Real Representation
On Real Issues

Loren Taylor is a 3rd generation Oaklander, a lifelong Democrat, and a former Oakland City Councilmember raising 2 school-age children in East Oakland with his wife, Dr. Erica Taylor. Loren has been solving challenging problems his entire career as an engineer, a business strategist, a nonprofit leader, and also as an Oakland councilmember. In the community, Loren served as a youth mentor, a West Oakland Health Center board member, and PTA President at his kids’ public elementary school. And on the Oakland City Council, Loren was known as the pragmatic, solution-oriented, community-focused councilmember. While in office, Loren:

• Developed Oakland’s Encampment Management Policy
• Authored legislation to reduce racial disparities in city contracting
• Successfully advocated for more patrol officers in East Oakland
• Partnered with the Black Cultural Zone to activate Liberation Park
• Actively supported the development of over 800 units of affordable housing in his council district (District 6)

As a Central Committee Member, Loren will attend regular town halls and forums to engage with AD18 residents and give them a voice they haven’t historically had in the local Party’s decision-making.

Arielle Fleisher has called Oakland, where she lives with her husband and two young daughters, home for the last 10 years. As a policy strategist, Arielle has spent her career bringing people together to solve big problems and create opportunities for change. Her focus is transportation, and she uses her public health and design thinking background to help create a world class transportation system for the Bay Area.

Arielle believes in community and the power of advocacy to bring about change. She founded the Pandemic Mom’s Club to provide friendship and companionship to new moms during pandemic and ran a mentorship program for young women in transportation.. Arielle led an initiative to stop highway shootings, has served in policy advisory roles for Transport Oakland and the Bay Area Council’s Transportation Committee and supported the growth of the Oakland Fund for Public Innovation.

As a Central Committee Member, Arielle will work hard to help Oakland get back on track and on a positive trajectory. She will help professionalize the board while being guided by her experience as a mom who wants nothing more than for her girls to be safe and proud to call Oakland home.

Harold Lowe is a 4th generation Oaklander, born to teenagers at Highland Hospital. He has been married to 2^nd generation Oaklander Andrea, for over 25 years. Their three children represent the 4^th generation in his family to attend Oakland Public Schools. Harold has never left Oakland, attending UC Berkeley earning a BA in African American Studies, and studying Public Policy at Cal State Eastbay in the MPA program.

Harold’s father drowned before he was 7, and he grew up in poverty. He understands far too well the challenges families face, and has dedicated his life to give others the opportunities he missed.

Harold’s service began as Student Body President at Kaiser Elementary and Oakland Tech High, and later serving as the first Chair of the Oakland Youth Advisory Commission. Harold has served on dozens of Boards and Committees in Oakland and the greater Bay Area.

In his professional life, Harold also works to improve the lives of others. Experienced in 7 industries, he became a financial planner 20 years ago to provide education and support to families to protect themselves. He has teamed with a financial startup firm to change how creditworthiness is evaluated among the underserved. He is also a DEI consultant, advocating for women and minority-owned businesses in construction and education.

He believes a leader should listen to the community and provide a vision for our future. He is running because he has seen party leaders harbor personal philosophies that go against reason, make decisions against the community’s wants or standards, neglect long-term planning, and devise rules and actions that hurt the very people that they pledge to serve. Harold has studied policy, worked to implement good governance, and knows that there is a better way.

As a Central Committee member, Harold will be fair and will not pit one community against another. Harold will bridge relationships and engage residents before every action. He will make rational, coherent arguments and reasoned decisions based on experience and feedback. He will provide transparency in the Party’s polices, and bring people centered solutions to the critical challenges which face our citizens.

Laura Geist has lived in Oakland for almost 30 years where she and her husband, Stephen Geist, raised two children, both now in college. Laura is a committed Democrat who is fixated on finding practical solutions to the problems facing our Community. Solutions that move the needle. Her career as a trial lawyer for nearly three decades makes her well suited to taking on the work of understanding complex issues, seeing the viewpoints of all constituents and stakeholders, and asking probing questions of those who seek to represent our interests. Laura is hired to take on her clients most difficult challenges with pragmatic and effective solutions. A fierce advocate who is always well prepared on the facts, the issues, and the law, she will bring her drive, dedication, and problem solving skills to the Central Committee. Laura is known for providing strong leadership and clear minded direction. In the community, Laura has served as a volunteer at her children’s’ schools, her church, and through civic organizations like the Junior League of Oakland/East Bay and the National Charity League. In addition to her pro bono legal work, she is also an ambassador board member for the National Health Law Program committed to protecting and advancing health rights of low-income and underserved individuals and families through advocacy, education, and litigation at the federal and state levels to advance health and civil rights in the U.S.

As a Central Committee Member, Laura will work tirelessly with others on this slate to engage with AD18 residents, give residents a real voice in the local Party’s decision-making, and bring pragmatism to the process. Real problems deserve real solutions. Laura is relentless in her drive to make Alameda County a better place to raise families, run businesses and live. It starts with serious vetting of the candidates who seek to represent us. The core function of the Central Committee. Laura will work to find candidates that are serious about fixing problems and who are willing to be held accountable.

Amber Childress is an Oakland native shaped by Oakland public schools, the A Better Chance program, and Mills College. Amber has spent much of her adult life serving Oakland and the greater Bay Area as an active community advocate, nonprofit leader, and public servant. Her experiences growing up in a severely under-resourced neighborhood and schools, combined with her most proud role as a Mother, led her to volunteer in classrooms and nonprofits like Girls Inc., focused on children and families, mentor new candidates for elected office, and serve as an elected official on the Alameda County Board of Education and as an elected Assembly District Delegate. Amber earned a reputation as a community-centered leader who consistently did the hard work of policymaking and engaging families, especially those who typically have felt left out or discouraged from participating in local government and decisions impacting their own families. Her roles in the community have included being appointed to the OUSD Measure G Citizens Oversight Committee, being a board member for organizations like Children Rising, Chabot Space and Science Center, Center for Elder Independence, and Vice Chair of California County Boards of Education. Amber is also a graduate of the Emerge class of 2016. Most recently, she has served as a Chief of Staff for Oakland Council District 4 and continues to work alongside community, business, and political leaders throughout the Bay Area.

Pamela Ferran is proud to live in Assembly District 18, residing in East Oakland. Pamela understands the needs and challenges of families as a mother of three young daughters. Her education and experience has centered around politics, government, and law. Pamela graduated from Howard University with a BA in Political Science and is a licensed California attorney. Pamela worked and volunteered on several campaigns; all the candidates were Democrats. Pamela gained valuable public policy experience as a City of Oakland employee for four years serving as Policy Director and Chief of Staff to former Councilmember Loren Taylor. Pamela volunteers with civil and voting rights organizations that work to increase voter education, registration, and participation. Pamela would be honored to serve on the Central Committee and would encourage more residents to be involved and contribute to the Democratic Party.

Warren Logan has dedicated his life to addressing the neglect of real community needs by government entities. As a gay black man, he witnesses this oversight daily, motivating his academic pursuits. Warren earned an undergraduate degree in Urban Studies and a Masters in City and Regional Planning from UC Berkeley, driven by his belief in the imperative for cities to serve all citizens equitably.

For over a decade, Warren has contributed to policy-making, project design, and program development for cities across the Bay Area and beyond. His pivotal role as one of Oakland’s emergency directors during crises such as COVID-19, the 2020 wildfire season, and power shutdowns exemplifies his commitment. Serving as the City’s Emergency Community Resilience Director, Warren led an interdisciplinary team that rapidly established community testing and vaccination sites, fostered departmental collaboration, and facilitated outdoor merchant programs for small businesses. These achievements were accomplished within weeks, underscoring Warren’s efficacy in achieving impactful results.

As a Central Committee Member, Warren is committed to revitalizing Oakland and setting it on a path of progress. He is dedicated to enhancing the professionalism of the Central Committee while prioritizing residents’ voices in the local Democrat Party’s decision-making process.