Steering Committee


Sharon

Co-Chair, Education Committee Chair

Sharon Rose, a founding member of BBBON, is a teacher and a long-time activist around education issues.


Sheryl

Co-Chair, District 7 Chair

Sheryl Walton was born, raised and educated in Oakland and is a public health professional and community organizer. She is a founding member of BBBON and volunteers to bring social, economic and environmental justice to all Oakland residents and businesses. Sheryl serves on the Community Police Advisory Board and guest lectures at UC Berkeley Graduate School of Public Health on building partnership between government and community.

Jose

Jose

Treasurer

José Antonio Dorado was born and raised in Jingletown/Fruitvale. He has been a Chicano/Latino and Student Activist, Unionist, Shop Steward, and later, Community Activist. And is currently Chair of the Maxwell Park Neighborhood Council and Measure Y Oversight Committee. He is a Tax Preparer and Bookkeeper with an office in the Fruitvale. Jose is a founding member of BBBON.

Allene

At Large member of Steering Committee

Allene Warren, a Retired Pacific Bell Manager, is Co-Chair of South Hills Beat 35Y NCPC, Chair, Friends of Elmhurst Library, and has been an Oakland Volunteer In Policing (VIP) for thirteen years. Allene is a founding member of BBBON.

Floyd

Floyd

At Large member of Steering Committee

Floyd Huen was a founding member of BBBON . He helps to mobilize for town halls through door to door outreach primarily focusing District 3 to organize the West Oakland leadership council. Floyd is a former Board Member at the Alameda Health System & Medical Directors Highland Hospital & Lifelong Medical.


Michael

Webmaster

Michael Tigges, who was previously a senior scientist at a Bay Area biotechnology company and biotechnology consultant, has redirected his career to become a community organizer and political data consultant. Michael is a founding member of BBBON.


DonLink

Don

District 1 Chair

Don Link is Chair of the District 1 Committee. He is a longtime leader of the Neighborhood Crime Prevention Council in the Shattuck Corridor of North Oakland. He was a founding member of BBBON.


Eileen

District 2 Chair

Eileen Benevides is a long time Oakland resident and community activist.  Her position as an In-Home Care Giver to the Disabled gives her a front-line perspective on the difficulties facing those living with Disabilities on a fixed income.

Barbara

District 3 Chair

Barbara Montgomery has been a West Oakland Resident since 1975.  She is a founding member of BBBON, Co-Chair of the NCPC for beat 2X and 5Y of West Oakland, Commissioner for Oakland Housing Authority, former Commissioner for the City of Oakland Citizens Review Board, and 2008 Inductee into the Alameda County Women’s Hall of Fame for Community Service


Peg

District 4 Co-Chair

Peg Lum has been an Oakland resident since 1978. She is a Community Activist and Neighborhood Watch Block Captain, and served on the Neighborhood Watch Steering Committee, City of Oakland. She is a founding member of BBBON.

John

District 4 Co-Chair

John Claassen is a native Californian and successful entrepreneur.  His family run broom factory with 75 employees was decimated after the NAFTA agreement.  He now enjoys retirement and is committed to  community organizing to make our community and our country a better place to live. When faith groups, not-for-profits, and the Government work together is the only way we get positive change in society. Anyone who says, “You can’t fight City Hall” has never been involved in community organizing and seen the kind of  results I have seen.


RJohnson

Rich

District 5 Chair

Rich Johnson, a founding member of BBBON, is a Board member of Glenview Neighborhood Association. He is active in education, jobs and public safety issues. He is a strong proponent of CORE (disaster preparedness) training


MarilynL

Marilyn

District 6 Chair

Marilyn Lawson has been a community leader in the Lions Creek Crossing area of District 6 for many years. Her passion is working with young people so they can gain knowledge about how to stay healthy, obtain an education, and develop job skills. She is the founder of the Tahara Lawson Foundation, which fights to eliminate the stigma of HIV/AIDS and other illnesses. She fights for community policing and is a founding member of BBBON.


Margaret

Chair, Labor Committee

Margaret Cunningham is a retired SEIU Local 790 union staff member who represented a large bargaining unit of City of Oakland workers for sixteen years; she also represented ABAG and classified school employees in Albany and Hayward. In recent years, she negotiated city and non-profit agency contracts for the Local 790 successor, SEIU Local 1021. She has worked on dozens of local political campaigns, is a member of the MGO and Wellstone Democratic Clubs, and is a founding member of BBBON.

Pamela

Chair, Political Action Committee

Pamela Drake has worked for 2 council members, been a member of the Alameda County Labor Council, a teacher of middle and adult school, a shop owner and is currently an elected member of the Alameda County Democratic Central Committee while running a local Business Improvement District.
She promotes her various causes using photography, videos and social media.


Marcus

Chair, Public Safety Committee

Marcus Montegue is the Secretary for Neighborhood Community Policing Commiittee 2x/5x and Mayor’s Designate to Oakland Fund for Children & Youth. He also sits of Capt. Drenon Lindsey’s Area 1 Executive Leadership Team. He is a 2011 graduate of the Oakland Citizen’s Police Academy. He has worked in education for 14 years.


JoelLum

Joe

Chair, Economic Development Committee

Joe Lum is part owner of Video Room, the last video rental store in Oakland.  By profession a computer programer, I first became interested in small business activism when I joined Oakland Grown, a project of Sustainable Business Alliance.  I believe “Small Business” is under represented in city government and is generally misunderstood by the general public.  I hope to reverse situation by my involvement in Block by Block.