Bay Area

Former State Official Charges State Treasurer With Sexual Harassment

Blackwell, who is African American, accuses Ma of inappropriate behavior, including revealing her bare posterior on more than one occasion. San Francisco’s attorney Waukeen McCoy filed the complaint on Blackwell’s behalf.

Published

5 years ago

July 22, 2021

Christy Price

Treasurer Fiona Ma administers the oath of office to Judith Blackwell, the new Executive Director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC), as Chief of Staff Genevieve Jopanda and Deputy Treasurer for Housing & Economic Development Jovan Agee look on.

Five months after Judith Blackwell was replaced as the head of two California state committees that oversee affordable housing bonds, she filed a sexual harassment lawsuit against California State Treasurer Fiona Ma.

The11-page “complaint for damages” filed in Sacramento County Superior Court on July 13 lists four other allegations: racial discrimination, wrongful termination, disability discrimination, and intentional infliction of emotional distress.

In an email to the Sacramento Bee, Ma said she will defend herself against the allegations.

“I am saddened and disappointed by these baseless claims,” Ma wrote. “I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of support I’ve received today. To set the record straight, we have repeatedly refused to respond to the attorney’s attempts to settle. We look forward to bringing the truth to light in court.”

Blackwell’s complaint alleges that Ma provided her with hotel rooms, dinners, jewelry, paintings, and “edible marijuana so that she could go to sleep.” Those charges are made in the “Statements of Facts” section of the complaint.

In September 2019, Blackwell was named Executive Director of the California Tax Credit Allocation Committee (CTCAC). CTCAC, and the closely related California Debt Limit Allocation Committee (CDLAC), are chaired by Treasurer Ma. They are considered two of the state’s most robust affordable housing programs.

In the complaint, Blackwell also alleges that she was relieved from her position in January 2020, and that she was given no cause or reason. It also states that Blackwell was replaced by a “less qualified Caucasian female.”

“When (Blackwell) was hired, Ms. Ma assured (Blackwell)that she would have the job for the six years Ms. Ma was the State Treasurer,” the complaint states.

In September 2020, Blackwell explains that she had a stroke and stayed home for two months. Upon her return to work in November 2020, two other individuals were “assigned to the role of Deputy Treasurer, which was the role Ms. Ma told the Plaintiff she would be promoted to,” the complaint stated.

Blackwell also claims that Ma was aware that she was recovering from a stroke and yet assigned her tasks that required two people to complete.

As the Executive Director for CTCAC, Blackwell said she increased housing by 30%. Court records also stated that Blackwell said she “developed and improved CTCAC regulations” and put together a suitable system to accommodate “an additional $500 million in State tax credits provided by the Governor and Legislature to pair with CTCAC’s 4% program.”

Blackwell also created a system to protect renters from being relocated in circumstances where CTCAC was providing funds for rehabilitation.

“(Blackwell) also researched and found a way for CTCAC to provide workforce housing for individuals working in schools from K-1 through K-12. During the time the Plaintiff was in her role, CTCAC went from a $100 million per year program to a $700 million per year program,” the complaint said.

Ma is California’s 34th State Treasurer. She was elected on Nov. 6, 2018. She made history then as the first woman of color and the first woman Certified Public Accountant (CPA) elected to the position.

Her office processes more than $2 trillion in payments within a typical year and provides oversight for an investment portfolio of more than $90 billion, approximately $20 billion of which are local government funds. Ma also is also in charge of $85 billion in outstanding general obligation and lease revenue state bonds.

Prior to being elected Treasurer, she was an elected member of the California Board of Equalization from 2014 to 2018. Before that, she was a member of the State Assembly from 2006-2012, serving as Speaker pro Tempore from 2010 to 2012.

Blackwell has served as the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the Port of Oakland, the CFO of the City of Atlanta, and as Purchaser and Director of Contract Administration for the City and County of San Francisco.

She began her career as a public finance attorney, specializing in infrastructure projects. She also served as the Executive Director of the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce.

Christy Price

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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

5 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

2 weeks 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.