Executive Director

Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza, Ph.D., is a distinguished leader, educator, and advocate for justice with a lifelong commitment to transforming communities through education, policy, and civic engagement. He currently serves as the Executive Director of Racial Equity for Los Angeles County, where he leads the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative, which aims to improve life outcomes for all Los Angeles County residents. Dr. Scorza leads policy initiatives using data-driven strategies and equity-centered programming.

Prior to joining Los Angeles County, Dr. Scorza founded and served as the Executive Director of the Social Justice Learning Institute (SJLI) for over 14 years, expanding its impact across more than 35 program sites in California and Texas. Under his leadership, SJLI served thousands of youth through the Urban Scholars Program, achieving a 91% high school graduation rate and an 87% college enrollment rate—significantly exceeding national averages for students from historically underserved communities.

Dr. Scorza served as a Board Member for the Inglewood Unified School District, where he helped secure $350 million for school construction projects and championed investments in health education, dual-language immersion, and STEAM programs. A University of California Regent Emeritus, he was pivotal in prioritizing student services, launching veteran service centers, and updating the admissions policy, leading to increased enrollment of underrepresented students.  

A U.S. Navy Iraq War veteran, Dr. Scorza earned multiple commendations for his leadership and service. He is a lecturer with UCLA Fielding School of Public Health and has served as an advisor on multiple initiatives, including the National Science Foundation’s PATHS Up Advisory Board, the City of Houston Health Department’s My Brother’s Keeper Initiative, and the Sacramento City Unified School District’s Men’s Leadership Academy.

Dr. Scorza earned his Ph.D. from UCLA, was an Education Pioneers Fellow and a Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) Fellow. He is the author of Healthy Habits for Healthy People, which empowers individuals to cultivate improved health and well-being. As a respected scholar and author, his academic work includes co-authoring studies and publications on educational justice, participatory action research, and the role of youth in social change movements.

Elisa Serrato (she/her) has been with the Los Angeles County since 2008, providing administrative support and secretarial assistance to various departments including, Health Services, Probation, Agricultural Commissioner/Weights and Measures, Public Health, and the Chief Executive Office. At Health Services, she graduated from the Quality Academy Program, a six-month program to create an improvement project for LAC+USC Medical Center. Her project focused on improving the work quality of program coordinators under the Department of Medicine. She is currently working as a secretary to Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza, Executive Director, Racial Equity.

TeNita Ballard (she/her) is a FUSE Executive Fellow in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti- Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role she spearheads the Los Angeles County’s transformative journey toward racial equity by designing and executing a strategic framework that encompasses education, training, and evaluation strategies. With a focus on establishing a comprehensive training and capacity-building plan, she collaborates with stakeholders to foster a culture and climate of diversity, equity, and inclusion across County departments. In her personal life, she is passionate about travel, delights in the art of cooking and is dedicated to empowering individuals to present their best selves.

Mathew Jackson (he/him) is a Senior Analyst on the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative within the County of Los Angeles’ Chief Executive Office. In this role, he leads a portfolio of work related to Culture and Climate within the County workforce. Mathew previously worked in the Executive Office of the Board of Supervisors with the County Equity Oversight Panel. Mathew is an avid vinyl record collector, coffee lover, and he’s proud to be a “cool dad.”

Heather Jue Northover (she/her) is a Principal Analyst in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role she manages a portfolio of work focused on child and family welfare, health, justice, truth and racial healing, and equitable budgeting.  In her personal life, she has a keen appreciation for visual and performing arts and enjoys culinary pursuits, including aspirations of making the perfect chocolate chip cookie and macaroni and cheese.

Mark Minshen Lee Cambray | 李明軒 (he/they/他 pronouns) is a Senior Analyst on the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative within the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office. Mark leads ARDI’s policy portfolio, including establishing LA County’s Anti-Racism Policy and Policy Agenda as well as reviewing and recommending legislation to advance equity and justice. He leads additional ARDI projects in identity-based hate, equitable investment, LGBTQ+ wellbeing, and reparations. Mark previously managed the County’s Prevention Services Task Force, which convened departmental leaders, service providers, and community members to reimagine LA County’s safety net systems. Mark holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Master of Public Affairs from Princeton University. Mark is queer, the child of Taiwanese American immigrants, and a lifelong musician enjoying piano and vocals.

Jonathan Nomachi (he/him) is a Principal Analyst in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role he manages a portfolio of work focused on culture and climate, sustainability, housing and homelessness, internal policy, and strategic plan implementation. In his personal life, he appreciates spending time with his children and dedicating his remaining time bringing championships home for the Dodgers, Lakers, and Raiders!

Kyle Ota (he/him) previously worked in Countywide Communications within the Chief Executive Office (CEO) where he managed press conferences for LA County’s COVID-19 response, built out public-facing County websites, and developed an internal hyperlocal/ethnic media database for County communicators. He now leads the communications efforts for the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion (ARDI) Initiative within the CEO. In his personal life, he enjoys food, traveling, and the great outdoors.

Jenny Nhu Phan (she/her) is a Management Fellow in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office’s Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role, she passionately engages with stakeholders throughout the County, drawing from her roots as the daughter of Vietnamese refugees. With a Master of Public Health from UCLA, Jenny strives to promote equity and improve the health and well-being of her community. Outside of work, she is an avid foodie who loves exploring new restaurants, cooking, and sharing her culinary creations with others.

Carlos Pineda is a Principal Analyst with the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative within the County of Los Angeles’ Chief Executive Office (CEO). In this capacity he serves as the manager of the Prevention and Promotion (PP) Coordination Team (CIT). Established on July 25, 2023, by the Board of Supervisors, the PPCIT was created to facilitate coordination and collaboration across Countywide prevention and promotion entities and support the efforts of the PP Services Governing Committee to establish a Prevention and Promotion infrastructure for the County. Originally from New York City, Carlos has nearly 35 years of experience in government, with nearly 24 of those years spent with the County’s CEO’s Service Integration Branch. In his time off he and his wife enjoy travelling, learning new languages, and exploring new cultures through food and music.

Cesar Sanchez (he/him) is a Senior Analyst in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role he manages a portfolio of work focused on equity in infrastructure. In his personal life, he enjoys playing and listening to music while learning from a variety of styles.

Wafiqah Shah (she/her) is a Senior Analyst in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. Wafiqah manages a portfolio that includes the American Rescue Plan and equitable budgeting. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her cats, buying books, and playing board games.

Gevik Shahverdian is a Principal Analyst in the County of Los Angeles Chief Executive Office as part of the Anti-Racism, Diversity, and Inclusion Initiative. In this role, he manages ARDI’s diverse operational and administrative portfolio of work to enable the team members to implement and maintain their respective programs. He leads ARDI’s efforts in contracting, procurement, budgeting/fiscal, and human resources. Gevik has a passion for operations management and business process optimization. In his personal life, he enjoys spending time with his family, exploring the outdoors, camping, hiking, and fishing.

Dr. Tolu M. Wuraola is a Data Analyst for ARDI. In this role, she supports ARDI in the development of a comprehensive research and data strategy that fortifies its efforts to reduce racial disparities by overseeing and conducting both quantitative and qualitative analyses, writing research proposals and reports, supporting data dissemination and outreach efforts, recommending best practices for the data collection, reporting of race and other personally identifying characteristics, and proposing solutions to systemic barriers.