Cathy Leonard
Board President

Cathy Leonard, an Oakland native, serves as President of the Coalition for
Accountability. She is a member of the Steering Committee and serves on
several working committees of the Coalition.
 

Ms. Leonard is the founder and Executive Director of Oakland
Neighborhoods for Equity (ONE) (for profit status pending) a consulting
company whose mission is to advocate for accountability by City
government to ensure that traditionally underserved residents and
neighborhoods receive equitable treatment. Currently, ONE is engaged
with the University of California and provides community organizing and
engagement for its EcoBlock project. Ms. Leonard is also the founder of
Oakland Forward, a nonprofit, whose mission is to provide basic
necessities for unhoused residents in North and West Oakland.
 

Ms. Leonard has been an advocate/activist since her mid teens when she
fought for equal pay for her and her female teen coworkers.
Since then, Ms. Leonard has won improvements in Northwest Oakland,
including capital improvement projects, won community benefits
agreements, and co-created a Neighborhood Action and Assessment Plan
for three neighborhoods in North Oakland which led to the City of Oakland
assigning a dedicated City Planner.
 

Ms. Leonard served for six years on the City of Oakland’s Community
Policing Advisory Board. Currently, she serves as the District 1 President of
Oakland’s Community Development Block Grant Program, is a board
member of the Golden Gate Community Association, a member of the
Oakland Frontline Healers and of the African American Latino Action
Alliance.