Commissioners

Karthick Ramakrishnan, Chair

Karthick Ramakrishnan is professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside, and founding director of the Center for Social Innovation. He holds a BA in international relations from Brown University and a PhD in politics from Princeton. Read more about Commissioner Ramakrishnan.

Serena Kirk, Vice Chair

Ms. Kirk has more than fifteen years experience in public policy, statewide advocacy and grassroots mobilization, having played a key leadership role in the facilitation of numerous local and statewide coalitions. Read more about Commissioner Kirk.

Lance Toma, Secretary

Lance Toma is the Chief Executive Officer of San Francisco Community Health Center (formerly Asian and Pacific Islander Wellness Center), an LGBTQ and people of color community health center that believes everyone deserves access to the highest quality health care. Read more about Commissioner Toma.

Rajan Gill, Commissioner

Rajan Gill is a Historian and Professor at Yuba College. Gill’s academic career began at the University of California, Davis where he served as vice-president to the History Honors Society. Read more about Commissioner Gill.

Helen Lee, Commissioner

Helen Lee brings almost 40 years in leadership positions in large, complex organizations such as the County of Los Angeles, Kaiser Permanente and the City of Los Angeles as a Human Resources Manager and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor. Read more about Commissioner Lee.

Kirin Macapugay, Commissioner

Kirin Amiling Macapugay, MSW, is an Indigenous Person born in Kalinga, Philippines. She is a mother, professor, community organizer, state appointed commissioner, and founder of several grassroots efforts to strengthen the communities she loves. Read more about Commissioner Macapugay.

Jason Paguio, Commissioner

Jason Paguio is the President and CEO of the Asian Business Association San Diego (ABASD) and the Asian Business Association Foundation. As a recognized leader, Jason brings vision and expertise across a multiplicity of sectors, including development of minority-owned business; establishment and coordination of high-impact multi-agency collaborative efforts; advocacy for San Diego’s many diverse communities; and first-hand experience as a first-generation Filipino-American. Read more about Commissioner Paguio.

Simon Pang, Commissioner

Simon Pang immigrated from Singapore in late 1989. Pang is the Executive Vice President / Co-Founder of Royal Business Bank (founded in 2008) and serves as the President of the US-Sino Friendship Association. Read more about Commissioner Pang.

Darshana Patel, Commissioner

Darshana R. Patel, Ph.D. is a scientist, elected official, and community leader with professional experience in board governance, education policy, and project management working towards raising the level of local civic engagement. Read more about Commissioner Patel.

Janani Ramachandran, Commissioner

Janani Ramachandran is a lawyer, activist, and artist with a lifelong passion to build inclusive and equitable political systems. She is also a strong advocate for survivors of domestic violence. Read more about Commissioner Ramachandran.

Taunuu Ve'e, Commissioner

Taunuu Ve’e has over 25 years working l to promote and improved health outcomes on the national, state, and local level, established public and private partnerships across government and multi-sector organizations to provide capacity building to lift the voices of the underserved and unserved. Read more about Commissioner Ve’e.

Cirian Villavicencio, Commissioner

Cirian Villavicencio is professor and chair of the Department of Political Science at San Joaquin Delta College in Stockton, California. Read more about Commissioner Villavicencio.

David Yee, Commissioner

Dr. David Yee is a sixth generation Californian and physician, and his family ties to Northern California are part of the region’s history. His great-great-great grandfather, Dr. Yee Fung Cheung, was an herbal doctor in the Gold Country, and his store in Fiddletown, California is a state landmark. Read more about Commissioner Yee.

Past Commissioners

Thank you to all past commissioners for your leadership and service since the Commission began operations in 2004.