Board
Jamie Querubin, Bond Analyst, Controller’s Office of Public Finance (Co-Chair): Jamie is an alumnus of the San Francisco 2012 cohort. After discovering her love for public finance at her placement in SFPUC Finance, Jamie stayed on as a Finance Analyst for the SFPUC where she continues to work on (and balance) the agency’s billion-dollar budget, long-term financial plans, and utility rates and charges before moving to the Controllers Office in 2015. As a Fellow, Jamie worked on modeling the cost of service for SFPUC’s three service enterprises, including the financing of the $4.6 billion Water System Improvement Program and the $6.9 billion Sewer System Improvement Program. Jamie graduated from Stanford University in 2011 with a degree in Political Science. She plans on pursuing a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Master’s degree in Business Administration in the future.
Molly Peterson, Analyst, Office of the San Francisco Assessor-Recorder (Co-Chair): Molly Peterson is an alumna of the 2014 San Francisco City Hall Fellows cohort. During the program, she worked with the San Francisco Recreation and Park Department on safety projects, emergency preparedness, and performance data analysis. Molly is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where she studied Political Science and Public Policy with a special focus on American politics.
Vijay Kumar, Vice President, CH2M Hill (Treasurer): Vijay has expertise in large infrastructure and environmental projects such as water, water reuse and pipeline projects. His main focus is to promote sustainable growth of communities using innovative and creative solutions to transportation and utility needs of the communities. Currently, Vijay is Vice President of CH2MHILL (www.ch2m.com), an employee-owned global engineering and project delivery company with 28,000 people. For the fourth year in a row, CH2M HILL has been named one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by the Ethisphere Institute. He was awarded XBG Synergy Award for his outstanding contribution to the company.
Vijay has a bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering and Master’s Degree in Civil/Environmental engineering. He is a registered Professional Engineer in the State of California. He was Executive Sponsor of Congestion Management Working Group in San Francisco that is developing traffic congestion relief strategies supported by the Business Council on Climate Change.
Vijay served as the President of Sacramento Section of California Water Environment Association. He was awarded the Young Engineer of the Year by the National Society of Professional Engineers. Vijay was also awarded the 5S award by the Hawaii Chapter of the Water Environment Federation. Vijay is a strong supporter of improving efficiency in public administration and to identify future City leaders. Vijay served as Finance and Economic Development Commissioner for the City of Davis. He leads the Infrastructure Committee of San Francisco-Bangalore Sister City Initiative that is promoting cultural and trade opportunities between two cities. Vijay is a Board Member of San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association (SPUR). He served as the Sponsorship Chair of the 2012 California Water Environment Association’s Annual Conference. He also served as the President and Board of Director of Kannada Sangha of Sacramento, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization.
Ariel (McGinnis) Espiritu Santo, Principal Financial Analyst, San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency: Ariel has been with the City & County of San Francisco since 2012, working in Capital Finance at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). Her first introduction to the City Hall Fellows program was as a Fellow supervisor for the 2013-2014 Cohort. Ariel continues to serve as a supervisor and is passionate about the Fellowship’s mission of exposing bright young change-makers to the possibility of a career in the public sector.
Thomas Gonzales, Master of City Planning student, UC Berkeley College of Environmental Design: Thomas completed his City Hall Fellows year in 2013, during which he worked for the Organizational Development and Training office at the San Francisco International Airport. As a Fellow, Thomas worked on organization-wide strategic initiatives, as well as implementing numerous training projects to support staff professional development. Along with the other members of his CHF Civic Consulting Project group, Thomas was commended by the Board of Supervisors for his part in organizing an innovative community engagement workshop in the Outer Sunset neighborhood.
Thomas graduated from Northwestern University in 2011 with a B.S. in civil engineering and a minor in Transportation & Logistics. Throughout his studies and work, Thomas has maintained an interest in learning from the history of urban environmental, social, and political issues to make cities more sustainable, livable, and equitable. In addition to his CHF board position, Thomas is an Urban Land Institute Graduate Student Fellow, a Vice President of the Berkeley Real Estate Club, and a delegate in the UC Berkeley Graduate Assembly. He lives in the Koreatown-Northgate neighborhood of Oakland.
Thomas Meister, Senior Associate, Legal and Operations, Funding Circle: Tom currently serves as a Senior Associate in the Legal and Operations Department of Funding Circle. Funding Circle (www.fundingcircle.com) is a leading marketplace lending platform focused on small businesses. Prior to joining Funding Circle, Tom worked as a leveraged finance attorney at Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati PC and Goodwin Procter LLP. Tom has longstanding interests in California history and Bay Area sports teams. He graduated, cum laude, from Columbia University, where double majored in Classics and Religion, before obtaining his law degree from UC Berkeley School of Law (Boalt Hall).
Jessie Cassella, Abascal Fellow/ Staff Attorney, National Housing Law 
Project: Jessie is an alumna of the San Francisco 2012 cohort. As a City Hall Fellow, she worked in the Legislative Affairs department of the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission. At the SFPUC, she worked on a variety of water, power, and wastewater issues that greatly impacted communities of color and low-income communities, and assisted in the development of innovative environmental policies and legislation.
After her time as a City Hall Fellow, Jessie attended and graduated from law school at the University of California, Hastings College of the Law, where she emphasized in government and social justice law. Upon graduation, Jessie was awarded the Ralph Abascal Fellowship to begin her legal career at the National Housing Law Project advocating for the preservation of affordable housing and the rights of marginalized low-income tenants. Jessie is also a proud graduate of Santa Clara University, where she received her Bachelor of Science degree in political science.
Nico De Anda-Scaia, Assistant to the City Manager, City of Hermosa:
Nico currently serves as Assistant to the City Manager and Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Hermosa Beach CA. Prior to Hermosa Beach, he also served the communities of West Sacramento, Davis and the City/County of San Francisco. Additionally, he has held roles within California State government and the non-profit sector, and remains committed to issues related to educational equity and ensuring responsive/representative governance through his various philanthropic activities. Nico holds a B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis, and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration and graduate certificate in City/County Administration from the University of Southern California.
Jennifer Lee, Water Conservation Utility Analyst, San Francisco Public 
Utilities Commission: Jennifer is an analyst with the SFPUC’s Water Conservation Section where she manages and supports programs that help San Francisco residents save water. Prior to this, she was part of the 2014-15 City Hall Fellows cohort. Jennifer was placed in the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission’s Wastewater Enterprise where she worked in the Pollution Prevention and Resource Recovery team. During her fellowship, Jennifer was instrumental in helping the City achieve compliance with its stormwater permit through education and outreach programs that highlight the sensitivity of San Francisco’s separate sewer systems. Jennifer graduated from the University of California, Davis with a B.S. in Environmental Science and Management.
Lin Rui Li, Financial Consultant, Public Works Department, City of 
Austin: Lin Rui is a graduate of Mills College, where she studied Economics and Asian Studies. She is an alumna of the 2014 San Francisco City Hall Fellows cohort. During the program, she worked alongside the Capital Financial Planning & Analysis group within the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency to develop the agency’s first public facing 5-year Capital Improvement Program.
After serving as a civil servant in San Francisco, Lin Rui transitioned into the startup world, landing a Business Intelligence role at an Ed-Tech company. With the connections and skills gained from her past, Lin Rui moved on to open up shop as an independent consultant in scenario planning before moving across the country to her current place of residence in Austin, Texas. She currently works as a Financial Consultant for the City of Austin’s Public Works Department, overseeing the Capital Project Management Fund.
Lucy Liu, Business Project Manager, Emergency Preparedness and 
Response Department, PG&E: Lucy Liu is an alumna of the City Hall Fellows 2014 cohort, where she served in the Office of the Director and Government Affairs Department at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA). During her time in the program, she had the opportunity to work on developing a capital project database and mapping tool, constituent requests and legislative research, and the Transportation 2030 Initiative. Lucy is currently a Business Project Manager with PG&E’s Emergency Preparedness and Response Department, helping to build the Company’s emergency preparedness plans and capabilities. She is also a consultant with Seed Consulting, a nonprofit group that provides pro-bono consulting for environmental and public health organizations.
Lucy is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied Political Science and Public policy. As a City Hall Fellows Board member, Lucy is excited to be involved in helping shape a program that inspires and motivates young people to get involved with their local governments and communities.
Matthew Spring, Associate, Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund: 
Matthew is an alumnus of the San Francisco 2013 cohort. During the fellowship, he was placed at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and also worked closely with the San Francisco Treasurers’ Office of Financial Empowerment. This experience led him to a position at the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs’ Office of Financial Empowerment managing the citywide network of free one-on- one financial counseling centers for residents with low incomes. Now, in his current role at the Cities for Financial Empowerment Fund, he provides technical assistance and oversees grants to municipal governments across the country interested in implementing innovative programs and services that improve the financial stability low and moderate income households. Matthew holds a Bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Los Angeles.
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