Effie Turnbull Sanders is a Los Angeles native and social justice leader who has spent her career building equity and opportunity in communities often overlooked.

A lawyer and advocate, Sanders served as Assistant General Counsel to the Los Angeles Unified School District focusing on real estate development, facilities management, and employment law. Her legal expertise has benefited the City of Los Angeles l and major public and private organizations.

Sanders has held significant state and federal appointments, currently serving as Environmental Justice Commissioner with the California Coastal Commission and as a Presidential Appointee with the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights. She also serves on the advisory board of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

As founding Executive Director of SLATE-Z (South Los Angeles Transit Equity Zone), she transformed a federal promise zone into tangible opportunities by connecting residents to jobs, education, and vital infrastructure. Currently, as Vice President of Civic Engagement and Economic Partnerships at USC, she fosters connections between institutions and communities, advocating for equitable investments from the city’s largest stakeholders.

Sanders holds a B.A. in Mass Communications from USC and J.D. from UCLA, and is a graduate of the USC Ross Program in Real Estate. For her, genuine power lies in creating where people can flourish.