From Scarcity to Abundance: Bringing the Bay Area Together Towards Homes for All

Liam Dillon, Staff Writer, Housing Affordability, Los Angeles Times (Moderator)

Liam Dillon covers the issues of housing affordability and neighborhood change across California for the Los Angeles Times. He joined the newsroom in 2016 and prior to this assignment, covered state politics and policy for its Sacramento Bureau. Before coming to The Times, Dillon covered local politics in Southwest Florida and San Diego. He’s a graduate of Georgetown University and grew up outside Philadelphia.

Dillon also has co-hosted the “Gimme Shelter” podcast for the past six years where he chats about the latest developments in California housing policy and interviews key newsmakers.

Michele Lew, CEO, The Health Trust

Michele Lew joined The Health Trust, a nonprofit operating foundation focused on building health equity in Silicon Valley, in 2018. The Health Trust serves as a grantmaker, direct service provider, and policy advocate. Programs include Meals on Wheels, housing support services, and case management for people living with HIV/AIDS. Prior to joining The Health Trust, Michele served as CEO of Asian Americans for Community Involvement (AACI), a nonprofit community health center in Silicon Valley. In addition, Michele served as the district director for former California State Senator/State Assemblymember Joe Simitian. Michele has served on numerous nonprofit boards, and she served as the community member on the San Jose Mercury News editorial board. Michele holds a B.A. in economics from Yale University and a Master in Public Policy degree from Harvard University.

Laura Hughes, Director of Narrative Strategy, PolicyLink

Laura A. Hughes, Director of Narrative Strategies, is a curious learner, change-maker, and persuasive leader with high emotional intelligence. At PolicyLink she is responsible for harnessing the power of narrative to advance racial equity and justice specific to housing for the more than one million individuals who live below 200 percent of the poverty level. Hughes has led numerous projects including the strategic alignment of corporate and philanthropic partners to layer-focused investments to dramatically influence the trajectory of a neighborhood and achieve measurable gains for children and families. Additionally, she served as a program officer with The Skillman Foundation and as the Executive Director of the Ruth Ellis Center, a homeless and runaway shelter dedicated to the needs of LGBTQ youth. Prior to her role with PolicyLink, Laura served as the Vice President of Communications & Community for a woman-owned, $500 million IT and business services corporation with 3,000 consultants and 32 offices in the US and Europe. Laura earned a Bachelor of Arts with High Honors in Anthropology from Brown University and her Master in Public Health, Health Behavior Health Education, from the University of Michigan. She was a 2016 German Marshall Fellow.

Regina Celestin Williams, Executive Director, SV@Home

Regina has spent her entire career working towards housing and economic justice through affordable housing and community development because of her personal experience of benefitting from publicly subsidized housing as a child. As the Executive Director of SV@Home, she leads policy and advocacy for affordable housing in Silicon Valley. Prior to joining SV@Home, she served as Director of Housing Development at First Community Housing, a leading San Jose-based affordable housing developer. Regina has also worked as a member of the National Development Council’s (NDC) East Team, providing housing and economic development consulting services to several East Coast municipalities, leading NDC’s green initiatives, and teaching several courses on community and housing development finance. She previously worked at the National Housing Trust, structuring financing for and overseeing the rehabilitation process of resident-occupied affordable housing properties and, at times, working with tenant ownership groups.

Regina was born and raised in Richmond, CA, and after a significant stint on the East Coast, she has called San Jose home for several years, having both of her daughters here in the heart of Silicon Valley.