Effie Turnbull Sanders is the newly appointed University of Southern California Vice President of Civic Engagement and Economic Partnerships. She is a passionate and dedicated advocate for economic, environmental, and social change. She brings over two decades of experience advancing the rights of underserved Los Angeles communities and is the past Executive Director of South Los Angeles Transit Empowerment Zone (SLATE-Z).

Dr. Meyer is Professor Emeritus at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA.  He has served as The Lundquist Institute’s President and CEO since 2009.  Prior positions in research administration include serving as EVP Research at the House Ear Institute (2008-09) and as Vice President for Research and Scientific Affairs at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center (2004-2007). 

Michael H. Kelly currently serves as the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Coalition for the Economy & Jobs, a non-profit bi-partisan organization that brings together leaders from business, labor, academia and nonprofits to advance initiatives that generate economic growth, create quality jobs and a skilled work-force, and improve the region’s overall quality of life.  Prior to working with the Los Angeles Coalition, Mr. Kelly has worked in a number of high-level positions, both in the private sector with The Boeing Company and with California Governor’s Gray Davis and Arnold Schwarzenegger. 

Lewis C. Horne is the President of the Southern California and Hawaii Division for CBRE, Inc., the leading provider of commercial real estate services globally. Mr. Horne is responsible for the strategic direction and performance of the firm’s 16 local offices—including greater Los Angeles, Orange County, San Diego and Hawaii—and oversees a senior management team to ensure excellence in client service across all CBRE business segments. Mr. Horne is passionate about collaboration in service delivery, and actively promotes the integration of multiple disciplines to ensure well-conceived, strategic solutions for complex client assignments. He is partnering with CBRE’s Workplace Strategy group to better align the regional offices with this goal, including the transformation of the firm’s global headquarters in Downtown Los Angeles and its LA North offices at the renovated Masonic Temple in Glendale. Together they are creating innovative work environments with cutting-edge technology to attract and retain top talent and better meet client needs. Prior to his current role, Mr. Horne held a variety of leadership positions in the company, beginning as an industrial brokerage professional in 1984 and quickly growing to become one of the top 3% of brokerage professionals company-wide. He has successfully grown his career at CBRE for more than 30 years. Led CBRE Workplace360 Strategic Office Transformation Initiative for Downtown LA Corporate Headquarters (2012-2014) Created and led CBRE’s U.S. Client Care & Development Initiative (2012) Manager Innovation Award (2010, 2013) Past Chairman, LAEDC (Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation) Current Board Member, LA Business Council Current Board Member, World Trade Corporation Los Angeles Current Board Member, Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services Current Board Member, Catholic Big Brothers Big Sisters University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA Bachelor of Science; Business

David Abel, President & CEO of ABL, Incorporated, publishes: The Planning Report, which focuses on land use; the Metro Investment Report, which covers public infrastructure investments; and the VerdeXchange News, which focuses on clean energy and sustainable technologies. For the last twelve years, David has leveraged his professional experience and interests in civic affairs, clean & renewable energy, water technologies, last mile transportation, urban planning, blue-tech, and sustainability to also create the VerdeXchange Institute - an environmental think tank.

Alfred Fraijo, Jr. is a partner in the Real Estate, Land Use & Natural Resources Practice Group and a member of the Executive Committee at Sheppard Mullin. Alfred has significant experience in obtaining and negotiating land use entitlements for complex housing and mixed-use development projects throughout California, including advising clients with innovative, urban renewal projects in the inner-city and other sectors with emerging markets. Alfred is also the Founder of Inclusive Action for the City – a non-profit that works to create multi-disciplinary alliances focused on designing, building, and promoting sustainable communities.