Serena Chin Kirk, Commissioner

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 such as the Beyond Foster Care Campaign, the Alliance for Boys & Men of Color, the Children’s Health Coalition, Parks Now and more. Serena has experience providing strategic direction to clients and organizations from various sectors and has proven success in moving diverse issues such as suicide prevention for Native American youth and alternatives to incarceration, to higher education pipelines and workforce opportunities for underserved communities. She has lead efforts towards the passage of meaningful legislative reforms and worked to secure millions in state resources for communities of color, children and youth, health and mental health services, working with Children’s Defense Fund, the California Primary Care Association, Journey House and others.

Serena has experience also in organizing community and fundraising events, civic engagement and voter registration, and public speaking. She previously served as a staff writer for the San Diego Asian Film Festival, worked for the Asian Association of Utah, held proud membership with the Asian American Journalist Association, and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate in the Los Angeles Child Welfare System.

Ms. Kirk received her Bachelor of Arts in Communications from San Diego State University, as well as spent time studying International Communications and International Politics in Tianjin, China and Oxford, England. Serena completed her Masters in Business Management & Leadership from Pepperdine University in the spring of 2021.

Serena most recently launched an impact driven entertainment company, Souldier LLC, in partnership with a major Hollywood production studio, where she plans to cultivate a movement focused on building bridges between disparate communities and cultivating opportunities through story telling that allow for deeper understanding, connection, empathy and behavior and culture change.