Capitol Impact Elects Melissa Granville As Newest Partner, Names Alex Taghavian Managing Partner

SACRAMENTO, Calif., Feb. 16, 2022 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- Capitol Impact, a Sacramento-based consulting firm that helps philanthropy, state and local governments, collaboratives, and educational institutions accelerate ideas and initiatives to address critical community needs and improve people's lives, announced today that Melissa Granville was elected as its newest partner and Alex Taghavian will assume the role of managing partner, effective immediately.

Since 2006, Capitol Impact has grown from a small firm with a primary focus on education policy to a robust, issue-agnostic, and multi-disciplinary consulting powerhouse with a list of well-known clients and 11 employees across California. The firm has deep relationships and operational expertise, particularly within the state's unique policymaking environment.

Granville is an expert in developing and executing innovative and data-informed social impact campaigns and initiatives. In her new role, she will support major government and nonprofit clients with communications, program development and management, and strategic planning. Granville is entrusted by The James Irvine Foundation to manage its Leadership Awards program — an annual grant program recognizing leaders whose innovative solutions to critical state challenges improve people's lives, create opportunity, and contribute to a better California.

Prior to joining Capitol Impact in 2018, Granville served as the development director for the Sacramento-based nonprofit, Food Literacy Center. In her role, she was responsible for leading the nonprofits' fund development and communications activities. Granville holds bachelor's and master's degrees in communications from Wichita State University. In 2021, she was named a "Young Professional On the Rise" by Comstock's Magazine and appointed by Mayor and former President pro Tempore of the California State Senate Darrell Steinberg to serve on the City of Sacramento's Active Transportation Commission (2021-2025).

"Capitol Impact has provided best-in-class program management and advocacy coaching services to The James Irvine Foundation for over a decade to support our mission to expand opportunity for the people of California," said Don Howard, President and CEO of The James Irvine Foundation. "We've recently transitioned management of nearly all elements of our annual Leadership Awards program to Capitol Impact — a testament to the firm's competence and Melissa's leadership, professionalism, and commitment to equity."

Taghavian, who joined Capitol Impact in 2013, will become the firm's second managing partner, succeeding founder Jay Schenirer. He has more than two decades of experience in teaching and educational leadership, and deep expertise in economic and workforce development strategies. Prior to joining the firm, Taghavian served in academic management roles for public and private universities, including as an adjunct professor at Sacramento State teaching scholarly writing and research methodologies.

At Capitol Impact, Taghavian leads strategy for the firm's business clients and their social impact initiatives. His portfolio covers the design and implementation of regional collaboratives, workforce solutions, and postsecondary partnerships. He has led and promoted programs for career pathways, Linked Learning, mental health, and apprenticeships. Taghavian serves as the Chair-Elect for the Los Rios Colleges Foundation board of directors, and previously served as the Chair of the Sacramento Metro Chamber of Commerce board of directors in 2019. Taghavian holds a bachelor's degree from Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, a master's degree from Sacramento State University, and a doctorate of education from Drexel University. He received the Leadership and Service Award from the School of Education at Drexel University and was named to the Sacramento Business Journal's 40 Under 40 list.

"For more than a decade, Capitol Impact has been a force for social good in Sacramento and statewide through its deep work in philanthropy, education, and public policy," said Mayor of the City of Sacramento and former President pro Tempore of the California State Senate Darrell Steinberg. "With his strong business acumen and creative leadership, Alex will propel the firm to new heights and build transformative solutions for our state's most vulnerable populations."

Capitol Impact's vast network of partners and clients includes: The California State Senate, The California State Assembly, The Legislative Analyst's Office, The James Irvine Foundation, William and Flora Hewlett Foundation, The California Endowment, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Resources Legacy Fund, The Water Foundation, Dignity Health, Sutter Health, Kaiser Permanente, JP Morgan Chase, CalChamber, CORE Districts, the Alliance for Regional Collaboration to Heighten Educational Success, University of California Regents, and the Foundation for California Community Colleges.

Through relationships with these partners, Capitol Impact has orchestrated several significant initiatives that work to improve policymaking, economic mobility, and educational attainment across the state. For example, the firm created and manages the California Legislative Staff Education Institute, a bipartisan, bicameral professional development program for legislative staff that provides tailored policy education opportunities and connections to diverse communities and stakeholders affected by state policies. Capitol Impact also manages nearly all elements of The James Irvine Foundation Leadership Awards, strengthening the program's diversity, equity, and inclusion practices and supporting breakthrough California leaders and their organizations to take the next step in achieving large scale change.

Other core initiatives include convening a collaborative of eight school districts serving over a million students and providing unique data for an additional million students — one-third of all K-12 students in the state — to improve student achievement and narrow achievement gaps for students, especially low-income students of color. Capitol Impact also launched the Linked Learning Alliance as a small policy and communications project on behalf of The James Irvine Foundation, helping it grow to the leading hub organization to support the development of career pathways in California. In 2020-21, the firm was a critical partner to the Newsom Administration's Listos California Emergency Preparedness Campaign, helping provide natural disaster awareness and readiness materials to vulnerable communities. Notably, Capitol Impact secured partnerships with nearly 2,000 essential businesses to distribute lifesaving health and safety information to tens of millions of Californians.

About Capitol Impact
Capitol Impact is a Sacramento-based, multi-disciplinary consulting firm that propels breakthrough ideas, programs, and policies to improve outcomes for all Californians. Established in 2006, Capitol Impact designs, incubates, and scales ideas and initiatives to help its clients achieve their goals and maximize their investments. The firm's 11 employees bring a wealth of perspectives and real-world operational experience to do transformative work for organizations taking on some of California's biggest challenges. Led by managing partner Alex Taghavian, Capitol Impact brings an entrepreneurial approach to leadership and consulting, with a track record of catalyzing small initiatives into statewide movements that drive the national conversation forward.

Media Contact

Yianni Kazanis, Mozaic on behalf of Capitol Impact, +1 916-505-1891, [email protected]

Aram Nadjarian, Mozaic on behalf of Capitol Impact, 323-533-4523, [email protected]

SOURCE Capitol Impact