Following City Council approval, Mayor Todd Gloria recently announced these new appointments and reappointments to serve in key roles on the City’s Boards and Commissions. Check the Boards and Commissions webpage to learn about vacancies and apply for a position.    

Evaristo Rafael Parra was appointed to the Citizens' Equal Opportunity Commission. Parra is the President of Parra & Associates LLC, a consulting firm specializing in the oversight and management of government contracts for municipalities across California. His prior work experience includes serving as operations director at San Francisco Public Works and executive director of Facilities Management and Development. While in this capacity, Parra initiated a procurement program that facilitated the hiring of contractors, architects and engineers from diverse communities to work on city, state and federally funded government contracts. He has served as a member of the San Diego Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and as a board member of the Mission Language and Vocational School. Parra holds a Bachelor of Arts in Spanish literature and a Bachelor of Arts in history from the University of California (UC) Santa Barbara, as well as a Master of Arts in architecture from UC Berkeley. He is being appointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Jan. 1, 2027, in the Latino Representative Seat. 

Joseph Anthony Bustamante was reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. Bustamante is a Real Estate professional based in San Diego, where they have lived for the past 32 years. As an advocate for social equality, they have spent much of their life volunteering and supporting marginalized groups, particularly those struggling with addiction, homelessness, and gender and racial inequality. They are being reappointed to a two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028, in the LGBT Seat. 

Nicole Howard was reappointed to the Citizens Equal Opportunity Commission. Howard is a U.S. Navy veteran who served on active duty and in the reserves from 2007 to 2018. She earned her commission from the Navy Reserve Officers’ Training Corps unit at the College of Holy Cross in Worcester, Mass., with a bachelor's degree in political science and a master's degree in curriculum and instruction from the University of San Diego (USD). After leaving the Navy, Howard worked as a teacher in the Escondido Union and Cajon Valley School Districts. She currently serves as a proposal manager for a cybersecurity firm. She is being reappointed to a two-year term ending Jan. 1, 2028, in the Disabled Veteran Seat. 

Christopher Chalupsky was appointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. Chalupsky has over 20 years of experience in cultural arts and entertainment programming. He oversaw the arts program at San Diego International Airport for eight years, with a focus on developing programming and partnerships with artists and arts organizations in the San Diego community. He sits on the San Diego Regional Arts and Culture Coalition Steering Committee, Ocean Beach Planning Board and is a registered member of the American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers and Songwriters of North America. Chalupsky is being appointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 31, 2027, in the District 2 Representative Seat. 

Abe Hughes was appointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. Hughes has had an extensive career in business development, having most recently served as the agriculture division general manager and Latin America regional director at Trimble Inc., where he led over 300 employees. Additionally, he served as senior vice president of business development at Poet Biorefining LLC., the world's largest producer of renewable fuels. He has served on numerous boards and commissions nationwide, including the Agriculture Future of America, Biofuels Trade Association, Chicago Museum of Contemporary Art, Advocate Health Care, and Harvard Business School Alumni Association. Hughes holds a Bachelor of Arts in history from Cornell University and a Master of Business Administration from Harvard University. He is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 31, 2027. 

Rebecca Phillpott was reappointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. She has more than 30 years of experience in education policy analysis, public education advocacy and program development. Phillpott has partnered with many community organizations to serve youth, including the San Diego Workforce Partnership and the Urban League of San Diego County. As an arts enthusiast, she supports many San Diego programs at all levels, including school-based and professional, particularly in the area of youth involvement and music and performing arts. Phillpott holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science from San Diego State University (SDSU) and a Certificate in community research and program evaluation from UC San Diego Extension. She is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat’s current term ending Aug. 31, 2027, in the District 5 Seat. 

Keith Opstad was reappointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. Opstad is an award-winning artist, art educator and two-time teacher of the year. He graduated from Poway High School, earned his bachelor’s degree and single-subject teaching credential in art education at California State University, Long Beach, and received a master’s degree in educational technology leadership from George Washington University. He is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat’s current term ending Aug. 31, 2027, in the Mayoral Appointee Seat. 

Dr. Alberto Lopez Pulido was reappointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. Dr. Pulido is the founding chair of the Department of Ethnic Studies and has been on the faculty at USD since 2003. He aligned himself with several community organizations, including the Chicano Park Steering Committee, which serves as the steward of Chicano Park in San Diego. Additionally, he serves as director of the Turning Wheel Mobile Classroom Project, which provides a mobile space for supporting the urgent needs and challenges of our local communities and is the vice chair of the museum’s advisory board. He received degrees in sociology and Chicano studies from UC San Diego, and he represents one of 57 students who would graduate from the Mexican American Graduate Studies Program at the University of Notre Dame. Dr. Pulido is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat’s current term ending Aug. 31, 2027, in the District 8 Representative Seat.  

Alessandra Moctezuma was reappointed to the Commission for Arts and Culture. She is a professor of fine art, museum studies and gallery director with San Diego Mesa College. She holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Master of Fine Arts in painting and printmaking from UC Los Angeles and has advanced to candidacy for a PhD in Hispanic language and literature from the State University in New York, Stony Brook. She is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat’s current term ending Aug. 31, 2027, in the District 3 Representative Seat.  

Soheil Nakhshab was appointed to the Board of Building Appeals and Advisors. Nakhshab is the founder and CEO of Nakhshab Development & Design, Inc., a design-build firm providing development, architecture, permitting, construction, interior design and property management services. His work includes the redevelopment of historic properties, urban infill projects and development on constrained parcels. He has developed housing units through infill projects utilizing local and state land-use regulations to increase density. His projects address workforce housing needs while incorporating existing structures where feasible and complying with California building codes. Nakhshab teaches real estate development at the New School of Architecture in San Diego. He holds a Bachelor of Science in civil engineering from SDSU and is licensed as a civil engineer and general contractor. His civic service includes prior roles as chair of the Uptown Planners Community Planning Board and chair of the Design Review Board. He is being appointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending March 1, 2027, in the General Member Seat. 

Stan Williams was reappointed to the Resiliency Advisory Board. Williams is the principal consultant at Stan Williams Water Resources Consulting. His firm provides strategic advice and innovative solutions for sustainable water management. He has served for over a decade as CEO for the Santa Clara Valley Water District, one of California's largest local water and flood control agencies. In this role, he contributed to developing and implementing water policies that strike a balance between ecological preservation and the needs of urban and agricultural users. At the federal level, he worked for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, where he developed flood mitigation programs. Williams holds a Bachelor of Arts in political science, a Master of Regional and City Planning from the University of Oklahoma and a Juris Doctorate from the University of America-Washington D.C. He is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 1, 2027, in the General Seat. 

A-bel (Annabel) Yee Gong was reappointed to the Resiliency Advisory Board. Gong serves as the San Diego Regional Climate Collaborative's climate research manager. They received their bachelor's degree in environmental and ocean sciences with minors in biology and gender studies, and their master's degree in science in environmental and ocean sciences from USD. Gong uses their spatial and computational analysis experience, as well as their passion for social justice, to provide a unique perspective and approach to the Climate Collaborative's research efforts surrounding environmental equity and justice. As the coastal resilience lead, Gong has spearheaded intersectional research projects on San Diego's pressing sea level rise issues, as well as supported efforts to create a more connected coastline in the San Diego-Baja California region. They are being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 1, 2027, in the District 7 Member Seat. 

Cyntia Rose Harris was reappointed to the Resiliency Advisory Board. She is a Master of Laws candidate at the University of Mississippi Center for Air and Space Law. Her areas of expertise include space and environmental law and policy, climate change, water resources, federal Indian law and Indigenous rights. She previously was the first director of the Institute for Environmental Sovereignty at the National Congress of American Indians (NCAI). Prior to joining NCAI, Harris was director of Tribal Programs and the deputy director of the Center for State, Tribal, and Local Environmental Programs at the Environmental Law Institute, and she earlier worked in San Diego local government as a policy advisor and community liaison. She serves on the American Bar Association’s (ABA) Indigenous Law Committee and Council for the ABA’s Section of Environment, Energy, and Resources, and previously the Standing Committee of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Environmental Health Matters Initiative. Harris received her law degree from New York University School of Law. She is being reappointed to a two-year, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 1, 2027, in the District 2 Member Seat. 

Eric Lardy was reappointed to the Resiliency Advisory Board. Lardy has been a City planning professional for almost 20 years. He has worked for the County of San Diego in various roles and for the City of Carlsbad, where he currently serves as a City planner. Throughout these roles, he has worked on general plans, community plans, ordinance development and environmental impact reports. Lardy holds a Bachelor of Arts in public administration from SDSU and a Master of Public Administration from the University of Southern California. He also currently serves on the American Planning Association San Diego Section Board. Lardy is being reappointed to a two-year term, and completing the seat's current term ending Aug. 1, 2027, in the District 6 Member Seat.