John Burton Advocates for Youth (JBAY) is pleased to announce the addition of two new members to its board of directors: Teri Holoman and Ana Matosantos. Teri and Anna joined the board of directors in October and bring a wellspring of legislative and advocacy experience.
Teri brings her 15 years of legislative advocacy work to JBAY. Teri spent her early career consulting for two former state Senators and a state Assemblymember and serving as Deputy Appointments Secretary for former Governor Jerry Brown where she managed a portfolio of six government agencies.
Having been an advocate for Californians throughout her career, the transition to working on behalf of labor unions made sense for Teri. In 2015, she joined the California Teachers Association – one of the largest in the state – where she now presides as the Associate Director of Governmental Relations.
Ana Matosantos comes to the JBAY board with federal and state experience, having served at the federal level in former President Obama’s Puerto Rico Oversight, Management and Economic Stability Board. Ana also focused her talents on improving the lives of Californians. A leader in the state’s Health and Human Services and Veterans Affairs arms, Ana worked tirelessly with the Governor’s Office on a comprehensive health care reform proposal leading to big wins in the implementation of the Affordable Care Act.
Big, complex issues like healthcare weren’t the only things on Ana’s mind. When the Great Recession of 2008 could have meant catastrophe for California, Ana offered a steady hand as the California Department of Finance Director in both the Brown and Schwarzenegger administrations. She was Governor Brown’s Chief Fiscal Advisor when the state closed a $27 billion shortfall and transitioned from years of deficit to multibillion dollar surpluses. Capped off with a turn as cabinet secretary to Governor Gavin Newsom, you’d be hard-pressed to find someone with a longer history of service.
JBAY Board President John Garcia could not be more excited for these two new additions. “The work and advocacy that JBAY does touches every part of the legislative process in Sacramento. With Teri and Ana on the JBAY board, we can continue to accelerate our efforts to provide education, stable housing, and equitable access to healthcare for young people across California through legislative change. The board looks forward to working with these two pros,” he said.