The Pacific Council is pleased to announce four additions to our Board of Directors: as of October 9, David Huebner, Sherry Lansing, and Arthur Ochoa have joined the Board for the first time, and Will Mesdag has returned to the Board. Welcome (and welcome back)!

These four new Directors bring a range of advisory and management experience from both private and public sector roles, boasting backgrounds in law, finance, diplomacy, entertainment, and healthcare. Their diversity of skills and perspectives will help further the Council’s mission on the U.S. West Coast and around the world.

Read more about our newest Board Members below.

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Ambassador (r.) David Huebner

Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP and former U.S. Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa

Ambassador (r.) David Huebner is a partner in Arnold & Porter LLP’s international arbitration, public international law, and national security practices. Previously he held senior positions in the Asia Pacific region, including as Ambassador to New Zealand and Samoa, Chairman & CEO of an international law firm, founding chief representative of a firm in Shanghai, and special policy assistant to a member of Japan’s Diet. He is a graduate of Princeton University (summa cum laude) and Yale Law School. Read more.

Sherry Lansing

Founder & Chair, The Sherry Lansing Foundation

During almost 30 years in the motion picture business, Sherry Lansing was involved in the production, marketing, and distribution of more than 200 films, including Academy Award winners Forrest Gump (1994), Braveheart (1995), and Titanic (1997). Throughout her film career, Lansing earned a reputation as a trailblazer, a visionary leader, and a creative filmmaker. In 1980, she became the first woman to head a major film studio when she was appointed President of 20th Century Fox. Read more.

Willem Mesdag

Managing Partner, Red Mountain Capital Partners

Will Mesdag is founder and Managing Partner at Red Mountain Capital Partners. He spent 21 years of his career at Goldman Sachs, and became a general partner in 1990 in the Investment Banking Division. Prior to Goldman, he was a securities lawyer at Ballard, Spahr, Andrews & Ingersoll. Mesdag serves as the Chairman of Encore Capital Group, and serves on the boards of Nature's Sunshine Products, Destination XL Group, Cabot Credit Management Limited and Davis Petroleum. Read more.

Arthur Ochoa

Senior VP, Community Relations and Development, Cedars Sinai Medical Center

Arthur J. Ochoa joined Cedars-Sinai Health System in 2001. Since his appointment as chief development officer in 2004, Cedars-Sinai has raised more than $750 million in philanthropic support. In addition to leading every aspect of Cedars-Sinai’s fundraising, Ochoa is also responsible for all of the health system’s marketing, communications functions, and community benefit strategies and activities, as well as other externally related functions. Read more.