Founded by Alliance for a Better Community
Vanessa Aramayo
President
Vanessa Aramayo is CEO of Alliance for a Better Community, where she leads policy, advocacy, and community-driven initiatives that advance systemic change. She brings over 25 years of experience in public affairs, nonprofit leadership, and political campaigns at the local, state, and federal levels, including ballot measures.
Vanessa has worked in California’s Legislature and U.S. Congress, consulted on outreach, field, and communications strategies, and led campaigns that expanded access to education, healthcare, and equity-focused policies for historically underserved communities. She has appeared in the Los Angeles Times, Politico, La Opinión, and Telemundo 52.
In 2023, she was appointed by Mayor Karen Bass to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners, where she supports small and minority-owned businesses, advances aviation development, and promotes equitable procurement practices. Vanessa began her career in the private sector and is the first in her family to graduate from college, earning a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA.
She lives in Northeast Los Angeles with her husband and twin daughters.
Audrey Dow
Secretary & Treasurer
During her 15 years with the Campaign for College Opportunity, Audrey became a recognized expert on college access, success, affordability, and racial equity, regularly speaking at state and national forums and contributing to outlets including the Los Angeles Times, Sacramento Bee, Politico, The Atlantic, and NPR.
With over 20 years in the public and nonprofit sectors, she has trained Latinas for leadership roles at HOPE and served as a gubernatorial appointee to the Business, Transportation and Housing Agency. Her work addresses critical California issues including higher education access, infrastructure, inclusive hiring and contracting, and ensuring underrepresented communities have a voice in policymaking.
Audrey holds a B.S. in Public Policy and Management from USC and a Master’s in Public Affairs with a certificate in Urban Policy from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School. Appointed by Governor Newsom in 2019 to the Health Professions Education Foundation Board of Directors, she has also served on the CA Student Aid Commission Cal Grant Modernization Workgroup, the California Future Health Workforce Commission Technical Advisory Committee, and the State Senate’s Awards for Innovation in Higher Education Committee.
She is most proud of her four children: Isabella, Alexandra, Rocco, and Brody.
Dario J. Frommer
Board Member
With a career in law and government spanning 30 years, Dario Frommer is a highly sought-after legal and political advisor for clients. He represents and advises Fortune 500 companies, tech start-ups and government agencies before federal, state, and local government entities —including legislative, regulatory enforcement, government procurement, and investigation proceedings.
Dario is the former majority leader of the California State Assembly and has held a variety of high-level, state-government positions. He also chaired the Assembly’s Health Committee, and served as chair of the California Transportation Commission, helping to oversee billions of dollars in funding for highway, road, and transit projects. He was the appointments secretary to Gov. Gray Davis and was Mayor Eric Garcetti’s appointee to the Oversight Board for the dissolution of the Los Angeles Redevelopment Agency and a member of the California Film Commission.
Dario represents clients in legislative, regulatory and enforcement maters in a range across a range of areas, including energy; climate change; health care; tribal gaming; tax policy; infrastructure/transportation; government procurement; and the share economy. He also has substantial experience drafting legislation and ballot initiatives.
Veronica Carrizales
Board Member
Veronica Carrizales is managing director of programs at The California Wellness Foundation. In her role, Carrizales helps integrate grantmaking strategies across the Advancing Wellness portfolios, enhances the grant review process, and pilots potential solutions in collaboration with grantees and other community partners.
Carrizales spent the past 15 years with California Calls, a powerful statewide alliance of community-based organizations spanning urban, rural, and suburban counties across the state. As a widely respected social justice leader, she has led efforts tied to California Call’s policy priorities of funding public services, improving government effectiveness, reforming the tax system to improve equity, and investing in economic development that results in good jobs that bring dollars into all communities. Prior to her work at California Calls, she served as a labor specialist at the UC Berkeley Labor Center advocating for low-wage workers. Her lived experience growing up in the Coachella Valley in a migrant farmworker family has fueled her passion as a social justice advocate.
She serves as chair of the board of California Budget and Policy Center, board secretary for Human Impact Partners, and is a member of the board of Alliance for a Better California.
Efrain Escobedo
Board Member
Efrain Escobedo is President & CEO of the Center for Nonprofit Management and a recognized leader across the philanthropic, government, and nonprofit sectors. Previously Vice President of Public Policy and Civic Engagement at the California Community Foundation, he also spent seven years at the Los Angeles County Registrar-Recorder spearheading initiatives like the Voting Systems Assessment Project. Earlier, he advanced voter engagement at the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund. Efrain serves on multiple boards, including Hispanics in Philanthropy, Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, and UNITE LA, continuing his commitment to equity, civic participation, and community impact.
Julie Chávez Rodríguez
Board Member
Julie Chávez Rodríguez is a political strategist and organizer who has dedicated her career to advancing the rights of working people, and building leadership and power with and among communities of color.
Julie most recently served as Campaign Manager for Vice President Kamala Harris and President Joe Biden’s presidential campaigns, building a staff of over 3,000 people across 7 core battleground states. She previously served as Senior Advisor to the President and Director of Intergovernmental Affairs for the first 2 ½ years of the Biden-Harris White House. Julie spent over a decade in Washington, DC, and proudly served in President Obama’s Administration as Special Assistant to the President and Senior Deputy Director of Public Engagement at the White House.