Tri-City Mental Health Authority is overseen by a Governing Board composed of seven members. Four members are a council member of his/her respective City, and three members of the Board are community members appointed by the three Cities, each serving without compensation. The Governing Board has the powers common to public agencies as enumerated in the Joint Exercise of Powers Act. Meeting monthly, the Board directs the strategic objectives and policy of Tri-City. Get to know our Governing Board members below.
The Governing Board holds regularly scheduled meetings on the third Wednesday of each month at the MHSA Administrative Office. Meeting dates, times and locations are subject to change. Please check the posted agenda for the most current information. All meetings are open to the public, except special closed sessions that concern personnel or legal matters.
Jed Leano, Esq., Chair
City of Claremont Council Member, District 4
Jed Leano is serving his second term on Claremont City Council (November 2022 - November 2026).
Mayor Leano serves as chair of the San Gabriel Valley Regional Housing Trust Board, Chair of Tri-City Mental Health Board, and Claremont’s representative to the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGV COG) Homelessness Committee. He represents the SGV COG on the Southern California Association of Governments (SCAG) Community Economic and Human Development Committee (CEHD), charged with the Regional Housing Needs Assessment (RHNA) methodology, and represents SCAG on the Mobile Source Air Pollution Reduction Review Committee (MSRC), charged with overseeing programs to reduce motor vehicle air pollution. He serves as chair of the Claremont Lincoln University MPA program Advisory Council, Vice Chair of the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of the CA Democratic Party, and on the board of the San Gabriel Valley Immigration Resource Center.
Prior to his election to City Council, Councilmember Leano served as the Vice Chair of the Community and Human Services Commission and was the founding Chair of Housing Claremont. Since 2011, he has served as lead attorney for the quarterly immigration and naturalization clinic at the United Methodist Church. He was founding board member and lead attorney of the Neighborhood Immigration Clinic in 2009, a state-wide pro-bono immigration law clinic, and served as Board Chair from 2012-2014. Prior to moving to Claremont, Jed resided in Pasadena, CA where he served as 80th President of the Pasadena Jaycees and National Legal Counsel for the United States Jaycees.
Councilmember Leano works as an immigration attorney in private practice in Pasadena, CA. He was admitted to practice law by the New Jersey Supreme Court in 2006. He obtained his Juris Doctor from Rutgers School of Law in 2005 and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Kentucky in 2001. He and his wife Liz have one son, Welles.
Wendy Lau, Esq., Vice Chair
City of La Verne Council Member, District 5
Wendy Lau is a Risk Management Sr. Manager for AECOM, a Fortune 500 architectural, engineering, and consulting firm. In this role, she is engaged in the evaluation and mitigation of risk for potential pursuits and actively assists business lines and teams with the management of risks throughout the lifetime of a project. Wendy also serves as an AECOM Global Well-Being Strategic Partner, a Global Mental Health Ally, and as the President of the Women’s Leadership Alliance, the women’s employee resource group.
Prior to AECOM, Wendy was a partner at Wood Smith Henning & Berman, LLP, a national civil defense law firm. For over sixteen years, Wendy served as legal counsel to numerous companies ranging from small businesses to multi-million-dollar corporations. Her legal experience includes business transactions, contracts, construction, labor and employment, and general liability while her overall professional expertise includes strategic planning, fiscal accountability, onboarding, team building, and professional development, as well as talent management and pipelining.
Wendy’s other current responsibilities include serving as a Trustee for the University of La Verne, a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI); a director on Phi Sigma Sigma’s National Housing Corporation; and a Councilmember for the City of La Verne.
Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole, Board Member
City of Pomona Council Member, District 4
City of Pomona Council Member Elizabeth Ontiveros-Cole has lived in Pomona for six decades – she was raised in Pomona, graduated from Pomona schools, was married and raised her children in Pomona. She has worked for Pomona Unified School District Health Services for 22 years.
As a dedicated Pomona citizen and District Four resident, she played a vital role in the installation of traffic calming provisions in her neighborhood to prevent speeding and promote pedestrian safety. In response to an increase of residential break-ins, she successfully petitioned to increase the number of street lamps for better security at night in both the street and the adjacent alleyway. She has also dedicated herself to preserving the neighborhood’s historic 100 year-old camphor trees in midst of both the California drought and an infestation of plant fungal disease. In addition, she helped organize a neighborhood watch group in alliance with Unity Church of Pomona.
As District Four’s Councilmember, Councilmember Ontiveros-Cole will continue to be an active Pomona citizen and civil servant by continuing her efforts to improve and clean up streets and alleyways; promote community safety, crime prevention programs and neighborhood watch groups; address and alleviate homelessness; beautify Pomona parks and recreation areas; bring new projects and developments to the City; promote and fund the Pomona Public Library; and preserve historical landmark and buildings.
Lorraine Canales, Board Member
City of Pomona Council Member, District 6
My name is Lorraine Canales, a proud mother of 2, a recently retired lifelong education, and a newly elected Pomona City Council Member for District 6. Growing up in East Los Angeles, my parents instilled in me the principles of hard work and compassion for others. I have a deep understanding of the challenges faced by working families. My father, in his pursuit of providing for our family of eight, labored tirelessly in various jobs before eventually establishing his own barbershop. My mother, initially a stay-at-home mom, later returned to college and earned a certificate in early childhood education, dedicating herself to nurturing young minds as a preschool teacher.
Twenty-four years ago, I made the life-changing decision to move to Pomona, where I bought my home and raised my two wonderful children. My daughter, now a Staff Sergeant in the United States Marine Corps, exemplifies dedication to service, while my son, a musician pursuing a career in Audio Engineering and Music. Pomona has not only been the place where my family has grown, but it has also been the foundation of my passion for community service.
My educational journey led me to Cal State Los Angeles, where I earned a degree in early childhood education, along with credentials in Teaching and Counseling. Over the past three decades, I have proudly served as an educator, with a particular focus on high school teaching and counseling. Through these roles, I have fostered meaningful connections with my students, always prioritizing their well-being. I have personally worked with all of my students to ensure that they have a plan for life after high school. I have continued to connect with many of my students on a personal level well after graduation. My ability to comprehend diverse backgrounds and individual needs has allowed me to bring valuable insights and resources to support academic success, provide career and college guidance, identify scholarship opportunities, and nurture social and emotional growth.
Through my years of working with local families, students, and organizations, I have seen firsthand the challenges our city faces, as well as the incredible resilience and potential within our community. Beyond my professional roles, I have been an active member and volunteer within various service organizations, deeply committed to making a positive impact in our community. I am passionate about creating positive change in Pomona and eager to work with all stakeholders to move Pomona forward.
Carolyn Cockrell, Board Member
City of La Verne Community Representative
Information is currently pending.
Sandra Grajeda, Esq., Board Member
City of Claremont Community Representative
Sandra Grajeda is honored to have been chosen to serve on the Governing Board for Tri-City Mental Health Authority for 2025. She is the community representative for Claremont.or at the Claremont Graduate University, where he teaches courses on Education and the Law.
Sandra first came to Claremont in 1966 to study at Pomona College. She earned her BA in Spanish Literature in 1970. While working at a non-profit at the Claremont Colleges, The Institute for Antiquity and Christianity, she was inspired to attend law school. She graduated with the first night school class in 1977 and received her JD from what was then called the University of La Verne School of Law.
She passed the bar exam the same year and began working as a workers’ compensation attorney in 1978. During her 34-year full-time practice as a workers’ compensation specialist, she worked for several workers’ compensation law firms, including Jerold L. Perry in Pomona and Kegel, Tobin and Truce in Montclair/Rancho Cucamonga, where she represented many public entities.
During her last 10 years of full-time practice, she was a deputy county counsel for the County of San Bernardino in the workers’ compensation department. During that time, she served for several years on the California State Board of Legal Specialization. She maintains her attorney license and does contract work for Robin B. Schwebs in Pomona and Alexander D. Napolin in Claremont.
Paula Lantz, Board Member
City of Pomona Community Representative
Information is currently pending.
Joint Powers Authority (JPA) Agreement between the cities of Claremont, La Verne, and Pomona, to deliver mental health services to the residents of the three cities. Through this collaborative effort, Tri-City has been the designated mental health authority for local residents, serving children, youth, adults and older adults alike.