FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Friday, Sept. 16, 2022

CONTACT:
MayorPress@sandiego.gov

SAN DIEGO Mayor Todd Gloria today announced the following appointments and reappointments to four City boards and commissions:

Shane Beard has been reappointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. He is the owner/franchisee of FASTSIGNS in Mira Mesa for more than 20 years and has been awarded within the company numerous times. He will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2023, in a Small Business Owner seat. He lives in Del Mar Heights.

Gemma Blain has been reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. She has more than nine years of experience in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion with increased technical knowledge and competencies in strategic planning, talent management, learning and development, recruiting, employee resource groups and inclusive program design. She holds dual degrees in Art History and Cultural Anthropology from UC Berkeley and a master's degree in Public Administration with an emphasis in Organizational Leadership and Development and Human Resources from National University. She also serves on the Board of Directors for the Asian Business Association of San Diego. She is being reappointed to a two-year term ending January 1, 2024, filling the Asian Pacific Islander seat. She is a resident of Rancho Bernardo.

Cinnamon Clark has been reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. She is a Practice Lead, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Services, at McLean & Company, where she leads the development and delivery of client-facing services such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion strategy, diagnostics, change management and workshops. She has devoted the last decade to change management, organizational culture change and cultivating inclusive workspaces that empower employees to thrive in organizations. Ms. Clark holds a Master of Arts in Human Behavior/Organizational Leadership from National University and a Bachelor of Arts in Social Science from Chapman University. She is being reappointed to a two-year term ending January 1, 2024, filling the City At-Large seat. She is a resident of San Ysidro.

Donna DeBerry has been reappointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. She is the CEO of the Central San Diego Black Chamber of Commerce. Formerly, she served as the Vice President of Global Inclusion at Seismic Software and the Director of Inclusion at Indeed. Before Indeed, Ms. DeBerry led various diversity initiatives at Starbucks Corporation. She will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2023, in an Advocate for Small Business seat. She is a resident of Downtown San Diego.

Austin Evans has been reappointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. He is a partner of Life Law Partners, a regulatory and corporate law firm based in California serving companies of all shapes, sizes and industries with a particular focus on life science, technology and startup firms. He provides counsel over a broad range of practice areas, including securities compliance, litigation strategy, corporate governance, transactional ventures and dispute resolution. Mr. Evans has an extensive background in securities practice, corporate finance and fraud litigation. He will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2023, in a Legal seat. He is a resident of Downtown San Diego.

John David-Gonzales has been appointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. He has a background in utility, high-tech, construction, hospitality/tourism, retail and government. A retiree, he is the previous owner and operator of Got-Pilates-n-More La Jolla and has served as the chair of the City of San Diego Metropolitan Wastewater Construction Committee. He will serve a two-year term ending January 1, 2023, filling the Latino seat. He is a resident of Normal Heights.

Shadiya Hagisufi has been appointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. She has eight years of experience in alternative lending, underwriting and finance. She is currently the Underwriting Manager of Accessity (formerly Accion San Diego). As the underwriting manager, Ms. Hagisufi also works to enhance the technology and efficiency of the underwriting team to increase department capacity and productivity. She has worked at Accessity for four years. She will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2023, in the Lender seat. She is a resident of Webster.

Brandon Johnson has been appointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. He is a full-time photographer, author and certified personal financial coach working with large brands and people from all demographics to define their goals and understand the game of money, debt, wealth and lifestyle design. He will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2024, in a Small Business Owner seat. He is a resident of Cortez Hill.

Beth Kransberger has been reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. She is an executive, consultant, and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion practitioner with more than 20 years of experience providing support to businesses, educational institutions, professional associations, non-profits and governmental institutions as they seek to build more inclusive environments where all can thrive. She has extensive experience in workforce development and the P-20 education pipeline. A lawyer by training, Ms. Kransberger provides coaching and consultative support for change management, strategic planning, capacity building and crisis management. Ms. Kransberger is a national speaker on Diversity, Equity and Inclusion matters, and access to high-quality PK20 education. She is being reappointed to a two-year term ending January 11 20231 filling the Women's Advocate seat. She is a resident of North Park.

Jason Paguio has been reappointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. He is the President and CEO of the Asian Business Association of San Diego and the Asian Business Association Foundation. He brings vision and expertise across a diversity of sectors, including the development of minority-owned businesses; establishment and coordination of high-impact multi-agency collaborative efforts; advocacy for San Diegos many diverse communities; and first-hand experience as a first-generation Filipino American. Beyond San Diego, Mr. Paguio provides statewide leadership as the Political Director for the CalAsian Chamber of Commerce and was recently appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to the California Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs. He will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2024, in an Advocate for Small Business seat. He is a resident of Coronado.

Richard Ram has been appointed to the Airports Advisory Board. Since 2005, he has been employed at the Social Security Administration where he leads in policy research, community outreach and data management. In the community, he is a environmental advocate who serves as President of the San Diego Democrats for Environmental Action. He is a graduate of San Diego State University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Communications. Mr. Ram will be serving a four-year term ending February 28, 2025, filling the Serra Mesa Representative seat. He is a resident of Serra Mesa.

Jim Schneider has been appointed to the Small Business Advisory Board. Currently, he is the Executive Director for the College Area Business District and previously served as the Executive Director of the Adams Avenue Business District. Mr. Schneider volunteers as a Board Member and Treasurer for the College Area Community Council, holds a seat on the College Area Community Planning Board, and serves as a Board Member and treasurer for the BID Alliance. He holds a bachelors degree in Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh. He will be serving a two-year term ending July 1, 2023, in the Representative of BIDC seat. He is a resident of Mission Hills.

James Jim Smith has been appointed to the Community Forestry Advisory Board. Mr. Smith has extensive experience in planning boards, gardening and issues pertaining to the San Dieguito River Park. He currently serves as treasurer on the Torrey Pines Community Planning Board, board member on the San Dieguito River Park Citizens Advisory Committee and board president of the San Dieguito River Valley Conservancy. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin, a Master of Science in Electrical Engineering from Stanford, and took part in the Executive MBA for Scientists and Engineers program at UC San Diego. He will be serving a three-year term ending December 31, 2023. He is a resident of Del Mar Heights.

Tony Teravainen has been reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. He is president and CEO of STEP (Support the Enlisted Project). Under his guidance, STEP was created in Southern California, and has grown to serve Washington. It has assisted more than 100,000 military and veteran family members, including 51,700 families in financial crisis, move to self-sufficiency. Mr. Teravainen holds undergraduate degrees in business management and nuclear engineering and a master's degree in Executive Leadership from the University of San Diego. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in Public Policy from Liberty University. He is being reappointed to a two-year term ending January 11, 2024, filling the Disabled Veteran Advocate seat. He is a resident of Escondido.

Eric Wilson has been appointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. He has more than 20 years of professional experience in Human Resources and Administration, for-profit and not-for-profit entities. He has worked for organizations and individuals like United Way, Fox Media (MySpace), Bishop Noel Jones, and Bishop TD Jakes. Mr. Wilson is an active member of the Society of Human Resources Professionals and will soon receive an SR HR Professional certification. He is a graduate of William Paterson University in Wayne, New Jersey where he majored in Communications. He will serve a two-year term ending January 1, 2023, filling the African American seat. He is a resident of Mission Valley.

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