Bay Area

County Supervisor Keith Carson Announces Retirement after 30-Year Career

Many had assumed that Carson, who was first elected to the board in 1992, was planning to run for another term. But in a surprise statement, he announced Friday just after the filing deadline that he would not run for re-election.

Published

2 years ago

December 15, 2023

Oakland Post

Keith Carson

By Post Staff

Keith Carson, a 30-year incumbent on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors, has announced that he will not seek reelection to the board in 2024.

“Serving you over the past 30 years has been an immense honor and privilege,” Carson wrote in a statement. “I’m excited about the future that lies ahead for Alameda County.”

Carson said that his decision was made after “careful consideration, prayer, and consultation” with his family.

Rushing to run for Carson’s District 5 seat, nine candidates have submitted their names:

Ben Bartlett,Berkeley councilmember
Nikki Fortunato Bas, Oakland councilmember
John Bauters, Emeryville councilmember
Ken Berrick, ALCO Board of Education trustee
Omar Farmer, ALCO Veteran Affairs Commissioner
Greg Hodge, non-profit executive
Chris Moore, community volunteer/accountant
Gerald Pechenuk, ALCO GOP Central Committee member
Lorrel Plimier, director, attorney/data scientist

In an interview quoted in the East Bay Times, Carson said that although he was grateful to represent his district, he also found that advocating for the Black and Brown communities he represents in corridors of power often occupied by White people was not always easy.

“It’s been a privilege to be at those table, and it’s also painful to be at those tables,” Carson said. “You’re usually the lone voice. You try not to be dismissed.”

Supervisor Carson said the decision to retire was not made for health reasons, and that he would have been “physically ready for another term.” He also said he would not run for another elected office or pursue consulting.

Conway Jones, Carson’s appointee and past Chairman of the Alameda County Veterans Commission, expressed gratitude to Carson for his efforts on behalf of veterans.

“Supervisor Keith Carson been a dedicated servant to our community,” Jones said. “We have a $240 million Veterans Administration Columbarium and Clinic in progress at the former Alameda Naval Air Station thanks to his leadership.”

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Oakland Post: Week of February 25 – March 3, 2026

The printed Weekly Edition of the Oakland Post: Week of – February 25 – March 3, 2026

Published

2 days ago

March 1, 2026

Oakland Post

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Chase Oakland Community Center Hosts Alley-Oop Accelerator Building Community and Opportunity for Bay Area Entrepreneurs

Over the past three years, the Alley-Oop Accelerator has helped more than 20 Bay Area businesses grow, connect, and gain meaningful exposure. The program combines hands-on training, mentorship, and community-building to help participants navigate the legal, financial, and marketing challenges of small business ownership.

Published

1 week ago

February 21, 2026

Oakland Post

Bay Area entrepreneurs attend the Alley-Oop Accelerator, a small business incubation program at Chase Oakland Community Center. Photo by Carla Thomas.

By Carla Thomas

The Golden State Warriors and Chase bank hosted the third annual Alley-Oop Accelerator this month, an empowering eight-week program designed to help Bay Area entrepreneurs bring their visions for business to life.

The initiative kicked off on Feb. 12 at Chase’s Oakland Community Center on Broadway Street, welcoming 15 small business owners who joined a growing network of local innovators working to strengthen the region’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.

At its core, the accelerator is designed to create an ecosystem of collaboration, where local entrepreneurs can learn from one another while accessing the resources of a global financial institution.

“This is our third year in a row working with the Golden State Warriors on the Alley-Oop Accelerator,” said Jaime Garcia, executive director of Chase’s Coaching for Impact team for the West Division. “We’ve already had 20-plus businesses graduate from the program, and we have 15 enrolled this year. The biggest thing about the program is really the community that’s built amongst the business owners — plus the exposure they’re able to get through Chase and the Golden State Warriors.”

According to Garcia, several graduates have gone on to receive vendor contracts with the Warriors and have gained broader recognition through collaborations with JPMorgan Chase.

“A lot of what Chase is trying to do,” Garcia added, “is bring businesses together because what they’ve asked for is an ecosystem, a network where they can connect, grow, and thrive organically.”

This year’s Alley-Oop Accelerator reflects that vision through its comprehensive curriculum and emphasis on practical learning. Participants explore the full spectrum of business essentials including financial management, marketing strategy, and legal compliance, while also preparing for real-world experiences such as pop-up market events.

Each entrepreneur benefits from one-on-one mentoring sessions through Chase’s Coaching for Impact program, which provides complimentary, personalized business consulting.

Garcia described the impact this hands-on approach has had on local small business owners. He recalled one candlemaker, who, after participating in the program, was invited to provide candles as gifts at Chase events.

“We were able to help give that business exposure,” he explained. “But then our team also worked with them on how to access capital to buy inventory and manage operations once those orders started coming in. It’s about preparation. When a hiccup happens, are you ready to handle it?”

The Coaching for Impact initiative, which launched in 2020 in just four cities, has since expanded to 46 nationwide.

“Every business is different,” Garcia said. “That’s why personal coaching matters so much. It’s life-changing.”

Participants in the 2026 program will each receive a $2,500 stipend, funding that Garcia said can make an outsized difference. “It’s amazing what some people can do with just $2,500,” he noted. “It sounds small, but it goes a long way when you have a plan for how to use it.”

For Chase and the Warriors, the Alley-Oop Accelerator represents more than an educational initiative, it’s a pathway to empowerment and economic inclusion. The program continues to foster lasting relationships among the entrepreneurs who, as Garcia put it, “build each other up” through shared growth and opportunity.

“Starting a business is never easy, but with the right support, it becomes possible, and even exhilarating,” said Oscar Lopez, the senior business consultant for Chase in Oakland.