Carrie Lopez

community engagement and So. Cal partnerships

As a policy and governance consultant, Carrie Lopez has excelled at building strategic alignment around mission-driven initiatives. Lopez has over 15 years of experience in the public, private and non-profit sectors and has served as a mayoral and gubernatorial appointee. Most recently, Lopez served as Director of the California Department of Consumer Affairs where she was responsible for the strategic alignment of 40 consumer and professional regulatory bodies. Under her leadership, the department produced the premiere consumer protection summit which gathered consumer advocates throughout the state to promote the need for greater collaboration in enforcement, building capacity for workforce development and increased transparency of the public decision making process. Also, during her tenure, the department launched the Take Charge California! consumer education campaign which has served to unify critical information regarding financial empowerment, consumer rights and protecting consumer privacy.

Prior to her state service, Lopez was the Executive Director of the Coro Foundation, a civic leadership organization in Los Angeles. She has also served as an organizational development specialist for the City of San Diego, a Community Relations Manager for Pacific Gateway Group and with the Los Angeles Educational Alliance for Restructuring Now. Lopez holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations and World Politics from the University of California, Davis, and a Master of Arts in Public Administration from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Lopez completed the California Senate Fellows Program and the Leadership America Program. Lopez is an advisor on tribal issues and also serves as the Co-Founder and current Chair of the HOPE Leadership Institute, a statewide network of Latinas who are actively influencing policy issues and community improvement throughout California.