About Us - about the organization

"Protecting and Empowering Communities"

Brightline’s mission is to promote sustainability and opportunity in traditionally underserved communities through public policy advocacy and partnerships. Our focus is on three pathways to protect and empower communities in need: 1) advancing environmental justice, 2) ensuring job creation and retention, and 3) advocating for the development of fair, affordable, and sustainable housing.

Brightline was founded on November 22, 2005 and received tax-exempt status as an IRS-recognized 501(c)(3) designated public charity on November 8, 2006.

Joshua Arce, Executive Director

Joshua Arce is a graduate of the University of California, Hastings College of the Law and received a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of California at Los Angeles. Mr. Arce founded Brightline with the proceeds of an anti-Latino employment discrimination settlement with a national mortgage lender. His work with Brightline follows five years of work as a civil rights attorney, with a focus on housing and workplace discrimination.

Mr. Arce was raised in the San Fernando Valley in Southern California. He spent his high school and college years involved in political organizing before moving to San Francisco to pursue a career in law. He enjoys studying languages and speaks Spanish fluently.

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

José Atilio Hernández, Chair

Jose Atilio Hernandez has worked for the past ten years developing and implementing policy solutions at the state and local levels. Currently, Mr. Hernandez serves as the Director for External Affairs and Community Relations for ConnectEd: The California Center for College and Career. Prior to ConnectEd, Mr. Hernandez worked for six years in the California State Senate as the Director of Policy and Development for California State Senator Richard Alarcon, serving as the Principal Consultant to the Senate Select Committee on College and University Admissions and Outreach, a Consultant to the Joint Committee to Develop a Master Plan to End Poverty in California. Mr. Hernandez is currently a member of the California Public Utilities Commission’s Low Income Oversight Board and received his bachelor’s degree in Sociology from the University of California at Berkeley.

Amir S. Sarreshtehdary, Vice-Chair

Amir S. Sarreshtehdary was born in Tehran, Iran but has spent the majority of his life in San Francisco. While working toward his law degree from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, he participated in the Civil Justice Clinic and assisted tenants seeking better housing conditions and challenging unfair rent increases. For many years he has been involved in social causes and representing members of society often unheard. He worked at the Northern California Service League as well as the San Francisco and Marin County Jails as an intern. He has also worked with youth at the Youth Guidance Center in San Francisco where he was an instructor in introductory law classes and also as a counselor to dual-diagnosed adolescents in a residential treatment home.

Lisa M. Kaplan, Secretary

Lisa M. Kaplan is an attorney, public relations consultant, elected official, community volunteer and former Capitol staff member for Senators Leland Yee, Jenny Oropeza and Dean Florez while they served in the California State Assembly. Ms. Kaplan brings to Brightline her knowledge of law, elections, campaigns, government and policy to L&B Associates LLC as its General Counsel. Prior to forming L&B Associates LLC, Lisa advocated before the California State Legislature, specializing in areas of employee relations, wireless telecommunication, insurance, privacy, workers compensation, healthcare, association management, and business interests. She currently serves as an elected trustee to the Natomas Unified School District in Sacramento and as a Foundation Board Member for American River College. As a school board member for the past 7 years, Lisa institutes systems and processes to ensure accountability to the community, including fiscal, programmatic, staff, student testing, and collective bargaining for the school district. She earned her J. D. degree from the University of Pacific, McGeorge School of Law, and a B.A. degree from Seattle University.

Rebecca Arce

Brandon Bowlin

Becca Doten

Becca Doten currently serves as the Director of Communications for Los Angeles City Councilmember Richard Alarcón. Previously she worked with Alarcón in the State Senate and Assembly as a Legislative Deputy, focusing on environmental and poverty issues. Before working for Alarcón, Becca was Chief of Staff to Arianna Huffington. In 2006, Becca traveled to Armenia to be part of an international Habitat for Humanity build. For the last five years she has volunteered at a local literacy non-profit, Reading to Kids, to help bring the wonder of reading to kids living in under-served communities.

Nick Hardeman

Nick Hardeman is a native of San Francisco. He earned a B.A. degreen in Politics from Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, where he was a leader in a successful living wage campaign. Upon graduation, he entered the California Senate Fellowship Program. Nick currently serves as the Capitol Director for Assembly Majority Whip Fiona Ma. Prior to joining Assemblywoman Ma’s office, Nick served as a consultant to the Senate Labor and Industrial Relations Committee. In his years working in the Capitol, Nick has worked on legislation to guarantee all workers paid sick days, to prevent the spread of Wal-Mart Supercenters, and on issues relating to Poverty. Nick is active in the labor movement and is a member of Sign and Display Local Union 510.

Jennifer Hewett

A California native, Jennifer Hewett moved to the Bay Area from Los Angeles fifteen years ago. In that time, she has organized conferences and coordinated fundraising for educational nonprofits, worked in public television, started (and sold) a stationery business, helped grow a giftware company, and overseen finance and operations for an online learning company. Jennifer received a B.A. degree in English Literature from the University of California at Berkeley.

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