Karla Diaz Sayles, Secretary
A native of Los Angeles, Karla is an active member of the Curtis Community and joined the Curtis Board of Trustees in 2022. She currently serves on the Executive Committee as Secretary of the Board, as well as on the Committee on Trustees and the Buildings, Grounds, and Safety Committee.
Karla has previously contributed to the Strategic Alignment and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committees. She is also a founding member of Somos Curtis, the Hispanic/Latino family affinity group at Curtis, and has been a dedicated volunteer in the Parents Association through various committee roles.
Karla is a seasoned government affairs executive with expertise in public policy, legislative advocacy, community engagement strategy, coalition building, and innovative problem solving at all levels of government. As Vice President of Local Public Affairs for Southern California Edison, she leads local government affairs for one of the country's largest electric utilities. Her work involves stakeholder engagement across Southern California to advance key priorities such as permit reform, grid modernization, and electrification, along with overseeing community initiatives for wildfire recovery and prevention.
Most recently, Karla served as Deputy Director of the California Film Commission, a part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Her previous roles include Director of Public Affairs at Warner Bros. Discovery, where she managed public affairs and stakeholder relations, and Health Deputy for Los Angeles County’s Second Supervisorial District, in addition to experience at numerous public affairs firms.
Sayles maintains her commitment to building strong communities through service on several nonprofit boards, including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Zocalo Public Square and the Los Angeles Chamber, and Northwestern University’s Alumni Admissions Council. She is a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles (president 2018-2019) and is an alumna of the HOPE Leadership Institute.
Karla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, International Studies, and Spanish Literature from Northwestern University. Together with her husband, Matt Sayles ’94, she is the proud parent of two Curtis Cougars, Matthew (’26) and Hunter (’28).
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Karla is a seasoned government affairs executive with expertise in public policy, legislative advocacy, community engagement strategy, coalition building, and innovative problem solving at all levels of government. As Vice President of Local Public Affairs for Southern California Edison, she leads local government affairs for one of the country's largest electric utilities. Her work involves stakeholder engagement across Southern California to advance key priorities such as permit reform, grid modernization, and electrification, along with overseeing community initiatives for wildfire recovery and prevention.
Most recently, Karla served as Deputy Director of the California Film Commission, a part of the Governor’s Office of Business and Economic Development (GO-Biz). Her previous roles include Director of Public Affairs at Warner Bros. Discovery, where she managed public affairs and stakeholder relations, and Health Deputy for Los Angeles County’s Second Supervisorial District, in addition to experience at numerous public affairs firms.
Sayles maintains her commitment to building strong communities through service on several nonprofit boards, including the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce, Zocalo Public Square and the Los Angeles Chamber, and Northwestern University’s Alumni Admissions Council. She is a member of the Junior League of Los Angeles (president 2018-2019) and is an alumna of the HOPE Leadership Institute.
Karla holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science, International Studies, and Spanish Literature from Northwestern University. Together with her husband, Matt Sayles ’94, she is the proud parent of two Curtis Cougars, Matthew (’26) and Hunter (’28).
