Board of Directors
Mary Dickson, Co-President
Mary has been a member of the League of Women Voters for more than 30 years. She served on the board of the Glendale/Burbank League for many years prior to its merger into the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles. In her working life, Mary is an attorney in private practice specializing in real estate and housing law. In her spare time, she is a certified bicycle instructor and speaks frequently to groups about bicycle safety both for individuals and in planning of infrastructure. Mary also served on the board of the Burbank YMCA, and is a member of the Burbank Human Relations Council, as well as state and local bar associations.
Laurice Penny Sommers, Co-President
Penny began a life-long career in education when she joined LAUSD, working as a
teacher, counselor, college counselor, and an administrator. Her accomplishments
include building a first-class college counseling program, establishing district
procedures for designing master schedules, including counselors in the instructional
team, and passing the A-G Resolution for graduation requirements. Penny came to the
attention of the College Board and was elected to the Board of Trustees. At the end of
her term she was hired as Senior Educational Manager. She returned to LAUSD to
assist schools in interim administrative positions. While most people retire, Penny
repurposed her life to support these causes: voter registration and education,
eliminating homelessness, guaranteed health care, campaign finance reform, ethics in
government, and civil discourse about issues. She found the perfect match to her
values in the mission and goals of the LWVGLA.
Gwendolyn Flynn, 1st Vice President
Gwendoly Flynn earned her BSc in Community and Human Services and has used it in her extensive nonprofit experience—as a volunteer worker, volunteer board member, and a seventeen year staff member. Flynn is past president of the Burbank Human Relations Council, and Parkway Homeowners Association. She was a Roots of Change stewardship board member, and a Los Angeles Food Policy Council founding leader. In 2018 Flynn joined the League of Women Voters of Greater Los Angeles (LWVGLA). She became active in the Homeless Action Committee, DEI Task Force, chaired the Leadership Academy, and a Homelessness Study co-author. She is a volunteer consultant with Executive Service Corps Southern California, a Lake Balboa Neighborhood Council member, and works as a nonprofit leadership development consultant. She enjoys cooking, travel, and time with her three grandchildren.
Leslie Rodriguez, 2nd Vice President
Leslie Rodriguez is a Manager of Government Affairs at NBCUniversal supporting the policy team by researching, analyzing, and monitoring public policy issues impacting the company. Before joining NBCUniversal, Leslie worked as an immigration paralegal managing cases before various courts and receiving awards for her leadership and dedication to serving the immigration community. She volunteers and supports non-profits such as the Fulfillment Fund and Young Center LA which are dedicated to empowering the youth through education and civic engagement. She holds a BA in Political Science from Loyola Marymount University and a double Master’s in Public Policy from the Pepperdine School of Public Policy and in Dispute Resolution from the Pepperdine Caruso School of Law. When she is not working, Leslie enjoys spending time with her family exploring the various experiences Los Angeles has to offer, and spending time with her two beloved dogs.
Cathy Kaiser, Treasurer
Cathy Kaiser has an M.B.A. from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and a B.S. in Accounting from Wayne State University in Detroit. She is a retired licensed CPA in California. She has over 40 years of experience working in various executive-level audit, finance, and accounting roles. Cathy is a Consultant with Executive Services Corp and serves as a Board Member for two other nonprofits:Notre Dame Academy Schools of Los Angeles and Brave Trails.
Garren Cabral, Secretary
Garren has been a member of the Greater Los Angeles League of Women Voters since November 2020. Garren has served on the DEI board, was on the committee that developed the leadership academy, is on the Speaker’s Bureau, and has assisted with Voter Services events including voter registration and candidate forums. Garren’s first involvement with the League was with Legislative Interviews and now Co-Chairs the committee. Garren recently became the Secretary for the board as well. Garren has been a Recruiter since 2013, and places accounting and finance professionals in permanent roles throughout LA. Garren also acts as the Enterprise Events Chair for the African American employee resource group at his employer and is a member of several other ERGs. Garren additionally serves as the Vice Chair of the West Los Angeles board of the Professional Human Resources Association (West Los Angeles Chapter), is on the board of their local college alumni association, and facilitates spiritual meet ups.
Priscilla Cabral-Pérez, Assistant Secretary
Priscilla Cabral-Pérez is the Regional Associate Director of Multicultural Media Advocacy at the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), the nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy affiliate of the American Cancer Society. In this role, she leads communications strategies that elevate the voices of underrepresented communities in the fight against cancer. She is also a contributor and co-host of Hablemos Hoy, a Spanish-language public affairs radio program that focuses on news, policy, and community empowerment.Before joining ACS CAN, Priscilla was an Emmy Award-winning journalist, serving as a reporter, anchor and producer for Univision Colorado, where she was recognized for her coverage of social justice and immigration issues, among others. Priscilla earned her bachelor’s degree in mass communication from the University of Utah. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and their dog, Fritz.
Cameron M. Manning, Assistant Treasurer
Cameron has been engaged with the League of Women Voters since 2017, serving in diverse staff, committee, and Board positions across North Carolina, Colorado, and presently, Los Angeles. With broad experience in fundraising, program management, and nonprofit operations, Cameron specializes in measuring and evaluating social impact, leveraging his expertise as a trained data scientist. Across a decade of experience, he has led the development of innovative technology solutions and machine learning models that measure, predict, and visualize social impact for nonprofits serving young people, voters, and LGBTQ communities. Cameron holds a B.S. in Business Data Analytics from Arizona State University. He has a Master of Public Policy degree from the UCLA Luskin School of Public Affairs; his work focused on econometrics and program evaluation. Originally from Western North Carolina, Cameron now resides in West Hollywood.
Randi Aho, Director-at-Large
(bio coming soon!)
Carla Fuentes, Director-at-Large
Carla Fuentes, a graduate of CSUN with a degree in Political Science, brings a wealth of experience and dedication to social change. Currently serving as the Social Innovation Coordinator at the Goldhirsh Foundation, Carla's background spans philanthropy, local government, and political campaigns. Beyond her professional endeavors she holds leadership positions, including serving as a Board Member for the Greater Valley Glen Council, as the Chair of Outreach for this year's LA Congress of Neighborhoods, as a member of the Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy LA Steering Committee, as the Vice Chair of Communications of the Stonewall Young Democrats, and as the Vice Chair of the Women's Committee of the LA County Young Democrats. Carla's passion lies in advocating for women's rights, environmental justice, and racial equity.
Cynthia Romo, Director-at-Large
Cynthia Romo is the Associate Director of Civic Engagement at AltaMed Health Services Corporation, where she leads civic engagement initiatives across the organization and statewide. Her work includes developing and implementing programs focused on outreach, education, nonpartisan voter campaigns, and overall efforts related to civic heath through an equitable health lens. With over 20 years of experience in the health care sector, Cynthia has dedicated her career to advocating for underserved communities through leadership roles in Federally Qualified Health Centers. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration from California State University, Long Beach, and a B.A. in Anthropology and Chicano Latino Studies. Her background combines public administration, health care, and community advocacy. Cynthia is a proud Mexican immigrant who loves spending time with her wonderful husband, two beautiful children, and their rowdy rescue pup.
Candace Leos Valdepena, Director-at-Large
Candace is a native of Compton and began organizing in 2019 to educate, empower, and mobilize residents. She built relationships with local and state officials to establish a strong pipeline of communication. Recognizing her passion for advocacy, she founded the Compton Advocates Coalition as a nonprofit in late 2019. The organization is dedicated to fostering positive change in Compton and surrounding communities. Candace serves on the Women's Commission for the 65th Assembly District, is a board member of Alma Backyard Farms, and is a member of the Steering and Community Partner Advisory Committees for Vote Early Day. Additionally, she is the Regional Subcontractor Administrator for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA). In 2020, Candace shared her journey as a speaker at TEDx Compton Blvd Women, and in 2021, she was honored as the Woman of the Year for California State Assembly District 64.
Arzo Yusuf, Director-at-Large
Arzo Yusuf is a political asylum refugee born in Afghanistan, raised in California. She has extensive experience in process development, operations management and business development. Arzo is the 2024 recipient of the Americorps President’s Volunteer Service Award; in 2023 she received the 2023 Century City Community Champion Award. Arzo is the Executive Director, and former Board president, of Angels Nest, a non-profit helping homeless foster youth. Her advocacy for foster children includes the film “Breaking The Cycle” and a TED talk. Drawing from lived experience, she also speaks publicly on behalf of the National Coalition For Domestic Violence. In addition to her LWVGLA Board service, she also sits on the Board of Directors for the Century City Chamber of Commerce, and is the co-Chair of its Women’s Business Council. Her hobbies include sailing, painting, and listening to jazz.
Committe Chairs
(details coming soon!)
