Meet the GPAC Chair and Vice Chair

At the November 17, 2020 meeting, the Committee nominated its Chair and Vice Chair to lead the start of the General Plan Update and voted unanimously for Christine (Chris) Lee to serve as Committee Chair and Jim Cervantes as Vice Chair. GPAC members anticipate the chair and vice chair positions will rotate annually. Read below to learn more about the experience these two outstanding volunteers will bring to the General Plan process.

Chris Lee, GPAC Chair

Chris Lee was selected for the Committee through the GPAC lottery to serve as an At-Large representative. Chris grew up in New Jersey and made her way to California in 1977. Twenty-five years ago, she and her husband bought their home in Lafayette, where they raised their son. Chris brings a range of professional experience to her role as the GPAC chair. She spent 27 years as the Vice President at Bank of America Leasing and has also worked as co-owner of a health insurance and employee benefits agency in downtown Lafayette. She has also served on three boards, including LASF, Seven Hills School, and The Lab (a San Francisco arts organization). 

“I’m honored to serve as Chair of the General Plan Advisory Committee and look forward to being of service to the Lafayette community.”

Jim Cervantes, GPAC Vice Chair

Jim Cervantes, the GPAC’s Reliez Valley representative, is a nine-year resident of Lafayette.  He and wife Francesca have lived in the Lamorinda area for 25 years where they raised their two children.  Jim retired in late 2020 after a 34-year investment banking career in Public Finance. Over his career, Jim worked with communities throughout California in financing infrastructure projects and led or worked with financing teams on nearly 500 transactions amounting to the issuance of over $16 billion of municipal bonds. Jim also brings experience managing affordable housing for a non-profit housing development corporation in the San Francisco Mission District and has served on several non-profit boards, including the Tenderloin Neighborhood Development Corporation.