Coro California Blog

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California Leaders Stand Together to Protect Our Elections and Uphold Democracy

November 2, 2026 Coro California

A statewide coalition of 40 business, philanthropic, faith, and civic organizations affirms a shared commitment to free, fair, secure, and accessible elections. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CALIFORNIA, November 2, 2026 — On the eve of election day, leaders across California are coming together to affirm a set of principles that transcend political affiliation, institutional interests, and […]

Alex Ramirez, Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks, leads walking tours as part of the launch of Boo Boo Bandage Brigade campaign, a collaboration with CALIF, FASTLinkDTLA, DTLA Mobility for All and Public Matters to uplift the priorities of disability justice advocates for public-right-of-way repairs in downtown LA. (Photo credit: Gemma Jimenez)

Alumni Stories

Walking the walk: how Alex is building a more joyful, climate-resilient LA

November 2, 2026 Gohar Chichian

For Alex Ramirez, cities are places we inherit and shape together, a lesson she carried from Cholula, Mexico, to her role as Executive Director of Los Angeles Walks. As an alumna of Coro California’s Climate Resilience Leadership Network, she brings a planner’s lens and two decades of organizing to building a city that is more […]

Members of the Northern California Alumni Council at the Bay Area Alumni Night in September 2026.

Alumni Stories

Meet Coro’s Northern California Alumni Council

October 28, 2026 Henry DeRuff

Members of the Northern California Alumni Council at the Bay Area Alumni Night in September 2026. A couple weeks ago, leaving a Muni station, I ran into a Fellows Program alum on her way to trivia — with her friends from Coro, though she graduated a dozen years ago and 3,000 miles away. Some version […]

Affordable Housing Leadership Cohort 2025 (from left to right) Kaitlyn Quackenbush, Candace Latigue, Lisette Cruise, Chasidy Miles, Jessica Hitchcock, Juan Diego Castro, Jazmin Ridley, Lorenzo Rosas, Li Lovett, Leigh Ann Macalino, Avni Desai, Delvin Hall, Adria Moss, David Ho, Mathew Reed, Stephan Jackson, Matt Lewis, Cindy La, Atisha Varshney, Amy Davidson, Jed D’Abravanel, Owen Serra, Justine Marcus, Vanessa Smith, Bianca Newman, Judy Shephard Hall.

Program Highlights

The cross-sector magic of housing leadership: building community through the Affordable Housing Leadership Network

October 27, 2026 Kaitlyn Quackenbush

Working in affordable housing means navigating the distance between what our communities need and what it takes to get there. Funding gaps. Competing priorities. Policies that take years to advance while the need for stable, affordable homes grows more urgent. My decade in housing policy, tenant rights advocacy, and local government has taught me how […]

A participant taking handwritten notes during a learning session.

Thought Leadership

Democracy is everyone’s work: the leadership we need beyond the ballot box

October 26, 2026 Natalie Samarjian

In just a few weeks, millions of Americans will participate in one of the most consequential rituals of our democracy: casting a ballot. Across California, election officials are preparing polling places, community organizations are helping neighbors navigate the voting process, and civic leaders are working to ensure that every eligible voter can participate freely, safely, […]

Sofia, an alumna of Coro’s Fellows Program in Public Affairs.

Fellowship & Careers

Inside a public affairs fellowship: Sofia’s journey

October 22, 2026 Sofia Martinez

Some fellows arrive at Coro already sure of what they want to learn. Others arrive with a question they can't quite name yet—and let the year answer it for them. Sofia’s reflection is a study in the second kind: an experience in Coro’s Fellows Program in Public Affairs that started as curiosity about how government […]

Alumni Stories

‘Housing alone doesn’t move you up the ladder’: Afton’s case for connecting work and home

October 20, 2026 Gohar Chichian

As Director of Policy and Government Relations at Chrysalis, Afton leads government relations strategy and an $8 million portfolio of public grants for an organization that has supported more than 90,000 people on their path to employment since 1984. An alumna of Coro’s Housing and Houselessness Leadership Network, she brings a valuable perspective: stable work […]

Coro Fellows introduce themselves at the organization’s 2026 Bay Area Alumni Night event.

Fellowship & Careers

Applying to the Fellows Program in Public Affairs? Read this first

October 14, 2026 Callie Spaide

Learn more about Coro’s public affairs fellowship, the Fellows Program in Public Affairs, and our application tips and best practices.

Meet the 2026 cohort of the Board Leadership Training Accelerator, preparing leaders for nonprofit board service.

Meet the Cohort

Ready to lead: Meet our 2026 Board Leadership Training Accelerator cohort

October 6, 2026 Gohar Chichian

Strong nonprofits are built by people who bring curiosity, care, and conviction to the boardroom. This October, a new cohort of Los Angeles leaders joins Coro California’s Board Leadership Training Accelerator to deepen their governance skills and prepare for meaningful board service. We’re honored to introduce the professionals who will carry this work into mission-driven […]

Dawna Williams, alumna of Coro’s Lead Bay Area program.

Alumni Stories

“Who’s teaching whom here?” From Lead Bay Area to hosting Coro youth

October 5, 2026 Gohar Chichian

A Lead Fellowship Bay Area alumna leads East Oakland Boxing Association, hosting Exploring Leadership fellows and building civic engagement in Oakland.

Search Coro California

California Leaders Stand Together to Protect Our Elections and Uphold Democracy

Walking the walk: how Alex is building a more joyful, climate-resilient LA

Meet Coro’s Northern California Alumni Council

The cross-sector magic of housing leadership: building community through the Affordable Housing Leadership Network

Democracy is everyone’s work: the leadership we need beyond the ballot box

Inside a public affairs fellowship: Sofia’s journey

‘Housing alone doesn’t move you up the ladder’: Afton’s case for connecting work and home

Applying to the Fellows Program in Public Affairs? Read this first

Ready to lead: Meet our 2026 Board Leadership Training Accelerator cohort

“Who’s teaching whom here?” From Lead Bay Area to hosting Coro youth

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