santa Monica but have applied to lead a Girl Scout troop and am also applying to be a
tutor with Schools on Wheels.
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have served as vice chair of the advocates for public policy committee of the New York Junior League as
well as Co-Chair of the New York State Public Affairs Committee (representing 17 junior leagues in New
York state). These committees were focused on improving the welfare of women and children through
advocacy and legislation. We organized an annual "lobby day" in Albany and met with legislators to
discuss the merits of the bill(s) we were supporting (fair incarceration for victims of domestic violence,
healthy vending machines, etc).
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
I believe the majority of my experience falls under policy development (developing bills that were co-
sponsored by the New York State Public Affairs Committee along with a legislative sponsor, including
research, bill drafting, collaborating with sponsor), as well as advocacy (meeting with legislators to
discuss the merits of the bill, developing talking points and training other committee members). I have
also sponsored the education of 2 children in Ecuador for multiple years. In addition to the financial
sponsorship, I visited multiple times, and helped to build a school, as well as a medical and dental clinic.
The hands-on experience, and meeting members of the community (who truly became like family)
versus just sending a check was to me by far the most rewarding and enlightening aspect of this
engagement.
Goals:
Help to ensure a safe, nurturing, and positive environment for women and girls where they can thrive
and reach their personal goals.
Vision:
I would love for this committee to set an example for creating a positive and progressive environment for
women that can be mirrored both locally in LA as well as state-wide and nationally. Girls are the future
(and women are the now)...
Personal Qualities:
Throughout both my volunteer work with the New York Junior League, the New York State Public Affairs
Committee, and my profession where I work in client service, I have learned to negotiate, collaborate,
and compromise with partners. I am steadfast in my beliefs and to achieving the project's goals by
working diligently to achieve them through creative solutions. In these roles I have demonstrated my
leadership skills, but understand the need for everyone's voice to be heard and respected.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: SVP, Account Services
Business name: Communication Partners Group
Business address: 360 Madison Avenue
4th Floor
NY, NY 10017 (I work remotely in SM with 1 colleague at a WeWork office)
Business phone: 2124993174
Commission on the Status of Women Applicant
Dr Ty-Juana T Taylor
Application Date: 08/22/17
PROFILE
tttayl02@gmail.com
1634 Berkeley st. Apt. 2
Santa Monica, CA 90404
Home: (270) 779-9558
Home:
Reside in Santa Monica: yes
If yes, number of years: 1
INTERESTS AND EXPERIENCE
Current or prior service on city boards/commissions:
I have no previous experience serving on City Boards and Commissions, but I am a member of an
Advisory Board for an elementary school.
Community activities:
Advisory Board Member for City Kids School; Educator with Santa Monica Youth Orchestra; Sunday
School teacher at Hopes House Church in Northridge, CA; Community Outreach Specialist with Girl
Scouts of Greater Los Angeles
Qualifications, experience, education, and technical or professional requirements:
I have worked as an educator in various capacities for over a decade: teaching youth at church,
undergraduates/graduate students in college, teaching K-12 youth in public schools; tutoring (small and
large groups); leading professional trainings for organizations; and offering private instrument lessons.
As an employee with Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, my job is to spread the message of girl/ women
empowerment through community events and local organization partnerships. Such experience, along
with my passion for empowering youth and educational equity, make me qualified for the duties and
responsibilities for this commission.
Areas of demonstrated expertise:
Over the past 6 years I have spent extensive time working with organizations that provide social services
and supportive housing for homeless and/or orphaned youth. Initially this work was done as a
researcher working with youth. However, now as a community outreach specialist I not only work with
organizations who meet the needs of homeless and orphaned youth, but various organizations that
focus on education, policy, and advancement. As a member of City Kids School advisory board and grant
writer, our foremost objective is educational equity--providing amazing and progressive education to all
children throughout Los Angeles. Through community outreach/ partnerships and grants, we have been
able to advance the mission and objective of the board and school.
Goals:
My goal as a board member is to ensure that the board all women and girls are being advocated for. No
matter race, creed, ethnicity, religion, or socio-economic ranking. As an employee of Girl Scouts I want to
partner with organizations and movements that align with the progressive and messaging ethos of Girl
Scouts.
Vision:
Through working with the Santa Monica Youth Orchestra I've been privy to the tremendous wealth
disparity that exists in Santa Monica. My vision for the commission is that we address the needs of all
women and girls within the community.
Personal Qualities:
As a musician and researcher, I am creative and innovative. I am constantly envisioning ways which
things can be collaborated or done differently. Recently graduating from a Ph.D. program, I have learned
to balance competing needs, such as working two jobs while writing, and eventually defending a
dissertation. I've always found that if you love what you do, then balancing the numerous responsibilities
of what you do will never seem like work.
Will you be able to commit the necessary time to perform your duties if appointed to the board?
yes
BUSINESS INFORMATION
Occupation: Community Outreach Specialist
Business name: Ty-Juana Taylor
Business address: Marina Service Center 4551 Glencoe Ave., Suite 140 Marina Del Rey, CA 90292
Business phone: 6266772268
City of Santa Monica
Board and Commissions Applicants
Commission on the Status of Women
Name Original Application
Date
Last Application Date
Carville, Damian 6/20/2017
Eden, Jennifer 6/19/2017
Lautzenhiser, Ashley M. 6/16/2017
Maturo, Vicki L. 3/11/2017
O’Hara, Kelsey R. 11/15/2017
Payton, Jordan J. 11/9/2017
Pepper, Jacqueline 10/16/2017
Regan, Tara R. 7/25/2017
Taylor, Ty-Juana T., Dr. 8/22/2017
TOTAL
APPLICANTS: 9
1
Vernice Hankins
From:Sylvia Ghazarian
Sent:Tuesday, November 28, 2017 8:50 AM
To:Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Pam OConnor; Tony
Vazquez; Sue Himmelrich; Terry O’Day
Cc:councilmtgitems; Clerk Mailbox; Elizabeth Scharetg; Miles Friesen
Subject:Re: COSW Vacancy - September 6, 2017 Resignation of Nicole Phillis
Dear Mayor Winterer and City Council Members,
Please see my below correspondence in regards to the COSW applicant Dr. Ty-Juana Taylor.
Since my initial correspondence, Dr. Taylor has attended an additional COSW meeting and has learned more
about our work and our commission. She also is partnering with the COSW through her work at the Girl
Scouts to put on an event during Women's History Month 2018 titled: Girl Scouts Level Up! Video Game
Designer Workshop - teaching girls how to design video games.
Thank you again for your consideration and support of the COSW.
Respectfully,
Sylvia Ghazarian
From: Sylvia Ghazarian
Sent: Friday, September 8, 2017 3:23:06 PM
To: Ted Winterer; Gleam Davis; Councilmember Kevin McKeown; Pam OConnor; Tony Vazquez; Sue Himmelrich; Terry
O’Day
Cc: councilmtgitems; Clerk Mailbox; Elizabeth Scharetg; Miles Friesen
Subject: COSW Vacancy ‐ September 6, 2017 Resignation of Nicole Phillis
Honorable Ted Winterer, Mayor
City Council Members
City of Santa Monica
1685 Main Street
Santa Monica, CA 90401
Dear Mayor Winterer and City Council Members,
As a resident of Santa Monica for over 25 years and serving as a Commissioner for the Commission on the Status of Women
(COSW) for the last 7 years (currently as Chair), it is my hope that you will carefully consider Dr. Ty-Juana Taylor for the current
vacancy on the COSW.
As I previously stated in June, the need to diversify the COSW needs to be a priority and is key to building strong alliances with
community groups, organizations, and community members. I can’t stress this enough. In fact, stronger efforts need to continue to be
made to recruit applicants of color and other under-represented individuals in a thoughtful effort to enhance expertise and insight.
The COSW continues to reach out within our community to recruit a diverse group of COSW applicants. Recently, the commission
was fortunate to have Dr. Taylor, a Santa Monica resident who identifies as a woman of color, apply within weeks after discussing the
COSW work plan and our community needs. In addition, Dr. Taylor attended the annual COSW Women’s History Month community
partner planning meeting on behalf of the Girl Scouts. She has also indicated she plans on attending the September COSW
meeting.
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At the present time, 1 of 9 COSW commissioners presently identify as individuals of color. The Santa Monica Wellbeing Project
demographic breakdown of Santa Monica residents indicates that over 4% identify as African-American, 14% as Latino/Hispanic,
10% as Asian, 4% as two or more races. The underrepresentation of such commissioners can easily be corrected by the current and
future appointments Council makes to the COSW. I therefore respectfully urge you and the Council to appoint commissioners, such as
Dr. Ty-Juana Taylor that reflect the community’s diversity.
If we don't invest in ethnically and culturally diverse candidates, we jeopardize the wellbeing and voices of individuals in our
community. And, as you recently stated, “working together, we can safeguard our neighbors from hate and bigotry. And find
common ground in our caring for this city we call home.”
Thank you for your consideration of this candidate and for your ongoing support of the work of the Commission on the Status of
Women.
Respectfully,
Sylvia Ghazarian
Item 13-C 11/28/17
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