Dr. John Dobard

John Dobard is the Vice President of Policy and Programs at Catalyst California. He helps drive the organization’s development and execution of its policy agenda and manages the strategic design of programs. John previously directed the organization’s Political Voice program, which he co-created to advance democracy reforms that empower low-income people of color to participate in policy decision-making. Through a collaborative approach, he built the program’s infrastructure and set it up for successes that include establishing the Census Policy Advocacy Network, helping secure an unprecedented public investment of $187 million for census outreach in 2020, encouraging the City of Los Angeles to establish an Office of Racial Equity, and releasing the most up-to-date and comprehensive research on California’s racial disparities in political participation. Originally from the San Bernardino area, John attended Riverside City College and received a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles. He also earned a master’s and doctorate in political science from the University of Chicago.