George L.Pla

Founder and CEO of Cordoba Corporation, is an entrepreneur, author, and
philanthropist whose work spans business and civic activities that hold the common theme of empowering communities throughout California. George Pla's founding of Cordoba Corporation as a full-service engineering company and his philosophy of leadership were the subjects of a curriculum-based case study by the Harvard Business School. In May 2023, California State University, Los Angeles awarded George Pla an Honorary Doctorate Degree in recognition of his contributions to education and community and business leadership.

Dr. Pla's involvement in academic institutions includes serving as a Regent Emeritus at Loyola Marymount University, asa Presidential Associate at the University of Southern California (USC), and on the Board of Councilors for USC's Sol Price School of Public Policy. From his early days in grassroots and community activism, to a position in government as the youngest official in California serving in Governor Jerry Brown's first administration, and throughout his career, Pla has been on the forefront of Latino politics in California.

He is the coauthor of the formative book on Latino politics, Power Shift: How Latinos in California Transformed Politics in America, which recounts the origins and development of ten Los Angeles Latino leaders who transformed politics and government, forging a remarkable Latino-empowerment process. Pla currently serves on the board of directors of the LA28 Olympic Games, as President of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, and as Chair of the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.