Strategic Advocacy for Lasting Change
Rincón Advocacy supports mission-driven organizations working to create healthier, more equitable communities in California. Specializing in legislative and regulatory advocacy, we turn community priorities and bold policy ideas into meaningful action at the state level.
Approach
We understand how policy gets done. Rincón Advocacy holds deep experience navigating California’s legislative, administrative and budget processes. We identify strategic opportunities and new approaches to advance client policy goals that reflect the shifting political and policy landscape in California. Whether through legislation, the state budget, regulatory action, or implementation, Rincon Advocacy is well positioned to advance your goals.
We build the relationships that move change forward. The ability to foster trust and authentic partnerships is a cornerstone of our practice. We work with clients to engage policymakers, staff, government agencies, and coalition partners to build cross-sector alignment and support around shared priorities and deepen their impact and influence.
We bring community voice to policymaking. We work alongside organizations, local leaders, and communities helping bring their priorities, voices, and expertise to policymakers and government agencies. We help organizations translate those priorities into feasible policy solutions needed to achieve client goals, as well as the incorporation of community-centered best practices in statute and implementation.
Services
Legislative Advocacy
We provide hands-on support throughout the legislative policy process to bring your policy goals to fruition and effectively represent client needs and priorities.
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Translation of policy priorities into actionable policy solutions
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Development of legislative strategy, bill language, messaging, and position letters
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Deep engagement with legislators and their staff to ensure successful advocacy efforts
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Ongoing legislative monitoring and analysis to empower clients to make informed policy decisions that make a meaningful impact.
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Committee testimony preparation
Regulatory Advocacy
The regulatory and administrative process is the primary vehicle for implementing and improving state laws and programs, holding state agencies accountable, and ensuring the spirit and intent of recently passed legislation is fully achieved.
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Regulatory strategy development
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Comment letter drafting
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Ongoing regulatory analysis and monitoring
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Relationship building with state agency staff
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Rulemaking participation
Capacity Building Support
Our goal is not simply to win an individual policy fight, but to work toward lasting systems change. We are committed to strengthening your organizational capacity in delivering for the communities you serve through building your engagement and capacity in the state policy and funding landscape.
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Policy Advocacy Skills Trainings for community leaders, staff, and residents
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Technical assistance for state program funding applications
Team
Erika Rincón
Principal
Erika Rincón is a policy and advocacy strategist with more than 15 years of experience advancing equity and access to opportunity for under-resourced communities in California. Throughout her career, she has built close relationships with community organizations, education providers, advocates, government agencies, elected officials, philanthropic partners, and cross-sector coalitions to develop and advance policies to improve health and quality of life of Californians.
Her expertise spans a broad range of issue areas, including sustainable transportation policy and planning, workforce and economic development, climate justice, racial equity, and affordable housing. With professional training in city planning and public health, her interests are rooted in how socioeconomic and environmental conditions impact population-level health and well-being. Partnering across several coalitions, she has worked at the state and local levels to shape legislation, budgets, and public programs; build multi-stakeholder partnerships; and help organizations effectively navigate California's policy landscape and secure state funding.
At PolicyLink Erika led state policy and administrative advocacy, and coalition-building in transportation, land use, jobs, and workforce training. She sharpened state policies and programs to deliver on health, social, and economic outcomes, including the Active Transportation program, California Climate Investments, and the Workforce Innovation Opportunity Act. As a key partner to the Alliance for the Boys and Men of Color, Erika was at the forefront of the creation of the Prison to Employment Initiative, a new endeavor of California’s workforce system to provide tailored training and job placement services for reentry individuals. She sought to incorporate community-based best practices into the program design, and secured ongoing funding through the budget process. Working in coalition, Erika advanced a landmark policy to require an equity provision in the Active Transportation Program that targeted funds in under-resourced communities, including in rural and unincorporated areas.
More recently, Erika Rincon served as Strategic Initiatives Director at Housing California where she led Roadmap Home, a statewide policy framework and vision for solving California’s housing and homelessness crisis. She brought together more than 200 advocates and policy experts through a statewide process to develop policy solutions addressing affordable housing, homelessness, tenant protections, climate and housing, tribal housing, and strengthening the role of the state government to fulfill housing goals.
Through prior experience at San Mateo County Health, Estolano Advisors, Richmond High School, Alameda County Safe Routes to Schools, and the Healthcare Anchor Network, Erika brings a sharp understanding in how to effectively design and implement policies within public sector institutions to increase their capacity in delivering for their residents. This includes tools such as racial equity action plans, anchor institution strategies, cross-sector workforce partnerships, technical assistance programs, and improving student services.
Erika is a seasoned capacity-builder, providing policy trainings throughout her career to community-based organizations, legislative staff, state and local agencies, and students.
Erika holds a Master of City Planning and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley, and a B.A. in Political Science from UCLA. She is bilingual in English and Spanish and has studied in Venezuela and México.
Rubén Lizardo
Advisor
For much of his career, Rubén has worked with local community organizations and city government, as well as with state and federal policy makers in Oakland, Richmond, San Francisco, Sacramento, Stockton, Salinas, Fresno, Los Angeles, Watts, San Diego and more. Rubén brings an extensive background in community outreach, organizing and research. As Senior Director at Oakland-based PolicyLink, he led efforts in research, public education, training, and technical assistance to strengthen community and civic participation in local decision-making and economic development. Rubén has a long history establishing successful partnerships in education, health and the economy.
While at PolicyLink he also coordinated the Alliance for Boys and Men of Color. During his time at California Tomorrow, he established the Community College Equity Network. While in Los Angeles, Rubén served as Co-Director of the MultiCultural Collaborative (MCC); and as the Director of the Community Planning & Economic Development Program at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Rubén served as President of the Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission, and was awarded the California Peace Prize for his work to reduce youth violence.
Oracio Gonzalez
Advisor
Oracio Gonzalez is an accomplished public policy and finance professional. Most recently, Mr. Gonzalez served as Chief of Staff to the Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, where he managed all aspects of the Caucus including development and implementation of the Caucus’ policy, budget and electoral priorities. Of note, Mr. Gonzalez secured over $45 million through the state budget for Latino Caucus priorities and oversaw the recruitment and election of six new legislators during the 2016 general election, growing the Latino Caucus to 27 members, a historic high. Oracio had previously served as Legislative and Policy Director to the Assembly Majority Leader and as a Consultant to the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.
Mr. Gonzalez earned an MBA in General Management and Strategy from the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in political science from the University of California, Irvine, where he was a Regents Scholar.