RAQUEL BELTRÁN
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Raquel Beltrán has served as associate director since September 2014. A native of San Diego, Raquel Beltrán’s professional experience includes over 35 years of public administration and non-profit experience. Her service with the Institute was preceded by six years as the League of Women Voters of Los Angeles’s executive director. Her prior years of experience have the unique characteristic of including work with a variety of organizations. Examples include business organizations, government agencies, organized labor, community organizations, institutions of higher learning, and community-based organizations. She is a graduate of the City of San Diego Management Academy; a former San Francisco Bay American Red Cross disaster preparedness specialist, and past –president of the Cal State Dominguez Hills Alumni Association. She is also a co-founder of the United Domestic Workers Union of America. Raquel earned her Masters degree in Business Administration from California State University Dominquez Hills, with Delta Mu Delta honors. She completed her undergraduate studies at California State University, East Bay with a B.A. in Political Science. What does Raquel do for fun? She is founder and president of the Mariachi Academy of Carson, an after-school cultural and education program.
Max Baumgarten
PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAM MANAGER
Dr. Max Baumgarten serves as the Institute’s public policy program manager. He helps oversee the Institute’s public policy, research, and polling work. In addition to his work at the Institute, he teaches History courses at Cal State LA and has authored articles in American Jewish History and California History. A native of Los Angeles, he completed his undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and holds an MA and PhD from UCLA. In his free time, Max enjoys biking, swimming, and watching television.
DIANA ALBARRAN
ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Diana Albarran is the Institute’s Administrative Assistant and a Cal State LA Alumni. She has been at the Institute since October 2015. Diana coordinates the Executive Director’s calendar, assists with financial record keeping and payroll, maintains the Institute’s personnel manual, and is responsible for the Institute’s contact database. She also provides office training to incoming interns and student staff on reception etiquette and procedures. Working at the Pat Brown Institute has influenced Diana’s interest in civic engagement and politics. When she’s not working, Diana enjoys spending time with her friends and hiking at Griffith Park.
