ABOUT US


California Volunteers is led by the state’s Chief Service Officer, Karen Baker. The office is comprised of four departments: AmeriCorps, Community Partnerships, Disaster Volunteering and Preparedness, and Finance & Administration.

California Volunteers is supported by the Office of the Governor, led by Governor Newsom and bipartisan 25-member Commission. The team of experts driven by a mission to empower and mobilize all Californians to volunteer, serve and prepare.

Chief Service Officer & Staff


Karen Baker

Chief Service Officer

Anthony Chavez

Chief of Staff

Justin Knighten

Director of External Affairs

Ia Moua

Dirpector of AmeriCorps

Suu-Va Tai

Director of Disaster & Emergency

Kari MacDonald

Deputy Director of AmeriCorps

Government Affairs Specialist

Kaitlyn Meyers

Nikka Tahan

External Affairs Specialist

Amelyn Tadeo

Fiscal Monitoring Supervisor

Grants Management Associate

Gaylord Daluz

Tara Baltzley

Senior Program Officer and Training & Technical Assistance

Patrick Gianelli

Senior Grants & Program Development Specialist

Jeremy Goldsmith

Disaster Volunteer & Preparedness Specialist

Sharron Leaon

Senior Emergency Officer

Kao Ye Thao

Executive Fellow