SPPD Alumni Association
Membership to the SPPD Alumni Association is open to all alumni of USC SPPD and its affiliated programs. All alumni are automatically considered members upon graduation, and there are no dues required to be a member.
The purpose of this organization is to:
- To serve as a partner with the School of Policy, Planning, and Development
- To support the academic excellence and professional relevance of SPPD’s degree programs
- To nurture a strong community of alumni, faculty, administration and students
- To foster the lifelong professional development of SPPD community
- To expand SPPD’s influence in the local community and beyond
The SPPD Alumni Association is governed by a Board of Directors.
Board of Directors: Current Members
Kirk Cartozian (Chair) MRED/MBA '05
Owner, Cartozian Associates Real Estate, Inc.
Carl Alameda MPA '05, MPL '06
Management Analyst, City of La Canada Flintridge
E. Felicia Brannon MPA '95
Executive Director of Community & Local Government Relations, UCLA
Nancy Burke MPDS '03
Senior Land Use/ Entitlements Manager, Kaiser Permanente National Facilities Services
Lauren Carter MPA '08
Special Assistant to the CEO, Inner City Education Foundation Public Schools
Elsa Paola Chagolla MPP '00
Chief Operating Officer, Mentor LA
Brittany DeBeikes, BS '05
Acquisitions Associate, StarPoint Properties
Debra DuRoff, FACHE, MPA '87
Regional Sales Director, US Healthworks
Darren Fancher MRED '03
Shubharoop Ghosh MPL '02
Vice President of Data Services, ImageCat, Inc.
Kristine Guerrero MPA '00
Public Affairs Manager, League of California Cities
Stephen K. Guine MPP '96
Lead Systems Engineer, Northrop Grumman
Kimberly Hoffman MPA '91
John Keisler MPA '05
Bureau Manager, City of Long Beach Animal Care Services
Derek Larsen MPA '06
Consultant, Strategy and Operations, Deloitte Consulting, LLP
Michael K. Low MPA '80
Senior Managing Director/Senior Vice President, London and Pacific Healthcare, Inc.
Ross Mitchell MRED '04
Vice President, Investments, Cohen Asset Management, Inc.
Jessica Morog BS '05
Investor Relations Manager, Major Gifts, Orange County United Way
Susan O'Carroll MPL '81, Ph.D. '89
President/Founder, Pareto Planning and Environmental Services
Lucy Okumu MPP '04
Policy and Communications Strategist, Strategic Counsel PLC
Mark Persico, AICP, MPL '91
President, Persico Planning Partners
Art Simonian MRED '99
Principal, Metro Investments
Krista Sloniowski MPL '03
President, Connective Issue, Inc.
Elizabeth Ann Smith EML '08
Brissa Sotelo MPP '06
Manger, External Affairs, Tesoro Corp. Los Angeles Refinery
Anthony Taylor BS '97, JD
Attorney, Aleshire & Wynders, LLP
Lupe C. Valdez BS Psyc. '83, MPA '85
Director, Public Policy and Community Affairs, Union Pacific Railroad
Michael Vanderbeek MPL '05
Manager, Strategic Planning and Performance Management, Port of Long Beach
Wendy Wang MPP '01
Corporate Director of Community Education Outreach and Public Policy, Pacific Clinics
Suzanne Yu MHA '06
Project Manager, Facey Medical Foundation
Board of Directors: Emeritus Members
Eric Batch MPP '00
Vice President, Advocacy, American Heart Association
Karin Berger Stellar MPA '00
Partner, Morris and Berger
Heidi Brandl BS '94, MRED/MBA '03
Vice President, IHP Capital Partners
Timothy J. Collins, FACHE, BS '90, MHA '95
Vice President, Operations and Chief Operations Executive, Scripps Memorial Hospital Encinitas
Brian League MPL '89
Director of Entitlements, USC Capital Construction Development
Lori Meloch BS '87, JD '91
Senior Counsel, State Bar of California, Client Security Fund
Nancy Pfeffer MPP '99
President, Network Public Affairs
Josh Rohmer MPL '06
Jeff Schaffer MPA '87
Southern California Director, Enterprise Community Partners
Renata Simril MRED '99
Vice President, Forest City Development
Matthew (Mott) Smith MRED '99
Principal, Civic Enterprise Associates
Erroll Southers MPA '98
Chief of Counter-Terrorism, Los Angeles World Airports
Associate Director, USC Center for Risk and Economic Analysis of Terrorism Events
Jeff Van Hoy BS '94, MHA '97
Director, Strategic Planning, St. Joseph Hospital, Orange
Grace Cainoy Weltman BS '97, MPP '99
Executive Director, Child Care Alliance of Los Angeles
Carolyn Williams MPA '82
Senior Manager, Community Partnerships, Sempra Energy