The California DVBE Alliance Corporate Advisory Board (CAB) was formed in 2003 as the result of a
strategic partnership between California's regulated public utilities which are overseen by the
State Public Utilities Commission and the California DVBE Alliance.
Presently, the CAB consists of members from the industies of health care, aerospace, staffing, IT and banking.  

The CAB provides the California DVBE Alliance Board of Directors and the Alliance membership with
strong support for DVBE participation in corporate diversity plans.  CAB members have adopted the
mission of increasing the exposure of a highly qualified pool of DVBE firms, and promoting
collaboration and communication between CAB member corporations and DVBEs.

The Corporate Advisory Board Chair is Dennis J. Thurston of Southern California Edison Company.
Vice Chair is Bonnie Wells of Blue Shield of California. Don Gonneville, DVBE Alliance President,
is the Alliance liaison to the Corporate Advisory Board.

The Corporate Advisory Board meets throughout the year at various locations, or by teleconference,
to discuss ideas that foster an improved business climate and a spirit of cooperation between
disabled veteran-owned businesses and member corporations.

CAB support enabled the California DVBE Alliance to professionalize its business structure. The
Alliance is chartered under federal law as a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational and outreach
organization. The CAB funded the establishment of a permanent DVBE Alliance office in Sacramento
and its first paid executive director in 2003.
CAB member companies helped to underwrite development of the DVBE Alliance Internet site. The
Alliance Internet site provides a vital information exchange to Alliance members who are seeking
business opportunities and identifies Disabled Veteran Business Enterprises that can meet diversity
and supplier goals for your corporate programs..

The Corporate Advisory Board also supports the education and outreach programs of the California
DVBE Alliance. The best known of these public events is the annual Keeping the
Promise Trade Show and Exposition, or KTP as it is popularly known. The KTP had been held in
Sacramento, but  in 2006 moved to Anaheim, California. Thanks to the participation
and support of Corporate Advisory Board members KTP has grown from a luncheon meeting attended
by a few dozen local members to a national event for veterans and service disabled veteran
business people.  The 2007 event will also have will again be at the Anaheim Hilton on 13 and 14 June. The Corporate Advisory Board members are now supporting the California DVBE Alliance in
its ongoing efforts to recruit new CAB members.  Thanks to the support of the Corporate
Advisory Board, the DVBE Alliance is now identified as the primary support organization
for California's DVBE community.

Welcome to our newest members:  Grainger, Metropolitan Water District and Robert Half International and our first DVBE member Amerit

 

Corporate Advisory Board:

Points of Contact

 

Blue Shield of California                         Bonnie Wells                        [email protected]

Cisco Systems                                       Rik Nelson                                 [email protected]

Genentech                                              Veronica McCright                              [email protected]

Lockheed Martin Space Systems            Michael Chang                         [email protected]

Lockheed Martin Palmdale                     David Freiman                        [email protected]

Verizon                                          Joy Ong                        [email protected]        

PGE                                                       Skip Solorzano                      [email protected]

ATT                                                       Lou Rosas                               [email protected]

SoCal Edison                                          Dennis Thurston                      [email protected]

Southwest Gas                                        Robert Brewer                        [email protected]

Sempra                                                   Chuck Pulliam                         [email protected]

Surewest                                                 Barbara McCue                       [email protected]

Surewest                                                 Stephen Corpening                   [email protected]

Verizon                                                   Monica Heredia                      [email protected]
Union Bank of California                        Richard Chacon                        [email protected]

Nextel                                                     Haleemah Hall                          [email protected].

Caremark                                               Reuben Hamilton                 [email protected]

McKesson                                           Nancy Scott-Rogers              [email protected]

Coca Cola Enterprises                          Kay Tyson                                 [email protected]
Robert Half International                        Kathleen Trimble                        [email protected].
Metropolitan Water District                   John Arena                                   [email protected]