Jessica Matlock - President

Jessica has been passionate about government from a young age. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2020 with a double major in Politics and Sociology. During her time at UCSC she had the opportunity to intern for Congressman Eric Swalwell and then-Senator Kamala Harris. Upon graduating in the midst of the pandemic and the virtual world she became a Staff Assistant for Senator Alex Padilla.

After deciding that making the move to D.C. wasn't for her, she took a year off and became a ski instructor in Tahoe before inevitably missing the business of politics and policy and found the perfect fit for her continued learning and career objectives - the Sac State MPPA program.

She currently works for State Senator Josh Newman as a Legislative Aide and is ecstatic to continue her second year in the MPPA program while serving as your GASPPA president.

Allison Kustic - Vice President

Allison Kustic (she/her) is Vice President of GASPPA and a second year part-time MPPA student. She is a Senior Legislative Aide for Assembly member Rodriguez and passionate about public service and particularly interested in environmental, natural resource, water, and election policy. In 2020, she earned her Bachelors of Political Science from Dominican University of California with minors in Ecology & Environmental Science and Pre-Law.

As VP, Allison's goal is to ensure that all PPA students have the opportunity to engage with their learning community both inside and outside of the classroom. She looks forward to connecting PPA students across cohorts and classes and to alumni and the Sacramento community to build friendships and professional connections.

In her free time, you can find Allison baking a new recipe, out cycling, burying her head in a book, or planning her next trip.

David O'Brien - Financial Director

David O'Brien serves as Director of Finance for the 2023-24 school year. David is the Vice Chancellor of Government Relations for the California Community Colleges system, where he oversees state and federal legislative advocacy for the nation's largest system of higher education, representing all 116 community colleges in California.

A longtime advocate for equity in higher education, David previously worked for the California Student Aid Commission as director of government affairs, leading an effort to expand eligibility for the state Cal Grant program so that all students can afford to attend and succeed in college.

David is originally from the San Francisco Bay Area, and moved to Sacramento in 2006 to attend Sacramento State as an undergrad, where he received his Bachelor of Arts in Government. In his spare time, David enjoys rooting for the San Francisco Giants and 49ers, and loves watching movies at home with his wife, a public school educator. David and his wife live in West Sacramento.

Zahraa Ahmad- Academic Director

Zahraa Ahmad is a second-year part-time MPPA student. She is currently a Graduate Student Assistant for the California Department of Justice. She completed her B.A. in Political Science and Sociology in 2020 at UC Irvine.

Ahmad is still new to public service so is still trying to figure out what her policy interests are, but she definitely wants to help people and improve their lives. At her current job, she gets to learn a lot about the issues that matter to people and how to help people.

She hopes to help students feel supported and represent their interests as the Academic Director. She hopes she can also help hold fun events for the students.

She enjoys attending concerts, listening to music, and watching movies. She likes to read and crochet. Ahmad also likes to find and try new restaurants.

Malluli Cuellar- Communications Director

Malluli Cuellar (she/her) is the Communications Coordinator of GASPPA and a second-year part-time student. Malluli works for Senate Majority Leader Mike McGuire in the California Legislature. Malluli is originally from Riverside, CA in the Inland Empire. She completed her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with a concentration in Law and Policy at California State Polytechnic University, Humboldt in 2022. After graduating, she spent her summer in Orlando, FL while participating in the Disney College Program.

Malluli looks forward to representing PPA students. She is eager to facilitate communication between GASPPA and PPA students. She is passionate about both policy and administrative work. She enjoys working in the California Legislature during the day and learning as a PPA student in the evening.

In her free time, Malluli enjoys caring for her Ranchu Goldfish, setting up fish and amphibian tanks with her partner Liam, watching reality television, exploring Sacramento, and planning trips.