California Health Facilities Financing Authority

Authority Members

Fiona Ma

Fiona Ma, CPA
State Treasurer



Background: Ms. Fiona Ma was elected California State Treasurer in November 2018. She previously served as Chair and Vice Chair of the California State Board of Equalization from 2015 to 2019, representing more than nine million taxpayers. There, she led historic reforms to increase efficiency and transparency at the agency. As a state legislator, she was the first and only Asian-American woman ever elected California Assembly Speaker pro Tempore, the second-highest ranking office in the Assembly. During her time as a legislator, she passed landmark legislation to ban toxic chemicals in children’s toys, protect small business-owners and expand opportunities for homeowners. She previously served as a San Francisco Supervisor.

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Malia Cohen

Malia M. Cohen
State Controller

State Controller Malia M. Cohen was elected in November 2022, following her service on the California State Board of Equalization (BOE), the nation’s only elected tax commission responsible for administering California’s $100 billion property tax system. She was elected to the BOE in November 2018 and was Chair in 2019 and 2022. As Controller, she continues to serve the Board as its fifth voting member.

As chief fiscal officer of the world’s fifth-largest economy, Controller Cohen’s primary responsibility is to account for and protect the state‘s financial resources. Controller Cohen also independently audits government agencies that spend state funds, safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, and administers the payroll system for state government employees and California State University employees. She serves on 70 boards and commissions with authority ranging from affordable housing to crime victim compensation to land management.

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Joe Stepenshaw

Joe Stephenshaw
Director of Finance


Joe Stephenshaw was appointed as Director of the California Department of Finance by Governor Newsom in July of 2022. In this role, he serves as the Governor’s Chief Fiscal Policy Advisor. Prior to his appointment, Stephenshaw served in Governor Newsom’s Office as a Senior Counselor on Infrastructure and Fiscal Affairs.

Stephenshaw was Staff Director for the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee from 2017 to 2022. He held multiple positions in the California Legislature from 2008 to 2017, including serving as a Policy Consultant in the Office of the Senate President pro Tempore, a Special Advisor to the Speaker of the Assembly, and as a Budget Consultant for both the Assembly Budget Committee and the Senate Budget and Fiscal Review Committee. Stephenshaw was a Budget Analyst for the California Department of Finance from 2005 to 2008. Stephenshaw is a graduate of Menlo College with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration. He also earned a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Sacramento.

 
 
Antonio Benjamin

Antonio Benjamin
Governor Appointee

Term expires March 31, 2024
Residence: Fremont, California.
Background: Antonio Benjamin is a futurist, innovator and hands-on developer/architect. In recognition of his technology achievements, the World Economic Forum named him as a 2015 Technology Pioneer. Currently Mr. Benjamin is a Partner at PA Consulting (prior company 4iNNO acquired on June 2019), working on consumer product innovation, development and product launches with several Fortune 100 firms. He served 10 years as a volunteer on NASA AMES civilian advisory board. He was also on US Federal Reserve’s Faster Payments Task Force. He is co-founder and CTO Emeritus of Token.io. Previously, Mr. Benjamin was Global Chief Technology Officer for Citibank’s Institutional Clients Group/Global Transaction Services. He was also Chairman of Citi’s Research Development Innovation & Learning Center. Mr. Benjamin was a Partner and Chief of Global Strategy at Ernst & Young, LLP (now EY, LLP). Mr. Benjamin has a Bachelor of Arts in Communication from the University of the Philippines.

 
Francisco Silva

Francisco Silva
Governor Appointee

Term Expires: March 31, 2024
Residence: Sacramento, California.
Background: Francisco J. Silva, Esq., is the President and Chief Executive Officer of the California Primary Care Association (CPCA), overseeing a membership association of more than 1,370 nonprofit, community clinics and health centers (CCHCs) which serve nearly 7.4 million patients a year. Mr. Silva is a healthcare executive with over 18 years of leadership experience in association advocacy and advancing access to health care. Equipped with extensive experience in leading companywide initiatives, cultivating learning environments to foster high performing teams and support diversity, equity, and inclusion; complemented with health advocacy expertise that interfaces law, politics, coalition building and public relations. Adept at setting strategic vision, decisive action, building consensus, as well as adapting proactively to optimize overall performance.

 
Robert Cherry, M.D.

Robert Cherry, M.D.
Senate Rules Committee Appointee

Term Expires: March 31, 2024
Residence: Los Angeles, California.
Background: Dr. Cherry was named Chief Medical and Quality Officer for the UCLA Health System in January 2014. Reporting to the President of UCLA Health, the Chief Medical and Quality Officer (CMO/CQO) is responsible for system-wide quality improvement efforts, with the goal of achieving world class clinical and patient-centered outcomes that will set the standard in healthcare delivery and innovation. Dr. Cherry develops collaborative approaches to quality and value based care for populations across the continuum of care; coordinates innovative methods in the use of analytics, informatics, and advanced computational techniques that are designed to raise clinical quality, improve patient experience and provide value to our patients.

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Robert Hertzka

Robert E. Hertzka, M.D.
Senate Rules Committee Appointee

Term Expires: March 31, 2024
Residence: Rancho Santa Fe, California
Background: Dr. Robert E. Hertzka has been both a full-time clinician and a health policy instructor for over 30 years. A graduate of the University of California at San Diego School of Medicine (UCSD), he completed an internship in internal medicine at the University of Maryland and a residency in anesthesiology at the University of California at San Francisco (UCSF). Following two years on the faculty at UCSF, he joined Anesthesia Service Medical Group in 1987 and as of today remains in full-time clinical practice. Concurrent with his clinical practice, Dr. Hertzka has an extensive history of health care policy development, political engagement, teaching, and advocacy.

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Katrina Kalvoda

Katrina Kalvoda
Assembly Speaker Appointee

Term Expires: March 31, 2027
Residence: Laguna Hills, California.
Background: Katrina Kalvoda is currently the founder and CEO of G3 Ventures, a nonprofit corporation specializing in impact investments, innovative philanthropy and community advocacy. Prior to this, Ms. Kalvoda worked in the investment management industry as Chief Investment Officer of Newport Wealth Management.  In that role, she managed a portfolio comprised of commercial real estate, private equity and liquid investments.  Her achievements earned her many national and international awards including Angel Investor of the Year and Best Business Leader in Real Estate Investments.  Ms. Kalvoda is also a sought after speaker on topics ranging from asset management, hedge funds, angel investing in women and minority owned businesses, social innovation and community advocacy.

Ms. Kalvoda is a graduate of the University of California at Berkeley.  She is also a board member of the Sisters of St. Joseph Healthcare Foundation and a founding member of Innovative Philanthropy at the Orange County Community Foundation.


 
Keri Kropke

Keri Kropke – M.A., M.A., CCC-SLP
Assembly Speaker Appointee

Term Expires: March 31, 2026
Residence: Brea, California.
Background: Keri Kropke is an elected trustee for the Brea Olinda Unified School District. She is a public educator and speech language pathologist with experience in medical, occupational and public education settings. Keri was a professional baseball player on the Colorado Silver Bullets women’s baseball team. Keri is a graduate of UC Berkeley, where she studied political economy and was an academic and athletic NCAA All American. She also holds two graduate degrees from Cal State Fullerton – an M.A. in History and an M.A. in Communications/Communicative Disorders. Keri is an active member of the California School Boards Association and the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association.