Board Members
2023-2025 Term
Sara Griebe
Business Representative
Board Chair
I’m a 15 year resident of Mid City West dedicated to ensuring our community is healthy, safe, and thriving. I’m committed to facilitating growth and opportunities for small businesses, adding access points for participation in local government, and prioritizing building an inclusive, livable and affordable city for decades to come.
sgriebe@midcitywest.orgLauren Borchard
Renters Representative
First Vice Chair
Lauren Borchard serves as the co-chair of the Planning & Land Use Committee. Her professional background includes community organization and activism on behalf of the 2008 Obama Campaign, the Affordable Care Act, and housing advocacy. She has a bachelor’s degree in political science and a master’s degree in environmental planning and design. She currently serves as the Membership Director for the Miracle Mile Democratic Club. Lauren is honored to have the opportunity to work to tackle issues in our community related to transportation and housing with the interests of social equity, environmentalism, and economic development in mind.
lborchard@midcitywest.org
Hunter Burgarella
Zone 1 Representative
Second Vice Chair
Hunter is a long-time resident and local realtor in the Mid City West neighborhood. He cares deeply about our neighborhood and consistently fights for the priorities his fellow residents care most about, with their values top of mind. Hunter started his career covering politics in Washington DC after graduating from the University of Southern California. It was there he worked as a political producer for a national news network in a variety of roles from producing shows, to covering the White House as well as the 2012 presidential election for which he was awarded an Emmy. After seven years in Washington DC, he moved back to his home state of California to the city he loves most, Los Angeles.
hburgarella@midcitywest.org
Valerie Washburn
Homeowners Representative
Board Treasurer
Valerie Washburn is a native Vermonter and an Angeleno by choice. She was a Chinese literature scholar, real estate attorney, and federal law clerk before becoming a stay-at-home parent to two lively kids. After a number of years in the Valley, she and her family moved to the Miracle Mile North area of MCW in search of a more walkable lifestyle and closer proximity to LA’s arts and cultural institutions. Valerie strongly believes that walkable, transit-rich urban areas like MCW are better for the planet and better for residents’ physical and mental health. The challenge lies in keeping these areas accessible and livable for all who want to live in them. Valerie has lived in NYC and San Francisco and witnessed the transformation of too many of those cities’ dense neighborhoods into exclusive enclaves for the wealthy. She is hopeful that LA can find a different path. As a parent, she is also very aware of the challenges urban living can pose for families and is committed to helping to make our community a welcoming place for all ages.
vwashburn@midcitywest.org
Henry Mantel
Business Representative
Board Secretary
Henry Mantel is a native Angelino and attorney with experience in tenants' rights and family law matters. Prior to becoming an attorney, he worked for local political campaigns and non-profits, always trying to make Los Angeles a better home for all. He now lives in Park La Brea and is a member of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club and the Los Angeles Tenants' Union. This is his first term on the neighborhood council. He's thrilled to be on the council and always willing to listen to new ideas for improving the neighborhood.
hmantel@midcitywest.org
Jerry Bedrick
Zone 2 Representative
Cindy Bitterman
Nonprofit Representative
I love living, working and being part of this amazing neighborhood. This will be my 2nd term as a Mid City West Council member. As your representative I will continue to create a place that all feel safe, engaged, heard and informed. I look forward to the next two years. Thank you for having me as your MCW Non Profit rep.
cbitterman@midcitywest.orgShem Bitterman
Homeowners Representative
Shem is a playwright, screenwriter, film and theatre director, actor and producer. He has worked in the California Prison system teaching playwriting and screenwriting, and has created two playwright services organizations, one in concert with The Skylight Theatre and one with HUMANITAS. He has also produced a number of theatre festivals.
sbitterman@midcitywest.org
Shelby Blecker
At Large Representative
.I ran for neighborhood council to represent my community, its interests, and concerns. We have many issues that need addressing: crime, better solutions for the unhoused, building density in a careful and least intrusive way, funding for parks and open space, and better paying jobs close to where we live to reduce traffic.
I grew up in the Melrose area and have lived here since 1965. I’ve seen both good and bad changes. I often think about how those changes affect us. That’s a reason I joined the Community-Police Advisory Board and worked to organize the Melrose Wednesday Walks. I sit on the board of a non-profit that works to find cures for cancer and have owned a small business since 1984. It employs a diverse group of people who enjoy discussing transportation, the environment and housing costs with me every day.
For the past several years, I have attended MCWNC meetings as a stakeholder making public comments on issues that affect all of us. I don’t shy away from voicing alternative viewpoints, taking positions for my neighbors and putting hard issues on the table. We need more varied opinions on MCWNC to represent the diverse opinions of stakeholders. I want to hear from my community, work with my community and I plan on being there for our community, standing up for the issues, concerns and needs that affect where we live, work, play, pray and attend school.
sblecker@midcitywest.org
Craig Brill
Business Representative
A native Angeleno I have lived in Mid-City West for over 30 years from the Melrose Neighborhood to Beverly Grove. I am also the co-founder of the Beverly Grove Residents Association and a small business owner in the community with my husband of 30 years. I am committed to a safe clean and livable city where everyone has equal opportunity to thrive and succeed.
cbrill@midcitywest.orgRamiro Castro Jr.
Renters Representative
Ramiro is a seasoned producer and Director of Post with a proven track record of success in developing and managing production and post-production pipelines for major content providers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime, Comedy Central, and Disney.
As a board member of Mid City West, Ramiro seeks to leverage his experience managing large teams into the role of community support and communication. Ramiro is originally from Chicago and has lives in Los Angeles for 12 years, 6 of them in the Mid City West are with his wife Jessica, his dog Milo, and his cat Marmalade.
Tedd Cittadine
Zone 5 Representative
Tedd is proud to have lived in Mid City West’s Zone 5 neighborhood for the entire 17 years he’s been in Los Angeles and enjoys the spirit of community and diversity that Mid City has to offer. Tedd’s goal of joining the Mid City West Neighborhood Council is to work with people of all viewpoints and backgrounds to make our neighborhood more vibrant, economically successful, welcoming, and safer for all.
Tedd is currently a leader at one of the largest streaming media technology companies in the industry and prior to that worked in entertainment, mergers & acquisitions, and corporate finance.
Tedd has an MBA from Georgetown University in Washington, DC and a bachelor’s degree from Miami University in Oxford, OH.
tcittadine@midcitywest.org
Jenny Da
At Large Representative
Jenny is an illustrator/designer who has lived in Los Angeles for 13 years and in the Mid-City west area for 5 years. An active member of her community, she volunteers at the Bike Oven, a local bike co-op, advocating for a more pedestrian and bike-friendly city. Jenny aims to contribute to making Los Angeles a safer, more beautiful and inclusive space for its residents. As an artist and a cyclist who is passionate about LA, she is always looking for different ways to improve street safety.
Chris Dower
Nonprofit Representative
Chris Dower first joined MCW as a stakeholder in 2021, and has been serving as co-chair of the Planning and Land Use Committee and member of the transportation committee as a board member since November of 2022. He is a dedicated advocate for affordable housing and access to safe mobility for our community, our city, and everyone in it.
Chris has worked to streamline the cumbersome approval process for building new housing and takes a multifaceted approach to making housing affordable to everyone. He was first inspired to learn about local politics and housing policy in 2017 when his rent was illegally raised before the end of his lease. Chris takes a people-centered approach to making our communities more livable through infrastructure for cycling, walking, rolling and transit and is an advocate for making those modes of transportation safer, faster and more convenient. He believes that these policies will be an invaluable tool in fighting climate change and accomplishing equity for everyone in our community.
Some of Chris’s accomplishments during his tenure at MCW include leading the charge for asking the City Council to support 11 pieces of State legislation that will increase the supply of housing in Los Angeles and ultimately make housing more affordable (AB 1633, AB 976, SB 423, SB 4, AB 835, AB 68, SB 684, SB 450, SB 294), and streamlining PLUC guidelines for restaurants to encourage more restaurants in our neighborhood.
Chris is also a board member of a non-profit where he is in charge of operating their scholarship program for college students.
Amy Goldenberg
Zone 3 Representative
A native Angeleno, I am a 35+ year resident of Mid City West. In 2017 I became involved in the council as a stakeholder, looking for ways to help bring healthy, inclusive, positive change in the community. Currently serving my third term, I continue to sit on the Homelessness, Refugees, & Renters’ Rights (HRRRts) Committee as Secretary and I've rejoined the Transportation & Sustainability Committee, now as Chair.
I'm an artist, a published author, a retired librarian and educator, as well as an urban explorer who has walked thousands of miles on our City streets seeing every kind of neighborhood. I care deeply for our community, and continue to work collaboratively, helping to create a more healthy and vibrant community, with safe modes of travel for everyone, clean sidewalks and streets, more green space and shade, and a place to call home.
agoldenberg@midcitywest.orgEllie Goralnick
At Large Representative
My name is Ellie Goralnick and I am your At Large Representative.
Dre Guttag
At Large Representative
Originally from Lexington, MA, Andrea “Dre” Guttag has lived in LA’s Mid City West neighborhood for over a decade. The daughter of an MIT professor and immigrant mother, Dre is a first generation American. Dre's first foray into public service was as a child. After witnessing a number of pedestrian and bicycle accidents in her home town, she put together a proposal to educate elementary and middle school students on street safety and sharing the roads. The proposal was scaled and was quickly implemented in multiple States. For this work, Dre was recognized by Safe Kids Worldwide and was flown to Washington D.C. to receive a commendation by retired Surgeon General, C. Everett Koop. Since then, Dre has gone on to serve in a meaningful capacity for multiple non-profits, public agencies, and political campaigns. In 2020, after their nominations were decided by the Democratic Party, Dre was honored when she was selected to serve on the Joe Biden and Kamala Harris finance committee. More locally, in Mid City West Dre spent two years as co-chair of the Under-40s group at LACMA and was officially recognized as a Community Leader by The Jewish Federation of LA. Dre's primary areas of focus in the non-profit world are social justice, the health and rights of refugees, women's issues, and environmental causes.
aguttag@midcitywest.org
Andrew Herman
Renters Representative
My interest in serving on the board stems from my desire to contribute positively to the neighborhood where families, including my own, live and grow. I am driven by the vision of creating a safer and more engaging community, where every resident feels a sense of belonging and security. This commitment to community welfare is the guiding force behind my decision to join the board. As someone with many years of experience as a management consultant, I bring a wealth of experience in solving complex problems and strategizing for success. These skills are directly relevant and valuable in addressing the unique challenges our community faces, ensuring that our collective efforts lead to meaningful and lasting improvements.
aherman@midcitywest.org
Brent Kidwell
Zone 7 Representative
Brent Kidwell has proudly served as the President of the Carthay Circle Neighborhood Association for more than 5 years and with his election to Mid City West, he extends his stewardship of the area with the addition of Miracle Mile under the Zone 7 map. His birthplace home was on Bedford & Olympic, just blocks away from Zone 7 so he has a lifetime of love for, and familiarity with the area. Brent has spent nearly 30 years in the TV & Film industry as a Producer and Music Supervisor. He was a widely published national music journalist, an artist-manager with various Punk & Emo bands, and worked as the studio right-hand for renowned composer Hans Zimmer. Brent recently completed a 5-year term with a music technology company. Civically, he has led campaigns against telecom companies, fought a proposed above-ground Metro train through Carthay Circle, was instrumental in the landmarking of Tom Bergin’s, and most recently, helped run a widespread fundraising drive which led to the National Register of Historic Places recognizing the Carthay Neighborhoods as a historic place. Although this position may be the closest he will get, his friends often refer to him as “The Mayor of L.A.”.
bkidwell@midcitywest.orgChristian La Mont
At Large Representative
Christian La Mont is an environmental advocate, outdoor community organizer, and a long-time resident of Mid City West. He was born in Mexico City and is proud to call Los Angeles his home. Christian has been recognized for his work in promoting equity and inclusion in conservation, and for promoting cultural competency on the local, state, and national level. He is passionate about social justice, environmental justice and grassroots organizing. As a new At Large Board Member of the Mid City West Neighborhood Council, Christian will work with the community to ensure everyone feels safe, welcome, and seen.
clamont@midcitywest.org
Charles Lindenblatt
At Large Representative
Mr. Lindenblatt is currently in his fifth period of service on the MCWNC Board of Directors, as At Large Representative, appointed in Sept. 2023, after having previously served as Renters Representative (09/2019-03/2021), Business Representative (09/2018-06/2019), At Large Representative (12/2004-05/2016), and Renters Representative (01/2003-06/2004).
Leadership roles in the past that he has held on the Mid City West board include First Vice Chair (10/2013-04/2014), Secretary (08/2009-09/2012), Bylaws Committee Chair (07/2011-08/2012), Bylaws/Grievance Committee Chair (07/2008-06/2011), Election Committee Chair (07/2007-06/2011), and Chair of the Hollywood Community Plan-Draft Environmental Impact Report Working Group (04/2011-05/2011).
Professionally, Mr. Lindenblatt holds a Master of Public Policy (M.P.P.) degree from the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and a B.A. in Economics and Political Science from Northwestern University; he is a policy analyst by training. Mr. Lindenblatt has held a variety of positions including Statistician in the marketing department of a tax resolution services firm (08/2019-01/2020), Economist at the UCLA Anderson Forecast (11/2016-12/2016), and a researcher at both the Milken Institute (10/1995-03/1999) and the RAND Corporation (03/1999-09/2002).
At the Milken Institute, Mr. Lindenblatt prepared reviews of the literature of Asian economies; assisted in the preparation of various indices, such as the Capital Access Index; and graphically analyzed and presented global macroeconomic and stock market data for the Institute’s annual Global Conference. At RAND, he analyzed defense-related contracts and education data for projects in subject areas including purchasing and supply management (PSM), strategic sourcing, reserve recruiting, and core equities analysis.
Born in Santa Monica, Mr. Lindenblatt grew up largely within the Mid City West boundaries, having attended Hancock Park Elementary School and Fairfax High School. Active in his community for many years, Mr. Lindenblatt has in the (distant) past been a member of the Los Angeles County Young Democrats, and his Assembly District’s Democratic Committee.
In these challenging times in which we live, Mr. Lindenblatt looks forward to continuing to apply his background and experience in economic and policy analysis for the benefit of the stakeholders in the Mid City West community -- a neighborhood that has given him so much over the years.
clindenblatt@midcitywest.org
Lynda La Rose
Renters Representative
Lynda La Rose is a poet/performance artist who has been writing since 1993 and a longtime resident of Mid City West. She has been published in several poetry anthologies. She wrote and acted in her her solo poetry / spoken word show, “Summerfruit” and is currently creating poetry videos. Her writing is based on her own personal experiences and is a continuation of her self-expression and passion for language. Lynda recently got re-elected to the MCW Board as a Renters Representative. She brings her creative spirit and desire to be of service to both committees and is thrilled to be a part of Mid City West Neighborhood Council!
llarose@midcitywest.org
David Mann
Nonprofit Representative
As an arts program developer, I have 3 projects in various stages of development that I would like to share in partnership with MCW. 1.M3 Movement on the Miracle Mile brings the LA contemporary dance community to our area to celebrate the art museums and Metro's subway coming to Wilshire at LaBrea. 2. A mural program that would engage our CD4 and CD5 community. 3. A three generation family housing model using the ADU instrument to address the affordable housing and elder situations, bringing 3 generations together living under on roof, in partnership with LADBS.
dmann@midcitywest.org
Tyler Mathews
Renters Representative
Tyler Mathews is a transportation planner with a Master's in Urban Planning from the University of Southern California. Before urban planning, Tyler worked for several years at a talent agency and was a field organizer for the 2020 Pete Buttigieg campaign. Tyler advocated for environmental bills at the California state legislature and canvassed for measure HLA. Tyler is in his first term as a renters representative on the neighborhood council and is honored to serve the community. During his free time, he enjoys exploring Los Angeles with his wife and their rescue dog.
Arianna Miskin
Business Representative
Arianna Miskin is a first generation American whose family story started here in 1970s Los Angeles after her family left Soviet Russia. Raised in New York City, Arianna returned to her Los Angeles roots in 2017, dedicating her time to the betterment of this city through both her volunteer work with community organizations and her former professional work with the LA City Council. An avid walker of Miracle Mile and public transit enthusiast, she is regularly looking for ways to better and beautify our neighborhood. Having joined the Board in late 2023, Arianna is eager and excited to represent her neighbors and advocate for the community's collective well-being.
amiskin@midcitywest.org
Christina Mondy
Nonprofit Representative
Christina Mondy has been a proud Angeleno since 2014. Over the years, she became entrenched in city politics after witnessing so much injustice at the local level. She has volunteered for numerous progressive city council campaigns, mutual aid organizations, animal rescues, and environmental nonprofits. Now working at the National Forest Foundation, Christina is thrilled to be a Nonprofit Representative on the Mid City West Neighborhood Council. She hopes to advocate for the unhoused community, address social and racial inequities, improve public transit and infrastructure, fight for affordable housing, and stop police violence.
cmondy@midcitywest.org
Terence Mylonas
Business Representative
My name is Terence Mylonas and I can't wait to serve our community as your representative.
tmylonas@midcitywest.org
Matthew Peskay
Nonprofit Representative
Matthew Peskay has lived in Mid-City West since 2007, first as a renter at Park La Brea, and now as a home-owner. After previously serving on the MCWNC from 2014-2016, Matthew is excited for the opportunity to support community stakeholders and to help ensure that our neighborhoods are safe, welcoming, inspiring and joyful places to live, work and play. Matthew works as an education technology strategist for k-12 schools across the country.
mpeskay@midcitywest.orgBob Shore
Zone 6 Representative
Bob Shore is a litigation partner at Raines Feldman, where his practice focuses on high-stakes commercial litigation. He is also an experienced tenant activist, having served on the Board of Park La Brea Residents Association since 2019, and as its President since 2021. Bob also serves as Recording Secretary of the Miracle Mile Democratic Club. Bob's current interest is in increasing Los Angeles's housing supply in order to make housing more affordable. Bob also advocates for the rights of renters in general, feeling that renters have long suffered from a lack of political representation that has led to a power imbalance that has hurt the city's renter population. Bob is honored to be serving his second term representing Zone 6. In addition to returning as Secretary of the Planning and Land Use Committee, Bob also serves on the Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters’ Rights Committee.
rshore@midcitywest.org
Sandra Sims
At Large Representative
Sandra Sims is a lifelong resident of Los Angeles who has dedicated her career to public service, with over 10 years of experience within government agencies and educational institutions. Sandra has served as a Civil Service Advocate and Human Resources professional specializing in policy development and implementation, as well as providing training in diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Sandra is also active in her community as a member of SAG-AFTRA and has served as a former Board member of Young Storytellers.
Nick Starr
Business Representative
Nick is overjoyed to be serving his first term on the Mid-City West neighborhood council. He is the proud co-owner of Cofax Coffee on Fairfax Ave. , which he runs with his best friend Jason. Born and raised in Los Angeles, Nick spent over a decade in New York City working as a playwright and professor of writing and digital media at SUNY New Paltz. He returned to his hometown with a passion for walkable neighborhoods, public transportation, strong worker unions and public housing.
nstarr@midcitywest.org
Julian Stern
Non Profit Representative
Julian Stern, originally from Kensington, Maryland, has been a renter in Los Angeles for 12 years and in Mid-City West for 5. He's a writer and comedian with a passion for helping his peers in entertainment see LA not just as an industry, but a city.
He has served on the Homelessness, Refugees, and Renters' Rights committee for 2 years, and was the Deployment Site Coordinator for the Mid-City West portion of the Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count 2022. Together with other members of the HRRTs Committee, he piloted a weekly 'mini-connect day' at Pan Pacific Park, performing outreach to unhoused people living in Mid-City West.
In his second term on the Mid-City West NC, he plans to expand and streamline these outreach efforts, integrating them with efforts from the council district, city, and county.
jstern@midcitywest.org
Sonya Turoff
Youth Representative
Born and raised in Carthay Circle, Sonya Turoff is a local high school student and is beyond excited to serve as youth representative on the MidCity West council. An avid bus rider, she’s passionate about building strong communities, promoting pedestrian safety, and developing public transit. A marathon and cross country runner, she enjoys a good bagel and long walks in her spare time. She’s honored to represent her neighbors and better her community.
J. Keith van Straaten
Zone 4 Representative
J. Keith van Straaten is the host and co-creator of “Go Fact Yourself,” a celebrity game show podcast. He's written and produced for the TV game shows "The Hustler," "Master Minds," "Chain Reaction," "Funny You Should Ask" and is a senior writer on NPR's “Ask Me Another." As a journalist, he's written for The Los Angeles Times, The Points Guy and Backstage. He's lived in the same Mid City West apartment for 25 years. He has two awesome cats, Cookie & Muffin.
jkvanstraaten@midcitywest.org
Don Whitehead
Homeowners Representative
I am a Los Angeles native who has lived in the Mid City West area for the majority of my life. I had a varied career (journalism, adverting/marketing, politics and government, communications consulting) and am now retired. I am a docent at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Holocaust Museum Los Angeles..
dwhitehead@midcitywest.org