What's New in Housing: An Update on Funding & Planning for Homes in San Mateo County

Join us for our first event of Affordable Housing Month 2021! We will hear from: San Mateo County Manager Mike Callagy, Deputy Mayor of San Mateo Rick Bonilla, and CEO & Founder, Estolano Advisors Cecilia Estolano as they discuss the newest changes in housing, from federal funding to local planning

Mike Callagy
County Manager – San Mateo County
As County Manager, Mike Callagy oversees the efficient running of daily County operations and carries out policies established by the Board of Supervisors. Mike joined the County in 2013 as a Deputy County Manager and was named Assistant County Manager in April 2016. In November 2018, he assumed the role of County Manager after being appointed by the Board of Supervisors. Mike has more than 37 years of public sector service experience. Before joining the County, Mike spent 29 years with the San Mateo Police Department where he ran day-to-day operations as the deputy police chief until his retirement. He is a licensed attorney in the state of California and in addition to his law degree from Santa Clara University, holds a Bachelor of Arts and Master’s in public administration from the College of Notre Dame and a Master’s in homeland defense and security from the Naval Postgraduate School. A San Mateo County native, he lives in Foster City with his family.

Cecilia V. Estolano
 CEO & Founder, Estolano Advisors
Cecilia V. Estolano is a leading expert on contemporary urban planning issues, with experience in economic and workforce development, land use, environmental policy, and urban revitalization. She has worked directly with public, private, institutional, and non-profit clients to plan, finance, design, implement, and operate policy-driven programs and projects that promote sustainable solutions tailored for each community. Cecilia is a Regent of the University of California and has served as President of the California Community College Board of Governors. She received an A.B. from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, an M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA, and a J.D. from UC Berkeley. Prior to founding Estolano Advisors in 2011, Cecilia served as CEO of CRA/LA, practiced land use and environmental law while Of Counsel and an Associate at Gibson Dunn & Crutcher, served as Senior Policy Advisor at the U.S. EPA during the Clinton Administration, and served as Environmental Policy Advisor to former L.A. Mayor Tom Bradley. In addition to her work at Estolano Advisors, she became the CEO of Better World Group, an environmental strategy firm, in 2018.

Rick Bonilla
Deputy Mayor – City of San Mateo
Born in San Francisco and raised on the Peninsula, Rick knows how the cost of living has changed and has seen the shortage of housing construction from a distinctive vantage point. In 1975, Rick rented a 1 bedroom apartment on El Camino Real in Burlingame. The place had a swimming pool. The cost? $125 a month, which was 10% of Rick’s monthly income. As a carpenter Rick was engaged in building housing. Because of the steady decline in housing construction, Rick moved to a different sector of the construction market to continue his career. In 2001, the City Of San Mateo appointed Rick as a member of the Bay Meadows and Transportation Corridor Citizens Advisory Committee.
There was a serious existing housing shortage at that time. Members of the public who participated during that effort told the committee that they wanted to see housing where their children and grandchildren could live in San Mateo. Rick heard that message and continues to work to provide that housing while seeking to remedy environmental  challenges and safety concerns that exist across our entire Bay Area. 
In 2015 Rick was appointed to the San Mateo City Council where he continues to serve. Since 2001, Rick has been a member of numerous commissions and committees in the city of San Mateo. Currently Rick is a member of the Board of Directors at various entities including Peninsula Clean Energy, South Bayside Waste Management Authority, Housing Endowment And Regional Trust, Commute.org, ABAG Regional Planning Committee and the League of California Cities- Governance, Transparency and Labor Relations Policy Committee. Rick is also a member of San Mateo’s General Plan Update Subcommittee.