Jon Gould

Dean of the School of Social Ecology, University of California, Irvine

Jon Gould is a distinguished scholar in policy and government reform who has held key positions in the U.S. Department of Justice and the National Science Foundation. 

Gould leads the nation’s first school of social ecology, established in 1970 in response to high demand for more socially relevant research. For more than 50 years, the school has been an internationally recognized pioneer in developing interdisciplinary approaches to social problems.

Gould’s expertise covers a variety of subjects. He is the author of five books and more than 100 articles and reports on such diverse subjects as political advertising, human rights, hate speech, sexual harassment and indigent defense.

Gould has filled a range of government leadership roles, including senior policy adviser in the U.S. Department of Justice and director of the Law & Social Sciences Program at the National Science Foundation. In 2015, U.S. Chief Justice John Roberts appointed him as reporter for a committee of the federal courts evaluating the operation of the Criminal Justice Act. Gould is a fellow of the American Bar Foundation, a former U.S. Supreme Court Fellow and a former trustee of the Law & Society Association.

Dr. Nancy Watkins

Dr. Nancy Watkins was a K-12 educator for over 30 years, working and teaching in public schools in California. Dr. Watkins is an associate professor at Cal State Fullerton, teaching educational leadership in the College of Education, and is the Director of the Doctoral Program. Dr. Watkins specializes in leadership, educational policy, and educational access and opportunities. Dr. Watkins is a candidate for the Orange County Board of Education, Area 3, in March 2024.

Ed Weisbart, MD

Ed Weisbart MD is a nationally recognized physician/activist working to save Medicare. He currently serves as the board secretary and MO chapter chair of Physicians for a National Health Program, a non-profit non-partisan organization of more than 25,000 physicians and other healthcare advocates in support of a publicly financed, non-profit single-payer national health insurance program that would fully cover medical care for all Americans.

Ayn Craciun is the Orange County Policy Manager with Climate Action Campaign, a leading nonprofit climate policy watchdog in the region. Ayn’s work focuses on advancing equity, facilitating adoption of zero carbon Climate Action & Adaptation Plans, Building Electrification policies, and Community Choice Energy.

Before embarking on her path as an environmental advocate, Ayn had a successful career in corporate communications and PR. In 2016, Ayn worked as a volunteer to help advocate for the City of Irvine’s historic organic landscaping policy.

In 2018, she turned her focus to the climate crisis and helped build a coalition of support to create the Irvine-led Orange County Power Authority, which launched in December 2020. In Feb. 2021, she joined Climate Action Campaign, helping draft and build support for the City of Irvine’s ACHIEVES climate resolution, which made Irvine the first city in Southern California and the third in the state to commit to 2030 zero carbon goals in line with the most recent climate science.

Sudi Farokhnia is a member of the Orange County Democratic Party, an elected delegate to the state Democratic Party, former National Democratic party delegate, co-founder and treasurer of the Iranian American Democrats of California, and treasurer of the Feel the Bern OC Democratic Club.

David Edward Burke is the President & Founder of Citizens Take Action because after working in Congress & on numerous political campaigns, he learned that no matter what issue voters care about, big money in politics stands in the way of progress. David founded the organization in 2016 to focus on systemic political changes, including getting bug money out of politics and increasing civic engagement. He wrote the Restore Democracy Amendment because he believes we need a constitutional amendment proposal that offers the right combination of power and viability.

Todd Harmonson is the Senior Editor for the Orange County Register’s and one of the lead editors for the Southern California News Group. He is an award-winning journalist who spent much of his career in sports as a reporter and, later, as the Register’s sports editor. Harmonson has been honored by the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Orange County Press Club for his column writing. Harmonson is the president and chairman of the board of the all-volunteer California Scholastic Press Association, which conducts one of the longest-running high school journalism workshops in the country. He was inducted into Cal State Fullerton’s Communications Wall of Fame in 2017. He and his wife, Michelle, have three adult children.

Dr. Michael A. (Mike) Moodian has served as a faculty member in various capacities for Chapman University since 2007. He teaches graduate and undergraduate students in Chapman’s leadership studies program. Mike released the television documentary Coastal Crisis: California’s Vanishing Beaches, which PBS aired this year in the L.A. region. The documentary—which is currently on the film festival circuit—explores the causes and effects of coastal erosion on California’s beaches. Mike and Fred are co-founders of the inaugural Orange County Sustainability Decathlon. In 2021 the Orange County Register named both in its list of the 125 Most Influential People in Orange County.