The California Workforce Development Board is guided by a team of dedicated leaders committed to advancing an inclusive, sustainable economy for all. Together, they set strategic direction, drive innovation, and ensure our programs deliver real impact for California’s workers, employers, and communities.
Kaina Pereira
Executive Director
Joelle Ball
Chief Deputy Director
Brooke Barnum-Roberts
Chief Counsel
Workforce Policy and External Affairs Branch
Michael Wiafe, Assistant Deputy Director
Engages partner agencies and organizations in an effort to advance a cooperative approach to labor, workforce development, and economic policy development and activities related to regional and local engagement, educational partnerships, and external communications. This approach embraces industry-led problem solving, partnerships as a priority, worker voice, and industry-driven education and training solutions.
Program Implementation and Regional Support Branch
Angela Mendibles, Deputy Director
Guides innovative policies and practices to advance the state’s broader labor market goals through various grant programs. The branch works with grantees throughout implementation and tracks project progress and milestones. Provides technical assistance to partners to foster continuous improvement and best practices within the California workforce system.
Research, Policy, and Legislation Branch
Vacant, Deputy Director
Conducts reviews of legislation, state policy, and evaluations of our programs. The branch develops statewide policy recommendations and distributes information about workforce best practices to partner agencies and organizations. We maintain a comprehensive state database created by capturing metrics from various sources and organizing them into one centralized location and dashboard.
Operations and Policy Implementation Branch
Emily Sunahara, Deputy Director
Provides organizational-wide operational and administrative support. Specific functions include compliance with federal and state reporting requirements, budget development and oversight, human resources, communications, procurement of goods and services, grant administration, and other program logistics.
