MEET ADENA
Adena’s life is all about optimism in the face of challenges. Her life experience and her Berkeley story give her deep insight into the challenges many Berkeley residents face today.
Confronting a Legacy of Injustice
Adena’s Japanese American family was incarcerated in concentration camps during WWII. From this defining moment, she knows the power that governments hold and what can happen when that power is abused. Her family’s history strongly shaped her sense of justice and her belief in standing up for what’s right.
Growing Up Fast
When Adena was eight years old, her father was diagnosed with early-onset dementia. Her mom went back to work so Adena stepped in to help raise her younger sister and manage the house. She has supported a number of older adults in her multi-generational Asian American family, navigating our complex public safety net services like MediCal and In-Home Support Services.
Never to be deterred, Adena supported herself by working multiple jobs at the same time – as a nanny, babysitter, bunny-sitter, tutor, house cleaner, and real estate administrative assistant– whatever it took.
Finding Home in Berkeley
Adena moved to Berkeley fifteen years ago, attended Berkeley City College and UC Berkeley, and made Berkeley her permanent home. Moving here did not come without its challenges–struggling with lack of affordability, dealing with neighborhood safety concerns, and becoming a survivor of domestic violence. Yet, like so many others, Adena fell in love with the city and has used these experiences to make life better for all of us.
Putting a Lifetime of Experience to Work for Berkeley
Adena was the youngest and first woman of color elected President of the League of Women Voters of Berkeley, Albany, and Emeryville. She worked to unite our community by strengthening democracy, engaging voters, and advocating for common-sense policies.
She is the Co-Chair of the Berkeley Unified School District Reparations Task Force, which is crafting recommendations for reparations to students with ancestors enslaved in the U.S.
She served on the Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Product Panel of Experts Commission (appointed by former Mayor Tom Bates and current Mayor Jesse Arreguin), where she worked to reduce the consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in Berkeley.
Adena was instrumental in the passage of Measure O in 2018, which is credited for creating an affordable housing boom in Berkeley, and the accompanying Measure P which funds homeless services.
A graduate of UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business and Santa Clara University School of Law, Adena worked on criminal justice issues as an Earl Warren Fellow and the Human Exploitation and Trafficking (HEAT) Watch Coordinator at the Alameda County District Attorney’s office and a law clerk intern in the Contra Costa County District Attorney’s office.
Adena is currently an education and nonprofit consultant, advocating for Berkeley High School and Berkeley City College students to access higher education and supporting young adults with career development.
She lives with her husband, daughter, and three dogs in South Berkeley.