Team
Executive Committee
Charles Hannah, Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer, born in New Zealand and an independent film and television producer since 1984, he has produced/executive produced 15 feature films and 18 documentaries and built and run production and film financing businesses in Sydney, Tokyo and Los Angeles. In the 70s, he was a multi-national marketing executive including a 4-year posting to Tokyo where he managed sales in Japan, Korea and Taiwan. In the early 80s, he created and ran two successful restaurants. He returned to live in Los Angeles in 2006 and has lived in Sherman Oaks since 2008. From 2015 to 2018 he was the Los Angeles Team Leader for the Quaker lobbying group FCNL, focused on criminal justice reform and other issues and from 2018 to 2019 he served as Director of Development for the nonprofit, Economic Democracy Advocates.
Charles Hannah
Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer
Rick Corsini, Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer, a partner in Corsini Stark Architects, was born in Los Angeles and received his Master of Architecture in Urban Design from Harvard University and his Bachelor of Architecture from Cal Poly Pomona. In addition to over 25 years of professional practice, Rick has held faculty appointments at schools of architecture including Cal Poly Pomona, Woodbury University and the University of Southern California. As Co-Chair of the LA/AIA Government Outreach Committee, he was the author of this open letter to Mayoral Candidates in 2022. Rick is a board member of the non-profit Silver Lake Forward.
Rick Corsini
Co-Founder & Chief Creative Officer
Dr. Claudia Serrato is an Indigenous culinary anthropologist, a professor of ethnic and food studies, and an Indigenous/Mesoamerican traditional plant-based chef. Claudia was born and raised in East Los Angeles, predominantly on a Mesoamerican (P’urhépecha, Huasteca, and Zacateco) sazon and diet. She began to cook alongside her elders at an early age, gaining time-tested food knowledge. Since 2014, Claudia has been actively involved in the Native food justice and sovereignty movement, cooking alongside other Indigenous chefs at cultural food gatherings, summits, and pop-ups throughout Turtle Island (North America). In 2015 she was granted an honorary title of sous-chef de cuisine by the Native American Culinary Association (NACA). Claudia's mission is to activate, remember, and regenerate Indigenous & Mesoamerican taste memories, flavors, foods, and foodways through the culinary arts and cuisine.
Dr Claudia Serrato
Alan Salazar is a traditional storyteller, published author, Native educator and a tribal elder in both the Fernandeño Tataviam and Ventureño Chumash Tribes. He is a spiritual adviser, builder and paddler of traditional Chumash canoes. His Native ancestors were brought into the San Fernando Mission starting in 1799. His Chumash ancestry is from the Chumash village of Ta'apu near Simi Valley, California and his Tataviam ancestry is from the Chaguayanga Village in Santa Clarita. He is a founding member of the Kern County Native American Heritage Preservation Council and the Chumash Maritime Association; a member of the California Indian Advisory Council for the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History; and has been a community advisor with the Ventura County Indian Education Consortium for over 25 years. He has been a long-time advocate for Native animals and had a prominent role in P22’s Celebration of Life at the Greek Theatre, and his burial.
Alan Salazar
Julia Samaniego is a member of the Fernandeño Tataviam Tribe from the Siutcanga Village (the Place of the Oaks, translated into Spanish and known today as Encino), with ties to the Chumash through the Ta'apu Village. Her Native lineage links her to Alan Salazar through the same blood-line. As one of two Nursery Managers for the Wallis Annenburg Wildlife Crossing, Julia oversees the propagation of Native plants for the Crossing. She has been trained in Restoration Fire Resilience through the Community Nature Connection; in addition to restoration, seed cleaning, plant identification & propagation of Native plants. She has presented talks from a Native woman’s perspective on reconnecting with Native plants.
Julia Samaniego
Board of Directors
Jason Schlatter, Chief Development Officer of Friends of the LA River. A leader in equity, intercultural relations and organizational development who has led multiple collective impact initiatives to reduce poverty, reverse homelessness and increase environmental literacy and workforce development throughout the state of California and beyond. Resident of Studio City.
Jason Schlatter
Michael Mahdesian, Chairman of Servicon, a facilities servicing company for hospitals, aerospace, biotech etc., and a leader in sustainable practices. Former bureau deputy at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) overseeing international humanitarian aid and post-conflict transitions to peace and democracy, and Los Angeles Planning Commissioner. Resident of Studio City.
Michael Mahdesian
Beverly Lowe, Ph.D. Urban & Regional Planning, USC Price School of Public Policy and ED.M from Harvard University School of Education. Former research appointment USC School of Gerontology and RAND Corporation consultant. Mother of recently retired Angel City Football Team captain and 4 time Olympian, Ali Riley.
Beverly Lowe
Mia Lehrer, FASLA founded Studio-MLA with a vision to improve quality of life through landscape architecture. With offices in Los Angeles and San Francisco, the robust and multidisciplinary team works to address urban issues through environmental systems planning and built resilience strategies. Her interest spans from intimate gardens to expansive urban plans, with a focus on parks and open spaces, cultural gardens, academic campuses, and urban river regeneration. She has led the design and implementation of significant public and private projects and is the recipient of the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum’s 2021 National Design Award for Landscape Architecture, the ASLA LaGasse Medal, and the John L. Chase Legacy Award. She was recently named to the 'LA100,' the Los Angeles Times listing of the city’s most influential leaders. Mia lectures around the world and also served on the Board of Commissioners for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and the United States Commission of Fine Arts under President Barack Obama.
Mia Lehrer
Advisory Board
Jonathan Parfrey, Founder and Executive Director of Climate Resolve, whose work as a pioneer in the areas of environmental and social justice has been recognized with numerous awards. He currently serves as an advisory board member of the UCLA Center for Healthy Climate Solutions, a member of the LA28 Olympics and Paralympic Games Sustainability Working Group, founder of the statewide Alliance of Regional Collaboratives for Climate Adaptation and a founder and board member of CicLAvia,. He served as director of the GREEN LA Coalition (2007-2011), as the Los Angeles director of the Nobel Peace Prize winning organization Physicians for Social Responsibility (1994-2007) and a commissioner at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (2008-2013).
Jonathan Parfrey
LeVar Burton, Story teller, actor, director, author, presenter, host, education advocate, Emmy, Grammy and Peabody Award winner and National Humanities Medal recipient. Known for his leading role as Kunta Kinte in “Roots”, Geordi La Forge in “Star Trek: Next Generation”, as host of the PBS educational series “Reading Rainbow” for 23 years, and the CW prime-time game show “Trivial Pursuit”. Resident of Sherman Oaks.
LeVar Burton
Patricia Bates, PhD,CPA (retired), board member of San Fernando Valley Audubon Society (SFVAS) for many years and chairperson of the Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Areas Steering Committee for 2025. She has also served on various other NGO boards and the Encino Neighborhood Council. SFVAS has been and will continue to be a major driver in development of the Sepulveda Basin wildlife areas, as well as using the basin for an outdoor classroom and preserving it as a green space for all, habitat for wildlife, and an urban oasis.
Patricia Bates