Founders of Informed Policy Advocates

Informed Policy Advocates was founded by a dedicated team of passionate leaders committed to protecting individual freedoms and empowering communities. Their vision continues to guide our work, advocating for public policies that uphold constitutional rights and support families, children, and communities.

Meet the Team

  • Jessica Cabrera

    President & Chief Executive Director 

    Jessica Cabrera is the President and Chief Executive Director of Informed Policy Advocates. A proud San Fernando Valley native, she is committed to empowering her community through civic engagement. She is a California Certified Massage Therapist and Health Educator, having studied at the National Holistic Institute. When she saw an egregious bill taking away education rights moving through legislation in 2019, she took action to engage with her state representatives and began her journey in advocacy and empowering others to participate in civic engagement. Jessica has been advocating for education rights for over 5 years, holding the position of Executive Director as Co-Founder of PERK. When she's not advocating for informed policy, Jessica dedicates her time to coaching her daughters in youth sports.

  • Darrlene Alquiza

    VP & Executive Director of Government Affairs 

    Darrlene Alquiza is the Vice President and Executive Director of Government Affairs at Informed Policy Advocates. She holds a Science Degree in Child and Adolescent Development with a special interest in research methodology and a Master’s Degree in Human Development, specializing in early childhood education with a special interest in brain development. Darrlene’s academic background and professional experience as a classroom teacher, education director, education and parenting consultant, and professor makes her a subject matter expert for educational, parental, and children’s rights. She has been advocating for education rights since 2003 and co-founded PERK in 2019, serving as the Education and Advocacy Director. With over 20 years of experience as an educator and advocate, she is committed to protecting children and families.

  • Kris Dukes

    VP & Executive Director of Outreach 

    Kris Dukes is a passionate policy advocate, co-founder of Informed Policy Advocates. As Vice President and Executive Director of Outreach, she leads efforts to drive impactful change. A California native and mother of two, Kris holds a degree in Sports Medicine and Kinesiology from California State University, Northridge. After transitioning from a career in the television and film industry, Kris became a dedicated advocate for children’s health and educational rights following her child's disability. In 2019, she shifted focus to championing parental rights and empowering communities by co-founding PERK to influence public policy for a more inclusive future, utilizing her professional experience to effectively network, disseminate information and activate participation in civic engagement. She is excited to continue working towards legislative goals through IPA.


Founders' History
& Advocacy Journey

A Legacy of Advocacy and Impact 

Our team’s history in advocacy is defined by our dedication to defending civil liberties, protecting parental rights, and empowering communities.

History

In 2019, the founders first met fighting a bill that would breed discrimination and deny children access to school. They created a 501(c)(3), Protection of the Educational Rights of Kids (PERK), which successfully fought against restrictive medical mandates and protected the rights of parents, children, educators, and essential workers. The founders achieved significant victories by halting detrimental bills in the legislature, while building relationships with state representatives and key leaders in Sacramento.

After 5 years of successful advocacy wins, the founders recognized that California’s ever-evolving policy landscape demands a more focused and targeted approach. This realization led to the establishment of Informed Policy Advocates, a 501(c)(4) organization focused on changing California’s medical mandate policies and advocating for broader consumer protections and civil rights. IPA’s mission is concentrated on creating long-term, sustainable change within California’s legislative framework. We understand the value of keeping the people of California healthy and safe, while ensuring our civil and consumer rights are protected.

Key Advocacy Milestones: A Legacy of Advocacy and Impact

The Founders have an exceptional track record of successful advocacy:

Lobbying

  • Legislative Successes: Secured significant victories such as killing dozens of bad bills over the years. We effectively stopped a bill (AB 866) that would have allowed minors 12 years and up to get vaccinated without parent knowledge or consent, amended a bill (AB 659) to change an HPV vaccine mandate to a recommendation, and successfully vetoed a bill in order to protect parental rights in child custody. We’ve also supported many bills in their legislative process, helping many good bills pass into law. And have led 300+ high-level meetings with legislators, senators, federal and state representatives, school boards, city councils, and mayors to influence policy decisions.

  • Secured Grandfather Clause: Successfully convinced the Governor’s office to pass legislation to grandfather in vaccine medical exemptions for school children after a bill SB 276 (2019 Medical Exemptions) passed that invalidated all of them. 

  • Veto Success: We have had multiple occasions of communicating with the Governor’s office and getting bad bills vetoed.

Empowering the People

  • Civic Engagement: We are able to get millions of Californians to submit their positions on California’s legislation to influence committees and representatives. In previous legislative sessions we achieved amazing outcomes such as helping Californians take over 2.8 million actions in one legislative session, sharing positions on bills to get the desired votes, amplifying voices across all government levels for policy reform. With just one legislative project, we distributed 130,000 digital postcards to constituents, guiding them to take action and impacting key California Assembly districts.

  • Educational Empowerment: We create vital educational resources for the people of California and guide them to effectively communicate with their state representatives, using our resources and guidance to influence legislators and our governor. Our experienced public speakers reach out to communities through town halls, workshops, legislative training, special events, social media, newsletters, and our website to inform and activate communities for change.

We are committed to advocacy and empowerment. Your support helps us continue our vital work, ensuring lasting, positive impact in California and beyond.