Danell Scarborough, EdD

Interim Executive Director

Danell Scarborough’s expertise is in growing leaders and guiding change. Her work focuses on leadership and organization development for governmental, civic, and nonprofit organizations.

Her consulting work has included facilitating strategic planning and visioning sessions, facilitating stakeholder and community input processes, establishing a citizens advisory committee to provide input to a water agency board, facilitating a blue ribbon commission investigating and recommending improvements to the county’s foster care system, facilitating community forums for a city police chief selection process, facilitating a City Council appointed citizens group charged with developing a new council policy, convening forums for a regional workplace civility and equity initiative.

Over her 30-year career with the City of San Diego, Danell served as the Executive Director of two Mayor and Council appointed commissions dedicated to fostering accountability and inclusion across all communities in San Diego – and Citizens Review Board on Police Practices and the Human Relations Commission. Danell was an internal change agent for the City of San Diego where she designed and led projects including complex culture change, strategic planning, business process reengineering, community engagement, and criminal justice reform projects.  She facilitated the City’s leadership development program, was change management lead for the enterprise-wide ERP implementation, director of administration for the elected City Attorney, manager of the City’s organization development and training unit, and project leader for The Diversity Commitment. She earned her doctorate from the University of San Diego in leadership studies.  Her dissertation focused on leadership in local government organizations.

Danell Scarborough is honored to serve the Commission on Police Practices as interim executive director. 

Duane Bennett

CPP Outside Counsel

Duane Bennett has been a practicing Attorney for 39 years. Mr. Bennett has extensive experience in governmental law, employment, contracts, land use, insurance, civil rights, and civil litigation. He was the former Oceanside City Attorney and Port Attorney/General Counsel for the Port of San Diego. Mr. Bennett was the first African American appointed as City Attorney in the County of San Diego. He also served as an Assistant City Attorney, Police Legal Advisor and Deputy District Attorney. Mr. Bennett has been actively involved in litigation and consultant related to civil rights, due process, and equal protection involving law enforcement agencies throughout the nation. He has conducted workplace investigations in the counties of Los Angeles, Riverside and San Diego as well as numerous internal investigations for governmental agencies. Mr. Bennett served many years for the Riverside County Sheriffs’ Association and County of Riverside deciding disciplinary matters and grievances. He has also taught law enforcement courses in the states of Arizona, Illinois, Iowa, and Indiana. Even though retired, Mr. Bennett has expanded his private law practice as an experienced arbitrator, mediator and litigator handling employment and commercial disputes involving governmental agencies, financial institutions, and more. He arbitrates and mediates for the American Arbitration Association and serves on the arbitration panel for the San Bernardino Civil Service Commission. Mr. Bennett also serves as outside counsel to San Diego County Law Enforcement Review Board (CLERB).

Olga Golub

Chief Investigator

Before joining the San Diego Commission on Police Practices in 2023, Ms. Golub gained her expertise in civilian oversight at the New York Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB), an independent city agency overseeing the nation’s largest police force. During her nearly seven-year tenure at the CCRB, Ms. Golub worked as an Investigator of various seniority levels until she became an Investigative Manager, overseeing a team of investigators. As part of the CCRB, Ms. Golub conducted investigations into allegations of force, abuse of authority, discourtesy, offensive language, and sexual misconduct involving uniformed members of the New York City Police Department. Her work at the CCRB allowed her to understand the nuances of the community-police relationship in the nation’s largest city and obtain extensive knowledge in police practices. Ms. Golub worked on cases that included serious force incidents, complex legal matters, and high-profile cases that garnered national media attention or stemmed from mass protests, among others.

Ms. Golub also has a background in investigating sexual violence, sexual harassment, discrimination, and harassment based on protected bases for a major California university and consulting for an international organization focused on developing new strategies to combat transnational organized crime.

Ms. Golub holds a Master of Public Administration degree from the Robert F. Wagner Graduate School of Public Service at New York University and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and International Studies from the City College of New York at the City University of New York.

Contact: golubo@sandiego.gov

Yasmeen Obeid

Community Engagement Coordinator

After an extensive national search, that included the involvement of a community panel, the City of San Diego Commission on Police Practices (Commission) selected Yasmeen Obeid as Community Engagement Coordinator. She is primarily responsible for leading outreach efforts to inform and promote awareness of the Commission and increase community involvement in the Commission’s work. The outreach efforts include, but are not limited to, conducting monthly neutral and unbiased presentations and/or discussions with community stakeholders, attending citywide community events/public meetings/forums and building and maintaining effective relationships. Ms. Obeid is a Muslim-Palestinian community organizer, advocate, child of immigrants, and an Ethnic Studies’ Honors graduate from the University of California, San Diego. She was born in Los Angeles, raised in Palestine, and moved back to the US after graduating high school. Ever since, she has worked tirelessly to center the voices of the most marginalized and build community power. As a youth organizer with Mid-City Community Advocacy Network, Ms. Obeid mobilized and engaged the youth and impacted community members in support of various measures including Measure B that established the Commission on Police Practices. In her free time, Ms. Obeid sits on the Steering Committee with Majdal: The Arab Community Center of San Diego as their Advocacy Coordinator, where she focuses on building community power for immigrant and refugee Arab communities in San Diego. In addition, Ms. Obeid serves as a youth advisory board member with Borderlands for Equity, a pro-bono civil rights organization. Finally, she enjoys exploring the outdoors, and caring for her plants and two cats.

Contact: YObeid@sandiego.gov

Alina Conde

Executive Assistant

Ms. Alina Conde has a background of over 12 years of administrative support experience. Previously, working for the San Diego State University Research Foundation at the South Bay Latino Research Center as an Administrative Coordinator. She had the opportunity to build a variety of administrative and budgetary experience of over 20+ research projects and teams. Ms. Conde started her position with the Office of the Commission on Police Practices as an Executive Assistant in June 2021. In this position, Alina Conde has continually supported the Commission's Executive Director, while providing administrative support to the full Commission. Ms. Conde has gained strong communication, proactive problem solving, and project management skills while maintaining the highest level of professionalism. She supports her team and provides additional support to ensure that the Commission’s goals and objectives are accomplished and that day-to-day operations run efficiently.

Jon’Nae McFarland

Administrative Aide

Jon’Nae McFarland worked in the Parks and Recreation Department with The City of San Diego for over nine years as an Assistant Center Director. In this role her responsibilities ranged from developing comprehensive and complex recreational programming and special events, issuing a variety of park use permits, resolving citizen complaints and concerns, and assisting with fiscal year budget proposals for numerous recreation centers. Jon’Nae has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Counseling and Social Change from San Diego State University. She is a San Diego native who is eager to start a new career with the Commission on Police Practices as an Administrative Aide I.

Maria Jaramillo Pacheco

CPP Intern

Maria Jaramillo Pacheco is a third-year student at San Diego State University, pursuing a bachelor’s degree in international business with an emphasis in Human Resources. Her dedication and passion for her studies have earned her recognition as one of the top students from Southwestern Community College, awarded by the All-California Community College in 2022. Throughout her academic journey, Maria has actively engaged in both her university and the community. She currently holds the position of Social Media Chair for the International Student Organization at SDSU, where she has developed valuable skills in teamwork, problem-solving, and effective communication. Motivated by a deep understanding of the importance of community involvement and justice, Maria began an internship with the Commission on Police Practices with the objective of contributing towards the establishment of a fair and cohesive society.

Ezra Skerlecz

CPP Intern

Ezra Skerlecz is a first-generation Hispanic senior at San Diego High School with a passion for civic engagement and social justice. His work with local nonprofit Mid-City CAN’s multiple momentum teams kick started his journey of community empowerment. He has helped improve transportation in San Diego, advocated for youth justice, and fought for community projects including improvement of local parks. Inside the classroom, Ezra maintains a stellar academic record, receiving numerous awards for his achievements. In college, he hopes to major in economics or political science and continue his involvement in his community. As a San Diego resident, Ezra hopes to play a larger role in the issue of police oversight and gain firsthand experience with legislative processes that affect his community.

Ayan Mohamed

CPP Intern

Ayan Mohamed is a Muslim-Somali immigrant and first-generation sophomore at the University of California, San Diego, where she is majoring in Human Biology with a long-term goal of becoming a Physician Assistant. Ayan was born in Nairobi, Kenya, and moved to San Diego when she was 2 years old. Ayan is bilingual in Somali and English, which she utilizes to support her community. As a F1rst Gen Scholars leader, an organization focused on amplifying the success of first-generation students by gaining admission to highly selective colleges and graduating debt-free, Ayan supports other first-generation families and students navigate the college educational system. As a Youth Organizer with Mid-City CAN Youth Council, Ayan pushed for police oversight in the city of San Diego. Outside of work and school, Ayan enjoys soccer, tennis, and spending quality time with her loved ones.

Tomas Moshi

CPP Intern

Tomas Moshi (He/Him) is a Catholic-Chaldean immigrant and second-year student at Cuyamaca/Grossmont College who was born in Iraq and raised in San Diego. Tomas is pursuing three associate degree programs in Physics and Mathematics and is currently focused on transferring to university to study Computer Science and Engineering. As a resident of East County and a bilingual in English and Aramaic, Tomas focuses on community engagement and outreach with County District 2 office to ensure the improvement of his communities.