A month ago, one of the leaders in our community, Crystal Hayling, CEO of the Libra Foundation, said it best, “our country is on the precipice.” Over the past six months, in the wake of a global health crisis and a national uprising for the support and protection of Black lives, our country has experienced an unprecedented shift and we are on the precipice of our democracy collapsing. Communities are newly grappling with the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and continuing to contend with the pre-existing health, racial, economic, and regional disparities and inequities that preceded and were further laid bare by the pandemic.
In the midst of it all, city leaders are struggling with the very real impacts of these dual pandemics. While citizens are rightfully demanding justice, equity, and radical change, cities are also facing severe economic challenges without the support of federal resources. How are cities and their leaders navigating these challenges? How is community voice being included? What role can philanthropy play?
We are pleased to host a conversation with Mayor Libby Schaaf, City of Oakland, and Mayor Michael Tubbs, City of Stockton, to explore the challenges their respective cities are facing during this time.
Join us to:
- Learn how they are engaging and centering community leadership
- Hear what their long-term strategic thinking and vision around COVID-19 response and recovery is
- Discuss how they are rising to the demands for systemic change in their cities
- Explore opportunities to partner with and receive support from philanthropy
Speakers
Mayor Libby Schaaf, Mayor, City of Oakland
Mayor Libby Schaaf was born and raised in Oakland, which she proudly describes as, “The most unapologetic Sanctuary City in America.” During her tenure, Oakland has undergone an economic revitalization and building boom, as well as cut gun violence in half.
Her “17K/17K Housing Plan” has helped increase Oakland’s affordable housing production, stabilize rents, and decrease evictions. Her innovative public-private partnerships Keep Oakland Housed and Cabin Communities are credited with preventing 1,800 families a year from losing their housing, while resolving some of Oakland’s most unsafe street encampments. In 2019, Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Mayor Schaaf to California’s first Council of Regional Homeless Advisors.
She created Oakland’s first Department of Transportation, whose equity-based paving plan is the first of its kind in the nation and will make previously underserved neighborhoods safer, while addressing the city’s decades-old infrastructure backlog.
Mayor Schaaf is most proud of launching theOakland Promise, a bold cradle-to-career initiative to send more low-income Oakland kids to preschool and college. The Oakland Promise has sent more than 1,400 Oakland students (and counting) to college with scholarships and mentors, and will give every baby born into poverty a $500 college savings account at birth.
Mayor Michael Tubbs, Mayor, City of Stockton
On November 8, 2016, Michael Tubbs was elected to serve as the mayor of the City of Stockton, California. Upon taking office in January 2017, Michael Tubbs became the youngest mayor of Stockton and the youngest mayor of any city of over 100,000 residents in the country’s history. He is also the City’s first African-American mayor. Recognized as one of Politico’s Top 50, Fortune’s 2018, Top "40 under 40," Forbes' 2018 list of the “30 Under 30”, and awarded the John F. Kennedy New Frontier Award, Tubbs’ leadership paired with an ambitious progressive agenda has received national recognition. In his first year, Mayor Michael Tubbs secured $20M to launch Stockton Scholars, a place-based scholarship that aims to triple the number of Stockton students entering andgraduating from college. Tubbs also brought Advance Peace to Stockton, a data driven program that works to reduce gun violence in communities. With an innovative public-private partnership supported by a $1M grant, Tubbs launched the nation’s first ever mayor-led guaranteed income pilot, SEED. Building off of SEED’s success, Tubbs founded Mayors for a Guaranteed Income, a joint effort with fifteen other mayors from across the country to advocate for an income floor through a federal guaranteed income.
Before becoming mayor, Michael Tubbs served as Stockton's District 6 City Councilmember. Elected at age 22 in 2013, he became one of the youngest City Councilmembers in the country. As a councilmember, Tubbs created the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition, championed the creation of the City’s Office of Violence Prevention and was part of the council that led the city out of bankruptcy as Chair of the Audit and Legislative Committee. Mayor Tubbs graduated in 2012 from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree with honors. Mayor Tubbs is focused on poverty reduction, public safety, workforce development, community engagement and organizing, and collective impact strategies. Tubbs has been a college course instructor for Aspire Public Schools and a Fellow at the Stanford Institute of Design and the Emerson Collective.
Scott Shafer, Host of The California Report, KQED (moderator)
Scott Shafer migrated to KQED in 1998 after extended stints in politics and government to host The California Report. Now he covers those things and more as senior editor for KQED's Politics and Government Desk. He co-hosts the weekly show and podcast Political Breakdown. Recently collaborated on The Political Mind of Jerry Brown, an eight-part series about the life and extraordinary political career of the former governor. When he's not asking questions you'll often find him in a pool playing water polo.
Target Audience
This program is open to NCG members and non-member funders only.