Keene Simonds was appointed LAFCO Executive Officer in September 2017 and is responsible for overseeing the agency’s regulatory and planning responsibilities consistent with Commission policies.  Keene previously served as LAFCO Executive Officer in the San Francisco Bay Area (Marin and Napa Counties) along with holding different positions with a private consulting firm in Beverly Hills California and non-profit organization in Philadelphia Pennsylvania. Keene holds undergraduate and graduate degrees from Pepperdine University and University of Southern California, respectively.  Previous activities also include serving as a Board member for Marin Space and the California Urban Forest Council.    Keene and his family live in Old Escondido.

Employment Agreement - Simonds

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Priscilla Mumpower joined San Diego LAFCO in August 2020 and currently serves as the Assistant Executive Officer. She    received her undergraduate degree from Arizona State University, College of Public Service and Community Solutions. As a San Diego native, she aspires to positively impact and contribute to San Diego communities. Previously, Priscilla worked in the hospitality industry as a Human Resources Manager. When not at work she enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and daughters.

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Holly O. Whatley serves as Commission Counsel and is a shareholder with the law firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley in Pasadena.   Holly has served as Commission Counsel since September 2017 and is responsible for all aspects of legal review.   Holly separately serves as Assistant City Attorney for the Cities of South Pasadena, Ojai, and Sierra Madre.   Holly is a native of Texas and received both her undergraduate and law degrees from the University of Texas at Austin.

Aleks R. Giragosian serves as Assistant Commission Counsel and is a senior counsel with the law firm Colantuono, Highsmith & Whatley in Pasadena. Aleks separately serves as City Attorney to the City of Sierra Madre and Assistant City Attorney for South Pasadena. Aleks graduated from UCLA with a Juris Doctor and a Master’s in Public Policy, earning the school’s prestigious Outstanding Academic Achievement Award.

Michaela is a graduate of San Diego State University, earning her bachelor’s degree in Public Administration and Minor in Sustainability and now serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. While earning her degree, she grew a passion for the betterment of communities through a more holistic approach and hopes to be a part of future planning and public policy initiatives within the San Diego Region. In her free time, she enjoys surfing, hiking and trail-running, hanging out at the beach, and camping.

Meghan is a recent graduate of the University of California, San Diego, having earned her bachelor's degree in Sociocultural Anthropology with minors in Human Rights and Migration and Spanish Literature, and now serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. During undergraduate years, she developed her qualitative and quantitative research skills in programs studying homelessness in San Diego, migration to the U.S.-Mexico Border and San Diego community responses to climate change. She then worked as a management intern for the San Diego City Council’s District 6 office. In her free time, she loves to spend time at the beach, try new recipes, and walk in local canyons.

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Joelle Burila serves as a Local Government Analyst at San Diego LAFCO. She is a San Diego native with a passion for environmental justice and sustainability. Joelle earned her bachelor’s degree from San Francisco State University in Environmental Studies. Prior to joining LAFCO, she served as a Policy Advisor for a County of San Diego Board of Supervisor. Her previous experience includes environmental consulting, program management, event coordination, and environmental and public health advocacy in the nonprofit sector. In her free time, Joelle enjoys spending time with her family, adventures with her dog at the beach and park, cooking and traveling to new places.

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Dieu Ngu has been with LAFCO over 10 years, providing Geographic Information Systems (GIS), IT, and website support. Having grown up in the East Coast, Dieu graduated from the University of Virginia and later earned a Master of Science in GIS from the University of Redlands. He enjoys the many great beaches and parks in San Diego, and can be often found playing beach volleyball on the weekends.

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Erica Sellen currently serves as Commission Clerk with San Diego LAFCO. Erica directly supports the Executive Officer and is responsible for overseeing LAFCO’s accounting procedures as well as coordinating personnel activities – including recruitments, benefits, and ongoing training – with the County of San Diego. Erica also assists in producing and distributing the monthly Commission meeting agenda packets. Erica joined San Diego LAFCO in June 2015 and previously worked for SeaWorld San Diego. Erica is from the Central Valley and moved to San Diego in June 2006. She loves cats, traveling, watching movies and enjoys hanging out with her friends and family.

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Aiden Velasquez joined San Diego LAFCO in September 2024 and serves as the Communications Associate. Aiden recently graduated i 2024 from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor's Degree in Business Administration and a concentration in Marketing Management. Involvements during school and marketing roles both on and off campus have fueled his passion for improving the way meaningful messages are shared with diverse audiences. In his free time, he loves exploring the outdoors, playing volleyball with friends, taking film photography, and caring for succulents.

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Stephen Abbott started his career in public safety as a Firefighter/Paramedic with the North County Fire Protection District (NCFPD) in 1990, becoming a Chief Officer in 2001. He was appointed to Fire Chief in December 2015 and retired in 2021. During his tenure he was responsible for considerable organizational, service delivery, and financial restructuring. Mr. Abbott holds an A.S. degree in Fire Science, a B.S. degree in Fire Administration, a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA), is a graduate of the National Fire Academy (NFA) Executive Fire Officer program (EFO) and the International Association of Fire Chiefs (IAFC) Fire Service Executive Development Institute program (FSEDI) and holds Chief Fire Officer (CFO) designation from the Center for Public Safety Excellence (CPSE). In addition to serving in the fire service, he has also maintained substantial community involvement, to include an 8-year term on the Board of Directors for the Fallbrook Regional Health District (serving 4 consecutive years as Board President), an 8-year term on the San Diego County Emergency Medical Care Committee (EMCC), 7 years on a Type II Federal Incident Management Team (IMT) to include 3 years as a Plans Section Chief, and 3 years as Chair of the San Diego County Fire Districts Association.

Brian Brady has over 40 years of engineering and executive management experience in both the public and private sectors of western water and electric utilities. He maintains an independent management consulting practice, focusing on water resource assessment, asset valuation (including water rights), and strategic operations of water and wastewater utilities. Brian most recently served as General Manager of the Fallbrook Public Utility District and partnered with Camp Pendleton Marine Base to develop critically needed local water supplies via the Santa Margarita River Conjunctive Use Project. He has also served as the Governor’s appointee to the Colorado River Board of California. A registered Civil Engineer, Brian holds an engineering degree with emphasis in Water Resource Management, an MBA in Finance, and a doctorate in Organizational Leadership.