Julie has been the CEO of California’s statewide arts advocacy organizations since late 2018. During her tenure, she has increased the legislative influence and visibility of arts and culture communities by building coalitions across for-profit and non-profit sectors of California’s creative industries. She has championed a month-long arts awareness and advocacy campaign every April and fought for resources and legislation to serve and protect artists and cultural workers. Julie has served in various leadership roles, including California State Captain to Americans for the Arts’ National Arts Action Summit, co-chair of the creative economy working group at the CA Economic Summit, and co-chair of the Western Arts Advocacy network for Creative West, where she is also a member of the Board of Trustees.

In 2025, she was appointed to the CalNonprofits Board of Directors. She also serves as Board President of California Heritage: Indigenous Research Project. Her past roles include serving on the Nevada County school board (2020-2024) and as an appointed member of the State of California’s 2022 Entrepreneurship & Economic Mobility Task Force (EEMTF) and the Creative Economy Working Group (2024-25). In 2021, Julie received the Americans for the Arts Alene Valkanas State Arts Advocacy Award, which honors an individual at the state level whose arts advocacy efforts have dramatically affected the political landscape.

Julie Baker’s extensive experience in the arts includes owning a fine arts gallery showcasing emerging artists, co-founding the Flow art fair, establishing Julie Baker Projects, a consulting firm, and curating a world music series at the Crocker Art Museum. Previously, she served as President of her family’s arts marketing firm in New York City and worked at Christie’s Auction house. Her non-profit leadership experience includes eight years as Executive Director for The Center for the Arts, a performing arts organization and the California WorldFest. In recognition of her contributions, she received the inaugural Peggy Levine Arts & Community Service Award from the Nevada County Arts Council.

Tracy is an artist, advocate and consultant who has worked at the intersections of art and economic and community development for over twenty years. She is a painter and theatre artist who specializes in collaborative devised works. Her artistic practices have informed the numerous creative placemaking and civic imagining platforms she has produced. Some of her favorite projects include developing the Creative Community Thomas Fire Recovery Programs, producing and facilitating the Westside Community Innovation Exchange, serving as Arts Impact Director for Downtown Oxnard and directing WeSource, a youth-led devised theatre project. As a consultant, she has contributed to the success of creative businesses and cultural nonprofits through the design and management of programming, marketing, fundraising and organizational development systems. As a creative economy advocate, she has organized campaigns and forums, developed policy language for local land use and economic development plans, produced cross-sector collaborations, published reports and articles and has served as a keynote speaker in various venues.

Tracy has a Masters in Public and Policy and Administration from California Lutheran University and a BFA in Performance Art from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. She was called from Chicago to Los Angeles to work as an intern at Highways Performance Space and never left. After 13 years in LA, she and her husband John moved to Ventura County in 2006 to raise their daughter Ruby in the wild. They currently call Santa Paula home.

Geoff Green is the CEO of CalNonprofits, an alliance of thousands of nonprofits advancing policy advocacy, education, and research to build a more powerful and politically engaged nonprofit sector in California.

Prior to CalNonprofits, Geoff served as CEO of California’s largest community college foundation, was a leader in the College Promise movement, and helped secure a record $100M gift to two dozen community colleges. Before that he served as Executive Director of an activist-led community foundation which was a resource, convener, and funder for a wide range of innovative grassroots organizations working on issues including racial equity, environmental health, living wages, civil rights, and housing.

His previous work includes public affairs radio programming, campaign field organizing, and as a nonprofit trainer and facilitator. As a life-long advocate for public service, Geoff has served on dozens of nonprofit boards and committees and been both elected and appointed to public office.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Eddie Navarrette’s commitment to social justice grew from his experience in the city’s public schools, independent arts scene, and local music venues, where he saw firsthand the challenges facing small businesses like the beloved Jabberjaw. In 2002, he founded FE Design & Consulting to help hospitality businesses open their doors through architecture, land use, and kitchen design. Today, Eddie co-founded and leads the Independent Hospitality Coalition, advocating for independent food and beverage businesses while working to preserve Los Angeles’ arts, culture, and equitable street life.