Reshma Shamasunder has served as Director of the California Immigrant Policy Center since 2003. Under Reshma’s leadership, CIPC has helped to advance several successful campaigns at the state level, including preserving important health and human service programs, supporting survivors of human trafficking and domestic violence, stalling abusive employment verification practices, and furthering important immigrant integration efforts. Reshma currently serves on the board of Health Access California and previously served as co-chair of the South Asian Network in Los Angeles. Reshma was most recently an inaugural fellow with the Rockwood Fellowship for a New California, a leadership program for California’s immigrant rights leaders. She was previously Director of Benefits Policy and Government Affairs at the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, and also worked for several years on child labor issues in India. Reshma holds a Bachelors Degree from UCLA and a Masters in City Planning from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Ronald Coleman is CIPC's Government Affairs Manager, based in Sacramento. Formerly, Ronald was the Legislative and Policy Director for the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN), and most recently with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE). He has over 7 years experience advocating on a wide-range of issues to protect the interests of low income communities and working families. Ronald has received his Juris Doctorate from Southern University Law Center, and his BA in Political Science from Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. Ronald is also a member of the State Bar of New Jersey.
Kristine Chong is Statewide Policy Organizer at CIPC. Formerly, Kristine was an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with the International Rescue Committee’s refugee resettlement office in San Diego. She has also interned with The Asia Foundation’s Philippines office and the International Justice Mission. Kristine holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a B.A. in English from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Gabriela Villareal is the Policy Manager based in CIPC's Oakland office. Previously, she was the Immigration Advocacy Policy Coordinator for the New York Immigration Coalition and also worked for Safe Horizon’s Anti-Trafficking Program as the Training and Advocacy Director. She is an Opportunity Agenda 2012 Communications Institute Fellow. Gabriela served as a board member of the National Asian Pacific American Women's Forum and is a recipient of the King County Coalition against Domestic Violence "Take Action" Award.
Jon Rodney is CIPC's Communications Manager, based in Oakland. Jon uses his passion for language to lift up the voices of immigrant communities in the media. During his tenure, he has developed communications strategies which have secured hundreds of pro-immigrant news hits. He's also provided training and support to many grassroots groups. Jon previously managed communications and development at the East Bay Alliance for a Sustainable Economy. Jon is a graduate of UC Berkeley in Spanish Language and Literature, and speaks both Spanish and modern standard Arabic.
Gina Da Silva is CIPC's Program Coordinator based in Sacramento. Before coming to CIPC, Gina she spent several years in the Republic of Panama as the manager of a hotel. Prior to this she worked with the Women of Color Resource Center in Oakland as the Peace & Solidarity Intern. Gina is a graduate of the University of San Francisco in Politics and International Studies, with a focus on Latin American Studies and Peace and Conflict Studies.
Philip Acuna is CIPC’s Executive & Development Assistant in Los Angeles. Previously, he worked as an Outreach & Development intern for Democracy Now! Productions, an independent news organization based in NYC. Philip graduated from the University of Colorado at Boulder with a B.A. in Ethnic Studies, and a minor in Women and Gender Studies.
Carolina Gamero is CIPC's Communications Associate based in Los Angeles. Her commitment to serving immigrant communities stems from working as a Communications Associate at East LA Community Corporation, where she raised awareness of the need for affordable housing and economic development in predominantly low-income Latino neighborhoods in Los Angeles, and assisted with grant proposals aiming to improve neighborhood health by increasing points of access to fresh food. Carolina was a member 2011 and 2012 Youth Advisory Committee for National Council of La Raza and holds a B.A. in Sociology from the University of California, San Diego.
