Funder Briefing: Equitable Distribution of LA County ARPA Resources

Dr. D’Artagnan Scorza currently serves as the inaugural Executive Director of Racial Equity for Los Angeles County. In this capacity, he is tasked with championing the elimination of structural racism while also promoting efforts to deepen the County's work on diversity, equity and inclusion.

Dr. Scorza’s life’s work is centered on building leaders who fight for equity in communities and schools. In his previous roles as the Executive Director of Social Justice Learning Institute, a UC Regent and the President of the Board of Education for the Inglewood Unified School District, he launched programs that helped youth of color become social justice leaders and college graduates. He also helped pass policies that prioritized $160 million for student services across UC campuses and secured $350 million to support school construction for k-12 schools.

As a U.S. Navy Iraq-War Veteran and civic leader, he has received numerous awards and accolades, including being recognized as one of the 40 Emerging Civic Leaders under 40 in 2018 and received the UCLA Recent Graduate Achievement Award in 2016.

Dr. Scorza has been quoted in multiple publications, such as The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Huffington Post, Los Angeles Magazine and several podcasts.

David J. Carroll provides strategic leadership in the development, enhancement, and implementation of SCG’s policy advocacy and legislative agendas. In addition to his regional responsibility, David also leads the public policy and government affairs portfolio of Philanthropy California, the statewide alliance of Northern California, Southern California, and San Diego Grantmakers.

David is a seasoned nonprofit professional with extensive experience in public policy, government relations, programming, and operations. He was a participant in many programs designed to serve at-risk youth and has a first-hand recognition of the value of these interventions. David began his career in the corporate sector but joined the nonprofit sector after becoming the victim of a violent crime committed by teenagers. His professional goal is to ensure young people benefit from educational and professional opportunities.

David graduated from Harris-Stowe State University, a Historically Black University, with a B.A. in Business Administration and Accounting. He earned an M.A. in Nonprofit Management from Washington University in St. Louis. David has completed several leadership programs, including the Neighborhood Leadership Academy held at the University of Missouri, The Nollau Institute for Servant Leaders, and the prestigious White-Riley-Peterson Fellowship on Public Policy. He has served on the Board of Directors for several organizations.

David enjoys an active lifestyle with his wife, 10-year-old daughter, and four-year-old son.

Efrain Escobedo
President &CEO
Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management

Efrain earned his bachelor’s degree in American studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California and his Master of Business Administration from the University of La Verne. He is a graduate of the Los Angeles County Executive Leadership Program, a partnership with USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. Today, Efrain is the President and CEO of Southern California Center for Nonprofit Management (CNM).
Before joining CNM in February 2023 as the President and CEO, Efrain served as Vice President of Public Policy and Civic Engagement at The California Community Foundation (CCF), one of the state’s leading philanthropies. He also worked with the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials Educational Fund for half a decade, first as Director of Voter Engagement and then as Senior Director of Civic Engagement.
Currently, he holds leadership positions on committees across the philanthropic, government, and nonprofit sectors. Efrain chairs the board of directors of Hispanics in Philanthropy, Vice Chair of UNITE LA Board, Vice Chair of LAEDC, Speaker Appointee to California State Bar Legal Services Trust Fund, member of CalMatters board, member of the Board of Directors for Mi Familia Vota Education Fund, and member of the Policy Advisory Committee for Southern California Grantmakers.