The CLASS Executive Committee is comprised of residents from the Alameda community. Their mission is to work with the Oakland Port Authority and the Oakland Airport to minimize noise pollution in the community.
Jon Hamilton
Chairperson
Long time resident of Bay Isle Point for 30 years and after retirement volunteered for the CHBI BIP board and architectural committees and for Alameda Meals on Wheels. Worked as a mechanical engineer in both the aerospace and semiconductor industries, during which time he served in a systems engineering role designing various X-ray and optical instruments. He spends his free time enjoying hiking, sailing, bicycling, and woodworking.
Jon holds a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of California Irvine and a Master in Economics from San Jose State University.
Matt Pourfarzaneh, Ph.D.
Executive Director, Secretary
Matt Pourfarzaneh is the Chief Executive Officer of ADMEcell, Inc., a privately held life science company based in Alameda, CA. The company is engaged in manufacturing, licensing and distribution of cell-based assay kits and related agents for the ADME/Tox (Absorption, Distribution, Metabolism, Excretion, and Toxicity) markets in North America.
Matt holds a degree in organic chemistry and Ph.D. in Chemical Pathology from the University of London, U.K.
Carrolyn Kubota
Treasurer
Carrolyn has lived in Alameda for over sixteen years and has been on the CLASS board for over six years. She began as a representative for the Ballena Bay Townhouse Association and became treasurer in 2014. She is also a volunteer at the Friends of the Alameda Animal Shelter exercising and socializing animals.
Carrolyn holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in Economics.
Tianxi Zheng
Executive Member
Tianxi Zheng is an Assistant Deputy Commissioner at the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. As a regulator, he provides supervision to community and regional banks licensed by California State.
Tianxi holds a Master of Business Administration(MBA) degree from the University of Kansas, as well as a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Mathematics. He’s a Chartered Financial Analyst(CFA).
Jay Seaton
Executive Member
Jay has a 30-year career in the semiconductor industry, holding engineering and operational roles in the United States, Asia, and Europe with executive management experience ranging from Silicon Valley start-ups to multi-national corporations.
He holds both a Bachelor’s degree of Science in Engineering and a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. Importantly, he also holds a Certificate in Mediation and Conflict Resolution from the University of California at Berkeley that fulfills California Court and State Agency Mediator requirements.
Zhidong (Zee) Hao
Executive Member
Zhidong Hao or Zee is an emeritus professor of sociology from the University of Macau. With a Ph.D. in sociology, he has taught at both American and Chinese universities and colleges, and interested in research in political sociology, including social movements, and historical sociology.
He lives on Bay Farm after retirement and has served on the Board of Alameda Museum and an HOA board in Alameda. As a new member, he’d like to learn more about and contribute as much as possible to the work of CLASS.
ED Downing
Senior Advisor
Ed Downing is a veteran pilot with vast experience flying both military and civilian aircraft. He flew F-4’s and F-14’s during the Vietnam war and he also served in the Navy as a pilot and later as the Commanding officer of a Navy fighter squadron. When he retired as a Captain from the Navy, he had over 200 combat missions in Vietnam and 600 carrier landings. He joined Southwest Airlines serving as a Captain for 25 years and became the Chief Pilot prior to his retirement from the company.
Carmen J. Borg, AICP
Planning Consultant
Carmen Borg is employed with Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP as an urban planner. She has extensive experience preparing, reviewing and critiquing environmental impact reports and other CEQA documents; managing technical consultants; and preparing comment letters for consideration by public officials.
Carmen has a Master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Kristi Bascom, AICP
Planning Consultant
Kristi is an urban planner with Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger and participates with Carmen in advising CLASS on land use issues and environmental compliance. Kristi’s background is in public agency planning, and she spent many years as a staff planner and planning consultant to cities throughout the Bay Area. At SMW, Kristi assists municipal clients and community groups with the preparation of, and review of, complex CEQA documents, manages land use and entitlement processes on behalf of public agency clients, and supports the firm’s municipal attorneys on planning and land use issues.
Kristi has a master’s degree in urban and Regional Planning from San Jose State and a B.A. In Environmental Studies and Sociology from UC Santa Barbara.
Osa L. Wolff
CLASS attorney
Osa is a partner with Shute, Mihaly & Weinberger LLP. Ms. Wolff’s practice areas include municipal law, state and federal environmental law, administrative law and state planning/zoning law.
Ms. Wolff earned her J.D. and an environmental law specialization certificate from University of California Berkeley (Boalt Hall) School of Law in 1997. Ms. Wolff received her undergraduate degree from Cornell University.
Barbara Tuleja
Executive Member Emeritus
Barbara has actively been involved in monitoring airport activities from 1986 to the early 1990’s as part of the Harbor Bay Airport Committee and is one of the founding members of CLASS. She has remained active in the group since it was established in 1992. Barbara has been attending the North Field Working group since its inception in the early 90s. She has extensive knowledge of airport operations and culture as well as invaluable historical/institutional memory about the Port’s management of the airport over the past 30 years
Past Executive Members
Ronald “Ron” Lappa
May 5, 1954 – December 5, 2011
Ewart “Red” Wetherill
March 17, 1928 – November 14, 2015
Dave Needle
December 17, 1947- February 20, 2016