Meet the 2026-2029 MTC-ABAG Community Advisory Council Members

Victorina Arvelo is an environmental scientist and community resilience practitioner focused on advancing equitable land use, climate adaptation and inclusive regional planning. She currently serves as the South Bay Senior Resilience Manager at Greenbelt Alliance, where she leads multi-jurisdictional and community-driven initiatives supporting climate resilience, nature-based solutions and equitable development across the San Francisco Bay Area.

Victorina has extensive experience working with community-based organizations, local governments and regional agencies to translate technical planning and climate science into accessible, community-informed strategies. Her work centers on resilience hubs, climate literacy, emergency preparedness and centering frontline communities in decision-making processes. A native Spanish speaker, immigrant and first-generation college graduate, Victorina brings a deep commitment to culturally responsive engagement and relationship-based planning.

“Environmental resilience, housing and transportation are deeply interconnected, and regional decisions in these areas have lasting impacts on people’s health, mobility and stability. I am serving on the Community Advisory Council to help ensure that climate solutions, transit investments and housing policies are shaped through a social equity lens, informed by lived experience and grounded in the needs of communities most impacted by environmental and economic pressures.”

Padma Balaji is a high school senior in Fremont, youth climate advocate and student journalist. As co-chair of the youth-led environmental organization Bay Area Youth Climate Summit (BAYCS), she's determined to bridge the gap between youth and the environmental movement and building a resilient, hope-driven climate community. So far, through youth environmental justice workshops, summits, rallies and other events, BAYCS has reached more than 10,000 youth across the Bay Area. She also leads the Tri-City (Fremont, Newark and Union City) team of Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action, where she worked with the school district to embed climate literacy across high school classrooms. She previously worked as a summer research assistant for the Mineta Transportation Institute, where she analyzed data and research about harassment on public transit and micromobility. Currently, she's bridging her climate and transit advocacy to help Silicon Valley Youth Climate Action start a high school internship for San Jose youth in climate and transit education.

As a student journalist, Padma has worked with the Mercury News, PBS Student Reporting Labs, KALW and the Nation to explore how young people experience environmental disparities and build change in their communities. She hopes to pursue a future career in urban planning or environmental journalism, and keep advocating for environmental justice and equitable cities in the process. In her free time, Padma enjoys hopping on BART to explore more of the Bay Area.

"Young people deserve to have a seat at the table. We are most disproportionately impacted by climate change, but we are seldom given a voice in policy decisions that will shape our future – not the future of politicians. As a young person, environmental advocate and second-generation immigrant, I've already seen how climate change has touched almost every single person I know. And as someone who almost exclusively relies on public transit to get around, I've seen how climate, policy and transit are intertwined at every corner. I'm excited to join the MTC-ABAG Community Advisory Council to keep centering the voices of youth and other frontline communities, and to ensure that equity, justice and sustainability are foundational tenets of our transportation systems."

Michael J. Baldini attended ten schools in twelve years as his father was a custom farmer; working from an early age in orchards, fields and range lands, Michael desired to become a teacher and travel the world. Paying his way through Napa College and San Francisco State University, Michael ended a transportation career at the working end of a spike maul building railroads throughout the Western United States. This while serving on The Napa College Board of Trustees, an elected position for twenty years. Michael has traveled around the world, sailing, walking, riding, driving, flying Mach 2.2 at 60,000 ft., beneath oceans, through war zones, jungles and deserts, realizing with very few exceptions - this is one beautiful Earth, and we are blessed to call the San Francisco Bay Area home. He works at a winery/vineyard in Napa and serves on the Napa Valley Transportation Citizens Advisory Committee. Michael is also a small business owner in North Beach.

Diana Benitez is a Richmond resident and the Senior Planner at Canal Alliance, a nonprofit that exists to break the generational cycle of poverty for Latino immigrants and their families. Diana stewards Nuestro Canal, Nuestro Futuro (NCNF), a resident-driven neighborhood vision plan in the Canal neighborhood of San Rafael.

Diana was named a 2025 “Forty Under 40” honoree by the North Bay Business Journal in recognition of her leadership in equity-centered community development. She serves on the board of Call Marin Home and a Planners4Health Coordinate with the Northern California section of the American Planning Association.

Diana holds a master’s in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and a bachelor’s in Urban Studies and Planning from CSUN. Her work is rooted in the belief that those most impacted by injustice should help lead the systems change we need.

"Planning is personal for me. I’ve lived the consequences of community disinvestment and I continue to see them in the neighborhoods I live and work in across the region. I serve on this Council to make sure our regional decisions reflect the lived realities and hopes of low-income and people of color. They deserve to thrive in place, not be pushed out of it."

Chuck Cantrell is an Economist, San Jose Planning Commissioner and creator of Dying to Stay Here, a groundbreaking video and podcast series exploring the entrenched economic and social barriers facing Black communities in Silicon Valley.

Through this work, he weaves public data with lived experience to expose how discriminatory business cycles, housing unaffordability and structural racism have pushed Black residents to the margins, often literally “dying to stay” in one of the wealthiest regions in the country. His Black Voices column in San José Spotlight extends this mission, calling out systemic inequities in housing, health and opportunity, and challenging local leaders to act with urgency rather than comfort.  ​  Beyond media and storytelling, Chuck has a long record of civic service and community leadership.

In his role as a San Jose Planning Commissioner, he pushes for land use and housing decisions that advance racial and social equity instead of deepening displacement and segregation. He has been deeply involved in local campaigns, coalitions and nonprofit efforts to prevent homelessness, expand housing justice and improve outcomes for Black residents across Santa Clara and San Mateo Counties, often working behind the scenes to connect advocates, policymakers and funders around shared goals.

Professionally, Chuck is the Principal Strategist at CAA Consultants, advising nonprofits, public agencies and civic leaders on organizational strategy, equity-centered program design and community engagement. Very well known for connecting rigorous analysis with a clear moral voice, he uses every platform – whether a commission dais, a podcast mic or a newspaper column – to press a single question: What would it take to build a San Jose where Black families and other marginalized communities are not fighting to survive, but are fully seen, heard and able to thrive?

Amanda Chang is the Program Director of Equitable Development at Urban Habitat, a movement support organization working to democratize power and advance equitable policies to create a just and connected Bay Area for low-income communities of color. Born and raised in San Mateo County, Amanda has dedicated themselves to serving their community in a variety of advocacy spaces – fighting for environmental justice, prison abolition and housing equity. Now based in Alameda, Amanda remains passionate about building intersectional and interconnected grassroots movements that don’t compromise our most vulnerable populations.

"The Bay Area is a beautifully diverse region that is buckling under the weight of the consequences of an ever-growing wealth gap. We need regional leadership that will not shy away from bold, decisive change that will stabilize the Bay Area for our most disenfranchised communities and make it a place where everyone can live, work and play regardless of income, race or ability."

Warren Cushman currently works as a systems change advocate on behalf of persons with disabilities and represents the public on other meeting bodies.

"I am excited to serve on this Council and look forward to making a difference for my peers!"

Julia Gerasimenko is the Housing and Parking Policy Manager at Transform, where she works at the intersection of housing affordability, transportation access and climate resilience. As part of Transform’s policy team, she advocates for innovative approaches that reduce car dependence, make better use of existing street and parking space, and support the production of affordable housing integrated with high quality transit, biking and walking options. Her work centers partnerships with grassroots organizations and communities that have historically been excluded from policy making, ensuring their priorities are reflected in regional and local decisions.

“I serve on the Council because housing and transportation policies shape whether people can access opportunity, stability and dignity in their daily lives. Having grown up in a low income immigrant household without a car, I know firsthand how transformative strong transit and tenant protections can be. I am committed to helping bring the voices of those most impacted into the spaces where decisions are made, so our region’s policies truly work for everyone.”

Dwayne Hankerson is a longstanding community leader and advocate in the San Francisco Bay Area, recognized for his work in public and affordable housing, as well as transportation policy. With more than 25 years of experience in housing, he spent over two decades at the Oakland Housing Authority in roles focused on resident self‑sufficiency and innovative solutions for low‑income communities, including work on multiple Hope VI redevelopment projects. He also brings the perspective of an honorably discharged U.S. Navy veteran and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration.

Hankerson is an active voice for disability rights and equitable access in Solano County, having served on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission’s Policy Advisory Council, its Equity and Access Subcommittee, the Regional Network Management Customer Advisory Group, and the Solano County Paratransit Coordinating Committee. His community involvement centers on driving responsible, meaningful change — whether by advocating for improved transportation options, engaging in local council discussions, or exploring new strategies to address housing shortages and strengthen support for low‑income residents.

“I joined the Community Advisory Council to effect responsible and meaningful change in my local community (Solano County) and the San Francisco Bay Area.”

Wendi Kallins is the co-founder of Safe Routes to Schools in Marin County, the national pilot program, and she currently serves as the Task Force Coordinator and providing support services for the program. As part of the national Safe Routes to Schools movement, Ms. Kallins trained and consulted with over 45 communities across the country and presented at national and international conferences. She is President of Sustainable Marin, a fiscal sponsor for some of the leading sustainability programs in Marin County.

“I feel very passionately about providing people with the opportunity to choose greener transportation modes, whether it is creating more walkable and bikeable communities, improving access and efficiency of public transit, or creating land use patterns that provides affordable housing and allows people to live close to work, transit and/or services.”

Charley Lavery has worked as a labor representative in San Francisco and San Mateo for the past 16 years. He graduated from the Harvard Trades Union Program in 2020. Charley sits on the executive boards of the San Mateo and San Francisco Central Labor Councils and sits on the Work Force Investment Board of San Francisco. He worked over 20 years in the field on large transportation infrastructure projects in Europe and in the San Francisco Bay Area, including the retrofit of the Golden Gate Bridge, BART to SFO, and the new East Span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge.  Charley has been active in the Bay Area Transportation policy world for 20 plus years. He has worked on multiple infrastructure and resiliency measures including San Francisco Measure B, 2024, San Francisco Measure L, 2022, Measure A (San Francisco Seawall), Measure A.A. (Bay wetlands), Senate Bill 1 and Regional Measure 3.  He has been a resident of Pacifica since 2009 and enjoys exploring San Mateo County’s beaches and trails.

“I believe a transportation system should connect all of our communities to economic, social and academic opportunities in a safe, effective and sustainable way that respects the well-being and dignity of its workers."

Carina Lieu brings experience in community engagement, public administration and regional policy advising to the MTC-ABAG Community Advisory Council. She previously served as Chair of the MTC Policy Advisory Council, helping guide the Council’s work during a period of significant regional policy development. As Chair, she worked with Council members, MTC staff and elected leadership to strengthen the Council’s advisory role. During her tenure, the Policy Advisory Council contributed to major regional efforts, including Senate Bill 63, the Transportation Revenue Measure; updates to the Brown Act through Senate Bill 707; the MTC CARE program; and Regional Network Management initiatives. The Council also focused on improving how community-informed perspectives are synthesized and communicated to decision-makers.

Professionally, Carina works in city administration, leading inclusive community engagement strategy, cross-departmental coordination and evaluation of public engagement practices. Her work focuses on building trust between government and communities, and supporting engagement processes that are meaningful, equitable and effective.  

“I serve on the Council because informed policies require informed people and representation from those with lived experience. I value working regionally with people who care about place, and I bring a facilitative skill set that helps ensure advisory spaces are meaningful and inclusive of all voices.”

Louis Mirante is Senior Vice President of Public Policy for the Bay Area Council, which represents 400 of the largest employers in the region and has since 1945 promoted regionalism in transportation and housing policy. His work has focused on housing production in the Bay Area and in California, and he has sponsored legislation to: streamline the housing approval process; zone more land for apartments near transit; end single-family zoning in California; and reduce parking minimums near transit. He was the primary lobbyist for most of the modern state Accessory Dwelling Unit statute. His work has also significantly influenced the California Environmental Quality Act, the Housing Accountability Act, and several other statutes. He has worked on state legislation, regional policy and local policy, affecting almost every aspect of the housing industry – an industry which he interacts with regularly through his role with the Bay Area Council.    

Louis holds board positions with the Casita Coalition and the California Housing Defense Fund, and he is an advisory board member for the Council of Infill Builders. He was formerly the Legislative Director for California YIMBY, a Finance Budget Analyst for the California Department of Finance, and a Capitol Fellow with the California Air Resources Board and the California Department of Transportation.     Born in Piedmont, California, Louis is most passionate about policy that will build affordable housing in high resource areas, opening the door to lifetimes of opportunity for the children who can grow up in this housing. Louis graduated with highest honors from the University of Michigan, where he was a Bonderman Fellow. 

Karen Nemsick serves as the Director of Community Partnerships and the Director of the Housing Justice Initiative at United Way Bay Area (UWBA), where she advances regional strategies to increase affordable housing, improve homelessness prevention and support community-led policy solutions across Bay Area counties. Her work focuses on creating cross-sector collaboration – between government, nonprofit partners and residents – to address structural inequities in housing and transportation access.

Karen has over ten years of experience in housing stability and community development. She previously served as Executive Director of Rebuilding Together San Francisco and was a Fuse Corps Fellow (2020–2022), where she helped create a community land trust to provide environmentally sustainable housing for residents with serious mental health issues in Alameda County.

At UWBA, she manages the distribution of housing justice grants to community organizations and advocates for equity in local systems.

Karen holds a Master of Social Work from California State University, Sacramento, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the College of the Holy Cross. She has completed executive education at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

"I’m motivated by a simple truth: every person deserves a safe home that is affordable and a safe and efficient way to get where they need to go. Building policies that honor that truth is the work I choose to take on.”

Gabriela Yamilet Orantes is a mom to two toddlers and strong coalition builder and community convener in the North Bay. She has spent the past seven years managing a partnership of 10 North Bay organizations that originally convened to address systemic gaps in disaster response experienced by frontline communities after the 2017 North Bay wildfires. Her scope of work spans across the intersections of disaster response, immigrant justice, language justice, community organizing and self-governance, and cooperative development. Gabriela was born in El Salvador and brought to the U.S. at the very young age of 15 months. As someone who grew up in the North Bay and is now raising a family here, contributing to a more just and equitable region where families of all sizes and identities can thrive is essential.    

Gabriela's first term on the MTC Policy Advisory Council started in 2022 and she is the outgoing vice chair. Gabriela holds a masters in Public Policy from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and a bachelor's in Global Studies and World Languages and Cultures from California State University, Monterey Bay. She is a graduate of the Board and Commissions Leadership Institute class of 2020 (Urban Habitat) and California Rural Legal Assistance's Social Justice & Legal Services Interpreter Training 2021.

"Transit riders of all ages and identities deserve to be recognized and respected in plans that impact their material conditions. I serve on the Council to bring in questions, curiosity, awareness and insight from the perspective of North Bay residents who cannot be present in spaces like this because of a variety factors. I am excited to inform policy discussions at this level with the goal of building a Bay Area that addresses the housing and transportation realities of residents in ways that are tangible and transformative."    

Peter Saathoff-Harshfield has lived in the Bay Area for most of his life. He has low vision, and uses public transit to get around.

Peter’s career has been in software accessibility, where he advocates for and helps design software interfaces that are more usable by disabled people. He’s been involved in various disability-related groups across the U.S. for about 10 years, exposing him to a broad set of the experiences and obstacles faced by disabled people.

Since 2024, Peter has been making videos documenting the accessibility of public transportation with his partner Aubrie Lee, who has muscular dystrophy and uses a power wheelchair. As they travel, they observe numerous ways public transportation –  even in its current state – could be easier to use, more inviting, and safer for disabled people. They also notice how urban design, land use and housing affect the ability of disabled people to get around and participate in society.

"For a long time, I've been thinking and reading about transportation. I want to live in a future where we have vastly better public transportation options, and I want it to be a great experience for disabled people.  Much of my enthusiasm for public transportation comes from my sense of urgency about protecting our environment and ending our reliance on fossil fuels."

Marlene Salazar is a Program Manager at Enterprise Community Partners, where she leads programmatic and technical assistance efforts for the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities (AHSC) Program. AHSC is a flagship State of California initiative that funds integrated housing and transportation investments to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance equitable, sustainable communities. In this role, she has played a key part in securing over $741 million in funding for affordable housing and transportation projects in the Bay Area, resulting in over 2,200 affordable housing units and a reduction of over 770,000 metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions. Marlene holds a Master of Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA, where her studies focused on inclusive community engagement strategies and community economic development, and a B.A. in Environmental Studies and History from Pitzer College.

"At a young age, I learned the importance of land use development and its impact on low-income communities. Centering the voices of low-income and people of color while advancing housing affordability and climate solutions in our region's future is imperative for creating just, sustainable and inclusive neighborhoods."

Joshua Saunders grew up in Stockton, California as a legally blind individual. He learned very quickly how important access to transportation is in order to be an independent individual.

"When I lived in Stockton, there was no transportation available at all that was consistent. This taught me how essential it is that transit be available for all!"

Tim Sbranti serves as the Executive Director of the Contra Costa Building and Construction Trades Council. He draws on his decades of experience in local, state and federal government, economic development, workforce development, housing and transportation policy, and education (K-16) to advance the interests of working families in the Bay Area. Tim's breadth and depth of experiences include leadership roles in the public sector, business community, labor organizations and multiple non-profit organizations. He brings to the Council a collaborative and connected approach that is focused on developing innovative solutions to our region's most pressing challenges around mobility and affordability.

“My focus on joining the Community Advisory Council is to collaborate with a broad coalition of stakeholders to create lasting economic growth and vitality in the Bay Area. Our residents deserve continued upward mobility in safe and secure communities as they live, work and thrive. I want to help provide strategic focus to our region's critical investments that will eliminate barriers and create full access to housing, educational and job opportunities with connectivity to critical social services and recreational amenities to create an enhanced quality of life for all."

Sonja Shephard's transition into public service was driven by a commitment to community empowerment.

Her identity as a U.S. Navy veteran established a foundation of service that has been carried into local advocacy work. The central theme of her public service is the desire to ensure that everyone has a chance to be heard.

The transition into more formal roles – such as a Commissioner for the City of Pittsburg and member of the BART Police Civilian Review Board – was motivated by a direct desire to solve local issues like homelessness, public safety, affordable housing and food insecurity issues that seniors face.  

More recently, Sonja got involved with environmental groups such as 350 Contra Costa Action, 350 Bay Area and the Sierra Club to address policies to ensure cleaner air for Contra Costa residents.

"By serving in these many roles, my goal is to make a difference that will create a better quality of life for everyone."

Gaetano (Tano) Trachtenberg is the Senior Policy Manager at the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California (NPH), where he leads regional advocacy efforts to advance affordable housing and promote innovative, inclusive solutions to the region’s housing challenges. In this role, Tano works closely with NPH’s broad membership, including nonprofit developers, service providers, businesses and advocates, to shape equitable housing policies in partnership with local governments, community organizations and regional agencies.

Previously, Tano served for seven years as Senior Advisor and Legislative Aide to Berkeley Mayor Jesse Arreguín – including during his time as Vice President and President of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) – gaining firsthand experience in how local policymaking and regional planning intersect. He worked across a broad range of issues, including housing, public safety, infrastructure and economic development, and helped advance community-driven initiatives such as reimagining public safety, improving apprenticeship and healthcare standards in new developments and enacting Berkeley’s Fair Chance Housing ordinance, which prohibits the use of criminal background checks in most rental housing decisions. He is proud that his hometown of Berkeley is demonstrating the importance and feasibility of all three Ps of housing: production, preservation and tenant protections.

Tano holds a B.A. in Political Economy from Tulane University and is fluent in Portuguese. He has lived, worked and studied in Brazil, and draws inspiration from international models of sustainable and equitable development. Outside of work, he enjoys hiking, backpacking and exploring the Bay Area’s music and food scenes.

“I grew up in Berkeley, shaped by strong public schools, public transit and the experience of living in a connected, diverse region. I’ve benefited from public systems that were made possible by earlier generations’ investments, but I also recognize that those same systems have excluded and failed many others. I joined the Council because I believe regional government has a powerful role to play in correcting those injustices and ensuring that housing, transportation and infrastructure serve the full diversity of Bay Area communities. I bring experience in local government and affordable housing advocacy, and a deep commitment to a more equitable and inclusive future.”

Janelle P. Wong (she/her) has had an extensive and distinguished career in both the private and public sectors. Beginning her career in law, corporate tax and finance for 15 years, she sought more meaningful work and has personally been a passionate active transportation advocate in San Francisco. In a career shift, she dove bicycle-first into the world of active transportation advocacy and community organizing and brought over a decade of multimodal transportation leadership and know-how in San Francisco and the Bay Area. She has been an advocate for social equity in the transportation space and shines a light on advocacy and policy that tries to connect with people and their lived transportation experiences.

Janelle currently works as a consultant for non-profits throughout the Bay Area, focusing on helping them become financially healthy and sustainable for the communities they serve thrive.

“Access to affordable and accessible transportation touches so many aspects of our day-to-day lives that it is imperative as a community to create more livable and economically stable communities. Public transportation and active transportation have a complicated history in the Bay Area and there is much work to be done to right past wrongs and make public transportation and active transportation more accessible and affordable for all of our residents. When we start from a place of equity and see people’s lived experiences, we will build a better and more equitable system of transportation throughout the Bay Area.”