Carole Ward Allen
Encyclopedia
Carole Ward Allen is an African American
politician
, professor
, scholar, artist
, businesswoman, political consultant, transportation leader, community organizer, member of the Democratic Party
and was an elected member of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
(BART) District Board of Directors. She represented District 4 (Oakland, California
and Alameda, California
), where she served three terms. Ward Allen became the first African American to serve as president of the California Commission on the Status of Women in 1983. In 1990, she made history again as an Oakland Port Commissioner who was elected among her colleagues to serve as president, making her the first woman to do so, and the longest African American woman to achieve such stride with two terms. Almost a decade later, December 15, 2005, BART Director Ward Allen attained another major milestone as a woman in politics when she was elected amongst her colleagues on the BART Board of Directors to serve as its president and Lynette Sweet
as its vice president, which made BART the first major transportation agency to be led by two African American women in American history.
She holds a Master of Fine Arts
and a Bachelor of Arts
from San Jose State University
and a Doctorate in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She also completed post-graduate studies at the Sorbonne, Paris France, Fourah Bay College University, Sierra Leone
; University of Ile-Ife, Nigeria
; the University of Kumasi, Ghana
; and University of Nairobi, Kenya.
She has served as Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Community Relations and Marketing for the Peralta Community College District
. Prior to this position, she was a College Administrator at Laney
, managing the largest Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Northern California, and monitoring a federal budget of $500,000 including the Office of Community Services, as well as several special grants and programs. She also served as president of the Peralta Federation of Teachers Political Action Committee (PFT-PAC) for two years (2002-2004) where she fought to improve salaries, benefits and pensions of teachers as well as oversee the Political Action Committee. The PFT-PAC endorse candidates seeking elected office(s) of the Peralta Community College District
Board of Trustees.
In March 2011, Dr. Ward Allen was inducted into the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame in the category of Education. She has taught over 100,000 students in the Bay Area according to the Oakland Post. In 2008, Laney College President Frank Chong recognized Ward Allen for her leadership with the President's Award of the College. Ward Allen has received multiple awards for her expertise in transportation including the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Oakland/Bay Area Chapter's Pioneer Award at the 7th Annual Madam C.J. Walker Business and Community Recognition Awards Luncheon in 2005 as the Vice President of BART.
As of 2011, she is a retired Professor at College of Alameda
and Laney College
in the Ethnic Studies Department and the CEO of CWA Partners, LLC.
appointed Ward Allen to the California Commission on the Status of Women. In 1983, she became its first African American
president. Her mentors on the commission were Congresswomen Diane Watson
and Maxine Waters
. She was motivated to follow in these strong women footsteps in making change in politics. During her time as president on the commission, Ward Allen was invited to the White House by Ronald Reagan
's daughter, Maureen Reagan
to the U.S. Commission on the Status of Women Dinner Reception, which made headlines around the Bay Area.
Board of Commissioners. She was nominated by Mayor Lionel J. Wilson and appointed by the Oakland City Council. Ward Allen was responsible for transportation, businesses, financial and political strategies for the development of the maritimes facilities, Oakland International Airport, and commercial real estate holdings budget of $100 million, accounting for directly and indirectly more than 44,000 jobs. She served as Commission president for two years (1990–92), as the first woman and first African American
woman to do so. She was the second African American woman to be appointed to the commission and third female.
During her tenure on the Port of Oakland
, she traveled to Japan
, Hong Kong
, Korea
, Taiwan
, Spain
, Ivory Coast, and Australia
to speak with various officials with respect to the ports around the world.
Ward Allen is also noted for helping Mayor Lionel J. Wilson bring Southwest Airlines
to Oakland International Airport during the late 1980s for the very first time.
owning the facility where the Amtrak
station was built when she headed the Port.
Development Project during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1989, when Ward Allen was Vice President of the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners the Port's office was relocated to Jack London Square and her name was engraved on the building. The Jack London Square
was supposed to help retail and businesses bring in money as an attractive tourist area in Oakland.
.
State Legislator and members of the general public under her watch. In addition to her accomplishments, she hired the first woman to serve as general manager or CEO of the entire BART organization, Dorothy Dugger. She also, was a great believer in economic development, this led her to revitalizing her communities as a hands-on BART Director by enhancing transit oriented development policy-making for affordable housing and livable communities in the Fruitvale, Coliseum, and Lake Merritt districts, helping minority and women owned businesses stay afloat financially, and generating employment opportunities to her constituents. Above all, she is recognized for her courageous and tenacious effort to become the champion and "Godmother" dubbed by BART Director James Fang, of the controversial Oakland Airport Connector Project. She has served as Vice-President (2005) and President (2006) of BART.
Connector project will generate approximately 2,500 to 5,200 direct and indirect jobs. Moreover, Dr. Carole Ward Allen has been active in many of BART’s historic measures such as its first Project Labor Agreement (PLA). In October of 2010, BART Director Ward Allen had a ground breaking on the project at the Oakland Coliseum Station and was joined by Congresswoman Barbara Lee
, Mayor Ron Dellums
, Assemblywoman Sandre Swanson
and Council member Larry Reid, Port of Oakland
, local unions and ministers on its announcement to the public. COMTO (Conference of Minority Transportation Officials) presented Ward Allen with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual awards ceremony in 2011 for her dedication to public service of a major transportation agency. The OAC Project is slated to be operating spring of 2014.
signed the historic BART Accountability Act AB 1586 into California law, which Ward Allen fought for and Assemblyman Sandre Swanson
carried to enforce civilian oversight of the BART Police Department. Ward Allen even thanked the governor, the community, the entire BART organization and Assemblyman Swanson for their hard work in getting the AB 1586 bill implemented in the aftermath of the Oscar Grant shooting. Carole Ward Allen was the only BART Director who attended the Oscar Grant trial on the nine member board in Los Angeles during the summer of 2010.
Department (BPD) which she chaired in the aftermath of BART Police Shooting of Oscar Grant
. Ward Allen formulated and chaired BART's first Police Department Review Committee, and as a result, BART has made sweeping changes on many security measures, as well as corrected and implemented several policies and procedures. BPD Review Committee has led to the retraining of all officers on use of force, diversity retraining and other issues. Ward Allen hired Kenton Rainey, the person selected to lead BART’s 296-member police force, to take command as Chief of Police
. “What impresses me most about Chief Rainey is his commitment to the community. He’s a man who doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk- a trait which I am confident our customers will appreciate and our officers will find inspiring as they strive to be the best they can be in the years to come,” said Ward Allen.
BART Director Ward Allen served as the Chairperson of the Board’s Police Department Review Committee, Planning, Public Affairs, Access & Legislation and Oakland Airport Connector – Coliseum Station Development Liaison Committees. She also chaired the Fruitvale Policy Committee, Executive Management Committee, Small/Minority/Women-Owned Business & Bonding Committee and was a member of the AC Transit
Liaison Committee.
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
, scholar, artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
, businesswoman, political consultant, transportation leader, community organizer, member of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
and was an elected member of the Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit
Bay Area Rapid Transit is a rapid transit system serving the San Francisco Bay Area. The heavy-rail public transit and subway system connects San Francisco with cities in the East Bay and suburbs in northern San Mateo County. BART operates five lines on of track with 44 stations in four counties...
(BART) District Board of Directors. She represented District 4 (Oakland, California
Oakland, California
Oakland is a major West Coast port city on San Francisco Bay in the U.S. state of California. It is the eighth-largest city in the state with a 2010 population of 390,724...
and Alameda, California
Alameda, California
Alameda is a city in Alameda County, California, United States. It is located on Alameda Island and Bay Farm Island, and is adjacent to Oakland in the San Francisco Bay. The Bay Farm Island portion of the city is adjacent to the Oakland International Airport. At the 2010 census, the city had a...
), where she served three terms. Ward Allen became the first African American to serve as president of the California Commission on the Status of Women in 1983. In 1990, she made history again as an Oakland Port Commissioner who was elected among her colleagues to serve as president, making her the first woman to do so, and the longest African American woman to achieve such stride with two terms. Almost a decade later, December 15, 2005, BART Director Ward Allen attained another major milestone as a woman in politics when she was elected amongst her colleagues on the BART Board of Directors to serve as its president and Lynette Sweet
Lynette Sweet
Lynette Sweet is an elected member of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District, a special purpose district in the San Francisco Bay Area that operates the Bay Area Rapid Transit rail system...
as its vice president, which made BART the first major transportation agency to be led by two African American women in American history.
Background
Carole is a native and current resident of Oakland, graduating from Castlemont High School in 1960.She holds a Master of Fine Arts
Master of Fine Arts
A Master of Fine Arts is a graduate degree typically requiring 2–3 years of postgraduate study beyond the bachelor's degree , although the term of study will vary by country or by university. The MFA is usually awarded in visual arts, creative writing, filmmaking, dance, or theatre/performing arts...
and a Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
from San Jose State University
San José State University
San Jose State University is a public university located in San Jose, California, United States...
and a Doctorate in Higher Education from Nova Southeastern University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She also completed post-graduate studies at the Sorbonne, Paris France, Fourah Bay College University, Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone , officially the Republic of Sierra Leone, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Guinea to the north and east, Liberia to the southeast, and the Atlantic Ocean to the west and southwest. Sierra Leone covers a total area of and has an estimated population between 5.4 and 6.4...
; University of Ile-Ife, Nigeria
Nigeria
Nigeria , officially the Federal Republic of Nigeria, is a federal constitutional republic comprising 36 states and its Federal Capital Territory, Abuja. The country is located in West Africa and shares land borders with the Republic of Benin in the west, Chad and Cameroon in the east, and Niger in...
; the University of Kumasi, Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
; and University of Nairobi, Kenya.
She has served as Assistant Vice Chancellor and Director of Community Relations and Marketing for the Peralta Community College District
Peralta Community College District
The Peralta Community College District is the community college district serving northern Alameda County, California. The district operates four community colleges: Berkeley City College, Laney College and Merritt College in Oakland, and College of Alameda. From 1968 to 1988, non-contiguous Plumas...
. Prior to this position, she was a College Administrator at Laney
Laney College
Laney College is a community college located in Oakland, California, next to the Lake Merritt BART station and the Kaiser Convention Center. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District which serves northern Alameda County.Laney College originally opened in...
, managing the largest Retired Senior Volunteer Program in Northern California, and monitoring a federal budget of $500,000 including the Office of Community Services, as well as several special grants and programs. She also served as president of the Peralta Federation of Teachers Political Action Committee (PFT-PAC) for two years (2002-2004) where she fought to improve salaries, benefits and pensions of teachers as well as oversee the Political Action Committee. The PFT-PAC endorse candidates seeking elected office(s) of the Peralta Community College District
Peralta Community College District
The Peralta Community College District is the community college district serving northern Alameda County, California. The district operates four community colleges: Berkeley City College, Laney College and Merritt College in Oakland, and College of Alameda. From 1968 to 1988, non-contiguous Plumas...
Board of Trustees.
In March 2011, Dr. Ward Allen was inducted into the Alameda County Women's Hall of Fame in the category of Education. She has taught over 100,000 students in the Bay Area according to the Oakland Post. In 2008, Laney College President Frank Chong recognized Ward Allen for her leadership with the President's Award of the College. Ward Allen has received multiple awards for her expertise in transportation including the National Coalition of 100 Black Women, Inc. Oakland/Bay Area Chapter's Pioneer Award at the 7th Annual Madam C.J. Walker Business and Community Recognition Awards Luncheon in 2005 as the Vice President of BART.
As of 2011, she is a retired Professor at College of Alameda
College of Alameda
College of Alameda is a two-year community college located in Alameda, California.The college is part of the Peralta Community College District and was opened in 1968. The college has been located at its campus at Atlantic Avenue and Webster Street since 1970...
and Laney College
Laney College
Laney College is a community college located in Oakland, California, next to the Lake Merritt BART station and the Kaiser Convention Center. Laney is the largest of the four colleges of the Peralta Community College District which serves northern Alameda County.Laney College originally opened in...
in the Ethnic Studies Department and the CEO of CWA Partners, LLC.
California Commission on the Status of Women
In 1980, Governor Jerry BrownJerry Brown
Edmund Gerald "Jerry" Brown, Jr. is an American politician. Brown served as the 34th Governor of California , and is currently serving as the 39th California Governor...
appointed Ward Allen to the California Commission on the Status of Women. In 1983, she became its first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
president. Her mentors on the commission were Congresswomen Diane Watson
Diane Watson
Diane Edith Watson is a former US Representative for , serving from 2003 until 2011. She is a member of the Democratic Party...
and Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters
Maxine Waters is the U.S. Representative for , and previously the 29th district, serving since 1991. She is a member of the Democratic Party....
. She was motivated to follow in these strong women footsteps in making change in politics. During her time as president on the commission, Ward Allen was invited to the White House by Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
's daughter, Maureen Reagan
Maureen Reagan
Maureen Elizabeth Reagan was the first child of former President Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman...
to the U.S. Commission on the Status of Women Dinner Reception, which made headlines around the Bay Area.
Landmark Women Issues
Much of her policy-making consisted advancing women in small businesses and enterprises, improving military wives circumstances, and fighting for equal compensation for comparable work as a woman. In addition, she made many speeches around California to empower women monthly.Oakland Port Commission
In 1987, Ward Allen was appointed to the Port of OaklandPort of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
Board of Commissioners. She was nominated by Mayor Lionel J. Wilson and appointed by the Oakland City Council. Ward Allen was responsible for transportation, businesses, financial and political strategies for the development of the maritimes facilities, Oakland International Airport, and commercial real estate holdings budget of $100 million, accounting for directly and indirectly more than 44,000 jobs. She served as Commission president for two years (1990–92), as the first woman and first African American
African American
African Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
woman to do so. She was the second African American woman to be appointed to the commission and third female.
During her tenure on the Port of Oakland
Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
, she traveled to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Korea
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
, Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, Ivory Coast, and Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
to speak with various officials with respect to the ports around the world.
Ward Allen is also noted for helping Mayor Lionel J. Wilson bring Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines
Southwest Airlines Co. is an American low-cost airline based in Dallas, Texas. Southwest is the largest airline in the United States, based upon domestic passengers carried,...
to Oakland International Airport during the late 1980s for the very first time.
Amtrak to Oakland
In addition, Ward Allen along with her board members advocated and secured funds to bring Oakland - Jack London Square (Amtrak station) to Oakland in the early 1990s. This was the first time in history Amtrak had come to Oakland. The site of the Amtrak station officially opened in 1994. Ward Allen was involved in much of the contracting and legal work surrounding the Port of OaklandPort of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
owning the facility where the Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
station was built when she headed the Port.
Jack London Square Development
Carole Ward Allen was a critical proponent of the Jack London SquareJack London Square
Jack London Square is a popular tourist attraction on the waterfront of Oakland, California. Named after the author Jack London and owned by the Port of Oakland, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak station, a ferry dock, the historic Saloon, the cabin Jack London lived in the...
Development Project during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 1989, when Ward Allen was Vice President of the Port of Oakland Board of Commissioners the Port's office was relocated to Jack London Square and her name was engraved on the building. The Jack London Square
Jack London Square
Jack London Square is a popular tourist attraction on the waterfront of Oakland, California. Named after the author Jack London and owned by the Port of Oakland, it is the home of stores, restaurants, hotels, an Amtrak station, a ferry dock, the historic Saloon, the cabin Jack London lived in the...
was supposed to help retail and businesses bring in money as an attractive tourist area in Oakland.
Oakland Aviation High School
Ward Allen was instrumental in the creation of Aviation High School, which was adopted by the Oakland Unified School DistrictOakland Unified School District
Oakland Unified School District is a public education school district which operates elementary schools , middle schools , and high schools in Oakland, California.-History:...
.
1998 & 2001 Oakland City Council Elections
Carole Ward Allen was a District 6 Oakland City Council candidate in 1998 and in 2001, both times making a strong showing, but unsuccessfully. In 2001, Ward Allen lost to Moses Mayne by 129 votes in the special election. She was believed to be the front-runner in hotly contested race according to the Oakland Tribune and noted as "the best candidate" in the Oakland Post. Ward Allen ran a grassroots campaign knocking on doors block by block in District 6. Her campaign raised over $24,000 to Mayne's $38,000.BART Board of Directors
Director Ward Allen was first elected by voters on November 3, 1998. She is noted as one of the greatest transportation leaders of the Bay Area, and recognized as "the most accomplished BART Director of all time." This has come about due to her efforts as a BART Director who is seen for getting the most accomplished, and setting the example by leading BART as an organization in to an era of change. Carole Ward Allen changed policies, procedures, operations, and reformed the BART Police Department with assistance from the CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
State Legislator and members of the general public under her watch. In addition to her accomplishments, she hired the first woman to serve as general manager or CEO of the entire BART organization, Dorothy Dugger. She also, was a great believer in economic development, this led her to revitalizing her communities as a hands-on BART Director by enhancing transit oriented development policy-making for affordable housing and livable communities in the Fruitvale, Coliseum, and Lake Merritt districts, helping minority and women owned businesses stay afloat financially, and generating employment opportunities to her constituents. Above all, she is recognized for her courageous and tenacious effort to become the champion and "Godmother" dubbed by BART Director James Fang, of the controversial Oakland Airport Connector Project. She has served as Vice-President (2005) and President (2006) of BART.
Oakland Airport Connector Project
During Ward Allen's tenure on the BART Board, she fought for the creation of contracting opportunities for small minorities and women owned businesses. Providing employment opportunities to Oakland and Alameda residents was extremely vital for her. That is partly why she collaborated with the local unions to facilitate the creation of job opportunities. The Oakland International AirportOakland International Airport
Oakland International Airport , also known as Metropolitan Oakland International Airport, is a public airport located south of the central business district of Oakland, a city in Alameda County, California, United States...
Connector project will generate approximately 2,500 to 5,200 direct and indirect jobs. Moreover, Dr. Carole Ward Allen has been active in many of BART’s historic measures such as its first Project Labor Agreement (PLA). In October of 2010, BART Director Ward Allen had a ground breaking on the project at the Oakland Coliseum Station and was joined by Congresswoman Barbara Lee
Barbara Lee
Barbara Jean Lee is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1998. She is a member of the Democratic Party. She is the first woman to represent that district. Lee was the Chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and was the Co-Chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus...
, Mayor Ron Dellums
Ron Dellums
Ronald Vernie "Ron" Dellums served as Oakland's forty-fifth mayor. From 1971 to 1998, he was elected to thirteen terms as a Member of the U.S...
, Assemblywoman Sandre Swanson
Sandré Swanson
Sandré Swanson was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2006. Mr. Swanson represents the 16th Assembly District. The district includes the cities of Alameda, Oakland, and Piedmont. Swanson previously served as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, he was also district...
and Council member Larry Reid, Port of Oakland
Port of Oakland
The Port of Oakland was the first major port on the Pacific Coast of the United States to build terminals for container ships. It is now the fifth busiest container port in the United States, behind Long Beach, Los Angeles, Newark, and Savannah...
, local unions and ministers on its announcement to the public. COMTO (Conference of Minority Transportation Officials) presented Ward Allen with the Lifetime Achievement Award at its annual awards ceremony in 2011 for her dedication to public service of a major transportation agency. The OAC Project is slated to be operating spring of 2014.
BART's Historic California Legislation
On July 15, 2010, Governor Arnold SchwarzeneggerArnold Schwarzenegger
Arnold Alois Schwarzenegger is an Austrian-American former professional bodybuilder, actor, businessman, investor, and politician. Schwarzenegger served as the 38th Governor of California from 2003 until 2011....
signed the historic BART Accountability Act AB 1586 into California law, which Ward Allen fought for and Assemblyman Sandre Swanson
Sandré Swanson
Sandré Swanson was elected to the California State Assembly in November 2006. Mr. Swanson represents the 16th Assembly District. The district includes the cities of Alameda, Oakland, and Piedmont. Swanson previously served as Chief of Staff to Congresswoman Barbara Lee, he was also district...
carried to enforce civilian oversight of the BART Police Department. Ward Allen even thanked the governor, the community, the entire BART organization and Assemblyman Swanson for their hard work in getting the AB 1586 bill implemented in the aftermath of the Oscar Grant shooting. Carole Ward Allen was the only BART Director who attended the Oscar Grant trial on the nine member board in Los Angeles during the summer of 2010.
BART Police Department Review Committee
In 2009, the hiring of two independent organizations reviewed BART's policies and procedures in the process of overseeing the BART PoliceBART Police
The BART Police Department is the police force of the San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District .The BART Police Department has more than 296 police personnel, of which 206 are sworn peace officers. BART Police officers derive their powers of arrest from Section 830.33 P.C...
Department (BPD) which she chaired in the aftermath of BART Police Shooting of Oscar Grant
BART Police shooting of Oscar Grant
Oscar Grant was fatally shot by BART police officer Johannes Mehserle in Oakland, California, United States, in the early morning hours of New Year's Day 2009. Responding to reports of a fight on a crowded Bay Area Rapid Transit train returning from San Francisco, BART Police officers detained...
. Ward Allen formulated and chaired BART's first Police Department Review Committee, and as a result, BART has made sweeping changes on many security measures, as well as corrected and implemented several policies and procedures. BPD Review Committee has led to the retraining of all officers on use of force, diversity retraining and other issues. Ward Allen hired Kenton Rainey, the person selected to lead BART’s 296-member police force, to take command as Chief of Police
Chief of police
A Chief of Police is the title typically given to the top official in the chain of command of a police department, particularly in North America. Alternate titles for this position include Commissioner, Superintendent, and Chief constable...
. “What impresses me most about Chief Rainey is his commitment to the community. He’s a man who doesn’t just talk the talk, he walks the walk- a trait which I am confident our customers will appreciate and our officers will find inspiring as they strive to be the best they can be in the years to come,” said Ward Allen.
BART's First Minority and Women Bonding Committee
In 2010, Ward Allen formulated the BART's first Small/Minority/Women-Owned Business and Bonding Committee. The committee seeks to address the critical problems that are preventing minority- and women-owned construction businesses from receiving adequate information in a timely fashion, making plan rooms available to low-income communities and expediting the response time of all allocations.Title VI
As Chairwoman of the Oakland Airport Connector Committee, she has solicited the input from diverse communities (such as non-English speaking and low-income), to ensure transparency and accountability at BART. She was the first BART Director to demand that signage and documentation was not recommended to be multi-lingual, but required to well serve her communities. Thus being she served Oakland's Chinatown and Fruitvale districts that contained a predominant Asian and Latino population. Furthermore, she made sure there were live translators available for the first time in BART's history during community and townhall meetings.Environment
Protecting the environment has been a critical component for Ward Allen. Her endeavor to cultivating a more eco-friendly and green environment for BART resulted in the largest BART bicycle station being created in the Fruitvale Village. She has also been a strong advocate for citizens to utilize BART to diminish pollution in Alameda and Oakland inner cities as well as shop with a recyclable shopping bag. The "Bring Your Own Bag" initiative is essentially an effort to eradicating the excessive and careless use of plastic, and other sorts of shopping bags. BART Board Directors including the City of Oakland representatives and Ward Allen, had joined together to promote a safer ecological environment by taking BART and a recyclable shopping bag when shopping. "I want to develop a greener BART system," said Ward Allen.BART Director Ward Allen served as the Chairperson of the Board’s Police Department Review Committee, Planning, Public Affairs, Access & Legislation and Oakland Airport Connector – Coliseum Station Development Liaison Committees. She also chaired the Fruitvale Policy Committee, Executive Management Committee, Small/Minority/Women-Owned Business & Bonding Committee and was a member of the AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...
Liaison Committee.