The Executive Leadership Program is led by Cleveland Justis, MBA, Ph.D., a noted expert in entrepreneurship and leadership development. Individual sessions are taught by presenters who are experts in the field of leadership development. Their expertise spans disciplines including corporate executives, top leadership consultants, certified leadership coaches and clinical psychologists. Leading executives present “living case studies” of leadership challenges they’re facing to help participants gain real-world problem solving of the topics discussed in class sessions.
This year's speakers and presenters include the following leaders from across industries:
Gary S. May – Chancellor, UC Davis
Gary S. May became UC Davis’ seventh chancellor on Aug. 1, 2017. He oversees all aspects of the university’s teaching, research and public service mission. Chancellor May is boldly leading the university to new heights in academic excellence, enterprise research, public service and upward mobility for students from all backgrounds. He spearheaded the creation of “To Boldly Go,” a 10-year strategic plan for the university and created new programs to ensure we’re meeting students’ basic needs. These include affordable housing, food security and mental health services. A strong proponent of innovation and economic development, one of Chancellor May’s first significant efforts was partnering with the City of Sacramento to develop Aggie Square. This 25-acre “innovation ecosystem” on our UC Davis Health campus will be home to key research and academic programs and will serve as an incubator for start-ups. An electrical engineer, computer science expert and proud UC alumnus (UC Berkeley ’88 and ’91), Chancellor May is a dynamic leader with a passion for helping others succeed. He believes success is best judged by how we enhance the lives of others. Throughout his career, he has championed diversity and mentorship in both higher education and the workplace. He developed nationally recognized programs to attract, mentor and retain underrepresented groups in the STEM fields of science, technology, engineering and math. |
Steve Lockhart, M.D., Ph.D., Chief Medical Officer (Retired), Sutter Health
Between 2015 and 2021, Dr. Steve Lockhart served as senior vice president and chief medical officer for Sutter Health Network, a not-for-profit system of hospitals, physician organizations and research institutions in Northern California. Dr. Lockhart retired in January 2021. Previously, Dr. Lockhart served as Sutter Health Network’s regional chief medical officer for the East Bay Region, and as chief administrative officer at the St. Luke’s campus of Sutter’s California Pacific Medical Center (CPMC). A board-certified anesthesiologist, Dr. Lockhart also served as medical administrative director of surgical services at CPMC, where he practiced for 20 years. Dr. Lockhart has served on the board of directors of NRC Health since 2021 and the board of directors of West Pharmaceutical Services since 2022. Dr. Lockhart also serves on the boards of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation and is chairman of Parks California – a nonprofit dedicated to supporting California's parks and public lands. Dr. Lockhart also served on the boards of the ECRI Institute from 2015 to 2021, and Recreational Equipment, Inc. from 2010 to 2021. Dr. Lockhart holds a Master’s in economics from Oxford University and M.D. and Ph.D. degrees from Cornell University. |
Armando Quintero, Director, California State Parks
Armando Quintero was named director of the California Department of Parks and Recreation on Aug. 18, 2020. An experienced parks professional with expertise in park operations, outdoor education, equity and access, and diversity and inclusion in hiring and retention, Quintero has a degree in environmental science and biology. He was executive director of the Sierra Nevada Research Institute at the University of California (UC), Merced, from 2014 to 2020, and served as director of development at UC Merced from 2008 to 2014. He was an elected member of the Marin Municipal Water District from 2008 to 2020. In 2014 he was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown as a member of the California Water Commission and served as chair of that Commission from 2015 to 2020. Quintero held multiple positions at the National Park Service (NPS) from 1976 to 1998, including chief of the Special Park Uses Group and district ranger at the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, personnel staffing specialist for NPS, park ranger and supervisory park ranger at the Point Reyes National Seashore, and park ranger at the Sequoia National Park and at the John Muir National Historic Site. Following his career at the NPS, he was an independent environmental educator and trip leader for a decade, from 1998 to 2008. |
Teresa Stark, Vice President, State Government Relations, Kaiser Permanente
Teresa Stark is vice president of State Government Relations for Kaiser Permanente in California. She has over 30 years of experience in the public policy and government relations arena, with a primary focus in health care policy. Before joining Kaiser Permanente as a lobbyist in 2011, Stark was a lobbyist for the California Medical Association, representing physicians in the halls of state government. Prior to her work in government relations, she was a long-time legislative staffer, having worked in the State Capitol for 12 years for several Assembly Members and the Speaker of the Assembly. She was most recently Chief of Staff for former Assembly Member Paul Koretz of West Hollywood. Stark also worked for Kaiser Permanente Public Affairs in the Sacramento/Roseville area as a Community and Government Relations representative. She received her bachelor’s degree in communications and political science and an MBA from CSU Sacramento. |
Cleveland Justis, Ph.D., MBA, Founder and Principal, Potrero Group
Cleveland Justis founded Potrero Group in 2011 to harness the power of leadership to effect systems change and transform and strengthen institutions. He has worked with hundreds of entrepreneurs and leaders to start businesses and transform organizations. He is sought after by agencies such as the National Park Service to redefine and activate their philanthropic and business partnerships. Justis led the feasibility, business planning and start-up of Parks California, the first statewide nonprofit supporting California State Parks, the largest state park system in the world, which has mobilized hundreds of millions in support of climate resilience and access for all. Justis currently serves as the director of the UC Davis Executive Leadership Program and was previously co-founder and director of the Institute at the Golden Gate and executive director of the Headlands Institute. He is the co-author of the book Don't Lead Alone: Think Like a System, Act Like a Network, and Lead Like a Movement, which teaches key skills that create innovative and successful public/private partnerships across corporate, nonprofit and public sectors. He has served as a keynote speaker for Net Impact, the Environmental Forum, the Year Up United Presidential Forum, among others, and has been featured in Stanford Social Innovation Review, Forbes, Sustainable Brand and more. Justis co-created a series of courses on Multinational Cross-cultural Teams, in partnership with UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education on Coursera, which collectively have over 10,000 enrollments worldwide. |