For over 100 years, the ACLU SoCal has been a cornerstone of social justice and the defense of civil liberties and civil rights in Southern California and beyond. That mission endures, and I am grateful to have taken part.
After nearly two decades at the ACLU SoCal — the last 13 years proudly serving as its executive director — I will soon be leaving my post and moving on to other pursuits. I am delighted to announce that my ACLU California Action colleague, Liz Cabrera Garcia, has stepped in as interim executive director while the ACLU SoCal Boards of Directors launch a search for my successor. As director of statewide collaboration, Liz has worked with me and other executive leaders across the ACLUs in the state to build more effective collaboration. Liz's in-depth understanding of the ACLU and her dedication to our mission will keep the organization in good hands while the search proceeds.
During my tenure as executive director, the ACLU SoCal has seen exponential growth as we responded to unprecedented attacks on our civil liberties.
During my tenure as executive director, the ACLU SoCal has seen exponential growth as we responded to unprecedented attacks on our civil liberties. Over the past decade, we expanded our reach and deepened our impact across the region, opening offices in Orange County, the Inland Region, and Kern County and more than doubling in size, adding not just attorneys but also policy advocates, and organizers. This expansion was driven by our commitment to intersectional and integrated advocacy.
This approach has made us unique among ACLU affiliates. Our nimble and strategic advocacy allowed us to tackle unforeseen assaults on our communities like Prop. 8 and the Muslim ban while continuing to safeguard the rights of the systemically oppressed — including people who are incarcerated and unhoused. Steering the ACLU SoCal through these changes has been an honor and a privilege.
Steering the ACLU SoCal through these changes has been an honor and a privilege.
Our affiliate's core is our people — our advocates and staff members who work everyday to ensure a more just and equitable society. I'm so proud of our team and what we have accomplished together. We have stood arm in arm and hand in hand fighting for equality and fairness. We have not shied from taking on any and all, no matter how powerful, who fail to live up to the most basic principles of our society. Yet we know that no victory ever stays won. We must continue to act, and we must continue to be hopeful.
Hope comes from taking action, refusing to give in to the urge to let others do what’s needed. I hope you'll continue to support the ACLU SoCal by taking action and being agents of change. Let us all keep working for a state and nation that are just – for all people.