Distinguished Alumna, School of Social Ecology
Kimberly Goll, M.U.R.P. ’00, a public-sector leader, systems thinker and champion for children and families, is this year’s recipient of the School of Social Ecology Distinguished Alumni Award.
Kim’s path to UC Irvine began with an unexpected detour. After Kim graduated from UC Davis, an early internship convinced her that direct-service work was not the right fit. Later, while working at a brokerage firm and earning her Series 7 license, she became fascinated by government bonds, public investment and a question: How could public resources strengthen communities?
That curiosity led her to UC Irvine’s Master of Urban and Regional Planning program, where social ecology taught her to look beyond any single problem and understand the interconnected systems that shape people’s lives. She arrived expecting to pursue affordable housing; she left with a framework for creating change on a broader scale.
While she was in graduate school, an economic development internship with the City of Santa Ana allowed Kim to see that framework in action. Her work on business incentives and the federal Empowerment Zone initiative showed her how research and policy become practice – and why lasting solutions must reflect community voice.
Her instructor Michael Ruane, then an adjunct lecturer at UC Irvine, later recruited Kim to First 5 Orange County, where she has spent most of her career and today serves as president and CEO. Under her leadership, First 5 OC has become data-driven and outcomes-focused, advancing tools such as the Early Development Index to better understand school readiness and guide investments in health, education and family support, all with the understanding that when our youngest children thrive, Orange County thrives.
Kim has made cross-sector collaboration central to that work, helping bridge healthcare, education and social services so children and families can access more coordinated support. She says she still uses her UC Irvine planning education every day, asking not only how to solve a problem but also how surrounding systems contribute to – or stand in the way of – the solution.
That approach reflects the mission of the School of Social Ecology: bringing research, policy and practice together to strengthen communities.
“What makes Kimberly especially deserving of this recognition is not only the scale of her impact but the way in which she embodies the values of Social Ecology. She has dedicated her professional life to ensuring that all children – regardless of background – have the opportunity to thrive.”
Join us as we honor this year’s distinguished recipients and celebrate the remarkable achievements of the Anteater community.
