Keene Simonds was appointed LAFCO Executive Officer in September 2017 and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s regulatory and planning responsibilities consistent with Commission policies.  Keene previously served as LAFCO Executive Officer in the San Francisco Bay Area (Marin and Napa Counties) along with holding different positions with a private consulting firm in Beverly Hills California and non-profit organization in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Keene holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pepperdine University and University of Southern California, respectively.  Previous activities also include serving as a Board member for Marin Space and the California Urban Forest Council.    Keene and his family live in Old Escondido.

Employment Agreement - Simonds

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Priscilla Mumpower joined San Diego LAFCO in August 2020 and currently serves as the Assistant Executive Officer. She    received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, College of Public Service and Community Solutions. As a San Diego native, she aspires to positively impact and contribute to San Diego communities. Previously, Priscilla worked in the hospitality industry as a Human Resources Manager. When not at work she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughters.

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Holly O. Whatley serves as Commission Counsel and is a shareholder with the law firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley in Pasadena.   Holly has served as Commission Counsel since September 2017 and is responsible for all aspects of legal review.   Holly separately serves as Assistant City Attorney for the Cities of South Pasadena, Ojai, and Sierra Madre.   Holly is a native of Texas and received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Aleks R. Giragosian serves as Assistant Commission Counsel and is a senior counsel with the law firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley in Pasadena. Aleks separately serves as City Attorney to the City of Sierra Madre and Assistant City Attorney for South Pasadena. Aleks graduated from UCLA with a Juris Doctor and a Master’s in Public Policy, earning the school’s prestigious Outstanding Academic Achievement Award.

Michaela is a graduate of San Diego State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Minor in Sustainability and now serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. While earning her degree, she grew a passion for the betterment of communities through a more holistic approach and hopes to be a part of future planning and public policy initiatives within the San Diego Region. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, hiking and trail-running, hanging out at the beach, and camping.

Meghan serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. She is a graduate of the University of California, San Diego, having earned her bachelor's degree in Sociocultural Anthropology with minors in Human Rights and Migration and Spanish Literature. At UC San Diego, she developed her qualitative and quantitative research skills in programs studying homelessness in San Diego, migration to the U.S.-Mexico Border and San Diego community responses to climate change. She then worked as a management intern for the San Diego City Council District 6 office. In her free time, she loves to spend time at the beach, try new recipes, and walk in local canyons.

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Joelle Burila serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. She is a San Diego native with a passion for environmental justice and sustainability. Joelle earned her bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University in Environmental Studies. Prior to joining LAFCO, she served as a Policy Advisor for a County of San Diego Board of Supervisor. Her previous experience includes environmental consulting, program management, event coordination, and environmental and public health advocacy in the nonprofit sector. In her free time, Joelle enjoys spending time with her family, adventures with her dog at the beach and park, cooking and traveling to new places.

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Dieu Ngu has been with LAFCO over 10 years, providing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), IT, and website support. Having grown up in the East Coast, Dieu graduated from the University of Virginia and later earned a Master of Science in GIS from the University of Redlands. He enjoys the many great beaches and parks in San Diego, and can be often found playing beach volleyball on the weekends.

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Erica Sellen currently serves as Commission Clerk with San Diego LAFCO. Erica directly supports the Executive Officer and is responsible for overseeing LAFCO’s accounting procedures as well as coordinating personnel activities – including recruitments, benefits, and ongoing training – with the County of San Diego. Erica also assists in producing and distributing the monthly Commission meeting agenda packets. Erica joined San Diego LAFCO in June 2015 and previously worked for SeaWorld San Diego. Erica is from the Central Valley and moved to San Diego in June 2006. She loves cats, traveling, watching movies and enjoys hanging out with her friends and family.

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Aiden Velasquez joined San Diego LAFCO in September 2024 and serves as the Communications Associate. Aiden graduated in 2024 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing Management. Involvements during school and marketing roles both on and off campus have fueled his passion for improving the way meaningful messages are shared with diverse audiences. In his free time, he loves exploring the outdoors, playing volleyball with friends, taking film photography, and caring for succulents.

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Tom Kennedy has over 35years of operational and executive management experience in both the public and private sectors of water and wastewater agencies. Tom is President of Kennedy Water Consulting, LLC that focuses on all aspects of water/wastewater management as well as LAFCO matters.  He most recently served as General Manager of the Rainbow Municipal Water District and served two terms on the San Diego LAFCO Special District Advisory Committee.  Tom has a bachelor’s degree in Aerospace Engineering from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in Public Administration from Cal State Fullerton.

Mike Stein began his fire service career with the San Miguel Fire District in 1990 as a reserve firefighter and was hired as a full-time firefighter in 1993. Over his 20-year tenure with the district, he served in key roles, including firefighter/paramedic, engineer, captain, battalion chief, and acting division chief. He also made significant impacts as the district’s first paramedic coordinator and developing its inaugural Peer Mentor Program to support personnel development and growth.

In 2009, as a battalion chief, Stein expanded his expertise in public safety by managing a county-wide training program for fire and law enforcement professionals through the City of San Diego’s Office of Homeland Security. For his leadership in Homeland Security, he was honored with the U.S. Army’s Sergeant Major’s Award by the California Emergency Management Agency in 2013.

That same year, Stein joined the Encinitas Fire Department as a battalion chief and shift commander for the cities of Encinitas, Solana Beach, and Del Mar. In 2015, he was promoted to Fire Chief for all three cities, where he led comprehensive fire operations and supervised the Marine Safety Division for the City of Encinitas, managing over 100 full-time employees.

A third-generation firefighter, Chief Stein carries a legacy of service with his grandfather and father having served with the Los Angeles Fire Department and Santa Monica Fire Department, respectively. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from San Diego State University and a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

Stein’s career reflects a lifelong commitment to public safety, innovation, and leadership in fire service.

Christine O’Rourke has over 20 years of experience in climate change and adaptation policy and implementation. Christine is the principal of O’Rourke & Associates, a planning consulting firm that specializes in the development of plans that build livable, sustainable communities, including climate action plans and general plan updates for local California governments. Christine has a BA from Boston University and an MBA from San Francisco State University.