Meet The Board
Jeremy Levine (he/him)
Jeremy was born and raised in Lafayette, where he now spends much of the time with his family. Currently, Jeremy works as Policy Manager for the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County, but he still loves volunteering to make the community that raised him a more inclusive place. Things that make him happy include gardening, hiking, playing ukulele, and arguing about public policy.
Alison Hill (she/her)
Alison has lived in Lafayette for over 50 years. She enjoys hiking, gardening and reading, and serves as a Lafayette Parks, Trails, and Rec Commissioner. Recently, she became aware of the serious problems of lack of affordable housing and systemic racism, which are related issues. She believes Lafayette is part of a larger community and must help remedy these issues.
Chris Mickas (he/him)
Chris moved to Lafayette before kindergarten and attended Burton Valley, Stanley, and Acalanes. He recently graduated from Georgia Tech with a BS in Mechanical Engineering. He believes that Lafayette has a legal and moral responsibility to address the state’s affordable housing crisis, and set an example for responsible and sustainable suburban growth.
Max Heninger (he/him)
Max moved to Lafayette in 2021 and has been on the board since 2022. He has a background in city planning and works in affordable housing development. When not nerding out over proformas and housing element updates he can be found walking the reservoir with his very energetic Labrador (Bailey) and toddler (Mia).
Steve Poling (he/him)
Steve and his wife Ellen raised their two children in Lafayette after moving here in 1997. Steve recently retired from the Acalanes Union School District after a long career as a high school English teacher. He currently works part time as a DEI consultant in the district. His passion for DEI work led him to join the Inclusive Lafayette Board. Steve enjoys reading, hiking, and playing the drums.
Board Members Emeriti
Casey Lee (she/her)
After leaving Lafayette to attend UCLA, Casey returned to the East Bay to work in politics. She currently is a project manager for WeAreHome.us, a national immigration campaign. Previously she worked at a climate-focused PAC, a Democratic presidential campaign, and an advocacy campaign to impeach Trump. In her spare time she enjoys podcasts and Dungeons & Dragons.
Tess Olsson (they/them)
Tess recently graduated from Pacific Lutheran University, studying biology and women's and gender studies, and is currently applying to medical school. Tess has done a variety of advocacy and activism work, largely centering the queer and trans communities. They also enjoy podcasts and video games.
John Kalil (he/him)
John is a lifelong resident of Lafayette and a recent graduate of Acalanes. He now studies management, economics, and business analytics at Boston College. In his free time he enjoys reading, playing video games, and watching football and basketball.
Benji Levine (he/him)
Benji grew up hiking, foraging in the hills and working in the Acalanes garden. He studies economics and biology at UC Santa Cruz, and is working on a startup to make genetics databases accessible to ecology researchers. In his spare time he enjoys reading, petting his cat, conducting interviews, forming coalitions, and building a community we can be proud of.
Nicole Wan (she/her)
Nicole is an experienced activist for social equity and conservation. She just started classes at University of Michigan, where she hopes to study business and sustainable development. In her free time, Nicole is usually baking, writing poetry, or reading.
Gabe Newman (he/him)
Gabriel Newman grew up in Orinda and went to middle and high school in Walnut Creek but has since moved to Lafayette. He spends his free time taking or editing photos, learning about other cultures, and re-watching series like Avatar: The Last Airbender.