Board and Staff
Staff listing
- Cindy Chavez
Executive Officer
cindy@atwork.org
Cindy Chavez has been a driving force in Silicon Valley politics and labor issues for more than two decades. As a two-term member of the San Jose City Council, she built a strong reputation as an advocate for improving the quality of life throughout San Jose. She was a leader in developing cutting-edge community-based programs to address crime, education, small business development and neighborhood revitalization. Elected to the City Council in 1998 and re-elected in 2002, Chavez served two years as vice mayor. Her terms were distinguished by implementing goals to make every neighborhood safe, enhancing opportunities for residents and providing guidance on improving city government's service to them.
As the executive officer of the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council, her work is highlighted by her ability to build new collaborations to create innovative policy that improves the lives of working families throughout Silicon Valley. Few public leaders can count the kind of successes that Chavez achieved early in her public service: ground-breaking health insurance for Santa Clara County's children, which served as a national model, unprecedented construction of diverse housing and a genuine city-schools partnership in downtown San Jose.
Often described as a savvy consensus builder and possessing a down to earth charm, Chavez has also contributed to local high technology initiatives, the arts and guided the political participation of emerging ethnic communities. Chavez is a member of the board of directors of Joint Venture, the Silicon Valley Network, the California Blue Ribbon Task Force on Nanotechnology and the Health Trust of Silicon Valley. She also serves on the boards of Planned Parenthood Federation of America and the American Leadership Forum. Chavez was named by the Silicon Valley Business Journal in its 2004 survey of "Influential Women in Business" and serves on the Board of the Silicon Valley Women's Alliance. She is a recipient of the California Assembly's 2004 Housing Leadership Award and the Blue Cross of California's 2005 Community Service Award. She was voted "Legislator of the Year" in 2005 by the Silicon Valley Asian Pacific American Democratic Club.
- Ben Field
Chief of Staff
ben@atwork.org
After graduating from Columbia in 1986, Ben worked as a legislative aide to Congressman Don Edwards and later on the United States Senate Subcommittee on Housing and Urban Development. In 1990 Ben moved back to the Bay Area for law school at UC Berkeley's Boalt Hall. During law school he began the course work for a Ph.D. in American history. He received his law degree in 1993, and completed his Ph.D. in 2000. He has authored several articles and a book on history and the law.
As a Deputy District Attorney in Santa Clara County for over 15 years, Ben prosecuted a variety of cases including murders, sexual assaults, gang offenses, and white collar crimes. Ben currently works as the Chief of Staff for the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council and a think tank called Working Partnership USA, where he handles a wide variety of political, public relations, and organizing duties. He is also an adjunct professor at San Jose State University, where he has taught courses on the U.S. presidency, constitutional law, judicial politics, law and society, and political history in the Political Science Department. Ben has served as the co-chair of the Friends of PACT, a faith-based group that supports community organizing and social justice activities, the Chair of the Cardozo Society, and a member of the Jewish Community Relations Council. He is also a volunteer leader with Habitat for Humanity.
- Derecka Mehrens
Organizing Director
derecka@atwork.org
Derecka Mehrens was hired by the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council 2008. Mehrens provides support to affiliate unions for organizing campaigns and works to mobilize and engage union members in election work including precinct walking, phone-banking and worksite organizing. She previously served as state director for the California chapter of the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) from 2004. Mehrens supervised and managed the 12 ACORN field offices, worked with grassroots leaders on a variety of organizing campaigns, set statewide legislative priorities, fundraising and strategy. She was previously head organizer of San Jose ACORN for three years and a field organizer with Oregon ACORN. She is a graduate of the University of Oregon with a Bachelors' Degree in Sociology, History and International Studies.
- Stacey Hendler Ross
Communications Director
stacey@atwork.org
Hendler Ross is responsible for promoting the labor council’s public image and interests and is the Labor Council’s primary news media contact. Prior to joining the Labor Council, she enjoyed a successful television news career, working most recently at KGO-TV. After graduating with a degree in Broadcast Communications from the University of Houston, her career took her to Laredo, Texas; Harlingen Texas; then to San Jose, California. Throughout her 22-year TV news career, Stacey covered stories ranging from immigration issues on the Texas-Mexico border to the Columbine High School Shootings to Princess Diana’s funeral in London. She is fluent in Spanish, having lived as an exchange student in San Jose, Costa Rica. She serves on the Board of Directors of Family Supportive Housing, Inc., which serves homeless families in Santa Clara County. Stacey and her husband Roger have three children.
- Anna Schlotz
Lead Organizer
anna@atwork.org
Anna Schlotz is the lead organizer at the South Bay AFL-CIO Labor Council. Prior to joining the Labor Council in April 2009, she was a field director for Joan Buchanan's successful campaign in California Assembly District 15. Schlotz also directed grassroots canvassing offices to raise money for such issues as renewable energy subsidies, stronger regulations to decrease global warming pollution, safe and affordable healthcare, anti-employment discrimination legislation, and equal rights for same-sex couples. Schlotz earned a degree in Peace and Conflict Studies from UC Berkeley where she worked with the campus anti-war coalition and other social justice organizations.
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Carmelita Gutierrez
Administrative Assistant
lita@atwork.org
Carmelita Gutiérrez joined South Bay Labor Council in the summer of 1997. As a student at San Jose State University, she was an active organizer with MEChA, a Chicano/Latino student organization. As a member of MEChA she helped organize for educational rights on campus and worked with a coalition of other high school and college Chicano/Latino student organizations across California. Her experience allowed her to serve as a liaison from MECha to the African-Black Student Alliance and to the Asian, Pacific Islander Student Union in organizing educational rights issues statewide. Gutiérrez graduated from San Jose State University with a B.S. in Social Science.
Executive Board listing
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