Lasting Changes Through Co-Governance

Dr. Kyra R. Greene joined the Center on Policy Initiatives’ staff in 2014 and became the Executive Director in June 2017.

Dr. Greene earned her M.A. and Ph.D. in Sociology from Stanford University. She also holds a B.A. in Social Sciences from Bard College at Simon’s Rock. Her past research has focused on social movement messaging/framing, legislative processes, and public policies affecting the lives of people of color and people with disabilities.

Before joining CPI, Dr. Greene was an Assistant Professor of Sociology at San Diego State University. She served as an instructor in sociological courses on public policy at both Rider University and Stanford University.

Presently, Dr. Greene serves on numerous boards. She is the Chair of the Engage San Diego Action Fund and Board Chair of PowerSwitch Action.

Estevan Muñoz-Howard is a philanthropic and organizational consultant with over 15 years experience leading programs and coalitions in the nonprofit sector. He joined Ktisis Capital as senior director in 2022 working primarily with our political and democracy focused clients. Estevan supports these clients as a donor advisor and strategist, working to protect our democracy on a national scale. He also works on our internal business development team, concentrating on developing client relationships to move the needle on progressive philanthropic practices.

In addition to his work with Ktisis, Estevan works as Interim Co-Director of the Piper Fund, a donor collaborative that supports community-led efforts to build a healthy democracy. He previously served as Director of Program Strategy at the Marguerite Casey Foundation (MCF), which supports leaders and initiatives focused on building power for communities of color throughout the country. Prior to joining MCF, he was a senior program officer at the Piper Fund, leading the fund's Money in Politics Reform grantmaking program. During his tenure, Estevan organized donors, convened field partners, and helped raise and steward funding for community-based organizations working to build the inclusive democracy our nation has never had.

Estevan also serves as Treasurer for the Funders’ Committee for Civic Participation, as Co-Chair of the Democracy NW Funders Table, and as Chair of the Washington Progress Alliance. He was also a founding Co-Chair of First Mile, a donor circle that organizes funding for candidates of color throughout Washington State.

Before joining the Piper Fund, Estevan worked as development director for Arts Corps and Social Justice Fund NW, and as executive director of the Youth Media Institute. He also helped lead the successful Honest Elections Seattle campaign of 2015 – the historic initiative to implement the world's first Democracy Voucher program. He is passionate about democracy, community organizing, and the diffusion of power. Estevan is a graduate of the University of Puget Sound.

Katie Valenzuela was elected to serve on the Sacramento City Council for District 4 in 2020 and is currently the Senior Policy Advocate for the Central Valley Air Quality Coalition.  She has spent more than two decades fighting for social justice through community organizing and policy advocacy. Prior to joining CVAQ, Katie ran a consulting firm focused on supporting environmental justice groups working on state policy, served as Policy & Political Director for the California Environmental Justice Alliance, and was the first consultant for the Joint Legislative Committee on Climate Change. She has also held positions focused on youth development, affordable housing, statewide education policy, and advancing food justice. She has extensive volunteer experience in Sacramento where she helped organize the Sacramento Urban Agriculture Coalition and the Sacramento Community Land Trust, and was appointed to be one of Sacramento area’s first representatives on the AB 32 Environmental Justice Advisory Committee. Katie has a bachelors and masters degree in community development from UC Davis.

Lucia is the Organizing Director, supporting the development of LP’s caucuses and state, regional and national organizing strategies. This work includes building an organizing infrastructure as well as advancing membership recruitment and key partnerships throughout California. Prior to joining LP, Lucia worked at the Center for Responsible Lending (CRL) as the Director of Western States Outreach. At CRL she helped advance state and federal policies to protect economically vulnerable communities from predatory financial products. In 2019, she led a coalition of consumer advocates, community partners and other stakeholders to successfully pass a landmark California state bill to curb predatory lending. She also launched the organization’s portfolio on criminal legal debt issues, working within state and national coalitions to contribute qualitative research, legislative and campaigns support on bail and fines & fees policies. Before moving back to the Bay Area, Lucia spent almost a decade working in New York, including with the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, a national nonprofit that supported community leaders dedicated to helping Black men and boys thrive. She was born and raised in San Francisco, and currently resides in Oakland, CA. Lucia received her undergraduate degree in Urban Studies from Barnard College.