FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 11, 2017
CONTACT: Norma López, Director, OC Human Relations Commission 714-480-6594, Norma@splash.ochumanrelations.org
(Orange County, CA) – At a special scheduled meeting on Thursday, August 17, the OC Human Relations Commission elected Rabbi Richard Steinberg to serve as the new Commission Chair effective September 2017.
The term for the Commission Chair is one year. Rabbi Steinberg has been with the Human Relations Commission since 2013 and represents District 3.
Additionally, Dr. Chiarina Piazza was elected as the new Vice Chair for the Commission. Dr. Piazza, who is a District 4 City Selection appointee, has been an active member of the Commission since Spring 2016.
Both newly-elected members have notable experiences in the community and their respective professions. Rabbi Steinberg leads the Congregation of Shir Ha-Ma’alot since July 2001 in the City of Irvine. His wide range and accomplished past include being chaplain at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center & UCLA Hillel and a therapist at University of Cincinnati, Ohio. Rabbi Steinberg also serves on the Boards of Jewish Federation, American Jewish Congress, and on the Orange County Board of Rabbis.
Rabbi Steinberg received his Bachelors of Science in Criminal Justice and minor in Sociology from the California State University system.
Dr. Piazza serves as the Associate Dean, College of Nursing for Pre-Licensure Programs at West Coast University where she also is lead instructor for the Oxford Honors Program. She has been active in various organizations serving as Regional Coordinator for Policy to Prevent Abuse of Minors or Vulnerable Adults with the Focolare Movement, member of the St. Pius V School, Board member of the Women’s Branch of the Focolare Movement and Co-Chair of the Governmental Affairs for Orange County School Nurses Association.
Dr. Piazza graduated from UCLA with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing, a Master of Education from Cambridge College, and with a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Nursing from University of San Diego.
The OC Human Relations Commission is a governmental commission empowered by the OC Board of Supervisors in collaboration with the cities in Orange County. The group is an impartial agency that deals with intergroup tensions and seeks to foster mutual respect and understanding among all residents of Orange County. The Commission is made up of 11 community appointees who are volunteers not compensated for their work as commissioners.
About the Orange County Human Relations Commission
The Commission was founded in 1971 by the Orange County Board of Supervisors in collaboration with the OC League of Cities. The Commission’s mission is to seek out the causes of tension and conflict, discrimination and intolerance, and eliminate those causes. We do this by bringing people together to create safe communities, address bias and prejudice, monitor hate crimes, resolve conflict, give voice to those who don’t have a voice, and develop diverse leaders.
Our Mission: Seek out the causes of tension and conflict, discrimination and intolerance, and eliminate those causes.
