Shana Peete, JDChief Executive Officer
Prior to joining CEN in 2019, Shana served as the founding executive director of a Tri-Valley nonprofit dedicated to offering individuals and families a hand up from poverty. She has a Bachelor of Science in international business and a Doctor of Jurisprudence. She practiced law for eight years prior to moving to the Bay Area and has professional experience that includes managing Excel Child Development Center, serving as a program coordinator for Read Aloud America, and managing a 30-person customer fulfillment team for Amazon. In her spare time, she enjoys teaching the game of tennis to students of all ages and using her gift of communication—in English and Spanish—to bring people together. In light of COVID-19 and the social uprising in support of Black lives, Shana, a community activist, was tapped to serve as moderator for a three-city panel on Racial Inequity in City Government and Policing featuring nine government officials. Shana served as a board member and the membership committee chair for the Tri-Valley Nonprofit Alliance. Her passion is creating avenues for others who, like her, are members of groups historically excluded from board service in the nonprofit and for-profit worlds. With a focus on IDEAL (inclusion, diversity, equity, access and liberation), she consults with individuals and organizations alike to ensure their preparedness for this unprecedented level of openness and opportunity to learn and grow in greater partnership than ever before.
Contact Information: shana@cen.org |
Ronesha Jackson, MSc.
IDEAL Director
Ronesha is a passionate non-profit professional and IDEAL practitioner dedicated to centering inclusivity, diversity, equity, access and liberation. Her passion for IDEAL ignited after a personal experience in her teenage years. Since then, she has spent her career partnering with the local community. She has worked primarily with individuals from historically excluded communities, through her work as a trauma informed case manager, wrap-around facilitator, juvenile probation officer, volunteer court appointed special advocate (CASA) and more recently as the executive director of a youth focused organization. Throughout her career, she has interfaced with and guided dozens of diverse teams to reach strong outcomes using collaborative methods. She has a successful track record of leading teams through times of change and organizational development. Ronesha considers herself an advocate for leadership professionals and works to inspire organizations to center IDEAL and wellness to strengthen the field of philanthropy. Ronesha holds an undergraduate degree in criminal justice and a master of science (MSc.) in nonprofit and association management. During her free time Ronesha enjoys music festivals, hiking, traveling and spending time at the beach.
Contact Information: [email protected] |
Veronica Tyler ChristieAssociate Director of Operations and Project Management
An eager nonprofit administrator with a demonstrated history of working in music, education, events, human resources and nonprofits. Veronica adeptly manages databases, design, social media, project tracking, employee orientation, and conducts research on labor compliance in an agile administrative role. At the core of her philosophy is the commitment to modernize practices in response to a dynamic work environment. This involves promoting efficient communication, optimizing the utilization of internal structures, and championing transformative changes. Elevating practices in a work environment goes beyond keeping pace with technology and remote workspaces; it also involves recognizing strengths and areas for development in workplace culture.
Veronica's diverse skill set extends beyond her administrative and workplace expertise to her passion for music and gaming. As an accomplished musician, she performs regularly as the bass trombonist with the 7th Street Big Band and has contributed to four published albums, the latest being 'Post Hang.' She is also a recording artist with the Virtual Video Game Orchestra (VVGO) and competes in the Dwelling of Duels monthly competition, showcasing arrangements by Brandon Harnish and Erich WK. Additionally, Veronica is a member of the Chromatic Brass Collective (CBC) and served on their board from 2020 to 2023. She performed alongside CBC's distinguished BIPOC women brass musicians from around the world during their debut in-person event at the International Women's Brass Conference in 2022 working with world known conductors such as Jazzie Pigott, Marie Speziale, and Velvet Brown. Veronica remains deeply connected to the music and gaming communities through her volunteer work with MAGFest. As of 2024, she was appointed the board president of MAGFest Inc. Her board service work includes leading retreats, officiating their executive director from an interim period and launching a BIPOC committee to strategically amplify the voices in BIPOC spaces, furthering equity in organizational-wide decision-making. In her role as the Programming Division Head for their West Coast event, she coordinates panels, vendors, an educational symposium, and special guest appearances such as Anairis Quinones, Jonah Scott, Dr. Kishonna Gray, Chase Bethea, DwangoAC & Tasbot, 8BitMusicTheory and more. Her personal advocacy work includes co-leading two podcasts: 'Lady Blerds Sing the Blues,' which focuses on creating mindful and inclusive spaces for disadvantaged communities, and 'Don't Cast n Drive,' which highlights diverse experiences and perspectives from artists near and far. Veronica believes in the importance of authentic communities that reflect our passions without fear, harm, or loss of opportunity. Contact Information: veronica@cen.org |