About Sulma

As the Director of Policy and Partnerships, Sulma E. Hernández guides policy, public affairs, and government relations for SLATE-Z. Committed to addressing inequality and centering community wisdom to build inclusive frameworks, Sulma has spent her career helping to transform how government serves its constituents and building advocacy relationships to achieve systemic change.

Sulma began her career in public service over a decade ago while working for former Los Angeles City Councilmember (now CA-29 U.S. Representative) Tony Cárdenas and has since worked in a number of other governmental roles. While working for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, Sulma advised elected officials, service providers, and key stakeholders on how to resolve operational issues to promote the pivotal 2015 Greater Los Angeles Homeless Count that resulted in the implementation of the nation’s largest homeless count. During her tenure working for Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti, Sulma oversaw community investments worth more than $3.5 million dollars and managed a diverse grants portfolio that was responsive to the needs identified and expressed by the community. Most recently, prior to joining SLATE-Z, Sulma served the 2020 CA Citizens Redistricting Commission and worked with the independent 14-member body to promote transparent and participatory governance in redrawing the lines for California’s Assembly, Senate, Board of Equalization, and Congressional Districts that resulted in over 30,000 public input entries received.

Sulma has also applied her government and civic engagement experience to a grassroots organizing collective based in Mexico. In 2019, Sulma’s extensive background in policy and community organizing were used to develop a successful action plan to halt a significant development project that would have had multiple negative impacts on an indigenous community.

Sulma earned a B.A. in Chicana/o Studies and B.A. in History from UCLA. In 2015, she was an inaugural fellow of the Justice Policy Network, advancing the creation and implementation of transformative justice policies and practices. Sulma has also guest-lectured and served as a Panel Reviewer of demonstration briefs for the USC Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work 350: Adolescent Gang Intervention.