• Policy Innovator Award Recipient: Randall Lewis

  

  Randall Lewis

  Executive Vice President, Marketing, Lewis Group of Companies

  Policy Innovator Award Recipient

  Randall received his B.A. from Claremont McKenna College. He is regarded as an industry leader in promoting the arts, education, healthy living and sustainable development initiatives. He has been President of the Inland Empire Arts Foundation, Secretary of the Los Angeles County Citizens Planning Council, director of the HomeBuilder’s Council, and national director of the National Association of HomeBuilders. Randall was named in the Los Angeles Times 2006 “West 100” list as one of the top 100 influential people in southern California. He has also received the California Business Properties Association Champion of the Industry Award and has been inducted into the California Building Industry Association Hall of Fame. Randall is a long time ULI member as well as a Governor of the ULI Foundation. Randall serves on several executive boards, including the USC School of Policy, Planning and Development, the UCLA School of Public Policy, Loma Linda University Medical Center’s Orthopedic and Rehabilitation Institute Advisory Council, Cal Poly Pomona’s National Development Council, and co-chairs the San Bernardino County Alliance for Education. He is recognized as an expert in the real estate industry and is frequently quoted in various newspapers, magazines and trade journals. Randall has over 30 years of experience in the real estate industry.

   

• Emerging Policy Leader Award Recipient: Jesse Melgar

  

  Jesse Melgar ('17 Master of Public Policy)

  Director of Engagement, California 100 Initiative

  Emerging Policy Leader Award Recipient

  Jesse Melgar is director of engagement for California 100, a new statewide policy initiative incubated at the University of California and Stanford, focused on inspiring a vision and strategy for California’s next century.

  For nearly a decade, Melgar worked at the highest levels of state government, serving as communications director and press secretary for Governor Gavin Newsom, Deputy Secretary of State for then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla, and head of communications for the California Latino Legislative Caucus and then-State Senator Ricardo Lara. Prior to entering state service, Melgar was communications director at Equality California, account executive at Cerrell Associates, Inc. and communications manager at the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce.  

  Melgar volunteers his time as an advisory board member at the UCR School of Public Policy, committee member of the Inland Empire Community Foundation, and in 2021, was appointed by Governor Newsom to serve on the California Volunteers Commission.

  Melgar earned his bachelor’s degree from UCLA and his master of public policy from the UCR School of Public Policy as a member of the inaugural cohort. He lives with his husband, Angel, in Riverside.

Past Honorees

The Policy Innovator Award is bestowed by the UCR School of Public Policy to those individuals or institutions who have demonstrated leadership and excellence in policy innovation. Such innovation can take various forms including legislation, policy implementation, community and nonprofit activity, and public-private partnerships.

• 2018: Ashley Swearengin (Mayor, City of Fresno, President and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation)

  

  Ashley Swearengin is president and CEO of the Central Valley Community Foundation, a charitable foundation serving the six counties of Central California and providing over $110 million in funding to over 650 community benefit organizations over the last decade. Prior to joining the Foundation, she served as mayor of Fresno from 2009 through 2016. As mayor, she focused her efforts on improving distressed neighborhoods, revitalizing the downtown and urban core, promoting business and job growth, securing the city’s long-term water supply, addressing chronic homelessness, and stabilizing the city’s financial position. Before becoming mayor, Swearengin led a number of community and economic development initiatives in the Central Valley, including the Governor’s Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley, Fresno State’s Office of Community and Economic Development, and the Central Valley Business Incubator. She sits on numerous boards of organizations dedicated to economic empowerment and educational attainment in the Central Valley and throughout California, including the College Futures Foundation, California Competes, California Forward, New America, and FUSE Corps. She holds MBA and BS degrees from California State University, Fresno.

• 2016: Anthony Rendon (California State Assembly Speaker, D-South Gate)

  

  Mr. Rendon is a California Assemblyman representing the 63 District and is the Assembly Speaker. He has introduced legislation to reduce exposure to poisonous lead in the environment, investigate financial fraud in local government, and improve early child care and education. Most significantly, he is the author of a statewide water bond that will provide $8 billion in funds to preserve rivers, wetlands, and watersheds while building and repairing the state’s outdated water infrastructure.