Area Planning Commissions

Joe Goldman

An LA native, Joe Goldman is a seasoned policy advocate, strategist, and fundraiser. For nearly six years, he served as the regional Community Engagement Director at HIAS, the world’s oldest international humanitarian agency supporting refugees of all backgrounds. He has also held roles at MAZON, JCRC Bay Area, and worked on numerous political campaigns and progressive initiatives. Passionate about his hometown, Joe seeks out pathways for sustainable growth so future generations can thrive in the city that shaped him. A graduate of The George Washington University with both a B.A.

Myanna Dellinger

An award-winning legal researcher, attorney, and Fulbright Scholar, Myanna Dellinger, M.Sc., J.D., PhD, graduated at the top of her law school class, Order of the Coif, in 2008. She was a tenured law professor teaching business law, natural resources law, and climate change law and policy for more than a decade. She served as the Director of Climate Resilience and Sustainability for a nonprofit entity in Pasadena for four years. She now serves as a temporary judge for the Superior Court of California and as commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. Originally from Denmark, Dr.

Ariel Torres-Socarras

Commissioner Torres-Socarras brings nearly 30 years of experience in urban planning, community development, and public administration. Commissioner Torres-Socarras currently serves as the Planning and Development Deputy for L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger (District 5). Most recently, he served as Building and Safety Division Manager for the City of Santa Monica, where he led the city’s permitting, plan review, and inspection operations; and collaborated closely with residents, businesses, and stakeholders to improve customer service and processes.

Julio Esperias, Jr

Julio C. Esperias, Jr. is a strategic communicator and storyteller with more than 15 years of experience advancing social justice across California. As Communications Director at Western Justice Center,  he shapes the organization’s voice, leads media strategy and develops narratives that uplift restorative justice, peer mediation and community-driven conflict resolution as tools for social change.

Stacey Pruitt

Commissioner Pruitt is an attorney for a Special District in Southern California that addresses environmental issues. She is a career prosecutor, and is certified in Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. Ms. Pruitt attended the University of Southern California and the University of West Los Angeles for undergrad and obtained her doctorate in Law from Loyola Law School.

David Ryan

Commissioner Ryan is a partner at Felker Toczek Suddleson McGinnis Ryan LLP, where he represents individual creative professionals and rightsholders in transactions across all media.   He holds a bachelor’s degree with honors in political science and theatre studies from Swarthmore College and a law degree from Columbia Law School, where he was a Hamilton Fellow and a James Kent Scholar.  He lives in Mar Vista with his wife and daughters.

Duncan Sachdeva

Commissioner Sachdeva is an experienced real estate asset and portfolio manager. He currently oversees real estate investments with Singh Partners LP and previously served as Managing Director at AGS Investments Inc., specializing in real estate acquisitions and mortgage note transactions.

Steven Welliver

Commissioner Welliver is the Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for The Hollywood Partnership and also serves as Executive Director of Hollywood Partnership CommunityTrust. In this capacity, he works across the organization’s four primary goals of public space management, place enhancement, stakeholder engagement, and advocacy and economic development to support the planning and funding of projects that accelerate implementation of the strategic plan for the Hollywood community.

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