Staff Leadership

David Levitus | Founder & Executive Director

David founded LA Forward Institute with a group of his fellow Angelenos to build the progressive power we need to create a just, vibrant Los Angeles.

David got his start in politics and policy during his time as an undergraduate at New York University, where he majored in History and Economics. After working to protect tenants in NYC and to shift U.S. foreign policy in DC, he moved to Los Angeles to earn a Ph.D. in History at the University of Southern California, where he focused on patterns of metropolitan development and political power over the last century. During grad school, his volunteer work in social justice organizing and policy advocacy led him to pursue a career making change from the ground up.

David's published long-form essays on progressive politics and urban policy in the LA Review of Books and Streetsblog Los Angeles. He’s a Board Member with LA Voice Action, and a member of the Social Venture Partners Los Angeles 2019-2021 Systems Accelerator cohort, as well as a former fellow with Coro Lead LA, Ashoka Emerging Social Innovators, and Starting Bloc.

Godfrey Plata | Deputy Director

Godfrey is a queer Filipino immigrant and renter whose north star is racial justice, and whose tools of choice are political education and building people power. He's a former public middle school teacher, lives in LA's Koreatown, and works in the non-profit sector to ensure that regular, everyday people know how to leverage policy, advocacy, organizing, and electoral politics as methods for community change. Godfrey envisions, designs, and leads training and leadership development programs intended to agitate members of the public to activate their rights in our democracy. He builds relationships with both seasoned co-conspirators and aspiring advocates, and has experience vision-setting and strategic-planning; organizing and leading campaigns; negotiating contracts and managing projects; building partnerships with community organizations; and recruiting, hiring, deepening, and training diverse teams of leaders. His organizing and advocacy work has contributed to wins such as:

• Houston Independent School District’s divestment of $11.9 million from a facility built by the Corrections Corps of America (one-time maker of private prisons) (2015-2016)

• Commitments from LA Unified School District to work more closely with LA Department of Transportation re: safer routes to school (2020);

• Driving the LA County Democratic Party to call for the LA County Sheriff’s resignation (2021);

• Serious moves by LA Unified to address anti-Asian racism for its adult staff and faculty.

Jacqueline Coto | Senior Director of Advocacy & Partnerships

Jacqueline Coto is a social justice leader and relational strategist whose work bridges grassroots energy with institutional influence to drive systemic change. As Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy at LA Forward Institute she leads cross-sector coalitions, shapes policy agendas, and cultivates civic power across Los Angeles County. Her portfolio spans legislative advocacy, strategic partnerships, base-building, and funder engagement — all rooted in a deep commitment to equity, democracy, and community transformation.

Jackie has led statewide redistricting efforts, advanced election reform, and strengthened Latino civic participation through roles in government, nonprofit, and movement spaces. A proud South LA native and first-generation college graduate, she earned dual master’s degrees in Social Work and Public Administration with a concentration in public policy from the University of Southern California. Her leadership is defined by strategic clarity, relational depth, and an unwavering belief in the power of collective transformation.

Sea Sloat | Director of community engagement

Sea began her journey with LA Forward Institute as a volunteer in 2020 and transitioned into a full-time role as Communications and Development Manager in Spring 2024. She was one of LAFI’s first part-time hires, working on the Measure J campaign in 2020, then fighting the attempt to recall Councilmember Mike Bonin in 2021. With a degree in International Relations, she initially wanted to work on global issues, but soon learned the important lesson that meaningful change must start locally. Her background as a photographer enriches her current role, where she leverages her diverse experience to drive effective communications and development strategies.  

Jillian Burgos | Events & Operations Specialist

Jillian Burgos is honored to join the LA Forward Institute staff team! When she’s not working for LA Forward Institute, she wears many hats as the owner of an interactive murder mystery theatre company, writer, director, public speaker, event planner, and NoHo Neighborhood Council President. Despite growing up in poverty, her mother instilled the values of service in her from a very young age. After losing multiple family members to failures of our government, Jillian dedicated her life to public service so no other family would have to endure the loss she did.  She began her journey by training with the Emily's List Ignite Change Program, New Leaders Council, and then joined other groups doing grassroots power building. Jillian has been working to build community solidarity while amplifying the voices of the people of the San Fernando Valley. Her primary focus is on the needs of all people by prioritizing life affirming preventative services like housing as a human right, unarmed crisis response, and healthcare for all. In her spare time, Jillian enjoys weight-lifting and being a cat mom. 

Jason Enright | Organizer

Jason joined LA Forward Institute as a member in 2020 and began deepening his leadership in 2023, after giving public comment for budget reform at LA City Council along with other LA Forward members. He soon became the co-leader of our Unarmed Crisis Response Working group, advocating for the City to budget $16 million dollars to create the Unarmed Model of Crisis Response pilot program. Jason then joined our Campaign Leadership Academy and City Hall Academy which led to a role as Communications Manager for a LA City Council campaign. In 2025, he was elected to the North Hollywood Northeast Neighborhood Council, where he has organized community cleanups, tenant town halls, and forums on reimagining public safety. Jason was inspired by LA Forward Institute to find his voice and fight for his community and looks forward to using the skills he’s learned to inspire and support others to add their voice.