About Us

Merlin Edwards

President

Merlin Edwards is a seasoned political activist, strategist, and community leader with decades of experience advancing equity and economic opportunity in the Bay Area. As one of the founding directors of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce, he played a key role in strengthening Black-owned businesses and shaping policy conversations that impact local communities. Merlin is the owner of Edwards Consulting, where he provides political strategy, community engagement, and organizational guidance to candidates, nonprofits, and civic institutions. Known for his strong relationships, deep local knowledge, and strategic advocacy, he remains a respected voice in political and community affairs throughout Northern California.

Bernida Reagan

Bernida Reagan is an attorney, life coach, and respected leader with more than 25 years of experience in construction, workforce development, and community-centered training. She has served as Executive Director of the East Bay Community Law Center and led the Port of Oakland’s Division of Social Responsibility, where she advanced local hiring, equity policies, and community benefit programs. Bernida has also supported small and minority-owned businesses as Director of Community and Client Relations for Merriwether & Williams Insurance Services and has taught at Berkeley Law. Her expertise spans finance, program development, strategic partnerships, and policy advocacy, and she is widely recognized for her commitment to economic justice and expanding opportunities in the construction industry.

Jake Sloan

​Jake Sloan is the author of Standing Tall: Willie Long and the Mare Island Original 21ers and president of Davillier-Sloan, Inc., one of California’s leading labor-management consulting firms. With more than 50 years of experience advocating for equity in the construction industry, he was a member of the historic “Original 21ers,” a group of African American workers whose 1961 civil rights complaint at Mare Island Naval Shipyard helped influence national reforms, including the Civil Rights Act and the creation of the EEOC. A former pipefitter, project manager, and contractor, Mr. Sloan specializes in Project Labor Agreements with embedded social-justice standards and is a respected speaker on African American history and workforce equity.

Kitty Creech

Secretary

Since 2003, Ms. Creech has built extensive expertise in labor compliance, serving as a lead administrator and negotiator for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) totaling more than one billion dollars in construction value. In her roles as labor compliance officer and program manager for multiple DSI clients, she has ensured prevailing wage compliance and adherence to labor standards across major projects. She currently serves on the management teams of several PLA-covered initiatives, providing oversight and support for labor compliance programs. Ms. Creech holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Wichita State University.

Olwyn Brown

Olwyn Brown is a graduate of Grand Canyon University and a proud journey-level carpenter who completed the Northern California Carpenters Training Committee Apprenticeship Program. With a career spanning education, skilled trades, and community advocacy, she brings a unique blend of hands-on expertise and instructional leadership to her work. Olwyn currently serves on the California State Board, where she contributes her voice and experience to statewide workforce development and equity initiatives. Throughout her career, she has dedicated herself to uplifting apprentices, strengthening workforce pathways, and creating inclusive opportunities for women and underrepresented workers in the trades.

Darrell Harris

Darrell Harris is a seasoned journey-level carpenter with more than 40 years in the trade and an extensive record of leadership within Carpenters Local 713. He served as a Business Agent and was an active member of the Political Action Committee, advocating for workers’ rights, job access, and strong labor standards across Alameda County. Darrell’s field experience includes serving as a foreman on major projects such as Kaiser Permanente, where he supervised crews and ensured high-quality, safe construction practices. He now serves as the Director of the Retention Apprentice Mentoring Program (RAMP), where he leads program operations, mentor coordination, and apprentice support services. Known for his steady leadership, deep trade knowledge, and commitment to developing the next generation of carpenters, Darrell continues to be an essential voice in the advancement of workforce equity and apprenticeship retention.

Tammy Willis

Treasurer

Tammy Willis is a Licensed Real Estate Broker, Certified Fraud Examiner, and President/CEO of Shoebox Financial Solutions, providing accounting, forensic auditing, and tax consulting services to individuals, small businesses, and nonprofit organizations. She also serves as Treasurer of the Retention Apprentice Mentoring Program (RAMP) and Director of Finance for several nonprofit organizations. Her prior experience includes auditing roles with the U.S. Department of Justice (Office of the Inspector General) and the City of Oakland (Office of the City Auditor), where she led high-profile audits of the FBI and Oakland Police Department—earning the Attorney General’s Achievement Award.Tammy has been recognized with the Dr. C. Diane Howell Entrepreneur Award (2018) and the Chairman’s Award from the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce (2020) for her leadership and community impact.

Linda Handy

Linda Handy is a long-serving public servant and former elected member of the Peralta Community College District Board of Trustees, representing Area 3 until her retirement in December 2022. During her tenure, she championed equity, student success, and community-centered leadership across the district. Known for her practical wisdom and commitment to accountable governance, Handy consistently emphasized the importance of experience in public office. She is respected for her straightforward approach to community leadership and her belief that effective public service requires deep knowledge, years of dedication, and a genuine commitment to improving the lives of others

Elihu Harris 

Elihu M. Harris is a distinguished public servant and attorney with a long history of leadership in California. He served as the 46th Mayor of Oakland (1991–1999) and represented the region for 12 years in the California State Assembly. His career includes service as Chancellor of the Peralta Community College District, membership on the California Unemployment Appeals Board, and work as a California Uniform Law Commissioner. Harris is a private attorney representing clients across education, manufacturing, housing, and community development, and he serves on several boards, including Patten University and the California State NAACP Executive Committee. He holds a master’s in public administration from UC Berkeley and a Doctor of Law degree from the University of California.

Mia Brown

Mia Brown serves as the Northern California Regional Community Relations Specialist for Swinerton, where she plays a pivotal role in strengthening the company’s connection to the communities it serves. In this role, she advances workforce development initiatives, supports small, diverse, LGBTQ+, and veteran-owned business enterprises, and leads impactful community engagement efforts across the region. Her work helps ensure that Swinerton’s projects create lasting economic and social impact beyond the jobsite.
In addition to her regional responsibilities, Mia leads Swinerton’s Black Community Business Resource Group (BCBRG), where she champions inclusion, equity, and belonging while fostering professional development and community partnerships. Through her leadership, the BCBRG continues to create spaces for dialogue, advocacy, and service that align with Swinerton’s core values.
Mia also serves on the Advisory Council Board for AAREP Bay Area, where she
contributes to advancing diversity, leadership, and equitable access within the real estate and built environment industries.
A dedicated advocate for access and opportunity, Mia is a proud graduate of the Cypress Mandela Training Center in Oakland. She holds a Bachelor of Arts from Clark Atlanta University and a Master of Arts from Holy Names University. Drawing from both lived experience and professional expertise, Mia is passionate about building pathways that empower individuals, uplift communities, and strengthen the construction and real estate industries.

Barry Luboviski

Barry Luboviski is a longtime labor leader, former journeyman ironworker, and apprenticeship instructor who served as Secretary-Treasurer of the Alameda County Building & Construction Trades Council, AFL-CIO. With decades of experience advocating for fair labor standards, local hiring, and equitable access to union careers, Barry helped negotiate landmark Project Labor Agreements with the Port of Oakland and advanced major workforce-development policies throughout the county. He is the founder of the Retention Apprentice Mentoring Program (RAMP), where he conducted the original research and design that shaped the program’s framework for apprentice support. Barry’s career reflects a deep commitment to expanding opportunity, strengthening apprenticeship pathways, and uplifting underrepresented workers in the building trades