Dan Mierzwa will replace Russell Watts who is retiring Dec. 31

By Kristi Jourdan, PIO, Contra Costa County

On Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2023, the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors appointed Dan Mierzwa as the next Treasurer-Tax Collector effective Jan. 1, 2024.

Mierzwa’s appointment follows the announcement of Russell Watts’ retirement in December. He is currently Yuba County’s Treasurer & Tax Collector and must submit proof of residency and voter registration in Contra Costa County before he assumes the office.

Mierzwa holds a Bachelor of Arts in Economics with Finance and Business Administration minors from the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Wash. He also holds a Certified California Municipal Treasurer certification.

“I’m honored by the opportunity to help during this transition in leadership and am committed to maintaining the levels of transparency and accountability with sound financial practices that serve the best interests of the public,” Mierzwa said. “We will also continue improving our online payment and business license application services and explore ways to save and recover costs to deliver our services.”

The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office acts as the bank for the County, providing financial services to County departments, schools, and special districts and managing more than $4.9 billion in the County’s investment pool. The office also collects various taxes – including business taxes from those operating in the unincorporated areas, and property taxes. While the Treasurer-Tax Collector mostly provides services to the County and taxing districts, the office also invests public funds and collects business related taxes, namely business licenses and transient occupancy taxes, as well as short-term rental and cannabis taxes.

“The Treasurer-Tax Collector’s Office holds a key position of trust in the financial affairs of local government,” said Board Chair District I Supervisor John Gioia. “Dan’s experience and knowledge of both the treasury and tax collection functions will continue the County’s efforts to protect, invest, and disburse funds in a prudent and safe manner.”

The current term for the elected office expires on Jan. 4, 2027. Government Code section 25304 requires that the Board of Supervisors appoint someone to fill the vacancy for the remainder of the term. The annual salary for the position is $254,901.24.

Watts, who is leaving office to spend more time with family, has served as the elected-Treasurer-Tax Collector for 13 years.

By Dave Mason, Public Information Supervisor, Public Affairs, East Bay Regional Park District

After a nationwide search, the East Bay Regional Park District announces the appointment of José G. González as its new Equity Officer to lead diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts at the public agency. The East Bay Regional Park District’s mission is to preserve a rich heritage of natural and cultural resources and provide open space, parks, trails, safe and healthful recreation and environmental education. An environmental ethic guides the District in all of its activities. González begins in the role on December 18, 2023.

As the largest regional park district in the country, the park system spans Alameda and Contra Costa counties and serves an estimated 30 million visitors a year through park and trail access, visitor centers, and programs. Its workforce provides services that encompass 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails.

“We are pleased to share news of this pivotal role and welcome José González to help lead the East Bay Regional Park District to further strengthen its mission and impact and build upon successes as we continue to prioritize a strong, systemic approach to equity both in our workplace and services to the public,” said Sabrina B. Landreth, General Manager at the East Bay Regional Park District.

The new role will work to improve access to and use of the parks’ services for all community members and support inclusive programs, services, and public processes that reflect the tremendous diversity of our community. The position will also lead on programs and activities to help diversify our workforce, eliminate any systemic barriers to employment and promotion, and ensure equitable policies and best practices to make the agency an employer of choice as the District continuously seeks to build and retain a topnotch workforce.

“I am excited to join the East Bay Regional Park District as its inaugural Equity Officer. I look forward to bringing my experience from the local to the national level around equity in the conservation field and community in a way that showcases the opportunity and leadership that the Park District has been developing in this space for all of our community,” said González.

“Equity and inclusion begin from within, so I am thrilled and ready to support and lead the work that the Park District has prioritized for the agency to represent and reflect the diversity of its community,” added González.

González is a professional educator with training in the fields of education and conservation. He is the Founder of Latino Outdoors as well as a consultant at large. As a Partner at the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on Equity & Inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. He is also an illustrator and science communicator.

He received his B.A. at the University of California, Davis with teaching coursework at the Bilingual, Multicultural, Education Department at Sacramento State University. He received his M.S. at the University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment. He serves as a board member at Parks CA and Resource Media, and as a Commissioner for the California Boating & Waterways Commission, among other leadership volunteer roles.

According to his profile on parkscalifornia.org, González is the Founder and Director Emeritus of Latino Outdoors. He is an experienced educator as a K-12 public education teacher, environmental education advisor, outdoor education instructor and coordinator, and university adjunct faculty. As a Partner in the Avarna Group and through his own consulting, his work focuses on Equity & Inclusion frameworks and practices in the environmental, outdoor, and conservation fields. He is also an illustrator and science communicator.

The East Bay Regional Park District is the largest regional park system in the nation, comprising 73 parks, 55 miles of shoreline, and over 1,300 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding, and environmental education. The Park District receives more than 25 million visits annually throughout Alameda and Contra Costa counties in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

Vacaville, Calif. – Travis Credit Union (TCU), today announced the appointment of Grady Bond as its new Chief Retail Officer (CRO). In this position, Bond will assume responsibility for branch management, member experience, member relationship center, wealth management, digital services, deposits, and payment products. His strategic vision and deep industry knowledge will drive innovation and enhance the overall member experience at TCU. 

“Grady’s extensive background in retail channels and product innovation make him the perfect choice to lead our retail operations,” said Kevin Miller, TCU President and CEO. “His strategic insights will be instrumental in shaping the future of TCU, and we are confident that his leadership will enable us to continue providing exceptional financial services to our members.”

Bond joins TCU from Bank of the West, where he served as Executive Vice President, Head of Consumer, Business, & Wealth Deposit Product & Strategy. In addition, his distinguished career includes diverse roles at TD Bank, Chase, and Bank of America, where he honed his skills in branch management, product management, and consumer banking strategy.

“Joining Travis Credit Union and making a positive impact on our teams, members and communities is priority one at the moment,” said Bond. “I look forward to working with the talented team here to further enhance our member experience and drive innovation to meet our members’ needs.”

As the 12th largest credit union in California, Bond’s appointment as Chief Retail Officer underscores TCU’s commitment to the financial wellness of its members and communities.

About Travis Credit Union

Travis Credit Union, based in Vacaville, CA, has been recognized at the federal, state and local levels for its longstanding financial education and financial advocacy efforts. In 2022, TCU was once again selected as a Best-In-State Credit Union by Forbes. It has also earned the U.S. Air Force Distinguished Credit Union of the Year award in recent years. Founded in 1951 on Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, CA, TCU today serves 12 Northern California counties. It is the twelfth largest credit union in California, with 245,000 members and nearly $5 billion in assets. Learn more about our mission at traviscu.org.

Dyad leadership structure aims to increase patient access and further elevate clinical excellence, expertise  

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Northern California-based Sutter Health announced market presidents and chief medical officers in its collaborative new dyad leadership structure, which will better enable physician and administrative leaders to partner in decision-making and leading clinical and non-clinical operations. This alignment is designed to foster a connected ecosystem that advances efforts to expand access and deliver a more digitally enabled, convenient and personalized care experience for patients where they live and work. Greater access includes earlier available appointments for primary and specialty care through expanded service options and settings. The dyad design also elevates the roles and voices of physicians to lead the critical work necessary to meet growing demand for services across the integrated healthcare system.  

“I’m pleased to announce Sutter Health’s community-based market leaders,” said Warner Thomas, Sutter Health president and CEO. “They represent an exceptional field of professionals with diverse experiences and backgrounds, with outstanding leadership, healthcare administration and clinical experience, both within and outside of Sutter, as well as proven track records developing and maintaining successful working partnerships with physicians, clinicians and community partners. They will help drive operational excellence and growth at Sutter in the years ahead by integrating our teams across our system to best serve our patients, our people and our clinicians.”  

Working in dyad partnership, the following new market presidents and chief medical officers will have joint responsibility for one of five consumer-based markets driving quality and integrated care across the system: 

Greater East Bay Market   

Tosan Boyo, president  

Matthew Dahnke, M.D., chief medical officer  

Greater Central Valley Market  

Gino Patrizio, president   

Joseph Chiang, M.D., chief medical officer   

Greater Sacramento Market   

Rachael McKinney, president   

Peter Hull, M.D., chief medical officer  

Greater San Francisco Market  

Christina Oh, president  

Rob Nordgren, M.D., chief medical officer   

Greater Silicon Valley Market  

Kevin Cook, president  

Mathew Hernandez, M.D., chief medical officer   

Market presidents will report directly to Mark Sevco, Sutter’s senior vice president and chief operating officer while chief medical officers will report to Todd Smith, M.D., Sutter’s senior vice president and chief physician executive.  

“By working in concert and leading their individual markets, this dynamic group will elevate Sutter Health’s operational and clinical excellence to help us continue to achieve our goal to provide industry-leading quality healthcare and expand access to our services to more patients where they live and work,” said Dr. Smith.  

“Having experienced, mission-driven leaders in place to help more fully integrate our healthcare delivery system and unify our new community-based market operating model is critical to best meet the needs of our expanding patient base, as well as the needs of our physicians, care teams and staff,” said Sevco. “Through shared decision-making and with an expectation of collaboration across markets and service lines within the organization, we aim to integrate our operations and patient care in a way we never have before.”  

Each community-based market is strategically guided by an enterprise-wide service line strategy supported by a coordinated local team that oversees the hospitals, surgery centers, foundation care centers, clinics and urgent care sites in that geographic area. Market leaders will collaborate with medical group presidents alongside community physicians to enhance access and provide exceptional care. This structure will support a connected, seamless experience for patients across all types of care settings and throughout the enterprise.  

Tosan Boyo, Greater East Bay Market President, was most recently senior vice president of hospital operations at John Muir Health. At JMH, Boyo oversaw the deployment and development of several initiatives, including LEAN Management System, service line strategies, enterprise ancillaries, health equity and government affairs. During his tenure, he was awarded Executive of the Year by the California Association of Healthcare Leaders. Boyo began his new role on Sept. 5.  

Matthew Dahnke, M.D., Greater East Bay Market Chief Medical Officer, is an internal medicine hospitalist, who has been with the Sutter East Bay Medical Group since 1999. At SEBMG he served in leadership positions focusing on transforming healthcare by aligning partners, team building and developing relationships that allow for a clear understanding of mission, vision, culture change and achievement of goals. Most recently, he was chief inpatient officer for SEBMG. Dr. Dahnke began his new role on Oct. 16.  

Gino Patrizio, Greater Central Valley Market President, is a dynamic leader with a distinguished healthcare career who has long been an advocate for patient care excellence. For nearly five years, he served as the CEO of Sutter Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, with operational and financial accountability for Sutter’s Memorial Hospital Los Banos and Sutter Tracy Community Hospital. Patrizio began his new role on June 12.  

Joseph Chiang, M.D., Greater Central Valley Market Chief Medical Officer, was most recently the chief medical executive at Sutter’s Eden Medical Center in Castro Valley. Previously, he held leadership roles as medical director and chair of emergency medicine at Sutter’s Memorial Medical Center in Modesto, Sutter’s Memorial Hospital Los Banos and San Joaquin General Hospital. Dr. Chiang is a proven leader who has achieved growth in surgical and procedural volumes, enhancing physician alignment, and maintaining high-quality care. Dr. Chiang began his new role on Aug. 7.  

Rachael McKinney, Greater Sacramento Market President, has nearly 20 years’ experience as a mission-driven, patient-centered and relationship-focused leader working with physicians and clinicians across a broad range of care settings. Most recently, she served as CEO of Sutter Medical Center, Sacramento since January 2022 with oversight of Sutter Davis Hospital and Sutter Amador Hospital as Hospital Area CEO, Central Valley. McKinney began her new role on June 12.  

Peter Hull, M.D., Greater Sacramento Market Chief Medical Officer, has served in various leadership positions at Sutter Roseville Medical Center for nearly 30 years, bringing to the roles both an aptitude for organizational administration and a deep-rooted passion for the practice of medicine. Most recently he served as chief medical executive and interim CEO. Dr. Hull began his new role on June 12.  

Christina Oh, Greater San Francisco Market President, comes to Sutter Health from HCA Healthcare’s Trident Health System in Charleston, South Carolina where she was president and CEO. At Trident, she expanded the system’s acute and ambulatory footprint, built tertiary services and developed a “people-first” culture among employees and physicians. Prior to Trident, Oh was CEO at Tenet Healthcare hospitals in Goodyear, Arizona and Orange County, California. Oh begins her new role on Dec. 1.   

Rob Nordgren, M.D., Greater San Francisco Market Chief Medical Officer, brings more than two decades of experience leading healthcare organizations. In his most recent roles, he served as Area CEO for Sutter Bay Medical Foundation and CEO of a prominent 1,800-clinician medical group affiliated with Sutter’s Palo Alto Medical Foundation. Dr. Nordgren is known for his success in driving growth, clinician engagement, workplace inspiration, diversity and inclusion, health equity and performance optimization through people-focused leadership. Dr. Nordgren began his new role on June 12. 

Kevin Cook, Greater Silicon Valley Market President, has more than 20 years of healthcare leadership experience and brings extensive practical knowledge of health system operations at the CEO level to this new role. Cook comes to Sutter from Caldwell Butler, a healthcare consulting firm specializing in research-based methods to improve margin, operational improvement, staffing and patient experience. Before that, he served as the CEO of the University of Mississippi’s Health System for seven years. Cook began his new role on July 10.  

Mathew Hernandez, M.D., Greater Silicon Valley Market Chief Medical Officer, is an internist who has served in various leadership positions at Sutter’s Palo Alto Medical Foundation for the last 18 years, focusing on culture optimization, clinical quality and operations, strategic planning and growth. Dr. Hernandez most recently served as chief medical officer of the Palo Alto Foundation Medical Group. Dr. Hernandez began his new role on Oct. 16.  

About Sutter Health  

Sutter Health’s integrated, not-for-profit system of associated clinicians, employees and volunteers support more than 3 million patients in diverse communities across two dozen counties. Headquartered in Northern California, Sutter provides access to high quality, affordable care through its hospitals, medical foundations, ambulatory surgery centers, urgent and walk-in care centers, telehealth, home health and hospice services.  

By Juliet V. Casey, Director of Marketing, LMC

Pittsburg, Calif. – Los Medanos College officially welcomes Pamela Ralston, Ph.D., as its seventh president at 4 p.m. on Thursday, Oct. 19 with a reception and Investiture Ceremony at the Pittsburg Campus Student Union, 2700 E. Leland Road. The event will feature speakers, including Pittsburg Mayor Shanelle Scales-Preston.

Ralston took the helm at LMC, overseeing its Pittsburg Campus and Brentwood Center, in January 2023 as interim president. She stepped in for President Bob Kratochvil, who retired. The Contra Costa Community College District Governing Board in July named her to the permanent position.

“Our East County community deserves the best, and we believe Dr. Ralston fits that description,” Interim Chancellor Mojdeh Mehdizadeh said. “She has the qualities of leadership, experience and commitment to serve all students, particularly for students of color, which makes her an excellent choice as president of Los Medanos College.”

Since joining LMC, Ralston has aggressively worked to increase student enrollment for transfer and for career and technical education. During her time at LMC, Ralston has emphasized the “serving” aspect of the college’s mission as a federally designated minority- and Hispanic-serving institution. Her work also has focused on outreach and inviting student and community voices to civic discussions on local and regional topics.

Before coming to LMC, Ralston was president of the Santiago Canyon College. Prior to joining SCC, she held numerous administrative and academic appointments at Santa Barbara Community College District, College of the Desert in Palm Desert, and Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo. She was a faculty member and division chair of English and Written Communications at Tacoma Community College (TCC). Before joining TCC, she was an American Studies lecturer at the University of Washington.

Ralston received her bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Oregon and her master’s and doctoral degrees in comparative literature from the University of Washington. She has earned excellence in teaching awards from Tacoma Community College and the University of Washington and was honored with a Fulbright fellowship for doctoral research at the Royal Library and University of Copenhagen in Denmark.

About Los Medanos College (LMC): LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District, serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.

Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker, community leader Velma Wilson and transgender immigrant Anjali Rimi among 20 from Contra Costa County, including District Attorney Diana Becton, and 33 from Solano County honored

BENICIA, CA – Today, Thursday, October 12, 2023, at his 11th annual Women of the Year event, Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA) honored 53 women from the 8th Congressional District of California who are leaders and visionaries in their communities. These honorees have all made significant contributions to society through public service, business, education, and local economy.

“Every year I have the honor of recognizing the achievements and service of distinguished women in my district,” Garamendi said.“These leaders come from a variety of backgrounds, but every one of them has made a real difference to their communities and the people around them. It’s a privilege to be able to honor them.”

“The service and dedication each honoree has shown their community is deserving of recognition, and by receiving this award, their work will be commemorated and chronicled at the Library of Congress in Washington, DC,” Garamendi said.

As previously reported, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker was honored, along with community leader Velma Wilson and transgender resident Anjali Rimi. Contra Costa DA Diana Becton was also among the 20 women from Contra Costa County and 33 from Solano County honored during today’s ceremony.

The list of 2023 Women of the Year Honorees included:

Contra Costa County:

Anjali Rimi (Antioch)

Anjali is a dedicated leader, activist, and community member. As a transgender immigrant from South Asia, Anjali has overcome many challenges while continuing to give back to her communities.

As one of the co-founders of Parivar Bay Area, Anjali has transformed the services for transgender, gender non-conforming, and intersex immigrants from the Global South.

Parivar Bay Area emerged from earlier grassroots organizing, including a project that redistributed almost one million dollars’ worth of food, housing funds, and livelihood grants for transgender South Asians to open their own businesses.

In addition to her work globally, Anjali is deeply involved in LGBTQ+ activism in the Bay Area, through fundraisers, arts and cultural showcases, and social support group meetings. She was the first South Asian transgender person to be recognized for her LGBTQ+ activism in the California Legislature and has also received recognition from former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Anjali has accomplished all of this while remaining a kind and patient person and serving as an inspiration to others for her dedication to serving her community and improving the status of marginalized groups. (Note: She was not included in the video and may not have attended the event).

Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker (Antioch – District 1)

Tamisha is a dedicated and passionate leader who has touched the lives of countless members in her community.

Tamisha proudly represents her home as Mayor Pro Tempore of Antioch while simultaneously working as Executive Director of the Safe Return Project. Since joining the Antioch City Council in 2020, Tamisha has played an instrumental role in creating city programs to reduce gun violence, reduce oil and gas projects in her city, and implement a rent stabilization program to benefit those who are currently unhoused.

Tamisha has also demonstrated a commitment to protecting formerly incarcerated individuals by helping found the Safe Return Project. Throughout her time with the organization, Tamisha has helped thousands of residents of Contra Costa County effectively transition out of the prison system and into meaningful and successful lives.

Tamisha’s unwavering devotion to her community is clearly shown through her outstanding leadership on the Antioch City Council and her unyielding dedication to protecting those impacted by the criminal justice system.

Velma Wilson (Antioch)

Velma is a dedicated parent and passionate community member who finds every opportunity to help others.

Velma currently serves as Executive Vice President of the District Parent Teacher Association for Contra Costa, engaging with parents, teachers, and community members to promote the wellbeing of schoolchildren. For her efforts, Velma was awarded the prestigious National President Award.

Velma also serves as Parent Liaison for Antioch Unified School District, ensuring parents are informed and involved in their children’s education. Velma is also Director of the Delta Veterans Group and holds executive positions at the Celebrate Antioch Foundation and Antioch Schools Education Foundation.

Her variety of volunteer pursuits demonstrate her dedication to providing resources to all parts of our community. Velma gives generously of her knowledge, expertise, and time to helping others.

She was nominated by Antioch School Board President and Area 3Trustee Dr. Clyde Lewis.

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton (Martinez)

Diana Becton has been Contra Costa County’s District Attorney since 2017. Diana is the first woman, African American, and woman of color to serve in the role since its creation in 1850.

For 22 years Diana, served as a judge in Contra Costa County where she was elected and became resident of the National Association of Women Judges.

She is known not only for upholding the law and holding people accountable, but also for striving to improve Contra Costa County’s judicial system by focusing on disrupting the school to prison pipeline, creating safe

alternatives for low-level non-violent offenders and addressing the mental health needs of our community. he created the Reimagine Youth Justice Task Force to create alternatives to juvenile hall for young offenders and has made efforts to curb racial bias in her department by partnering with the non-profit Vera Institute of Justice to evaluate her office’s decision making.

Diana’s accomplishments in the judiciary are too enumerable and impressive to list briefly as she is truly a pillar of her community and a true exemplary of the excellence found in our district. Diana, far from doing business as usual, has aimed to fundamentally change many aspects of our often harsh criminal justice system to decrease bias and fulfill its duty to serve justice.

Other Honorees from Contra Costa County:

Alissa Stolz (El Cerrito)                              

Audrey Cormier (Richmond)

Betty Reid Soskin (Richmond)

West County Wastewater District Board President Cheryl Sudduth (Richmond)

City Councilwoman Claudia Jimenez (Richmond – District 6)

Municipal Advisory Committee Chair Debra Mason (Bay Point)

Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton (Martinez)

Eleanor Thompson (Richmond)

Janet Scoll Johnson (Richmond)

Contra Costa College President Kimberly Rogers (San Pablo)

Marinda Elaine Keith (Richmond)

Rose Akoro (Bay Point)

Ruthie Dineen (Richmond)

Sylvia Serrano (Hercules)

Katrinka Ruk (Richmond)

State Senator Nancy Skinner (Oakland – who represents portions of Western Contra Costa County in the 9th District)

Assemblywoman Buffy Wicks (Oakland – who represents portions of Western Contra Costa County in the 14th District)

You can view photos and biographies of all of this year’s honorees here.

A video of the event can be found here.

A legislative update that was shared at the event is available here.

Garamendi serves California’s 8th District in the U.S. House of Representatives which includes portions of Solano and Contra Costa counties, including the northern area of Antioch.

Allen D. Payton contributed to this report.

To be honored at Thursday ceremony

By Allen D. Payton

In a Sept. 23, 2023, post on her official Facebook page, Antioch Mayor Pro Tem Tamisha Torres-Walker shared a photo of a letter to her from Congressman John Garamendi (D-CA8) that he has named her a 2023 Woman of the Year. Along with the other honorees, she will receive her award at a ceremony Thursday morning, Oct. 12 in Benicia.

The letter reads:

“Dear Tamisha

I am pleased to announce that you have been selected to be honored as a 2023 Woman of the Year. Each year, I recognize outstanding women of my Congressional District who have been nominated by their peers and have demonstrated a clear commitment to their community through their leadership and dedication to public service.

Congratulations! I look forward to seeing you…”

The letter also invited her to attend and provided details about “Congressman Garamendi’s 2023 Women of the Year Ceremony” and was signed by the Congressman.

Torres-Walker added an emoji of herself to the letter and responded on the Facebook post by writing, “The God of my understanding always finds a way to remind me to keep going.”

Marty Storti joins LMC from Saint Mary’s College

Los Medanos College (LMC) is pleased to announce Marty Storti as Athletics director, effective Oct. 2, 2023.

“Mr. Storti comes to us with a wealth of experience in intercollegiate athletics administration” Vice President of Student Services Tanisha Maxwell said. “We are confident he will help elevate our sports and help our student athletes achieve their highest potential.”

Storti, who joins LMC after a career of more than 20 years as a coach and athletic administrator at Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, said he is eager to work with student athletes at the community college level.

“At Saint Mary’s, I designed the recruiting protocols for Club Athletics that included transfer students. We engaged and helped many community college athletes navigate the admissions and financial aid processes,” he said. “LMC, as a feeder school to UC Davis and Berkeley and other great universities, gives student athletes a unique opportunity with a unique set of support systems to help them win and graduate.”

Over the course of his tenure at Saint Mary’s College, Storti managed numerous areas within the athletic department, including human resources, strategic planning, and program assessment. In his role, Storti oversaw athletic camps, campus recreation, event management, facilities, sports medicine, and strength and conditioning. He also served as the sports supervisor for several teams, which included baseball, cross country, track, men’s golf, women’s rowing, men’s soccer, and softball. 

“LMC is an attractive opportunity, given its potential for growth in the athletics, from increasing the number of sponsored sports to increasing the number of student athletes. We will demonstrate how important student-athletes can be to the institution and the broader community,” he said. “Sports at LMC can be that light that guides more students toward higher education and long-term success.” 

As assistant vice president for Club Athletics, Storti spearheaded a departmental rebranding initiative for recruiting and revenue generation. Under his leadership, Storti introduced a student-athlete council and devised a comprehensive student leadership development program. His oversight resulted in a notable rise in student-athlete applications and enrollments. He led successful revenue-generating initiatives, which led to increases in facility rentals, camp revenue, ticket sales, and annual fundraising.  

Under his administrative leadership, several of Saint Mary’s teams achieved national success. Storti was the men’s soccer sport administrator when they participated in the 2011 NCAA tournament, where they reached the elite eight. He served as the lead administrator for men’s rugby, contributing to their historic achievements by securing USA Rugby D1A (highest level) National Championships in 2014, 2015, 2016 (7s), and 2017. 

Storti earned his master’s degree and bachelor’s degree in business administration from Saint Mary’s College.

About Los Medanos College (LMC): LMC is one of three colleges in the Contra Costa Community College District, serving the East Contra Costa County community. Established in 1974, LMC has earned federal designations as a Minority-Serving and Hispanic-Serving institution. It offers award-winning transfer and career-technical programs, support services, and diverse academic opportunities in an inclusive learning environment. With exceptional educators, innovative curriculum, growing degree and certificate offerings, and state-of-the-art facilities, the college prepares students to succeed in their educational pursuits, in the workforce, and beyond. LMC’s Pittsburg Campus is located on 120 acres bordering Antioch, with an additional education center in Brentwood.