Bay Area

3 Blacks Among 21 New Staffers on Cal Attorney General Bonta’s Exec Team

Venus D. Johnson now serves as chief deputy attorney general; Damon M. Brown was named special assistant attorney general, and Amy C. Alley is the policy director of the Office of Legislative Affairs. The trio joins 18 other members of the California Department of Justice’s top personnel who will be setting the standards and determining the direction of the state’s law enforcement apparatus and criminal justice system.

Published

4 years ago

November 16, 2021

Oakland Post

Left to right: Venus Johnson, Damon Brown and Amy C. Alley. Public domain photos.

By Antonio Ray Harvey | California‌ ‌Black‌ ‌Media‌

California Attorney General Rob Bonta last week announced the appointment of his executive team. Included are three African American attorneys with a range of administrative and litigation experience in the private and public sectors.

The trio joins 18 other members of the California Department of Justice’s top personnel who will be setting the standards and determining the direction of the state’s law enforcement apparatus and criminal justice system.

Johnson will oversee the Divisions of Legal Affairs, Law Enforcement, Operations, Policy, and Technology. She will also preside over the Office of Solicitor General Opinion Unit, Equal Employment Rights and Resolution Office, and the Office of Program Oversight and Accountability.

With over 15 years of legal, law enforcement, and criminal justice experience, Johnson has served in senior staff roles in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office, with the City of Oakland,and at the California Department of Justice.

She recently served as chief assistant district attorney for District Attorney Diana Becton, where she managed the overall administration of the Contra Costa District Attorney’s office. Her duties included overseeing the general operations, budget, and personnel decisions of all units within the office and serving as the district attorney in her absence.

Johnson also served as associate attorney general in the executive office of former Attorney General Kamala D. Harris where she oversaw Harris’ executive team and operated as a senior legal and policy advisor.

“Venus is a dedicated public servant who is committed to the fair and equal administration of justice,” Harris said after selecting Johnson for the Attorney General’s cabinet in 2013.

Prior to this role, Johnson was deputy attorney general/legislative advocate for former California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris and deputy district attorney for Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley. Johnson earned a Juris Doctor from the University of the Pacific McGeorge School of Law, and her Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from Loyola Marymount University.

Brown will serve as a legal and policy advisor on civil rights. He has over 15 years of experience working with some of the most prestigious private law firms in California where he represented a diverse client base of public agencies and private businesses in a range of civil matters, including labor and employment, class action litigation, and constitutional and civil rights litigation.

Recently, Brown served as the city attorney for the City of Compton, where, as the chief legal officer for the city, he led an office of attorneys and staff responsible for advising Compton City officials on matters pertaining to their offices.

“I resigned as City Attorney on Oct. 15, 2021. Serving the residents of the great City of Compton has been a tremendous honor and I am proud of the accomplishments I was able to achieve during my tenure to protect the City’s interests, improve the structure and function of local government, and enhance the quality of life for all residents,” Brown stated on his Instagram account November 1.

Brown’s experience includes serving on the State Bar Commission for Judicial Nominees Evaluation, as president of the John M. Langston Bar Association of Los Angeles, Inc., the oldest and largest bar association in California for African American attorneys and judges, and the California Association of Black Lawyers.

Brown earned a Juris Doctor from Vanderbilt University Law School and he holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and African American studies from the University of California, Berkeley.

Alley will be a high-level policy advisor in the development and advocacy of legislation. She joins the Attorney General’s Office with 20 years of experience working in the public sector. She was a principal consultant to California Senate President Pro Tempore Toni G. Atkins (D-San Diego), working on legislation and issues involving public safety, policing, criminal justice, and gender and racial equity.

Prior to that, Alley was a deputy attorney general in the Office of Legislative Affairs for former Attorneys General Xavier Becerra and Kamala D. Harris. There, she assisted in the development of legislative priorities for the attorney general, represented the department before the Legislature, and provided technical assistance and consultation to legislators and staff, committee consultants, and program staff.

Alley also was a legislative and communications director for former Assemblymembers Rob Bonta and Sandre Swanson, after spending several years as a deputy with the Office of Legislative Counsel. She earned a Juris Doctor degree from the University of California, Davis, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science and journalism from California State University Sacramento.

The DOJ has over 4,500 employees who are engaged in a variety of law enforcement and legal services. The department’s main offices are in Sacramento, Los Angeles, San Francisco, San Diego, Oakland, and Fresno.

Here’s a full list of the new appointees on Bonta’s newly appointed executive team.

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

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3 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.