Class of 1968
Berkeley Town-Gown Relations: Policy Matters
Lawsuits, court-imposed enrollment freezes, and short-term legislative fixes were recent headline issues following substantial campus enrollment increases. This is not the way to determine good public policy. Panel members will discuss the roles and responsibilities of the university, the City of Berkeley, the State of California, and other stakeholders regarding campus-city relations and how best to think about, analyze, and address the effects of future enrollment increases and campus expansions at Berkeley and other campus communities. Missed it? View the recording.
Hosted by Goldman School’s Center on Civility and Democratic Engagement
Speakers:
Nancy Skinner ’77, M.A. ’89 has represented the East Bay in the California State Senate since 2016. Skinner represented the Berkeley and Richmond areas in the State Assembly from 2008 to 2014 and is a former member of the East Bay Regional Parks Board. She earned a bachelor’s degree from the College of Natural Resources and a masters in education. Skinner was the first and only student elected to the Berkeley City Council. She was responsible for the legislation earlier this year to overturn the court ordered campus enrollment freeze.
Jesse Arreguín ’07 is the mayor of the City of Berkeley and serves as president of the Association of Bay Area Governments. Arreguín served on the Berkeley City Council from 2009 to 2016. Arreguín was an ASUC leader and served on various city boards and commissions as a Cal student. Last year, he negotiated the latest agreement between the City of Berkeley and the Chancellor regarding campus growth and town-gown relationships.
Rigel Robinson ’18 is finishing his first term on the Berkeley City Council for District 7, which includes the south campus area. A 2018 Cal grad, Robinson is the youngest person to ever serve on the council. He was a leader in student efforts to provide for more affordable student housing and served as ASUC External Affairs Vice President and ASUC Senator. He is also a current graduate student at the Goldman School of Public Policy.
Kate Harrison ’81, M.P.P. ’84 has served on the Berkeley City Council since 2017 representing District 4, which includes the west campus area. Harrison is a public sector consultant and has held policy and executive positions for the San Francisco Mayor’s Office and the California Administrative Office of the Courts. Harrison attended Cal as an undergraduate and received her masters from the Goldman School of Public Policy. She was a member of the ASUC Senate and also worked on Berkeley’s rent control campaign.
David Wilson has been dean of the Goldman School of Public Policy since 2021. Previously, Wilson was a professor and senior administrator at the University of Delaware as well as a senior consultant and researcher at the Gallup Organization in Washington, D.C. Wilson has published extensively and is the co-author of Racial Resentment in the Political Mind. He holds a Ph.D. in political science from Michigan State University.
Dan is an economist, planner, software developer, and attorney. He has taught at the Goldman School of Public Policy since 2014. Previously, he was Oakland's city manager. In prior careers, Dan was a World Bank economist, a senior advisor to Congressman Ron Dellums, and CEO of two high-tech software companies. Until 1973, he headed a regional development office for the Chilean Housing Ministry. Dan has a Ph.D. in City Planning, master's degrees in City Planning and Public Health, and a B.A. in Economics — all from Cal. He also has a law degree from Georgetown and is a member of the California Bar.