Your Alumni Board

David Boman ’18, Intuitive Surgical (Sunnyvale)

David Boman has built his career at the intersection of international business and public policy. He is currently director of international government affairs at Intuitive Surgical, a pioneer and global leader in robotic-assisted surgery. In this role, Boman provides strategic counsel and leads advocacy on public policy issues that affect the company’s operations and patients’ access to care across global markets.

Prior to joining Intuitive, Boman served as a senior consultant with PwC in Hong Kong, where he managed campaigns focused on thought leadership and supported regional engagement with policymakers and multilateral forums. He also worked as a policy director at the National Center for APEC, representing the interests of multinational companies on trade policy issues by engaging with stakeholders across Asia and South America and in Washington.

He has held volunteer leadership roles in a number of organizations, including AmCham Hong Kong, the World Affairs Council of Seattle and the Public Relations Society of America. He received a bachelor of science in sociology and history from Vanderbilt University. 

Jack Christensen '21, State Sen. Catherine Blakespear (Sacramento)

Jack Christensen serves as chief of staff to California State Senator Catherine S. Blakespear, representing the 38th Senate District, where he leads a multidisciplinary team advancing the senator’s legislative priorities on climate, transportation, housing and more across California.

Christensen has spent more than a decade in public service, with experience spanning community health, social services and regional government policy. Prior to joining the Blakespear’s office, he spent six years at the San Diego Association of Governments (SANDAG), rising from contracts and procurement to senior government relations analyst and working at the intersection of regional policy and intergovernmental coordination.

Christensen holds a Master of Public Policy from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, where he was named a Dean's Fellow, and a bachelor's degree in political science and Spanish from Olivet Nazarene University, where he studied abroad in Granada, Spain, and participated in a leadership program in Cairo, Egypt. He resides in the Clairemont neighborhood of San Diego with his husband, Joel, and their two pets, Maverick and Ali.

Sun Yen Cumby '04, California State University (Long Beach)

Sun Yen Cumby is an accomplished supply chain leader with more than 20 years of experience in the technology industry, specializing in manufacturing and supply chain operations. Her expertise includes global supply demand planning, materials management, new product introduction, product lifecycle management and data analytics. She is a self-proclaimed “numbers girl” who is passionate about transforming data into intelligent decision-making tools.

Throughout her career, Cumby has worked with organizations ranging from global technology leaders to innovative startups. Her experience includes managing Mac and iOS accessories at Apple, Oculus VR headsets at Meta and data center hardware at Salesforce. She has also held key supply chain leadership roles at startups such as Jawbone, where she managed the UP fitness tracker program; 3D Robotics, where she oversaw the planning, purchasing and sales and operations planning operations for the Solo consumer drone; and Skydio, where she led the the production planning, materials management and procurement teams that supported industrial and commercial drone products.

Recently, Cumby transitioned from the private sector to academia, and she now teaches the next generation of supply chain professionals at California State University, Long Beach. In addition to teaching, she consults with companies seeking to establish, optimize and/or scale their supply chain processes and operations.

Cumby earned a bachelor of arts in international economics with an emphasis on East Asia from UCLA in 2000 and a Master of Pacific International Affairs from the School of Global Policy and Strategy at UC San Diego in 2004.

She currently resides in Long Beach, California with her cat, Biscuit, and enjoys a semi-retired lifestyle filled with family time. She has a wide range of hobbies including mosaic art, furniture restoration and upholstery and interests including career mentoring and coaching.

Andrés Gentry '07, Morgan Stanley (Sunnyvale)

Mark Higgins '04, Mana Pacific (San Francisco Bay Area)

Mark Higgins has spent his career focused on accelerating the global transition to carbon-free energy. He is currently the CEO of Mana Pacific, a company deploying renewable energy projects across Pacific Island communities. Prior to his current role, he was the President and CCO of Redflow, where he led North American operations and ran global business development, marketing and product development efforts. Mark also served as the COO and a board member of Strategen, a consultancy advising regulators, renewable energy developers, utilities and companies on how to accelerate adoption of technologies that enable a clean grid. He previously served as the chair of the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee, was on the board of the Vehicle-Grid Integration Council, and held numerous other roles in venture capital, private equity, project development and regulatory affairs. He is also currently a volunteer for the Surfrider Foundation’s San Mateo chapter and was previously on the board of City Slicker Farms, an urban farm in Oakland, California.

Justin Lee '14, Southern California Grantmakers (Los Angeles)

Justin Lee is a social impact and corporate philanthropy leader with more than 15 years of experience in corporate social responsibility, community engagement, philanthropy and cross-sector partnerships. He currently serves as corporate philanthropy adviser at Southern California Grantmakers, where he convenes and advises corporations on strategic community investment, stakeholder engagement and initiatives that advance education, workforce development and economic mobility.

Prior to joining Southern California Grantmakers, Lee served as a corporate giving adviser at Southern California Edison, helping manage the company’s $20 million corporate philanthropy portfolio. His previous experience includes leadership roles with the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, UL Responsible Sourcing and strategic consulting engagements focused on ESG and community development. He also served as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic, leading economic development and youth empowerment initiatives.

Justin holds a Master of International Affairs, with a concentration in management, from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and dual bachelor’s degrees from the University of Redlands, in business administration and in sociology and anthropology. He currently serves on several nonprofit and alumni boards and is an active advocate for strengthening partnerships between business, philanthropy and communities.

Teddy Martinez ’19, San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation (EDC) (San Diego)

Teddy Martinez brings expertise in public policy, research and economics to his role at the San Diego Workforce Partnership, where he focuses on aligning data, policy and partnerships to drive systems-level change and advance equitable economic outcomes.

Prior to joining SDWP, Martinez served as the manager of research at the San Diego Regional EDC, leading research and strategic initiatives designed to build a more inclusive regional economy. In this role, he tracked jobs, talent and affordability trends to equip decision-makers with insights that informed new investments and policies related to housing, childcare and business growth. Earlier in his career, Martinez held policy and communications roles in the California State Legislature and at the City of San Diego, contributing to legislative and budgetary initiatives that improved the lives of communities across the state.

Scott McGowan '21, Aptera Motors (Carlsbad)

Scott McGowan works in business development, regulatory affairs, and AI integration at Aptera Motors, manufacturing the world's first solar EV. Prior to that he managed a SaaS team deploying AI-powered campus portals in higher education, a sector where he has many years of leadership experience. His additional experience in finance, real estate, hospitality, wholesale trade, and several startups have given McGowan diverse vocational perspectives.

He received his Master of Advanced Studies in International Affairs from GPS in 2021, where he honed a strong interest in the public-private interface of energy infrastructure and policy.

A dedicated community-builder, McGowan is a mentor and a sustaining partner for Kids Alive International, and he serves with his wife, Danielle, on Young Life’s regional board for San Diego, Orange County and the Inland Empire. They reside in Encinitas, California, with their three children.

Anne Shiraishi ‘11, HXE Partners (Montreal, Canada)

Anne Shiraishi has more than a decade of experience in ESG and sustainability management, stakeholder engagement, and strategic communications across various industries. She is currently a senior director at HXE Partners, a Morrow Sodali company, helping corporate and investor clients develop, manage and integrate sustainability best practices within their organizations, as well as earn recognition for their efforts through effective communication and disclosure.

Prior to joining HXE Partners, Shiraishi led brand and communications at an emerging enterprise software solution for ESG data and reporting, represented institutional investors at a shareholder engagement services firm, and led stakeholder engagement projects as part of PwC's Charitable Foundation and Corporate Responsibility teams.

Anne holds a bachelor’s degree in political science and international relations from the University of British Columbia, a master’s degree in international management and environmental policy from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy and an MBA from HEC Montréal. She is a SASB Fundamentals of Sustainability Accounting (FSA) Credential Holder.

DJ Sigband '07, Ashford Securities (Costa Mesa)

DJ Sigband most recently served as vice president of marketing at Ashford Securities, where he led marketing strategy and execution across the firm’s suite of alternative investment offerings, which collectively raised over $650 million in capital for Braemar Hotels & Resorts Inc., Ashford Hospitality Trust Inc. and private placement offerings. 

He brings nearly two decades of experience in financial services and alternative investments and has deep expertise in brand management, product marketing and adviser engagement. Before joining Ashford Securities, Sigband served as assistant vice president of marketing at StratCap, a global alternative investment management platform focused on digital infrastructure, sustainability and technology-centric sectors. During his eight years at StratCap, he played a key role in launching and marketing multiple investment products across various asset classes, which collectively raised over $5 billion.

Sigband earned his bachelor’s degree from Emory University’s Goizueta Business School and his Master of Pacific and International Affairs, with a concentration in international management, from the UC San Diego School of Global Policy and Strategy, where he was named a Dean’s Fellow.

Charlie Vest ’19, Rhodium Group (New York City)

Charlie Vest is an associate director for corporate advisory at Rhodium Group, an independent research and advisory firm, where he contributes to the firm’s research on China’s economy, U.S. tech and economic policy toward China, and cross-strait relations. Vest is a nonresident research fellow at the National Bureau of Asian Research. He previously worked in China as a researcher for the China Energy Storage Alliance, a Beijing-based clean-energy trade association.

He holds a master’s degree in Chinese Economic and Political Affairs from GPS and a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Colorado State University, with exchanges at the Beijing Foreign Studies University.

Past Presidents

We would like to acknowledge and thank the past presidents for their service.

Rebecca Eyre, MPIA '90 (1991 – 1993)
Mark Spalding, MPIA '92 (1993 – 1996)
Mike Stankiewicz, MPIA '94 (1996 – 1998)
Heather Shepard, MPIA '95 (1998 – 2000)
Jennifer Kellogg, MPIA '93 (2000 – 2002)
Melissa Dennis, MPIA '97 (2002 – 2004)
David Freitas, MPIA '97 (2004 – 2006)
Matt Hill, MPIA '04 (2006 – 2008)
Ben Bahney, MPIA '06 (2008 – 2009)
Anne Craib, MPIA '93 (2009 – 2010)
Brooke Partridge, MPIA '91 (2010 – 2013)
Jeff Rector, MPIA '97 (2013 – 2016)
Aaron Jacobson, MPIA ’08 (2016 – 2018)
Blake Tye, MPIA '10 (2018 – 2020)
Liliana Pao, MPIA '02 (2020 – 2021)
Jessica Megill, MPIA '10 (2021 – 2022)
Jason Kim, MAS-IA '12 (2022 – 2023)
Peter Moritzburke, '96 (2023 – 2024)