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Ricardo Garcia Acosta

Commission Chair

Ricardo Garcia-Acosta is a Selection Panel Appointee. His term ends on October 16, 2025.

Ricardo Garcia-Acosta has worked with high-risk, systems-impacted youth and young adults for the past 20 years. He is a National thought leader on Crisis Response and Community Intervention Strategies as well as Care Management frameworks rooted in traditional healing practices that seek to reduce gun violence and build community peace. 

After many years of working in San Francisco, where he helped lead the City’s Street Outreach and Crisis Response Initiative for 8 years, he returned to his home city of Oakland, and began working with Youth ALIVE! in 2014. There, he would manage nationally recognized programs that focus on hospital response to shooting victims and supporting young people and their families as they work through the trauma of a homicide. 

In 2016, he would become the City of Oakland’s first Violence Prevention Liaison, working crucial lines of communication between the City’s Community-Based efforts, the Mayor’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department. 

His passion for collective healing, self-determination and community empowerment, continue to guide his commitment to build systems that best support youth and families impacted by violence. Mr. Garcia-Acosta now serves as the Director of Community Peace Initiatives for CURYJ (Communities United for Restorative Youth Justice). 

He is also a member on the UCSF Police Department’s Community Safety Board, while also continuing to work on a broad spectrum of projects focused on building trust between Community and Law Enforcement throughout the San Francisco Bay Area.

October 16, 2023 – Appointed as an Alternate Commissioner by the Selection Panel. 

May 8, 2024 - Elevated to Commissioner during a Special Meeting to replace exiting Commissioner Jesse Hsieh. Serving remaining term until 10/16/2025.

July 11, 2024 - Elected Vice Chair during Regular Meeting

October 18, 2024 – Assumed the position of Chair following the departure of Chair Emerita Marsha Carpenter Peterson.

Email Address: RGarcia-Acosta@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: Nov 2, 2023

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2025

As of Oct. 21, 2025 - holder-over period began

Shawana Booker

Commission Vice-Chair

Shawana Booker is a Mayoral Appointee. Her term ends on October 16, 2026

Shawana Booker, LCSW, is an Oakland native with nearly 30 years of dedicated service to children and families in the Bay Area. After earning her BA and MSW from the University of California, Berkeley, Ms. Booker began her career as a licensed therapist delivering culturally responsive therapeutic interventions to children involved in the foster care and juvenile justice systems. She is now a leader in the field of trauma-informed care, having directed multiple intensive behavioral health programs, most recently at the nationally-recognized Trauma Transformed Program at the East Bay Center for Children. 

Ms. Booker is a national authority and trainer on effective behavioral health interventions for children, youth, and families. She is a certified trainer for both an evidence-based parenting program and for the primary monitoring and outcome tool used in behavioral healthcare throughout the Bay Area. She is committed to supporting her local community, and has shared her expertise through serving on several nonprofit boards and community coalitions. At the national level, Ms. Booker has been invited to speak at numerous psychology conferences, graduate programs, and other engagements across a range of research and clinical topics in behavioral healthcare. Ms. Booker is pleased to be a part of this commission, where she continues to advocate for the interests of her community. 

Email Address: SBooker@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: Oct 17, 2024

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2026

Elected Vice Chair January 23, 2025

Shane Williams

Commissioner

Shane Williams is a Mayoral Appointee. Her term ends on October 16, 2027

Shane Williams native of Oakland, CA.  She worked for Alameda County Probation department for 24 years.  Throughout her career she has experience working with juveniles and adults in the community and in the facilities.  Dedicated to developing and implementing effective trauma informed programming rooted in restorative practices, she possesses expertise in contract management, labor relations, staff recruitment and development.

 With a strong passion for identifying resources and best practices, she has experience managing budgets, procuring case management systems, safety equipment, and  overseeing various RFP processes. She is skilled in strategic planning and has successfully implemented and maintained the fidelity of behavior development systems. Additionally, she has served on nonprofit boards focused on youth development and education.

Email Address: SThomas-Williams@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: Oct 17, 2024

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2027

Angela Jackson-Castain

Commissioner

Angela Jackson-Castain is a Selection Panel Appointee. Her term ends on October 16, 2027.

Commissioner Jackson-Castain is a Senior Management Consultant with 18 years professional experience dedicated to using data to drive business outcomes through innovation and thought leadership. Proven track record of cultivating and fostering strategic global partnerships. Adept at successfully organizing and managing large, cross-functional, highly skilled teams of professionals to develop maximum impact programs and execute complex projects. Proven success in data-driven decision making to deliver high-quality, customized results.

Ms. Jackson-Castain demonstrates excellent analytical, written and oral communication skills. She provides professional project management and oversees teams of executives, SMEs, subcontractors and technical professionals. She is adept at analytical and technical writing, technical editing, briefing diverse executive-level stakeholder groups and has extensive foreign and domestic travel experience. Ms. Jackson-Castain holds a Master of Science degree in International Affairs from the Georgia Institute of Technology, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science with minors in Spanish and Sociology. Ms. Jackson-Castain also completed primary coursework at La Universidad de Sevilla in Seville, Spain and Stanford University.

City Council Confirmation 9/17/24 - most recent term

Term: October 17, 2024 – October 16, 2027

Email Address: ajackson-castain@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: Oct 17, 2024

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2027

Samuel Dawit

Commissioner

Samuel Dawit is a Selection Panel Appointee. His term ends on October 16, 2025.

As an Oakland native, Sam is dedicated to creating a balance between police accountability and the public's desire for safety. With a strong background in community service, Sam has served on Oakland's Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Oversight Commission and the Community Policing Advisory Board, where he focused on advancing public safety initiatives that prioritize community well-being and trust.

Professionally, Sam works in software development, specializing in building partnerships and alliances with other organizations. He aims to bring these skills in collaboration and coalition-building to the Oakland Police Commission, working to unite diverse perspectives in shaping a public safety framework that fosters trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve.

Email Address: sdawit@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: Oct 17, 2024

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2026

Evelio Grillo

Commissioner

Commissioner Evelio Grillo (Ret. Judge) sat on the Alameda County Superior Court for over 20 years. A native of Oakland, California, Commissioner Grillo attended Oakland Public Schools and Laney and Merritt Community Colleges prior to transferring to the University of California, Berkeley, where he received a BA in Political Science in 1976, and a MPP in Public Policy in 1980.

While attending college as an undergraduate, he worked as a Playground Director for the Oakland Recreation Department and as a Group Counselor for the Contra Costa County Probation Department. Following his completion of coursework at Berkeley, he worked as the Assistant to Mayor Lionel J. Wilson for Community Affairs, where he was instrumental in organizing the 1980 election to establish the election of Oakland City Council members by district. After leaving the Mayor’s Office, Commissioner Grillo moved to Boston, Massachusetts, where he worked for the Greater Roxbury Development Corporation and the Urban League before attending Harvard Law School. He returned to Oakland in 1985, where he practiced law until his appointment to the Alameda County Superior Court bench by Governor Gray Davis in 2003.

Prior to his retirement in 2024, Commissioner Grillo was assigned to the Alameda County Superior Court’s Complex Litigation Department. His other civil assignments have included supervising and founding judge of the Alameda County Superior Court’s Settlement Department, supervising judge of the Appellate Panel, Civil Direct Calendar, and Civil Law and Motion. Over thirty of Commissioner Grillo’s trial decisions have resulted in published appellate opinions in such diverse areas as civil rights, the California Public Records Act, CEQA, public pensions, arbitration, and attorneys’ fees.

Commissioner Grillo, who lives in Council District 6 with his wife, Andrea Jones, is the father of two adult daughters, Christina and Saamra. He presently works as a mediator and arbitrator and is affiliated with ADR Services in Oakland, California. He spends most of his leisure time in outdoor activities and is an ardent fisher and outdoor lover.

Term Start Date: Oct 17, 2025

Term End Date: Oct 16, 2028

Omar Farmer

Commissioner

Omar Farmer is a Selection Panel Appointee. His term ends on October 16, 2025. 

Omar Farmer has successfully worked as an entrepreneur for the past 15 years. Adept at strategic planning, leadership and project management, prior to that he served as a Surface Warfare Officer in the U.S. Navy. As a service member he worked in various roles within both domestic and international environments. He’s well versed in conducting policy analysis and policy development and he excels at solving complex problems. 

As a civilian his level-headed and thoughtful approach have led him to become a respected subject matter expert on combatting racial profiling and discrimination online. His efforts have led to the creation of neighborhood groups, community events, education and public action. He also has experience serving on several boards, commissions, and committees. 

After being appointed to the Reimagining Public Safety Task Force, he has since joined the Public Safety and Services Violence Prevention Oversight Commission (SSOC), where he currently serves as Chair, as well as Alameda County’s Veterans Affairs Commission and BART’s Transit Security Advisory Committee, which oversees aspects of the BART Police Department. Notably, he holds the position of Chairperson for each of these groups. 

Email Address: Ofarmer@oaklandcommission.org

Term Start Date: May 21, 2024

Term End Date: Oct. 16, 2025

On March 26, 2026 Omar Farmer was elevated from Alternate Commissioner to Commissioner. 

Mykah Montgomery

Chief of Staff

Mykah Montgomery is a distinguished professional with a Master’s Degree in Leadership and an MBA in Executive Management, complemented by industry-respected certifications in Project Management, Customer Success Management, and Business Etiquette. She is currently pursuing a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Emerging Technologies with a concentration in Generative Artificial Intelligence, reflecting her commitment to advancing innovative leadership and technology-driven solutions in modern organizations.

As Chief of Staff to the Oakland Police Commission, Mykah leads and coordinates the Commission’s business operations, including strategic planning, operational management, interdepartmental coordination, and administrative oversight that supports the Commission’s civilian oversight of the Oakland Police Department.

In addition to her public service leadership, Mykah is the CEO and founder of LARs (Leaders Are Readers, Inc.), a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting youth literacy. Through this initiative, she has helped donate hundreds of books to children and has been a passionate advocate for literacy and anti-bullying efforts. Her community impact has earned her numerous honors, including recognition from the Honorable Libby Schaaf, former Mayor of Oakland, who proclaimed April 3rd as “Mykah Montgomery Day.”

Mykah was named Distinguished Alumna of the Year by Saint Mary’s College of California, becoming the first African American woman to receive this honor, and she also received the prestigious Jefferson Award for Public Service, an honor founded by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Robert Taft Jr., and Samuel Beard to recognize outstanding contributions to community service and civic leadership.

Email address: opc@oaklandcommission.org