Application for Linda Akutagawa

Interview

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Initial Application

Below is the initial application for the Citizens Redistricting Commission. In this section of the application you will be asked to provide personal information that will assist the Applicant Review Panel in processing your application.

You do not have to complete the entire application at one time. At any point, you can save your application using the "Save Application" button. After the application has been saved, you can return to this site to complete the application using your email and password if you choose to set one. Be sure to submit your initial application on or before August 19, 2019.

All fields with * are required to submit the application.

Identification Information
Linda
Akutagawa
Physical Address
Huntington Beach
92649
Orange
Mailing Address (If different than Physical Address)
Rosemead
91770

Gender

Gender*

Racial or Ethnic Background

Select the circle that best describes your race/ethnicity*
Latino Group
Pacific Islander Group
Asian Group
Other Groups

The Voters FIRST Act is designed to produce a Citizens Redistricting Commission that is reasonably representative of the state's diversity. This information is required to help the Applicant Review Panel identify a diverse pool of the most qualified applicants. Although your specific date of birth will remain confidential, your age may be calculated from your date of birth and made public.

Economic Status

What was your total household income during the past 12 months?*

Eligibility Information

If you are uncertain about your prior voting registration, voting record, or party affiliation, we suggest that you contact the county clerk or voter registrar in the county in which you resided during the period of time in question. The contact information and address for California's county elections offices can be found at https://voterstatus.sos.ca.gov/.

1. Have you been continuously registered to vote in the State of California since July 1, 2015?*

2. With what party are you registered?*

3. Has your political party affiliation remained the same since July 1, 2015?

4. Indicate in which of the last three statewide general elections you voted, (check all that apply)*:

Conflicts of Interest

The Voters FIRST Act (Act) is designed to produce a Citizens Redistricting Commission that is independent from legislative influence and, therefore, disqualifies from service any person having a conflict of interest as defined by the Act. The information below is required to help the State Auditor and the Applicant Review Panel identify any conflicts of interest you may have.

5. Have you done any of the following within 10 years of the date you submit this application:

5a. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been appointed to, elected to, or a candidate for a California congressional or state office (Appointed means appointed by the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization; or served at the pleasure of the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization)?*

5b. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a California political party or of the campaign committee of a candidate for a California congressional or elective state office?*

5c. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an elected or appointed member of a political party central committee in California?*

5d. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a lobbyist registered with the State of California or a California local government?*

5e. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a registered federal lobbyist?*

5f. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as a paid California congressional, legislative, or State Board of Equalization staff?*

5g. Have you within 10 years of the date you submit this application contributed $2,500 or more to any California congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office within any single calendar year?(This amount has been adjusted using the California Consumer Price Index.)*

6. Are you currently serving as staff, or as a consultant to the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

7. Are you currently under contract with the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

When answering questions 8 and 9, immediate family means your parents, step-parents, spouse, registered domestic partner, children, step-children, siblings, step-siblings, parents-in-law, siblings-in-law, and sons- and daughters-in-law with whom you have done the following:

8. Do you have an immediate family relationship with the Governor of California, a member of the California Legislature, a California member of Congress, or a member of the State Board of Equalization?*

9. Has a member of your immediate family done any of the following within 10 years of the date you submit this application:

9a. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been appointed to, elected to, or a candidate for a California congressional or state office? (Appointed means appointed by the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization, or served at the pleasure of the Governor, a member of the Legislature, or a member of the State Board of Equalization)?*

9b. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an officer, employee, or paid consultant of a California political party or of the campaign committee of a candidate for a California congressional or elective state office?*

9c. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as an elected or appointed member of a political party central committee in California?*

9d. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a lobbyist registered with the State of California or a California local government?*

9e. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application been a registered federal lobbyist?*

9f. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application served as a paid California congressional, legislative, or State Board of Equalization staff?*

9g. Has a member of your immediate family within 10 years of the date you submit this application contributed $2,500 or more to any California congressional, state, or local candidate for elective public office within any single calendar year?(This amount has been adjusted using the California Consumer Price Index.)*

PRIVACY NOTIFICATION AND WAIVER

LEGAL AUTHORITY AND REASON FOR COLLECTION OF PERSONAL INFORMATION

The Voters FIRST Act (Act) and the regulations implementing the Act require that the selection of commissioners for the Citizens Redistricting Commission (Commission) be open to public scrutiny and the press (California Constitution, Article XXI, section 2, subdivision (c); Government Code sections 8252, 11120, 11121, and 11125.1; California Code of Regulations, title 2, sections 60835, 60836, 60842, and 60846). The Act also requires the California State Auditor's Office (State Auditor's Office) to select 60 of the most qualified applicants based upon their voter affiliation; eligibility to serve pursuant to Article XXI of the California Constitution; the absence of any conflicts of interest; relevant analytical skills; ability to be impartial; appreciation for California's diverse demographics and geography; and racial, ethnic, geographic, gender, and economic diversity. To determine each applicant's identity and qualifications to serve on the Commission and to track the demographic information of the applicant pool, this application seeks personal information about applicants that will be provided to the Applicant Review Panel, State Auditor's Office staff, and the public, including members of the press, the Legislature, and the Commission.

CONSEQUENCE OF NOT PROVIDING ALL REQUESTED INFORMATION

Failure to provide all of the requested information will result in your disqualification and the removal of your name from the applicant pool. Thus, if you wish to serve on the Commission, it is mandatory that you submit a response for each item of information requested.

PERMISSION TO USE AND RELEASE PERSONAL INFORMATION

By submitting this application, you acknowledge that the application, all documents submitted in support of your application, including a Statement of Economic Interests (FPPC Form 700) if you are asked to submit one, letters of recommendation, materials generated as a result of any State Auditor's Office or Applicant Review Panel investigation of you, and all public comments and responses to public comments about your application are public records. You agree that the State Auditor's Office shall provide copies of these materials to members of the public and the press, members and staff of the Applicant Review Panel, State Auditor's Office staff, the Legislature, the Commission, and as otherwise compelled by law. You understand that members of the Applicant Review Panel and the public may make public statements about you. You authorize the State Auditor's Office to use the information submitted by and about you as the State Auditor's Office deems necessary to select commissioners, replacement commissioners, or otherwise comply with its legal duties. You also authorize the State Auditor's Office to post all materials related to your application to serve on the Commission on its website and any website authorized by the State Auditor's Office.

VOLUNTARY WAIVER OF PRIVACY RIGHTS AND STATE AUDITOR'S OFFICE LIABILITY

By applying to be a commissioner, you are waiving your privacy and other rights under various state and federal laws including, but not limited to, the Information Practices Act (Cal. Civil Code section 1798 et seq.), and any defamation, invasion of privacy, and negligence claim you may have against the State Auditor's Office and those acting on its behalf. Accordingly, by waiving your privacy rights, you are agreeing to permit the State Auditor's Office to release any and all information submitted by or about you, EXCEPT that the State Auditor's Office will not post on the Internet your date of birth; physical, mailing, and email addresses (excluding the city and county); telephone numbers; the addresses and telephone numbers of your immediate family members; or any materials that the State Auditor's Office deems offensive. At this point in the process, the State Auditor's Office will not collect, and you should not voluntarily submit to the State Auditor's Office, your social security number, driver's license number, financial account numbers, or health information. By submitting your application, you acknowledge and consent to the release of the information you and others are providing related to you and, except as specifically provided above, you are waiving your right to privacy regarding all information relating to you and your application to serve as a commissioner. This waiver authorizes the State Auditor's Office to make public information submitted by or about you for a period of 12 years from the date of your application, even if you are not selected as a commissioner. You are providing this waiver voluntarily, understanding that the State Auditor's Office shall not be legally liable as a result of the release of information submitted by or about you or as the result of comments made about you by others, and that the State Auditor's Office will post on its website or otherwise release publicly. This includes claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, negligence, and any other statutory or common law claims.

WHOM TO CONTACT

You have a right to review personal information the State Auditor's Office maintains about you and to verify its accuracy. Please contact the State Auditor's Office's Information Privacy Officer at (916) 445-0255; 621 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200, Sacramento, California, 95814; if you would like to view or obtain information about the location of your records and the categories of persons who use the information in your records.

Affirmation

I affirm, by entering my initials in the box, that the statements contained in this application are true and correct to the best of my knowledge, and that I have read and understand the Privacy Notification and Waiver.

LA

08/10/2019 10:44:00AM

Supplemental Application not displayed (redacted content)

Letters of Recommendation

Letter of Recommendation #1, submitted by George C. Wu

How Submitter Knows Applicant: Board Chair

Letter of Recommendation:

Dear Selection Committee Members:

It is my pleasure to provide this letter of recommendation for Linda Akutagawa as she seeks selection to the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. My professional partnership with Linda spans a decade, from our peer-to-peer relationship as executives of national non-profits to my current role as board chair of her organization, LEAP.

Along the way, I've benefited from Linda's expertise in two formal leadership development programs she served as lead trainer; collaborated on numerous projects, initiatives and meetings; and, most importantly to me, enjoyed her friendship and our shared love of all things Disney. Through it all, and now more than ever, Linda has been the consummate professional and true change agent within the communities we both serve.

Since joining the LEAP Board of Directors in 2014, I have further witnessed firsthand Linda's mastery of stakeholder engagement on issues of leadership development, diversity and inclusion, civic participation, and public policy across the business, government, higher education, media, and philanthropic sectors. All the while, Linda also maintained an intense nationwide training schedule as LEAP's lead (and most sought after) trainer. Furthermore, Linda and her small, yet dynamic team in LEAP's Little Tokyo-based headquarters managed to complete a wholesale transformation of the organization from the hanging-on-by-a-thread days of the Great Recession to the modernized, connected, and well-funded player LEAP is today.

On top of all this, Linda lends her time, energy and leadership to a wide range of civic, professional, non-profit, community causes and organizations. In short, Linda has made board members like myself and the organizations she serves look as good as the legions of LEAP training alumni now making their way up the proverbial ladder throughout the United States and abroad. I count my and LEAP's blessings every day that Linda is so committed to our mission and vision. I'm also always very excited when she tells me of new ways she believes she can have an impact on our society. Service on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission will be no different. Simply put, Linda will make the Commission stronger by bringing with her a wide range of experiences and connections critical to the task at hand.

I'm particularly excited for Linda about this opportunity, because I know redistricting and civic participation is near and dear to her heart. I am also excited, because these types of applications force Linda to do the one thing she is always reluctant to do - promote herself. If she is selected, I'm excited for the entire Commission and our home state of California, because I know the entire process will greatly benefit from Linda's breadth of experiences and commitment to bridge building and equity.

As a Japanese American, Linda is keenly aware the dangerous consequences of society losing track of values such as equality, fairness, and equity. I believe her and her family's journey only adds to her commitment to these very values in everything she does and puts her name to. As she has done for decades building LEAP into a national force with a strong connection to the local Los Angeles community, Linda will be able to articulate a strong, equitable vision for Californians through service on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

In closing, I'd like to restate my strong and unwavering support for Linda's application to the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. I'm confident that she will surpass your expectations and enrich the experiences of all stakeholders. Linda is driven, self-confident, proactively helpful, and smart, and I know she will be a long-term asset to redistricting in California. As LEAP's board chair, I take these requests very seriously as it means Linda has to share her time and talents with other causes, but I can't think of anything more important than the work of the Commission and how well suited Linda will be as a member. Please feel free to contact me at [Redacted] if I can be of any further service to the selection committee. Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

George C. Wu
Chairman of the Board of Directors, LEAP
Partner, VENG Group

Letter of Recommendation #2, submitted by Tammy Tran

How Submitter Knows Applicant: I know Linda Akutagawa as an Executive Director of a nonprofit; a subject matter expert on diversity, inclusion, and representation.

Letter of Recommendation:

Dear 2020 Citizen Redistricting Commission Selection Committee:

It is with great confidence that I submit this letter of recommendation to strongly support Linda Akutagawa's application to serve on the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. I have known Linda Akutagawa for close to ten years as a strong leader, subject-matter expert, and voice for the Asian Pacific Islanders communities. Alongside her role as the Executive Director of Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics, Inc. (LEAP), I know Linda to be highly sought-after as an expert speaker, facilitator, and trainer on leadership, diversity, and inclusion. She has a steadfast and foundational commitment to achieving full participation and equality for Asian and Pacific Islanders through leadership, empowerment, and policy. She is among the most thoughtful, accomplished, and innovative nonprofits leaders that I have met and worked with in the past fifteen years.

In 2014, I had the opportunity to work with directly with Linda in my role as a public affairs professional at Southern California Edison (SCE). Linda had been selected to serve on SCE's Consumer Advisory Panel that I project-managed for SCE. In this role, Linda represented the Asia Pacific Islander communities and provided direct, candid, and insightful guidance to SCE's senior leadership including the Chief Executive Officer and Vice President of Local Public Affairs. Linda helped broaden and sharpen the company's understanding of consumer issues, challenges, and barriers to service. Linda provided specific suggestions on how SCE can better serve the diverse API populations through in-language outreach, trusted partnerships, and community engagement.

Throughout her three years of service on the panel, Linda facilitated key introductions to nonprofits and community leaders that resulted in SCE's stronger engagement with a cross section of API communities throughout Southern California. Linda would routinely share information and research on demographic trends across diverse communities and best practices in diversity and inclusion. Her contributions during meetings were always insightful and would spur additional follow-up discussions. Her questions were always sharp and analytical. Linda presented herself to be very knowledgeable of not just the API communities but of all diverse communities. In addition, she was very attentive, self-aware, and thoughtful of the difference perspectives of other members on the advisory panel. This ability to balance and weigh different experiences and backgrounds will serve Linda well as a member of the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission.

Linda is a strategic community leader with a strong ability to make connections. She values data-driven programming and targeted leadership development. Under her leadership, LEAP has expanded programs for individuals to realize their full potential at different life stages from students to retirees. These programs have resulted in increased leadership participation of APIs at all levels in this increasingly globalized world. I personally know many people who have participated and benefited from these programs. I can confidently say Linda is directly responsible for producing community leaders who could advocate and speak on their behalf.

Linda will be a valuable addition to the 2020 Citizens Redistricting Commission. She is an articulate, fair-minded, and highly effective nonprofit professional. Linda approaches her work with integrity, professionalism and an understanding of the importance of equality and participation. I have full confidence that she will be an impartial member of the Commission and use the experience to continue to do meaningful work. I hope that you strongly consider her application.

Sincerely,

Tammy T. Tran
Senior Manager, Local Public Affairs
Southern California Edison

Letter of Recommendation #3, submitted by Yvette Chappell-Ingram

How Submitter Knows Applicant: We are professional colleagues

Letter of Recommendation:

October 3, 2019

California State Auditors Commission
C/O Applicant Review Panel
621 Capitol Mall, Suite 1200
Sacramento, CA. 95813

RE: Applicant ID number is 22971

Dear Review Panel:

I am delighted to be called upon as a reference for Ms. Linda Akutagawa. I was introduced to Ms. Akutagawa in early 2012 when I, along with our co-founder Virgil Roberts, was forming the African American Board Leadership Institute (AABLI). We were seeking advice and guidance on best practices of organizations similar to AABLI's. Linda realized the impact AABLI could have on communities throughout California, and despite her hectic schedule, she unselfishly provided many hours of her time in helping us to develop our business model and programming. As President and CEO of AABLI and State Commissioner, we have been calling on each other's support ever since.

In the time that I have known Linda, I have been very impressed with her intellect, poise and ability to take on difficult challenges. I have witnessed, first-hand, the competence she has brought to her role as President and CEO of LEAP (Leadership Education for Asian Pacifics.) Since assuming this role, she was instrumental in changing the business model of the organization, establishing new client relations and strengthening relations with staff, donors and volunteers. Her many successes can be directly attributed to her professionalism and consummate people skills. Most importantly, she is a person of impeccable integrity and character who has earned the respect of her peers and constituents. Her approach to problem-solving is collaborative, mature and fun.

Without reservation, I give Linda Akutagawa my highest recommendation. She is a dynamic leader who can make an excellent commissioner. If there are any questions or further comments required, I would be pleased to respond.

Sincerely,

Yvette Chappell-Ingram
President and CEO
African American Board Leadership Institute

[Redacted]

Public Comments

Comment 686, submitted by Cid Wilson

How Submitter Knows Applicant: See Attached Letter

Submitted On: 10/29/2019

Comment (PDF)

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