Our Advisory Committee

Ivory Rose Parnell-Chambeshi is a social justice- and sustainability-focused city planner and community economic development leader. She currently serves in Mayor Karen Bass’s Office as Director of Neighborhood Initiatives for the Watts Rising Collaborative, a multimillion-dollar, resident-guided, place-based, and cross-sectoral community development and climate resilience initiative, co-led by the Housing Authority of LA (HACLA). In this capacity, she guides the implementation of Watts Rising’s CA SGC Transformative Climate Communities and HUD Choice Neighborhood Implementation grants and serves as mayoral liaison for HACLA’s redevelopment of Jordan Downs, a billion-plus dollar, 70-acre housing, human capital development, commercial and open space initiative. Prior to this role, she led high-impact economic empowerment and social services programs for CBOs in South LA and NGOs in Southern Africa. This experience motivated her to found Urban Rising Group, an organizational capacity-building and land use planning consultancy. Ivory earned a Bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies from UC Riverside, a Master’s degree in Urban Planning and Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a Certificate in Sustainability from UCLA Extension Center. She leverages her vast training and expertise to serve in various advisory capacities including for the CivicWell/Resilient Cities Catalyst-led 2022 Statewide Climate Resilience Landscape Analysis and as an adjunct instructor in non-profit management and public policy. She is most proud to be a South Central L.A. native and ‘mommy’ to two phenomenal daughters that she and her husband steward to “run the world” as Beyoncé proclaimed. These core identities compel her to work purposefully to cultivate wellness-fostering, culturally-rooted, and justice-centered communities of choice and opportunity. She is honored to support WCLO’s dynamic work and impact!

Maria Rosales is a passionate public health advocate and community research scholar dedicated to enhancing wellness in underserved communities. Maria currently serves as a Research Assistant at Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU) where she spearheads the Watts Community Studio, an initiative that conducts neighborhood assessments and community training aimed at improving health outcomes in Watts and other under-resourced, opportunity-rich communities. CDU is an anchor institution for the Watts Rising Collaborative, and Maria leads key Watts Rising data collection and community engagement initiatives, including the Data Working Group and the Young Ethnographers Program. She also serves on the Community Leadership Counci engagement facilitation team for Watts Rising’s National Institutes of Health ComPASS grant.

Raised in Compton and Willowbrook, where she is a proud new homeowner, Maria’s commitment to public health is deeply rooted in her personal experiences. An ultramarathoner, Maria regularly pushes her limits, running races that exceed the traditional marathon distance of 26 miles, often covering 50 miles or more. Beyond her professional and athletic pursuits, Maria finds joy in the simple pleasures, like savoring horchata lattes and spending time with her family. She is proud to bring her expertise and passion for wellness and culturally rooted community development and public health promotion to the impactful work of WCLO.