CEN Leaders Institute Class XV
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Monique BerlangaExecutive Director, Centro Legal de la RazaAbout Monique:
As a Directing Attorney of the Tenants’ Rights Practice, Monique leads a dedicated team of attorneys and advocates working to prevent evictions of low-income tenants in the East Bay. Monique has represented low-income tenants in the East Bay for ten years. Monique worked as a housing staff attorney with Bay Area Legal Aid where her practice focused on eviction defense in the context of subsidized housing and representation of tenants in fair housing matters. Prior to that, Monique spent five years as the managing attorney of the Eviction Defense Center in Oakland. While at the Eviction Defense Center, Monique litigated over a thousand cases on behalf of low-income tenants facing eviction from their homes in Alameda County and parts of Contra Costa County. About the organization: Founded in 1969, Centro Legal de la Raza is a legal services agency protecting and advancing the rights of low-income, immigrant, Black, and Latinx communities through bilingual legal representation, education and advocacy. By combining quality legal services with know-your-rights education and youth development, Centro Legal de la Raza ensures access to justice for thousands of individuals throughout Northern and Central California. |
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Lowell BoydChief Financial Officer, Youth Utilizing Power and PraiseAbout Lowell:
Lowell has over 30 years of Accounting and Finance experience in the high technology industry. She has held both staff and management positions at IBM, Seagate and Western Digital. She earned her BA in Accounting from the University of Cincinnati and MBA from St. Mary’s of Moraga. Lowell has held a financial position at Youth Utilizing Power and Praise Organization since it was granted non-profit status in 2009. Her outreach activities include volunteering at Family Giving Tree and serving at her local church Lowell believes in the value of health and wellness, enjoys working out, being a personal trainer, and also enjoys spending time with cherished friends and family. About the organization: The mission of Youth Utilizing Power and Praise Organization is to build youth self-esteem through performing arts. YUPPORG provides programs in music, vocals, fine arts and drama, whereby youth learn skills that build confidence and challenges them to expand their creativity. Our vision is to empower youth with self-reliance in their decision making as they prepare for adulthood. |
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Cecilia ChuExecutive Director, Friends for YouthAbout Cecilia:
Cecilia has a B.S. in Environmental Sciences, a B.A. in Art Practice from UC Berkeley, and most recently, an MSW from Columbia University. She’s been in social services since 2013, starting off as an assistant teacher in Marin County, moving to Japan to teach English for a year and back to the Bay Area to begin her journey at Friends for Youth, running the 1-to-1 Mentoring Program for two years before her Masters. Cecilia worked in development for P2L and the International Rescue Committee in New York and has also worked in Corporate Social Responsibility. She has always hoped to run nonprofit programs that serve kids who reminded me so much of her and her younger brother. She hopes for a world where all kids can grow up happy and healthy and is very grateful to have the chance to work towards that in her job now. Cecilia loves animals, especially dogs. She really loves activities and sports (was on the ultimate frisbee team at Cal), biking, spin and the outdoors. As of late, she is learning to golf and hopefully, surf. About the organization: Friends for Youth's Mission is to change lives through the power of mentoring. Friends for Youth was established in 1979, and since our inception, we have worked to support children who would otherwise go unserved, with an emphasis on positive youth development, academic achievement, health and wellness, prevention services, and critical skills for future self-sufficiency. We've helped over 3,000 youth reach their full potential. Our 90% success rate of creating long-term mentoring matches is far above the 33-37% national average. |
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Maria de los Angeles Crummett, PhDNonprofit Executive LeaderAbout Maria:
María de los Angeles Crummett has over 25 years of experience in higher education and nonprofit leadership. She has a bachelor’s degree from Stanford University and a PhD from the Graduate Faculty, New School for Social Research. She has held faculty appointments and senior leadership positions at numerous educational institutions including the University of Notre Dame, Barnard College, the University of South Florida, Universidad Nacional de Colombia, and the Institute of International Education. She has developed, implemented, and secured funding for programs focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion as an integral part of academic achievement and student success. At the University of South Florida, she worked with the Offices of Undergraduate Research and Multicultural Affairs to increase the number of underrepresented college students applying for nationally competitive scholarships including Fulbright, Gilman, and Freeman-Asia. She served as a faculty mentor to Latinx students in the McNair Achievement Program – a program designed to prepare low income, first-generation students for doctoral studies. At the Institute of International Education, she developed the Strategic Outreach Alliances to connect the Fulbright Scholar Program to a network of diverse associations including the American Association of Community Colleges, the African Studies Association, Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Diversity Abroad. For her work in global higher education she has received numerous honors including two Fulbright Scholar awards and recognition as the International Person of the Year by the Organization of Women in International Trade. About the organization: The Foundation for a College Education’s mission is to increase the number of students of color from East Palo Alto and similar communities who graduate from a four-year college or university. |
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Jennifer Dow Rowell, MBA, CFREExecutive Director, SAVEAbout Jennifer:
Jennifer has a bachelor's degree in anthropology and women's studies, and a master's in business administration and has worked in the fields of domestic violence and homelessness for 20 years. She began her career at Emergency Shelter Program (now Ruby's Place) in Hayward before moving to Tri-Valley Haven in Livermore, where she worked for more than a decade. During this time, she grew from a case manager to program director to development director. Jennifer also served on the board of directors for the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence, the statewide coalition for domestic violence service providers. In 2014 Jennifer stepped into the executive director position at the Women's Daytime Drop-In Center in Berkeley. In addition, Jennifer has been fortunate to have worked with Tracy Community Connections Center, Saint Mary's Dining Room, and Community Overcoming Relationship Abuse (CORA). Jennifer is also an active volunteer serving as the board chair for the San Joaquin Continuum of Care. Jennifer joined the team at SAVE as their executive director in December of 2020. About the organization: The mission of SAVE (Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments) is to strengthen every individual and family we serve with the knowledge and support needed to break the cycle of violence and build healthier lives. |
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Shanelle HiteExecutive Director, WE HERE, Inc.
About Shanelle:
Shanelle Hite serves as the CEO/President of WE HERE Inc. She is a wife and a mother. She is also a mentor/coach for youth in the tri-valley. She has over 13 years of professional experience. She is a former collegiate track and field athlete dedicated to empowering youth to be the best versions of themselves as individuals, students, athletes, and human beings. About the organization: WE HERE Inc. is organized to create equal opportunities for under-resourced youth through sports, fitness, and health education in the form of engaged in-person and virtual programming such as camps, workshops, seminars, competitions, skills training, mentorships, and products. |
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Ronesha JacksonExecutive Director, City Youth NowAbout Ronesha:
Ronesha has spent her career supporting youth and families from historically excluded communities. She currently serves as the Executive Director for City Youth Now in San Francisco, CA. She holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a masters in nonprofit and association management. Throughout her career she has worked as a case manager, wrap-around facilitator, juvenile probation officer and volunteered as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for 5 years. She is passionate about supporting youth and families and considers fundraising to be the catalyst to uplifting and supporting the community. During her free time she enjoys hiking, traveling and spending time at the beach. About the organization: The mission of City Youth Now is to provide programs and services that promote stability, personal-growth and long-term success for youth. We primarily serve youth with experience in the San Francisco foster and juvenile justice system. We are honored to be able to partner with youth and young adults to help them meet their goals. |
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Sara JohnsonExecutive Director, Millbrae Community TelevisionAbout Sara:
Sara has over ten years’ experience in nonprofit and broadcast media. Sara has worked in the nonprofit sector where she operated a transitional house and center dedicated to finding resources for homeless women and children. Sara found her way back into the media industry and is now the Executive Director at Millbrae Community Television evolving community media to represent all community voices. About the organization: It’s our mission and responsibility to be the bridge of encouragement; fostering civic engagement through community members to express their voice and vision for all residents, businesses, and grassroots organizations. Documenting and preserving the evolving local history to include diversity, representation, transparency, inclusionary, and leadership through the use of media. |
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Sinjin JonesExecutive Artistic Director, The PEAR TheatreAbout Sinjin:
Sinjin Jones is a storytelling artist and leader originally from Denver, Colorado. He became the Executive Artistic Director of the Pear Theatre in January 2020. Experienced in filmmaking, theatre, dance, poetry, and the visual arts, Sinjin aims to put story at the center of his art. He was the co-founder and Head of Operations for the story-driven filmmaking company Perplexity Pictures and served as Artistic Director for A Theatre Group in the beautiful city of Silverton, Colorado. Meta-artistically, Sinjin taught and managed equity, hiring, recruitment, and retention efforts at several non-profit charter schools. As a queer leader of color, Sinjin has a strong a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of his work. About the organization: Pear Theatre was founded in 2002 with a mission to offer theatre that challenges our community to see all aspects of our world fully, with intellectually stimulating, emotionally powerful, and professional productions. We are dedicated to engaging diverse voices in our programming and to fostering an inclusive environment in all aspects of our work as artists, staff, volunteers and audience. |
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Lina ParkChief Development and Communications Officer, Asian Health ServicesAbout Lina:
Lina Park brings more than twenty years of experience in nonprofit and communications that have spanned many industries and sizes from start-up to mid-sized organizations in philanthropy, healthcare, education, and the arts. Her diverse roles and experiences have also included development, advocacy, programs, and marketing. Prior to transitioning to the nonprofit sector, Lina worked in the private industry where she implemented communications strategies for B2B and tech companies. Her life joys include spending time with her husband and three kids; good books, food, and friends; ocean waves and waterfalls; and boot camp and yoga. About the organization: Korean American Community Foundation of San Francisco (KACF-SF) is a funder, convener, and connector for Korean Americans in the Bay Area. As a funder, we distribute grants to nonprofit organizations serving low-income and vulnerable Korean-speaking immigrant individuals and families. Priority areas include mental health, domestic safety, senior care, civic engagement, and youth empowerment. |
