DIRECTOR’S REPORT
Kenneth P. Miller, J.D., Ph.D.
In the Spring 2024 edition of The Rose Review, I argued that the Rose Institute has flourished over time because it has maintained a steady commitment to its threepart mission--that is, developing students; producing high-quality, policy-relevant, data-driven research; and enhancing public understanding of state and local government, with an emphasis on California. Last time, I shared how the Institute is promoting student development. In this report, I will highlight our recent research achievements.
Research: High quality, policy-relevant, data driven
We are a small institute and don’t aspire to produce research at the volume of a large think tank. However, we strive to achieve the same quality of research as the nation’s best policy institutes, and we want our research to contribute meaningfully to academic scholarship, political analysis, and policy debates.
How do we pursue this goal?
We begin by carefully selecting projects that fit within our mission and capacity. Our projects explore a range of state and local government policy and governance topics throughout Southern California and the state as a whole. When our research extends to other states, we generally seek to make comparisons between those states and California. We limit ourselves to research that can be supervised by Rose-affiliated professionals who have expertise in the subject. In addition, we look for projects that will allow for meaningful participation by students, thereby enhancing their education and practical training. Finally, we prioritize research that is accessible to civic leaders and the general public, thus advancing their understanding of complex policy and governance issues.
To maintain the highest research standards, we identify experts to oversee our projects. We draw from the Rose Institute’s staff, as well as our team of Faculty Advisors, other CMC faculty members, and outside consultants. Often, these consultants are Rose Institute alumni who have pursued careers in or around state and local government and welcome the opportunity to work with current students.
Finally, we support our research with adequate resources. Among other things, we invest in hiring outside experts, contracting with other entities (such as YouGov) to help implement our research, and purchasing data, such as the National Establishments Time Series (NETS) database. Some of our projects are funded by outside organizations; others are financed by the Rose Institute’s internal resources. We insist that all our research, including externally funded work, be independent, objective, and non-partisan.
In recent years, we have pursued an ambitious research agenda within these parameters. Our projects have included: multiple national public opinion polls; an in-depth study of San Francisco’s governance (followed by helping convert that research into a City Charter Amendment); several policy and governance reports for the City of Ontario; analyses of California’s statewide ballot measures; research on California’s fast-changing housing policies and their implementation at the local level, including in the City of Long Beach; surveys of the cost of doing business in cities in California and other states;
a profile of California’s City Managers; and research on electoral topics such as primary election systems and the conversion from at-large to by-district city council elections.
Let me highlight two of these projects: Our 2024 CMC-Rose Institute Poll and our review of potential reforms to San Francisco’s city government.
CMC-Rose Institute Poll
This year’s national pre-election poll advances the Rose Institute’s polling program supervised by Prof. Andy Sinclair. Rose Institute students helped Prof. Sinclair design the 2024 Poll early this semester and YouGov fielded it in October. We released a series of poll reports on October 29. The student team was led by Joan Hanson SC’26, and included Quinten Carney ’26, Dhriti Jagadish ’27, Katherine Lanzalotto ’25, Maya Maranto HM’26, Ryan Shakiba ’26, Rutvij Thakkar ’26, and Nolan Windham ’25. The poll surveyed 6,500 respondents across the United States, including oversamples in the nation’s five most populous states (CA, TX, FL, NY, and PA).
The poll was conducted as a 15-minute internet survey. It asked respondents their voting preferences in the presidential race and, in the oversampled states, U.S. Senate contests. The poll thus contributed to pre-election assessments of these races. More importantly, however, the poll asked a large pool of respondents their opinions on a wide range of topics at this contentious political moment. Respondents described their level of confidence in election administration, their views on the Supreme Court, their attitudes toward political reform, and more. The survey’s large sample and broad scope allow researchers to analyze voter opinion along many dimensions--for example, comparing states or different demographic subgroups. Combined with our previous surveys, this year’s poll provides the Rose Institute a rich resource for public opinion research.
San Francisco Reform
In 2023, an organization called TogetherSF commissioned the Rose Institute to study the structure of government in San Francisco and analyze potential reforms. In August 2023, the Institute published a major report detailing areas of dysfunction in city government and recommending San Franciscans consider reforms related to the powers of the Mayor, the mode of election of the Board of Supervisors, the ballot measure process, and the commission system. The
Rose Institute report helped catalyze a public debate about governance reform in the City.
In a second phase of our work, the Rose Institute provided more detailed analysis of these reform options. This effort was led by Assistant Director Bipasa Nadon and Rose alum Abhi Nemani ’10, supported by a student research group including Joseph Zhong ’25 and Sam Yao ’27. Our analysis focused on potential changes to the City’s bloated and cumbersome commission system and its current limits on the Mayor’s powers. We completed our work in January 2024.
Thereafter, TogetherSF Action qualified a Charter Amendment focused on reforming the City’s commission system. The measure, designated as Prop. D on this fall’s General Election ballot, sought to reduce the total number of commissions from the current 130 to a cap of 65. It proposed establishing a task force that, through a public process, would recommend which commissions should fit within that cap, with the Board of Supervisors making final decisions. Overall, the measure sought to streamline the City’s commission system and make it more democratically accountable to the Mayor and Board of Supervisors. Prop. D generated an intense public debate. In the end, the measure failed, but even in defeat it created greater public awareness of the need for institutional reform in San Francisco that may produce results in future years.
These prominent projects demonstrate how the Rose Institute is fulfilling the research element of its mission. We are leveraging a model that employs the talents of Roseaffiliated faculty, staff, students, and alumni consultants to produce high-quality, policy-relevant, data-driven research.
In the coming year, the Rose Institute will conduct its decennial strategic planning process and external review. This major undertaking will allow us to assess how we can further develop our research capacity, as well as all other aspects of our institutional mission. I look forward to working with our Board of Governors, affiliated faculty, students, alumni, and other stakeholders in this process.
In the meantime, I wish to thank the many members of the Rose community who generously support the Institute’s pursuit of its mission.
STUDENT MANAGEMENT REPORT
The state of the Rose is strong. After a rigorous hiring process, we are immensely proud to have welcomed 11 new Rosies to our institute family this October. As always, the process was competitive, and we had to make tough calls at every stage. We were left with a spectacular group of budding researchers, poised to build on the legacy of the Rose Institute and Claremont McKenna College. It has been a pleasure getting to know these students; they are among the sharpest, most passionate, and most driven that we have ever met. Having spent the semester training with the best of the best from CMC’s Economics, Government, and Public Policy faculty and producing their new hire projects, they are ready to carry the Rose Institute’s mission forward. Thank you to Joseph Zhong, our new hire manager, who worked night and day to develop and implement the training program and assist the new hires with their projects.
While the new hires learned the ropes, returning Rosies were hard at work on this semester’s projects. Professor Sinclair’s semiannual Rose Institute poll explored public attitudes on relevant policy questions across the country. Our IEO authors dug into the details of some of the biggest issues facing the region: sales taxes, homelessness, and the specter of secession from the state. The housing team began its inquiry into a new dimension of the rapidly changing California housing policy landscape, growing our contribution to the body
of research on how to solve our state’s most pressing issue. The quality of these products is a testament to the dedication, curiosity, and skill of the Rose RAs.
In our time as student managers, we have also endeavored to expand leadership opportunities in the Rose, as well as the Rose’s impact on campus. We created several new positions to this end, including the Board of Governor’s liaison, Speaker Liaison, and Data Director roles. We also worked to ensure that our current institutional projects and teams, including Housing and Data, are well equipped to continue their impactful work into the future. Students had the opportunity to take part in a housing policy reading group over the summer, as well as funded data training opportunities. We continue to prioritize workroom camaraderie and institute culture through dinners at Collins, ping pong competitions, and most recently, a paintball outing.
In closing, we would like to thank our new and returning Rosies for continuing to make our Institute the close knit community it is, as well as Professor Miller, Mrs. Nadon, and Marionette Moore for their steady guidance and leadership. It has been our sincere pleasure to work with such a talented and hardworking group of students and staff, and we look forward to another great semester.
Best, Ryan Lenney and George Ashford
Associate Student Manager George Ashford ’25
Student Manager Ryan Lenney ’25
PROJECT UPDATES
VIDEO VOTER GUIDE
by Katherine Jackson ’25
The Video Voter team has worked hard over the past six months and recently released our 2024 Video Voter Guide with videos on the ten propositions California voted on in November 5. The project team produced backgrounders and 2-3 minute videos on each ballot proposition.
The Video Voter Guide is a non-partisan resource for California voters to inform them about statewide ballot. Each video explains fiscal impact, supporters and opponents (including each side’s argument), and a clear meaning of the Yes or No vote. We shared the final products within the Claremont Consortium and with the California voter population as a whole. The Video Voter Guide team presented at an Athenaeum night and focused on community outreach through a presentation for Cal Poly Pomona students and other communication with leaders in California. With the help of Professor Joseph Bessette, we were able to produce and distribute high-quality educational videos this election cycle.
Katherine Lanzalotto ’25, left, and Katherine Jackson ’25 as they presented at Cal Poly Pomona on October 22, 2024.
PROJECT UPDATES
CMC-ROSE INSTITUTE POLL
by Joan Hanson SC’26
On October 29, 2024, the Rose Institute released six reports based on the 2024 CMC-Rose Institute Poll. Professors Andrew Sinclair and Ken Miller authored the reports; a student team helped design questions and contributed data analysis and background research.
The poll surveyed 6,500 registered voters nationally, including oversamples of 1,000 in each of the five most populous U.S. states (California, Texas, Florida, New York, and Pennsylvania). YouGov implemented the poll online between October 7-17. The questions focused primarily on the 2024 election, asking respondents about both state and federal candidates, election integrity, and their voting intentions.
A full 90% of registered voters view either former President Donald Trump or Vice President Kamala Harris as a threat to democracy. Of the 10% of respondents who view neither candidate as a threat, more support Trump than Harris.
When asked about the character and integrity of both presidential candidates, Democrats are more likely to agree that Harris is a person of integrity and good moral character than Republicans are to say the same of Trump.
At the state level, a majority of Pennsylvania voters (68%) are at least somewhat confident that their votes will be counted accurately and fairly. However, election confidence varied considerably across parties, with far more Democrats feeling confident in the election results than Republicans. Finally, when asked about their intention to move to a different state, 34% of Florida voters and 33% of California voters expressed interest in moving. Compared to our 2022 poll, Florida voters’ desire to leave their state has remained roughly unchanged (33% vs. 34%), whereas California voters’ desire to leave has decreased by approximately 10 percentage points (44% vs. 33%).
All six reports are available at roseinstitute.org/2024-poll
PROJECT UPDATES
KOSMONT-ROSE INSTITUTE COST OF DOING BUSINESS SURVEY
The Rose Institute completed and released the 2024 Kosmont-Rose Institute Cost of Doing Business Survey in July. It found that the cost of doing business remains higher in California than in other states in the western United States. Within Southern California, cities in Los Angeles County are the costliest places to do business.
This year, the Survey collected data on 216 cities–primarily in Southern California–to rank the cost of doing business in these jurisdictions. The rankings were based on seven variables including, sales tax, utility tax, minimum wage, business license fee, average office rent, crime index, housing affordability index. The Survey presented a composite ranking for all cities. Sixteen Rose research assistants contributed to this project.
For the first time, the Survey presented data for all 174 incorporated cities in Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino Counties. This comprehensive approach allowed for direct comparisons between these cities and shows that the cost of doing business is markedly higher in Los Angeles County than in other parts of the region. This difference can be attributed in part to market forces, such as office rents, as well as local policies, such as sales taxes and minimum wage requirements.
Santa Monica ranked as the Survey’s highest-cost city, followed by Culver City, Pasadena, Malibu, Arcadia, Huntington Park, and the City of Los Angeles.
At the state level, California continues to impose higher costs on businesses than neighboring states. For example, California’s statewide minimum wage is currently $16.00 per hour, and the state recently mandated a $20 per hour minimum wage for fast food workers. These wages are far higher than the $7.25 per hour minimum wage in Texas, Idaho, and Utah. Several high-cost California cities, including five of the Survey’s top-ten, require minimum wages above the state baseline.
Similarly, California has a higher base sales tax than several other states in the Survey, and most of the highest cost California cities in the Survey have raised their sales tax to 10.25%.
Some small California cities ranked among the least expensive cities for doing business, including Inland Empire cities such as Fontana, Adelanto, Hesperia, and Menifee. However, cities in Arizona, Idaho, New Mexico, Nevada, and Texas comprised most of the list of least costly cities. Two Texas cities and commercial hubs–Dallas and Houston–rank among the ten least expensive cities in the Survey.
The full survey report, list of the most and least expensive cities for doing business, and full rankings of the 216 cities are available at roseinstitute.org/costofdoingbusiness.
1946 CHALLENGE
This year the Rose Institute of State and Local Government participated in the Claremont McKenna’s 1946 Challenge. The 1946 Challenge, created to commemorate CMC’s founding year, invites alumni and supporters to unite in a spirited fundraising effort aimed at securing 1,946 donors within a timeframe of 1,946 minutes. This year, the CMC community was encouraged to share their “happy place” and unite on October 16 and 17 to achieve this ambitious goal, with contributions starting at just $19.46.
The funds raised through the challenge are primarily designated for student financial aid, enabling greater access to educational opportunities for current and future students. Donors have the flexibility to support specific programs or initiatives that resonate with them, whether it be athletics, academic departments, new experiential learning opportunities or academic centers and institutes, such as the Rose Institute.
This year, the Rose Institute called on Rosies to participate in the 1946 Challenge, marking the Institute’s first matching campaign with an ambitious goal of raising $10,000 to match $10,000 pledged by members of the Board of Governors. The effort was spearheaded by Board members Jessica Witt ’00 and Jacinth Sohi ’11. Thanks to the generous contributions from our fellow alumni, we raised more than $25,000, including the matching gifts, with a turnout of 51 donors, more than any other institute on campus. This successful initiative not only showcases the college’s commitment to fostering community engagement but also highlights the significant impact that collective giving can have on supporting current students and enhancing the overall CMC experience. We’re grateful to everyone who participated and made a difference!
“Following last year’s 50th Anniversary celebration, we were excited to see the continued momentum of support for the Rose and engagement from our greater community. The Rose has upleveled so much of its breadth of research and skill development opportunities for student research assistants, and donations from this campaign will help continue to elevate the Institute’s impact.”
- Jacinth Sohi ’11
“It was wonderful to see so many alumni support the Rose Institute to ensure that the next generation of students will have an awesome experience like we did. We can’t wait to see that number grow next year! “ – Jessica Witt ’00
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
Joan Hanson SC’26 & Chad McElroy ’26
This past summer we contributed to Professor Sinclair’s ongoing research on statewide politics and political reform in the United States. Through many weeks of data standardization, cleaning, and verification, we were able to create a dataset compiling all at-large statewide election results between the years of 2016 and 2022. We became much more confident using programs such as Microsoft Excel and Stata to manipulate large datasets and accomplish complex formulaic tasks. Additionally, Professor Sinclair provided us with the opportunity to explore fantastic weekly meeting locations such as the Huntington Library and the CalTech Athenaeum. We greatly enjoyed our time on campus this summer and are excited to see the many applications of the data we compiled come to life!
Quinten Carney ’26
I spent this past summer back home in Boise, Idaho. I worked for the political group Veterans for Idaho Voters in support of Proposition 1 on this year’s November ballot. The proposition would have enacted open primaries, alongside a top 4 ranked choice voting system similar to Alaska. Most of my work involved using a voter file for micro-targeting. Besides that, I did a lot of backpacking and training while running around Boise. The highlight of my summer was doing Mt. Whitney on a backpacking trip through Sequoia National Park.
Andrea Santillan ’25
This past spring semester I was a participant in Claremont McKenna’s Washington D.C. program where I would intern during the day and attend classes in the afternoons. I had the honor to work in Senator Ed Markey’s office as a press intern. As a press intern, I would compile media clips, create press lists, and attend and take pictures at press conferences. While in D.C. I was also able to explore the city and visit many of the iconic monuments and museums.
Chad and Joan with Professor Andrew Sinclair | Photo courtesy of Joan Hanson SC’26
Andrea with Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts | Photo courtesy of Andrea Santilan ’25.
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
George Ashford ’25
I spent the summer in D.C. as a housing policy intern for the Niskanen Center, a think tank. Writing and researching with the housing policy team at the forefront of federal supplyside reform was exhilarating. I met so many awesome people doing deeply impactful and forward-thinking work and learned more about federal discretionary transit funding than I could have possibly imagined. During my internship, I published two pieces on the Niskanen website, one about Hawaii’s ADU law and one about single-stair reform efforts across the country. After my internship, I hiked the Tour du Mont Blanc in the Alps with old friends and enjoyed some spectacular views. I could not have asked for a better summer.
Alexander Bishop ’26
I spent the summer at Columbia University in New York. I took two classes in physics and participated in a math research seminar on skein lasagna, a new research area in knot theory, which is a subfield of topology in mathematics. While in New York I had a great time exploring the city’s amazing museums, restaurants, parks, and other various haunts. I also spent a lot of time bouldering, reading, and hammocking in Central Park.
Rutvij Thakkar ’26
This past summer, I engaged in three primary activities. First, I went on a San Francisco Finance Networking trek sponsored by CMC’s career center to explore opportunities in the west coast and see alums in the Bay Area -- including Rose board member Jacinth Sohi! After a short stint at home in Dallas, I set off for New York to join a rotational internship program at McKinsey’s Investment Office (MIO Partners). I worked across several desks but my favorite was the rotation with the private markets team where I looked at several international venture capital pitches and even researched music royalty backed bonds as investments. New York honestly did feel like the capital of the world, but I missed the peace of Claremont. I concluded my summer with a week at Stanford’s Hoover Institution for the Summer Policy Boot Camp where I heard perspectives from Condoleezza Rice, Jim Mattis, and HR McMaster on foreign policy and national security.
Rutvij, on the left, at the conclusion of Hoover Institute’s Boot Camp. | Photo courtesy of Rutvij Thakkar ’26.
Hiking on the Alps with a friend. | Photo courtesy of George Ashord ’25.
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
Ryan Lenney ’25
This summer, I interned for the civics and democracy news desk at LAist, the NPR station in Los Angeles. I assisted the news team’s coverage of politics and policy across Los Angeles County by writing news stories and producing audio clips for on-air use. I also had the opportunity to write two long-form news articles: one on labor requirements in funding for affordable housing, and another on homelessness in Venice. Outside of my internship with LAist, I also went on a few camping trips to Catalina, Carlsbad, and Yosemite, and read Doris Kearns Goodwin’s book about Abraham Lincoln.
Kevin M. Bender ’27
This summer I worked as an Associate Consultant Intern at Bain New York. I was able to work on cases in the healthcare and nonprofit spheres, and learned a lot about the basics of running a case and managing client relationships. I had the opportunity to learn from lots of great team members and other interns, and I am very grateful for the experience!
Joseph Zhong ’25
Over the summer, I interned for the Treasury Management division of PNC Financial Services in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. I spent most of my time conducting market research into the electronic payments sphere and the Canadian(!) market to lead their new platform launch. I also assisted with developing new products and anti-money laundering tools, spending a lot of time with the scrum team and in front of lines of code. After developing and launching products all summer, I’m happy to be back on campus developing the skills of our incoming Research Assistants and launching their Rose tenures!
I spent my summer as an Economic Development Intern with the City of Temecula, where I reviewed economic impact reports for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Equestrian Events and analyzed a tax distribution plan for the Transient Occupancy Tax. I also assisted citizens with information requests, attended regional conferences, and drafted press releases and informational web pages. Additionally, I created a presentation for a new installation of wayfinding signs in the Temecula Auto Mall district. This experience deepened my understanding of local government operations and enhanced my presentation and communication skills. I am very grateful for my time with the City of Temecula and the opportunities it provided me. I am very excited to start my new hire project at Rose where I will research previous minimum wage increases in CA to predict what impact Prop 32 will have, if passed, on small businesses.
Audrey Donahue ’25
This summer, I had the opportunity to work as an Analyst for Compass Lexecon, in their Los Angeles office. I had an amazing experience diving into the world of economic consulting. Most of my work centered around the Industrial Organization practice, specifically focusing on antitrust and competition cases. I also had the chance to explore quantitative marketing, gaining insights into how data can reveal patterns in consumer behavior and market dynamics. Overall, I really enjoyed my experience and learned a ton! When I wasn’t working, I was trying new restaurants around LA and going to the beach with my roommates!
Jemma Nazarali ’25
Ryan at the desk of the NPR station of LAist. | Photo courtesy of Ryan Lenney ’25.
SUMMER REFLECTIONS
Katherine Lanzalotto ’25
This summer, I worked at Greenberg, Quinlan, Rosner Research (GQR), a polling firm in Washington, D.C. I had the opportunity to focus on the consulting side of political research for various international and domestic clients. I had the most amazing opportunities to learn more about a different side of the political industry and dip my toe into a new side of the government relations industry! I enjoyed living in D.C., especially during such a politically active summer and loved walking, making the most of my unlimited Pret coffee membership, and visiting the farmers markets (despite the stifling humidity).
Maya Maranto HM’26
I had some of the best times of my life studying in Tokyo for six weeks over the summer. In addition to exploring all around Tokyo and taking Japanese classes, I attended language exchange cafes pretty much every day. In these cafes, Japanese people who want to practice English meet with Japanese learners to talk and play games together. Through those cafes, I learned so much about how people communicate in casual situations in Japanese and even about how to talk about politics in Japanese!
I also participated in the 10-day Hiroshima and Peace Program, in which I attended lectures on everything from the environmental impacts of nuclear weapons to political divisions within the city, even having the privilege to listen to an atomic bomb survivor’s experience. Throughout my experiences in Japan, I learned so much about how to live and travel alone, but my best memories came from practicing Japanese with the friends I’d made.
Photo courtesy of Kat Lanzalotto ’25
Maya with a view of buildings in Japan | Photo courtesy of Maya Maranto HM’26
NEW HIRES
Deborah N. Aguirre ’28
Deborah is from Upland, CA, pursuing a dual major in public policy and data science. She is passionate about policy research and hopes to pursue a career in the field. She first became interested in policy when doing an environmental economics research project at Scripps and exploring welfare policy in high school. She is most interested in welfare and economic policy, seeking to discover how different policies affect underrepresented groups. Outside of the Rose, she enjoys listening to The Strokes, reading, watching movies, and biking.
Kevin M. Bender ’27
Kevin is from Temecula, California, and is majoring in Economics. His interest in state and local government started during his internship working in the Economic Development Department with his hometown city government. In his free time, he loves to do anything active including going to the gym, playing spikeball, and golfing. Kevin will spend the spring semester of 2025 in Cork, Ireland. He is currently working on his new hire project where he hopes to research housing in CA or CA business regulations that impact national industries.
Andrew J. Cheung ’28
Andy is from Summit, New Jersey, and is planning to major in Government and Economics at CMC. He first became interested in politics through high school debate, and eventually interned for his local Democratic party and various Congressional campaigns. Through campaign work, he gained experience in issues ranging from affordable housing to education reform. At the Rose, Andrew is excited to research through a non-partisan lens; specifically, he is interested in the economic effects of policy and is eager to improve his quantitative analysis skills. Outside of the Rose, he is a consultant for Path and plays lacrosse on the Claremont Men’s Lacrosse Team. He also enjoys playing pool at the Hub and watching the Knicks, Rangers, Yankees, and Giants.
Olivia R. Frakt SC’27
Olivia is from Melrose, Massachusetts and is a student at Scripps college majoring off campus at CMC in Public Policy. She became interested in the policy field after spending a summer studying educational equity at Brown University led her to conducting education policy research and working with the Melrose Health and Human Services Department and School Committee in her senior year of high school. In addition to this, Olivia is looking forward to expanding her knowledge on California education policy, as well as healthcare policy, through work at the Rose. She is also a Scripps Advocate, one of the community engagement chairs for Claremont Students for Public Health and a captain of the Claremont Climbing Team, and is looking to pursue a fine arts minor if she has the time.
NEW HIRES
Arushi Goyal ’28
Arushi is from San Jose, California, and is double majoring in Economics and History with a sequence in Financial Economics at Claremont McKenna College. She developed an interest in state and local government through her work on a mayoral campaign and in Bay Area housing and homelessness policy. At the Rose, she’s excited to research campaign finance and contribute to civic engagement initiatives. On campus, Arushi is an analyst for the Financials and REITs industry group in the Student Investment Fund and a political discussion facilitator for the the Kravis Lab for Civic Leadership and The Open Academy’s “Cookies and Conversation” series. In her free time, she loves singing jazz, talking about art history, and watching Psych, Suits, and Community.
Stephanie Li PZ’28
Stephanie is from Arcadia, California, and is planning on majoring in Government and Public Policy at Claremont McKenna College. Through her city’s civic youth council, she became interested in politics, advocating for sexual abuse survivors and housing rights for people experiencing homelessness at the local level. From there, she interned for Supervisor Hilda Solis, PCC trustee Alton Wang, Assemblymember Mike Fong, and Congresswoman Judy Chu. Eventually, she became the National Vice Chairwoman of The High School Democrats of America. Through Pioneer Academics, she conducted sociological research on the political identities of Asian Americans with Dr. Gerardo Martí. At the Rose, Stephanie is excited to research homelessness policy and work on the Video Voter Guide. Outside of the Rose, she enjoys cooking and baking cuisine from all around the world.
Keith Maben ’28
Keith is from Santa Clara, CA and is planning on majoring in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics. He became interested in government through extensive election involvement beginning in the 2020 Presidential election, including as the Bay Area Regional Director of the CA High School Democrats and a Delegate at the Santa Clara County Democratic Party. He has conducted policy research with the Bipartisan Policy Center and worked with nonpartisan groups like FairVote and the Public Mapping Projects on issues of redistricting and ranked-choice voting. He’s very interested in political statistics, polling, and modeling, and hopes to work extensively on the Rose survey projects. Outside the Rose, Keith is a Research Fellow at the Mgrublian Center for Human Rights studying immigration, an Associate Consultant at the Graphite Group, and a member of the CMC Model UN team.
Jathan K.J. Pai ’28
Jathan, from Indiana, is planning to study Economics and Engineering. His interest in state and local politics developed after serving on his local mayor’s youth council, participating in his high school’s political discussion club and writing a paper on wealth inequality. He is excited to learn more about and do research on local economic development, elections, transportation/zoning policy, and relationships between municipalities. In his free time, he enjoys trying new foods, playing ping pong, and soccer, and coding.
NEW HIRES
Anuj T. Patel ’27
Anuj is from Chino Hills, California. At CMC, he is pursuing a double major in Biology & Public Policy. His interest in state and local government stemmed from his previous work in California legislation regarding topics of elections, health, and education. At the Rose, Anuj is excited to develop quantitative skills in policy evaluation to aid in the research of housing and healthcare policy. He has completed research on policies affecting oral health in indigenous communities of North America and is currently interning in the office of Congresswoman Judy Chu. In his free time, Anuj enjoys running, listening to music, and playing NYT games.
Thomas Rose ’27
Thomas is from Brooklyn, New York, majoring in Government and Music at Claremont McKenna College. His interest in state and local government emerged through working with the Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), the oversight agency of the New York City Police Department. At the Rose, Thomas is excited to expand his knowledge in research methods and data analysis and to learn more about criminal justice reforms, housing policies, and poverty alleviation programs. Outside of the Rose Institute, Thomas is a campus tour guide, and Romero Success Coach, he works for SOURCE Nonprofit Consulting as a Client Team Lead, and he also sings in the Joint Music Program’s Concert Choir. He enjoys listening to, and playing music (singing and guitar), watching baseball (go Yankees!), and exploring new neighborhoods.
Rhiannon J. Worline ’28
Rhiannon is from Elko, Nevada, and is majoring in Government at Claremont Mckenna College. Rhiannon’s interest in government stems from several courses she took on government and politics as well as her intern experience with Ray Shaw’s Montana State Senate Campaign. Her other work experience includes a position as a research assistant with an Organizational Psychology company, EnlienWork. At the Rose, Rhiannon is interested in polling research and housing policy. She enjoys surfing, skateboarding, playing soccer, and attending concerts.
This year’s new hire program is managed by Joseph Zhong ’25.
Standing from left: Anuj, Kevin, Andrew, Thomas, Rhiannon, Deborah, Keith. Seated from left: Arushi, Olivia, Stephanie, and Keith. Photo courtesy ofJoseph Zhong ’25.
SPEAKER SERIES
ROSE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
CHRISTIANA DOMINGUEZ ’01
by Audrey Donahue ’25
Christiana Dominguez is a labor attorney at Blanning and Baker Associates, Inc. in Sacramento. She also spent some time at the California Department of Justice as a legislative advocate for the Attorney General. Ms. Dominguez graduated from CMC in 2001 with a degree in Government, writing her thesis on judicial elections in Los Angeles County. After college, she worked as a Fellow in the Office of then-Assembly Speaker Herb J Wesson, Jr.
How did your time at CMC and the Rose Institute help shape your early career, especially your work in law and public policy? Are there specific projects or experiences from your time as Student Manager that stand out?
My time at CMC and the Rose were wildly influential. I reach back to my CMC education more frequently than I do my law school education in my daily life. Peer pressure was likely the largest driving force on my decision to attend law school, but centering my career around public service and serving those in public service was a value instilled in me by my parents and a reason that I chose to attend CMC. While helping draw district lines in other states or learning the finer points of survey instrument construction were valuable and fun experiences, the longest-lasting impact of my time at the Rose were the connections I made. My very best, lifelong friends came out of my time at the Rose and those relationships help me in my personal and professional life every day.
Your work spans advocacy and policy, supporting state-employees, including at various points engineers, scientists, attorneys, and public safety employees. What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of representing such diverse interests in labor relations?
Over the course of my career I have represented public employees who serve the state in a variety of professions, from law enforcement to engineering. The best part of my job is the opportunity to learn about my clients’ jobs - they do interesting and important work every day. While these dedicated public servants may have differing expertise, my work is primarily focused on their rights as public employees under the Dills Act and other state laws - and those rights don’t depend on your classification or profession. My clients’ share similar interests in protecting Californians where they work, play, and live and in attracting and retaining the best and brightest to work on behalf of the public interest. The best way to do this is by ensuring public employees have good pay and benefits - the same thing employees everywhere want. Representing public employees is challenging because, by nature of their work, they have highly public profiles and - while perhaps this seems crazy to Rose Review readers - some people in California think poorly of those who dedicate their lives to public service. When the economy turns downward and state deficits increase, public employee pay and benefits can become prime targets for cuts. Those cuts usually end up more costly for California in the long run.
How did your time with the California Department of Justice shape your perspective on the intersection of law and public service, and are there any specific legislative efforts you’re particularly proud of?
I spent two years as a Legislative Advocate for the California Attorney General, focusing on health care and labor issues during a critical time for both - squarely in the midst of a global pandemic. Most of our laws weren’t written with their application during a pandemic in mind. The pandemic also highlighted long-standing issues Californians face when trying to access healthcare. I am most proud assisting the Attorney General’s work championing legislation that would protect competition in the healthcare market. We often think of the impact of monopolies in private industry or within the tech sector, but increasingly, monopolies are leading to higher healthcare costs. For example, health system consolidation in northern California means it now
50th Anniversary Alumni Forum | October 27, 2023
ROSE ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT
costs about 30% more to have a baby in the north compared to the south. It felt very CMC-appropriate to be working on public policy issue with a basis in economics (an exciting challenge for this sub-par Econ 50 student).
What emerging issues do you foresee impacting labor law in the coming years, especially concerning public sector employees? How are you preparing to address these potential changes?
Isn’t the answer to everything these days “AI?” Anyone working in labor is keeping an eye on developing technology like artificial intelligence and its impact on the workplace. While many people might assume that the labor world is concerned about AI replacing employees (and, of course, that is a concern), there are more immediate policy concerns around how AI can be used within employees’ work. To what extent can attorneys use ChatGPT to augment research or
writing? How will employees be trained to use resources responsibly and to not be misled by AI-hallucinated information? The state is beginning to look at these policies, but policymaking and technological advancements don’t always occur at the same pace. There are additional (and long-standing) challenges, too: it’s increasingly difficult to attract younger people to public service. How do we ensure a stable, long-term workforce in California? And what about employers balancing employee demands for telework flexibility in the post-pandemic world?
What advice would you offer current Rose Institute students or recent CMC graduates who are considering careers in law or public service?
First: don’t go to law school unless you want to practice law (and make sure you know what practicing law is). There are many ways to work towards the public good that don’t require a law degree. Second, if you want to go to law school, do something else for a bit first. If you’re interested in policy, go work at the State Capitol or in DC. A break between college and law school will give you valuable insight into your own goals and aspirations and give you experience that will benefit your application, too. Second: there is immense satisfaction in public service and the salary trade-off may be worth it to keep you happy and healthy and engaged in your community. Third: keep up your ties with your CMC and Rose Institute alumni contacts. Just yesterday, I reached out to a fellow Stagthena for assistance on a work issue. The contacts you make during your time on campus are worth every bit as much as the knowledge you acquire in class or working on Rose projects.
With Ashwin Navin ’99 in the Rose workroom.
With Helen Chen ’01 and Matt Grossman ’01 at the Madrigals, Athenaeum 1998
Rose Institute Student Manager 2000-2001
BOARD OF GOVERNOR SPOTLIGHT
SCOTT OCHOA ’93
by Quinten Carney ’26
Scott Ochoa has been the City Manager of Ontario since 2017. He is a 1993 graduate of CMC and also has an MPA from USC. He has been managing Southern California cities for 20 years, serving in Monrovia and Glendale before coming to Ontario. He joined the Rose Institute Board of Governors in 2019 at the behest of his friend and mentor Greg Devereaux. Mr. Ochoa and his family have lived in historic northwest Ontario since 2018.
Did your time at CMC lead to your interest in city government? My time at CMC contributed greatly to my interest in government overall. I benefited immensely from a broad, overarching, historical and comparative approach to governance and policy development – and from the professors who taught those subjects. On the surface, comparative European political structure, or US foreign policy, or political philosophies dating back over the last 3000 years might not seem to have as much to do with local government as, say, Professor Pitney’s class on US Politics. Taken together, however, those lectures and assignments helped to teach me how to think deeply and analyze, to communicate, and to draw on parallels to help solve problems and appreciate situations affecting governmental systems and constructs.
What is your favorite memory from your time at CMC?
Growing up in a very strict household in Azusa, CA, it was during my time at CMC that I experienced some independence – for better and for worse! My years at CMC were when my life began to take shape – an internship that led me to a career in local government, meeting my future wife, and experiencing a world that I had never known.
How has the City of Ontario changed or stayed the same since your time at CMC?
Ontario was, and still is in many ways, a heavily Latino working-class community. It is full of commuting households, although the city itself is an employment hub of the Inland Empire. Perhaps most challenging is that, for many people Ontario has always been a great place to be from – a strong and stable community, but one that you generally didn’t come back to after graduating college and/or experiencing
material success in life. Today, Ontario is evolving. Still strong, stable and safe, we are investing heavily in quality of life projects that balance out the impacts of being a key part of the logistics hub of the western US and Pacific Rim. Twenty years ago, the city made far-reaching decisions about the long-term direction of Ontario. And now, with the advent of Ontario Ranch and the renaissance of the “Old Model Colony,” Ontario is becoming a destination community. Coupled with the broad demographic trends that invite gentrification, the Ontario will have to work hard to balance the needs and achieve the ambitious goals of this growing and diverse community.
What do you think are some of the biggest challenges and opportunities for the City of Ontario moving forward?
Ontario is located at the crossroads of metropolitan Los Angeles. With a growing international airport, three freeways, and two rail lines, regional transportation infrastructure leverages the investments that we’ve made in the logistics and goods movement space. At the same time, we are banking on our strategic location to attract residents, visitors and investors by developing regional quality of life amenities like a vibrant and historic downtown, the Ontario Sports Empire, and the Toyota Arena Entertainment District. Alas, the challenges that we face are largely the flipside to these opportunities – a strength overdone can become a weakness. Managing traffic congestion, affordability, and other growing pains demand attention and diligence. Yet if we are prudent and effective, Ontario will become southern California’s center of gravity.
What is your long-term vision for the City of Ontario? Ontario is on its way to becoming the premier community of the Inland Empire and beyond.
What do you enjoy most about serving on the Rose Institute’s Board of Governors? You are never too old or experienced to learn something new. Being a part of the Rose provides access to new thoughts and ideas, new approaches and theories about the issues and challenges that affect communities up and down the state.
Are there any projects at the Rose Institute that you are particularly proud of or passionate about? Each year it seems that a new study comes forward that illuminates a vexing issue or question. Between these assessments and the traditional Voter Guide and Cost of Doing Business Study, there is much to be proud of.
WELCOME NEW BOARD MEMBERS
KIRK HOIBERG ’92
Kirk Hoiberg has over 25 years of experience in leading successful privately-held companies - including four from startups. From 1992 to 1998, Kirk was President of MixStar Incorporated, a business-to-business vertical market application serving the residential mortgage banking industry and the first business-to-business application on America Online. From 2001 to 2003 he was a Senior Associate and Engagement Manager at McKinsey & Company. From 2003 to 2008, he was Senior Managing Director within CB Richards Ellis’ Global Corporate Services business unit which managed over 1.3 billion square feet of commercial real estate on behalf of Fortune 500 companies, and acquired Trammell Crow for over $2 billion in 2006.
Kirk was a founding employee of GoldPocket Interactive which was eventually sold in 2006 to Tandberg. In 2008, Kirk and two other Principals co-founded Trinitas Partners, a private equity investment company that specializes in identifying superior investments within sectors characterized by favorable supply/demand dynamics and in which hard assets and real property play a central role. In 2017, Trinitas formed Pomona Farming LP, a joint venture with PSP Investments to create a global food and agriculture business that has grown to well over $1b in invested capital and now is one of the largest food and agricultural businesses in California’s Central Valley and also the principal owner of Mahi Pono, LLC, the largest private landowner on Maui and operator of a diversified agricultural business on Maui which consists of over 40,000 acres and is focused on food security and sustainability.
In 1992, Mr. Hoiberg graduated summa cum laude from Claremont McKenna College with degrees in economics and mathematics. In 2000, he graduated from Harvard Business School with High Distinction as a Baker Scholar.
SUNIL RAJARAMAN ’01
Sunil Rajaraman is a serial entrepreneur and writer. He was an entrepreneur in residence at Silicon Valley-based venture capital firm Foundation Capital, where he advised startups on their go-to-market strategies. He helped found Scripted.com, a marketplace for businesses to hire freelance writers; Unsugarcoat Media, which acquired The Bold Italic and subsequently sold it to Medium; and Radiance Labs, which helps companies communicate with customers on Facebook Messenger and SMS.
In 2023, he founded a new company called Hamlet, which is designed to take lengthy or confusing public data and use AI to distill it down, generating a clear analysis or narrative. Hamlet accounts for historical data points, neighboring cities, and topical trends. It addresses local subjects such as real estate development; education; business openings and closings; and crime and safety. He also is a host of the podcast “This is Your Life in Silicon Valley.” Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Sunil graduated from Claremont McKenna College in 2001 with a bachelor of arts degree in Econ/Accounting. He earned an MBA from the Anderson School of Management at UCLA. He is a resident of the San Francisco Bay area.
PLAY (PAINT)BALL!
Student Management
Ryan Lenney ’25 Student Manager
George Ashford ’25
Associate Student Manager
Rose Review Staff
Audrey Donahue ’25, Editor
The mission of the Rose Institute is to enhance the education of students at Claremont McKenna College, to produce high quality research, and to promote public understanding on issues of state and local government, politics, and policy, with an emphasis on California.
At SC Village, Chino on November 8, 2024 | Photo courtesy of Ryan Lenney ’25