Jill Jones serves as the Chair of the Board of Directors for The Recreation Alliance. As an attorney at Loeb & Loeb, Jill M. Jones’s practice focuses primarily on land use and transactional real estate matters. Prior to joining Loeb, Jill served in the Office of the Los Angeles County Counsel as land use counsel for the County’s unincorporated areas. Jill has worked with numerous developers in land use entitlement matters. She also has experience in sales, acquisitions and ground leases of public lands. She has represented the County in several public private partnership development projects in which she negotiated and drafted various agreements including ground leases, purchase and sale, easements, covenants, and financing documents. Jill’s experience includes a vast array of development projects, including entitlements of the Centennial Master Planned community, Chiquita Landfill, solar energy projects, affordable housing projects, and various mixed-use projects. Jill has also worked on construction projects including the renovations and development of over 30 Los Angeles County libraries.
Jill was the primary advisor to the Los Angeles Regional Planning Commission for over five years, as well as public hearing counsel to the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors. She has worked closely with government staff on development projects from their inception, through the California Environmental Quality Act process, public outreach, and entitlement proceedings. Jill has also worked on zoning enforcement cases, and drafted zoning ordinances and long-range planning documents.
Glen Becerra has over 25 years of professional experience serving the public interest. Working for government agencies, elected officials and as an elected representative, he has lead marketing, government affairs, community and public relations departments and teams. Glen currently works as Executive Officer, Marketing at Metro where he leads the groundbreaking team of 80+ employees recognized as the gold standard for transit and government marketing. Prior to joining Metro, Glen worked for the Southern California Edison Company, where he served as Chief of Staff for the Local Public Affairs
Department. Glen also worked for Assemblyman James L. Brulte as a Legislative Aide, where he managed legislation dealing with California's Utility Industry and the State Allocation Board, which is responsible for financing the renovation and construction of public schools. Glen was successfully elected to the Simi Valley City Council in 1998 and became the youngest member to ever serve on the council. He would go on to
be reelected four consecutive times, becoming the longest serving council member in city history. He served a one-year term as Mayor Pro Tem in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014 and in 2018, before retiring from the City Council at the end of 2018. Not only was Glen the youngest member of the council to be elected, he was the first minority member to serve. The first in his family to graduate from college, Glen attended Moorpark Community College and the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a B.A. in History in 1993. After graduation, he was accepted into the Executive Fellowship Program, a public policy program sponsored by the Governor's Office and the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento. Upon completing the fellowship program, Glen joined the Wilson Administration as Deputy Director for the Office of External Affairs, which oversaw the Governor's local field offices, and was the liaison for law enforcement, crime victims and other constituent groups. Glen’s community involvement includes serving on the California Student Aid Commission as a Gubernatorial-Appointee. He served on the Board of Directors for the Simi Valley Boys & Girls Club, where he held the position of Vice President for Fund Development. He is a member of the Simi Valley Education Foundation Advisory Board, served on the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors from 1996 to 1998, and was elected to the Board of Regents for California Lutheran University from 2009 to 2018. Glen has served as President for the League of California Cities Channel Counties Division and on the Board of Directors for the League of California Cities statewide organization. He represented the cities of Simi Valley, Moorpark and Thousand Oaks on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG), and served as President for that organization from 2012-13. In 2001, President George W. Bush appointed Glen to the White House Commission on Presidential Scholars, a body that selects, recognizes and honors top achieving high school seniors from across the country, a position he held until April of 2010. As a councilmember, Glen served on the City's Affordable Housing Subcommittee, Armed Forces Banner Advisory Committee, Sustainable Simi Valley Committee, was a Trustee for the Simi Valley Library Board of Trustees and served as a City Council liaison to the Neighborhood and Youth Councils. Glen also served on the Ventura County Animal Services Commission.
Angela Howe is an expert in non-profit management, coastal law and environmental
strategy. She directs Surfrider Foundation's legal advocacy efforts throughout the
United States in order to guide grassroots chapters on ocean conservation, beach
access, plastic pollution, sea level rise and environmental litigation. She also helps
guide the organization through general counsel duties. Angela earned her law
degree from University of California Berkeley School of Law. Before joining
Surfrider's staff in 2007, she worked for Hogan & Hartson LLP in both their D.C.
and Los Angeles offices in the Environmental Practice Group. She is also an Adjunct
Professor of Ocean and Coastal Law at University of San Diego Law School and an
Advisor to the California Lawyers Association’s Environmental Law Section. Angela
served as Chair of the Clean Seas Coalition for seven years and has consulted the
United Nations Environment Assembly on ocean issues. She has also served on the
Board of Directors for the U.S. Zero Waste Business Council and Surfrider
Foundation Canada. Locally, Angela serves as Co-Chair of the Zero Waste
Committee at Concordia Elementary School and has been mentoring law students
throughout her legal career.
Mediator; Arbitrator; Litigation Consultant; Real Estate Professional; Businessman; Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution; adjunct professor of Ethics; adjunct professor of Global Finance at Pepperdine University.
Work History
Negotiator/Mediator, Self Employed, 1970 - present; Mediator, Arbitrator, Litigation Consultant, Dennis Torres, MDR 2000 - present; Mediator, Arbitration, Mediation & Conciliation Center (AMCC) 2002-present; Arbitrator, National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), 2000-present; Mediator, National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD), 2005 - present; Mediator, the Center For Conflict Resolution (CCR), 1999-present; Mediator, the California Academy of Mediation Professionals (CAMP), 2000-present; Mediator, the State of California Superior Court, Los Angeles County, 2000-present; The State of California Superior Court, Ventura County, 2006 - present; Mediator, the Courts of Malibu, Santa Monica and Van Nuys, 2000-present; Litigation Consultant and Expert Witness/Real Estate, Real Estate Broker, Forrest E. Olsen/Coldwell Banker Realtors, 1975-1977; Real Estate Broker, Averi Dennis, Realtors, 1977-present; Real Estate Developer, 1978-1987; Principal Real Estate Investment Trust (REIT), 1984-1987; Property Manager, 1977-present; Director of Real Estate Pepperdine University, 1987-present; Real Estate Consultant, Self Employed, 1990-present; Expert Witness/Litigation Consultant; 2000 - present; Lecturer in Real Estate, Lecturer in Dispute Resolution, Lecturer in Negotiation, Pepperdine University, 2000 - present; Adjunct Professor of Negotiation and Dispute Resolution, Pepperdine University, 2004 - present.
Education and Training
Completed the PON at Harvard Law School, 2006. Graduate Pepperdine University School of Law, Straus Institute for Dispute Resolution, Master’s Degree in Dispute Resolution, 2002; Professional Graduate Certificate in Dispute Resolution, 2000; Graduate the Fashion Institute of Technology, Industrial Engineering, 1962; LaSalle University School of Law; New York State Real Estate License, 1970; California licensed Real Estate Broker, 1977-current; Licensed Commercial Pilot, Multi-Engine and Instrument Ratings, 1971-present; Licensed Flight Instructor (Lapsed); NASD Series 7 and Series 28 Licensed Broker/Dealer (for REIT) (Lapsed).
Alternative Dispute Resolution Experience
Extensive experience as a mediator and negotiator, 30 years; Arbitrator since 2000. Specializes in all real estate matters, commercial and business disputes. Sub-specialty in aviation disputes; approximately 30% of practice is personal injury and insurance disputes.
Representative Cases
Real Estate disputes including contracts, brokerage; escrow; title; boundary, easements, earth movement, transactional matters; appraisal; construction, environmental, property management; leasing and community associations (HOAs); business and commercial, contract disputes, partnership disputes, consumer disputes, insurance coverage; personal injury; and aviation.
Professional Memberships
Southern California Mediation Association (SCMA); the Society of Professionals in Dispute Resolution (SPIDR) which in 2001 merged and is now known as the Association for Conflict Resolution (ACR); American Bar Association (ABA) Associate; the Community Associations Institute (CAI), a nationwide professional organization for homeowner associations; the Association of University Real Estate Officials (Past President) and the Rotary Club of Malibu (Past President).
orres, a licensed real estate professional since 1970, founded and operated a multioffice general real estate brokerage company employing a sales staff of more than 100 licensed agents who spoke more than 20 languages. The company, headquartered in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, California captured one of the largest market shares of business among independently owned agencies. During that time Torres and his company were members of 10 different Boards of Realtors.
He has been a successful real estate developer; principal in a real estate investment trust; a highly compensated real estate consultant; property manager and Director of Real Estate Operations for Pepperdine University where he headed a team that regularly acquired, managed and disposed of hundreds of millions of dollars in properties all across the country.
Torres has served as president of many business, professional and charitable organizations including two homeowner associations; The Men’s Association of Vista Del Mar; The Rotary Club of Malibu; Averi Dennis Realtors; Round Structures Inc.; The American Medical Support Flight Team, Inc. and One Vision, Inc. He also served as (1999-2000) president of the Association of University Real Estate Officials (AUREO) a professional organization of real estate officials from nearly every major university in the United States (and some in Canada and Australia), including Harvard, Stanford, Princeton; Yale, MIT, USC, University of California, Purdue, Vanderbilt and others.
Torres and his wife Averi were married in 1969. In 1983 they founded a charitable organization called Angel Flight whose mission is to provide free air transportation aboard member’s private aircraft for medically needy persons who are unable to utilize commercial transportation either because of financial or medical reasons. For the first 5 years of its existence Torres served as president, executive director, chief fundraiser, mission coordinator and pilot. Today under the umbrella of Angel Flight America, approximately 25,000 flights per year, (68 per day, nearly 1 flight every 20 minutes of every day) are provided free of charge to families in need across America.
Kaley Taffe serves as the President & CEO of The Recreation Alliance. Kaley is the Founder of KAT Consulting and offers extensive experience in fundraising, policy, and cultivating and maintaining key professional relationships. As a government and public relations specialist, she has a strong proven record in initiating legislative action and promoting positive change. Kaley also has a successful record in fundraising for both political and non-profit organizations.
Prior to founding KAT Consulting, Kaley was a senior consultant at Park Street Public and the Public Affairs Manager at MZA + Co. She served as the Committee Administrator for the Minnesota House Higher Education and Workforce Development Committee and as the Operations Director and fundraising coordinator for the HRCC. Kaley has held the position of Finance Director for a U.S. Senate race, Congressional races and has fundraised for several statewide offices. She also fundraises for non-political organizations and nonprofits.
She holds a B.A. in political science from St. Catherine University and a master’s degree in public policy and leadership from the University of St. Thomas.