Established through Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-16-22, California's Racial Equity Commission is tasked with recommending tools, methodologies and opportunities to advance racial equity and address disparities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities and will provide technical assistance to state and local governments to advance racial equity statewide.
Established through Governor Newsom's Executive Order N-16-22, California's Racial Equity Commission is tasked with recommending tools, methodologies and opportunities to advance racial equity and address disparities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities and will provide technical assistance to state and local governments to advance racial equity statewide. Credit: Chris Allen, VOICE

Ellen Perault

California’s Racial Equity Commission (Commission), established by Governor Gavin Newsom in September 2022, recommends best practices and opportunities to address both racial equity and inequities facing historically underserved and marginalized communities in the state. 

The 11-member Commission provides technical assistance to state and local governments to advance racial equity statewide. The Commission, established as part of Executive Order N-16-22, also mandates state entities not only embed but also institutionalize racial equity strategies across their policies, programs, and initiatives.

Gabriel Maldonado, founder and Chief Executive Officer of TruEvolution in Riverside, a health and justice organization serving LGBTQ+, youth, seniors, and people living with HIV in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, was appointed as an inaugural Commissioner by Governor Newsom to the new Commission.

Gabriel Maldonado, founder and Chief Executive Officer of TruEvolution in Riverside, a health and justice organization serving LGBTQ+, youth, seniors, and people living with HIV in San Bernardino and Riverside counties, was appointed as an inaugural Commissioner by CA Governor Gavin Newsom to the new Commission on Racial Equity.

Maldonado, formerly a member of the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS under President Barack Obama, has worked in public, private, and industry spaces having served on the national advisory board for ViiV Healthcare, and advisory groups for Merck & Co and Gilead Sciences. Gabriel was the Co-Chair of the National HIV Prevention Conference in 2019 and has served previously on the board of directors for regional and global organizations.

Currently, Maldonado also serves on the Board of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest, the 2nd largest Planned Parenthood affiliated in the U.S. 

Maldonado earned his bachelor’s degree in political science and Global Affairs from the University of California, Riverside and his MBA in Global Business from the University of Redlands. Inspired by the Civil Rights and community organizing movements in Compton, where he was raised, Gabriel has made a 15+ year career and impacted his community through HIV prevention, mental health, housing services and most recently as housing developers building transitional housing facilities in Riverside County.

The Commission’s Executive Director, Dr. Larissa Estes, recently announced the date of its inaugural meeting scheduled for Wednesday January 24.  

Estes noted in a recent press statement, “The prospect of collaborating with the Commission and dedicated individuals and organizations fills me with both excitement and humility. The 11 appointees, each leading transformative change in their respective communities, are my valued collaborators in this mission.”You can visit the Commission’s website to learn more about its mission and the other commissioners serving with Maldanado.

Ellen Perrault is retired and works occasionally as a freelance writer who contributes to publications in Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. Her primary focus is preparing/reformatting press releases and other public announcements–both municipal and nonprofit–for publication.