City Government

Contra Costa County DA Diana Becton Speaks at Golden Gate University School of Law Commencement

Published

5 years ago

May 29, 2019

Golden Gate University School of Law featured Contra Costa County District Attorney and alumna Diana Becton as the keynote speaker at its recent commencement program held at Davies Symphony Hall.

In her inspiring commencement speech, Becton reminisced about her own GGU School of Law graduation in 1985, when commencement speaker Chief Justice Rose Bird counseled graduates to “do what is right, even if it is unpopular.” Echoing that advice, Becton continued, “Whether you become a district attorney, go into private practice, become an advocate for public interest, or a public defender, you have a unique opportunity to take on big problems, to stand up for the voiceless, to seek truth, and to seek justice and equality for all.”

Becton is the first woman, first African-American and first person of color to serve as Contra Costa County district attorney since the office was established in 1850.

She was sworn in as the county’s 25th district attorney, after being appointed by the Board of Supervisors in September 2017, and was subsequently elected in 2018.

Before that, she served as a judge in Contra Costa County for 22 years, where she was elected as presiding judge.

Among her many awards, she was honored earlier this year with the Golden Gate University Judith McKelvey Distinguished Service Award for her trailblazing contributions to the legal profession, along with two other GGU Law graduates who also serve as local DA’s— (Nancy O’Malley, JD ’83, Alameda County District Attorney, and Lori Frugoli, JD, ’89, Marin County District Attorney.)

Golden Gate University School of Law Dean Anthony Niedwiecki, JD, LLM comments, “GGU has always been dedicated to diversifying the profession and opening up legal education to those from underrepresented groups. At GGU, we were admitting women much earlier than other institutions, and Diana comes from that period. She is one of the new progressive DA’s in the country who seeks to use this position to make meaningful changes in racial justice, social justice, and prison reform. As an outstanding role model, she perfectly exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking lawyers that GGU Law produces.”

Established in 1901, Golden Gate University is a non-profit private institution that has been helping adults achieve their professional goals by providing high quality, practice-based undergraduate and graduate educational programs in law, taxation, business and related professions in a learning environment that embraces professional ethics, diversity and innovation.

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Activism

Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of November 6 – 12, 2024

Published

1 week ago

November 9, 2024

Oakland Post

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City Government

San Pablo Appoints New Economic Development and Housing Manager

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo. Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Kieron Slaughter. Photo courtesy of the City of San Pablo

The Richmond Standard

Kieron Slaughter has been appointed as the economic development & housing manager for the City of San Pablo.

Since 2017, Slaughter has served as chief strategic officer for economic innovation in the City of Berkeley’s Office of Economic Development. Previously, he served in a 2.5-year appointment in the Pacific West Region as one of 10 Urban Fellows in the United States National Park Service.

Before that he was an associate planner in the City of Richmond’s Planning and Building Services Department from 2007-2015.

San Pablo City Manager Matt Rodriguez lauded Slaughter’s extensive experience in economic development, housing and planning, saying he will add a “valuable perspective to the City Manager’s Office.”

Slaughter, a Berkeley resident, will start in his new role on Nov. 12, with a base annual salary of $164,928, according to the City of San Pablo.

Oakland Post

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City Government

Aaron Osorio Rises Up Ranks to Become Richmond’s Fire Chief

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10. “I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.” Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Published

2 weeks ago

November 4, 2024

Oakland Post

Richmond Fire Department Chief Aaron Osorio. Courtesy photo

By Mike Kinney

The Richmond Standard

For Aaron Osorio, it started with a ride along on a firetruck at age 10.

“I thought it was the coolest job,” he said, adding, “I knew being in fire service would make a big difference in the community.”

Now a 27-year fire service veteran, Osorio appears to approach his work with the same youthful exuberance. And that’s good for the city as Osorio was recently named chief of the historic Richmond Fire Department.

Osorio is a San Francisco native who rose up the ranks in the Richmond Fire Department over the last 21 years before being elevated to chief.

He joined the department in 2002 and has served in multiple roles including firefighters, engineer, captain, battalion chief, training director and deputy fire chief. He said he truly loves working in this community.

While it isn’t common for a fire department to hire a chief that came up through its ranks, Osorio was credited by the city for serving Richmond well during uncommon times.

The city lauded him for developing internal policies and vaccination clinics during the initial COVID response, for supporting activation of the emergency operations center in response to a potential mudslide disaster in Seacliff last year, helping to draft mutual aid agreements and working to increase fire response capabilities for industrial incidents.

He’s also led departmental hiring and recruitment since 2018.

Osorio said it is an honor to be hired as chief and has big plans for the department moving forward. He said he wants to continue hiring and promoting for vacant positions, and also completing a strategic plan guiding the direction of the organization.

He also aims to replace and renovate a number of fire department facilities placed on the Capital Improvement Plan and create new ways to recruit that will enhance the diversity of the department.

Osorio said his experience within, and love for, the city of Richmond puts him in a good position to lead the department. He says he knows what is needed and also the challenges that are unique to the city.

“I look forward to utilizing that institutional knowledge to move the fire department forward in a positive direction and enhance the services we provide to the community,” the chief said.

Osorio holds a bachelor of science degree in Fire Administration and is also a California State Fire Marshal-certified chief officer, company officer, and state instructor.

He also holds numerous certifications in fire, rescue, hazardous material, and incident command.

The chief has been married to his wife, Maria, for 26 years and they have two sons, Roman and Mateo.