Luis Granados

Chief Executive Officer

lgranados@medasf.org
ext. 111

Three qualities you bring to work:
Dedicated
Resilient
Empathetic

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the Mission because it has a strong presence of Latino families and I love MEDA staff’s commitment to our constituents, which they show through their intent, intelligence and actions. MEDA is home."

Luis Granados proudly served as the Executive Director for the Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) since 1999, becoming Chief Executive Officer in 2018. During his tenure, Luis has worked to create asset-development opportunities for San Francisco Bay Area low- to moderate-income Latino families. Luis has a Master’s in City and Regional Planning from University of California, Berkeley and a Bachelor’s of Science from University of California, Davis. Luis also sits on the following boards: Board Member, UnidosUS (formerly NCLR); Board Chair, California Reinvestment Coalition; Community Advisory Board Member, JPMorgan Chase & Co.; Board Member, National Association of Latino Community Asset Builders, and Board Member, Northern California Community Loan Fund (NCCLF).

Luis' work is driven by his experience as an immigrant from Juarez, Mexico, his family heading to Southern California when he was a teenager.

Read Blogs featuring Luis.

Jillian Spindle

Chief Operating Officer

jspindle@medasf.org
ext. 116

Three qualities you bring to work:
Innovation
Strategy
Solutions

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that everyone working at MEDA is 100 percent committed to the community, and making sure the Mission remains a neighborhood of opportunity."

Jillian Spindle has worked at MEDA since 2009, serving as Director of Development for seven years before becoming MEDA's Chief Operating Officer in 2016. In her role as Director of Development, she led several large collaborative funding projects such as the national Latino Tech Net, and the Mission Promise Neighborhood initiative.

Prior to MEDA, she fundraised and developed programming for community technology centers throughout Chicago, created computer training programs in partnership with community organizations in Jamaica and Honduras, and taught a class on community technology at DePaul University. She has a M.A. and B.A. in Social Sciences/Sociology from the University of Chicago. Jillian serves on the Board of Directors for Refugee Transitions.

Read Blogs featuring Jillian.

Cindy Clements

Director of Operations/HR

cclements@medasf.org
ext. 124

Three qualities you bring to work:
Analytical
Calm
Experienced

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The cultural diversity and how the buildings reflect that diversity."

Cindy Clements brings a wide and diverse set of skills and experiences to her job. During her career she has served in various positions including COO, Executive Director, Director of Administration, HR Manager and Program Manager. She has an MBA from the University of Indianapolis.

She is dedicated to finding and developing talent in professionals in all types of positions. Her hobbies are stained glass, jewelry making and painting.

Read Blogs featuring Cindy.

Oscar Aguayo

Talent Manager

oaguayo@medasf.org
(415) 985-6143

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passion
Focus
Collaboration

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I'm honored to serve the people of my community by providing the best customer-driven results to MEDA's human capital."

Oscar Aguayo is an experienced, bilingual HR professional with over 10 years of experience working with small ventures to Fortune 500 companies. His HR experience includes, but is not limited to, talent acquisition, talent development and business partnerships. Oscar is using his education and experience to support the great present and future talent at MEDA.

Born in the Bay Area and raised up and down the West Coast, Oscar is an avid water sportsman who loves catching a wave and fishing, although, admittedly, he is not the best fisherman.

Read Blogs featuring Oscar.

Rosabella Safont

Operations Assistant

rsafont@medasf.org
ext. 106

Three qualities you bring to work:
Caring
Dedicated
Organized

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I grew up in the Mission and have always loved that it is a Latino neighborhood."

Rosabella Safont grew up in the Mission District, the child of an immigrant from Central America.

After a distinguished career in the banking industry, Rosabella joined MEDA as a Board member. She later joined the staff of the nonprofit, where she has worked for over a decade.

Read Blogs featuring Rosabella.

Nathen Gonzali

Administrative Receptionist

ngonzali@medasf.org
ext. 101

Three qualities you bring to work:
Calm
Reliable
Patient

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the cultural diversity the Mission District has to offer in all it aspects."

Nathen Gerardo Gonzali worked as an administrative assistant at Innovative Cold Storage Enterprises in San Diego for over three years before deciding to move to San Francisco. He found MEDA and was fascinated with the staff and the community surrounding the Mission.

Nathen is from San Diego and having spent plenty of time south of the border feels at home when walking through the streets of the Mission District. During his leisure time, he spends time at the gym, or cooking and finding decadent food.

Read Blogs featuring Nathen.

Libardo Clavijo

Chief Financial Officer

lclavijo@medasf.org
ext. 183

Three qualities you bring to work:
Analytical
Optimist
Reliable

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love MEDA’s staff commitment to the Latino community, and how they assure the Mission District stays strong and full of opportunities. I am so proud to be part of this team."

Libardo "Li" Clavijo moved from New York and has several years of experience in his field. Prior to MEDA, Li directed the Finance department for several nonprofit organizations, whose missions are to help and improve the quality of life for diverse communities.

Li is originally from Colombia and holds an MBA from Eastern University in Pennsylvania.

Read Blogs featuring Libardo.

John Sedlander

Finance Director

jsedlander@medasf.org
ext. 119

Three qualities you bring to work:
Analytical
Calm
Experienced

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"At a time when so much negativity towards immigrant families is emanating from our national government, I like that we at MEDA are doing good works and helping our families to be stable, successful residents."

John Sedlander makes the Mission District his home. He holds an MBA is from the University of Michigan, plus serves as Treasurer on the board of directors for Homebridge and the University Mound Ladies Home.

John has directed the Finance function for a Homeless Services Agency, an agency serving low-income seniors, and, now, for MEDA.

Read Blogs featuring John.

Sergio Monzon

Senior Accountant

smonzon@medasf.org
ext. 128

Three qualities you bring to work:
Detailed
Dedicated
Organized

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is the heart of the city. MEDA is helping keep that heart beating."

Sergio Monzon has an extensive background in accounting. Prior to working at MEDA, he was employed at Institute on Aging and BRIDGE Housing. At MEDA, he is responsible for the general ledger and offers support to the Finance team.

Sergio immigrated from Guatemala at age 25.

Read Blogs featuring Sergio.

Sandra Herrera

Contracts and Compliance Manager

sherrera@medasf.org
ext. 112

Three qualities you bring to work:
Creative
Analytical
Learner

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the Missions street murals, which depict the vibrant roots of the Latino community even after so much change, and I love MEDA’s commitment to ensure that those roots stay strong."

Sandra Herrera has several years of finance and accounting experience. Prior to joining MEDA, she worked in banking, and most recently with international construction projects in developing countries.

Sandra was raised in a northern town in Mexico, bordering Texas. She holds finance degree from UTSA and a master's in Tax from GGU.

Read Blogs featuring Sandra.

Jacqueline (Lydia) Gomez

Operations Manager

lgomez@medasf.org
ext. 121

Three qualities you bring to work:
Learner
Strategic
Achiever

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that the Mission District makes me feel connected to my Nicaraguan roots."

Jaqueline (Lydia) Gomez has worked at MEDA for almost two decades. She started as a receptionist and now is responsible for payroll, accounts payable/receivable and general office issues.

Lydia emigrated from Nicaragua as a teenager. She lives in San Francisco's Excelsior District.

Read Blogs featuring Lydia.

Jonathan Segarra

Director of Development & Communications

jsegarra@medasf.org
ext. 118

Three qualities you bring to work:
Positivi-Team!
Ideas
Empathy

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"To me, the Mission is home to the Bay Area’s Latino community, and MEDA is home to the most dedicated, capable and caring people you could ever work with. It’s a privilege to work here to preserve the Mission, and help Latino and immigrant families prosper."

Jonathan Segarra is rejoining MEDA after three years in local government, first with the City of Oakland’s Budget Bureau and then with the City of Hayward’s Housing Division. Jonathan has over 10 years of experience in fundraising. From 2009 to 2016, Jonathan was the Development and Communications Officer and Development Manager at MEDA and was instrumental in growing the organization, helping to increase MEDA’s revenue and budget from $2.4 million in 2009 to $9.6 million in 2016. Prior development experience includes working with JobTrain in Menlo Park and the Greater Bay Area Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Jonathan earned a double Bachelors of Arts in Sociology and American Studies from UC Santa Cruz. Jonathan aims to create positive social change and serve as a source of good humor and creativity, which help guide his career of service to others.

Read Blogs featuring Jonathan.

Christopher Gil

Associate Director of Marketing & Communications

cgil@medasf.org
ext. 152

Three qualities you bring to work:
Storyteller
Empathetic
Diligent

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the street vibe as people pass by the Mission’s colorful murals … and I love that MEDA is helping keep that scene around for generations to come."

As a young child growing up in Brooklyn, Christopher Gil played in a shoreline park that featured a backdrop of the Statue of Liberty. This global perspective led to a career in travel publishing after graduating summa cum laude from Dowling, a private college in New York, with a bachelor's in English, a teaching certificate and winning the English Academic Achievement Award. A career highlight was being the longtime managing editor of a travel trade publication for airline employees, with journeys to 30+ countries.

Christopher made San Francisco his home decades ago, attracted by the city's diversity and values of inclusion. He has now brought his corporate knowledge to the nonprofit sector, with Christopher's content marketing skills being maximized as MEDA becomes a nationally renowned organization showing best practices in serving the low-income Latino immigrant community.

Read Blogs featuring Christopher.

Kimberly Izar

Development Manager

kizar@medasf.org
ext. 154

Three qualities you bring to work:
Collaborative
Learner
Empathetic

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"MEDA supports the Mission District to remain a hub for opportunity and exploration."

Kim Izar is committed to leveraging her communications and development background to empower communities of color. She supports the development team with the organization's overall fundraising efforts, with a focus on donor tracking and engagement. Prior to working at MEDA, Kim worked at various international nonprofit organizations, such as Room to Read and Kiva.org, where she assisted in individual giving and media-focused initiatives. She is extremely passionate about providing marginalized neighborhoods the financial resources they need to thrive — the core behind Kim's passion at MEDA.

Kim received her undergraduate degree in Business Administration, Marketing from Northeastern University's D'Amore-McKim School of Business. In her spare time, you can find her reading, traveling or writing scattered thoughts outdoors.

Read Blogs featuring Kimberly.

Michelle Reiss-Top

Technology/Data Systems Manager

mreisstop@medasf.org
ext. 144

Three qualities you bring to work:
Innovation
Questioning
Humor

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"Grit. In both senses of the word."

Over the past six years, Michelle Reiss-Top has helped MEDA go from counting heads to tracking client's financial profiles over time, to migrating databases and rolling out our case management and referral system to over 15 different Mission Promise partners. Michelle sees MEDA's direct service staff are her clients.

Michelle's goal is to provide staff with user-friendly tools they deserve so they can get down to the business of working with Mission District families. It is her ongoing endeavor to build tools that reflect the quality of thestaff's work, the successes and challenges of MEDA/MPN families and a way to learn from what we collect.

Read Blogs featuring Michelle.

Severin Saenz

Senior Data and Evaluation Analyst

ssaenz@medasf.org
ext. 139

Three qualities you bring to work:
Connectedness
Analytical
Learner

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I am excited to use my tech skills to produce data and generate visual information to show how the Mission, SF and MEDA are creating positive social change."

Severin Saenz has developed a robust portfolio of data analysis and visualization projects through her work at MEDA, Larkin Street, the Department of Children, Youth, and Families at the City of San Francisco (DCYF), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), Urban Strategies Council, and various other nonprofit and governmental organizations. At Larkin Street Youth Services, she administered a client-management system in Efforts to Outcome (ETO). This included over 100 users and 4,500 unique participants. Severin trained many grantees to use the centralized database (Contract Management System) at DCYF. During her time at the EPA she combined census, parcel and topographical data to spatially analyze land-use patterns, demographic information and population density. Enforcement officers used her reports to bring forth legal action.

Severin received her bachelors’ degree from San Francisco State University in Urban Planning.

Read Blogs featuring Severin.

Tatiana Acosta

Data Capacity Coordinator

tacosta@medasf.org
ext. 107

Three qualities you bring to work:
Empathetic
Fearless
Communicative

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"As a Mission native, every day I still fall in love with this neighborhood and its people, and MEDA is continuously giving the Mission the resources to thrive."

Tatiana Acosta was born and raised in San Francisco and has always felt very attached to the City by the Bay. She attended DePaul University in Chicago, where she studied Public Relations and Advertising with a minor in Intercultural Communications. During her studies, Tatiana developed a passion for social justice, socioeconomic equity and empowering communities of color. She knew she wanted to move back to San Francisco to start her career and give back to her home community. In the summer of 2017, she joined the Mission Techies cohort here at MEDA in order to become more familiar with the tech industry. Because of her background in Integrated Marketing Communications, Tatiana instantly knew she wanted to learn CRM, specifically Salesforce. She soon became an Evaluation team intern, learning how MEDA uses Salesforce for its work and helped the team upgrade its database.

Tatiana is now on a career path that will not only serve her, but will allow her to serve the community she calls home. She hopes her work in data allows her to contribute to change and impact for marginalized communities in San Francisco.

Read Blogs featuring Tatiana.

Norma Paz García

Director of Policy and Advocacy

ngarcia@medasf.org
ext. 160

Three qualities you bring to work:
Strategic
Multi-disciplinary
Reformer

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is an irreplaceable Latino hub. MEDA's policy team builds community leadership, spurs greater civic engagement, and ensures that critical laws and practices are in place to keep the Mission a neighborhood of opportunity."

Norma P. García, Esq. brings over two decades of experience as an attorney and public policy expert to lead the organization’s efforts to secure laws and policies that promote economic and social justice for MEDA's clients and community. Using her skills to advance MEDA's mission is deeply personal for Norma, as she is a Mission native and the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents. At a young age, her calling as a lawyer was inspired by the Civil Rights movement as a tool to combat racial inequality and to open avenues for greater civic participation in our democracy. This passion continues to guide her work today.

Previously, Norma served as a Senior Attorney and Manager of the Financial Services Advocacy Program at Consumers Union (CU), the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports magazine. Over a lengthy and distinguished career at CU, Ms. Garcia advocated extensively on behalf of consumer interests before state and federal legislative bodies, multiple regulatory agencies, and in the courts. Ms. García was Consumers Union’s principle lobbyist for the passage of multiple landmark anti-predatory lending bills which were signed into law. She also led Consumers Union’s advocacy efforts to end racial and economic discrimination and other anti-consumer practices in the auto and homeowners’ insurance market and is a nationally and internationally recognized expert in consumer protection. She is the author of several seminal publications on consumer justice and has been frequently interviewed and quoted by national media outlets. Prior to her career at CU, Ms. Garcia spent nearly a decade assisting in the defense of indigent criminal defendants, initially for the Alameda County Office of the Public Defender followed by several years as a licensed private investigator.

Read Blogs featuring Norma.

Lucia Obregon

Community Leadership Development Manager

lobregon@medasf.org
ext. 156

Three qualities you bring to work:
Innovative
Community-driven
Dedicated

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission and MEDA give me a feeling that I'm home."

Lucia Obregon was born in Guatemala and emigrated to the United States with her mother at the age of 11. Once in California, she lived in the small farming town of Turlock. Lucia remembers visitng San Francisco with her parents and being in awe of the Mission District, as it gave her a sense of belonging. She decided that one day she would be back to live here.

Lucia attended San Francisco State State, receiving a bachelor's degree in International Relations, with a focus on social justice. Through her work at MEDA, she has been able to impact outcomes by connecting community members to meaningful leadership opportunities.

Read Blogs featuring Lucia.

Peter Papadopoulos

Land Use Policy Analyst

ppapadopoulos@medasf.org
ext. 185

Three qualities you bring to work:
Creative
Collaborative
Persistent

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is a strong community and a vibrant immigrant gateway district full of arts and cultural events, great family restaurants and friendly faces on the street. MEDA has the vision and commitment to protect and grow that community."

Peter Papadopoulos is an active member of the Mission community, and is a founding member of Cultural Action Network, a community group that works to protect and grow artists and cultural assets in the neighborhood. In addition to his ongoing work as a community volunteer, Peter has served as a Project Manager for the Redstone Labor Temple Association and as a Land Use Project Manager for United to Save the Mission Legal Defense Fund. His recent work with MEDA is focused on stabilizing the Mission’s low- to moderate- income Latino families and the small businesses they serve, with Peter using the the Mission Action Plan 2020 policy process, cultural placekeeping strategies, neighborhood commercial project equity and protective land-use legislation.

Peter graduated from Trinity College in Hartford with a bachelor's in English and awards in Writing and Economics. A longtime playwright and performer, Peter obtained his master's in Theatre from Rhode Island College, and co-founded the Mission’s Mojo Theatre in 2010. Peter has worked and taught in numerous settings including college, high school, and youth and prison programs.

Read Blogs featuring Peter.

Karoleen Feng

Director of Community Real Estate

kfeng@medasf.org
ext. 148

Three qualities you bring to work:
Leader
Achiever
Doer

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love living and working in my own neighborhood and getting to say hello to people on the street."

Karoleen Feng established MEDA's Community Real Estate program in 2014 to rebuild community assets in the Mission District after a decade-long absence of affordable-housing production in the neighborhood. Against the odds of the low-income, primarily Latino families neighborhood being decimated, she has been instrumental in jump-starting MEDA being joint venture partners for the Mission-Castro cluster of the San Francisco Housing Authority Rental Assistance Demonstration program, new construction of almost 500 apartments and preservation of dozens of small apartments off the private market.

Karoleen has also led the Mission Action Plan 2020 initiative to shape policies and planning regulations for land use in the neighborhood. She has built affordable housing for over a decade – rental and for-sale, family and senior, mixed use developments, and affordable commercial real estate at East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation and Little Tokyo Service Center.

Read Blogs featuring Karoleen.

Johnny Oliver

Associate Director

joliver@medasf.org
ext. 123

Three qualities you bring to work:
Focused
Empathetic
Humor

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is the best place in San Francisco. MEDA’s free services help keep it that way."

Johnny Oliver has been a licensed real estate agent for over 17 years and has worked with first-time homebuyers and homeowners at risk of foreclosure for over seven years as a Housing Counselor at MEDA. He has successfully assisted over 100 homebuyers with their first home purchase and has helped over 40 homeowners from losing their homes to foreclosure.

Johnny brings this intimate knowledge of the real estate process to the Small Sites Program, where he is responsible for the acquisition and rehabilitation of multi-family buildings in the Mission and surrounding neighborhoods.

Read Blogs featuring Johnny.

Elaine Yee

Senior Project Manager

eyee@medasf.org
ext. 138

Three qualities you bring to work:
Responsible
Dedicated
Personable

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"San Francisco is lucky to have a strong Latino community in the Mission District. MEDA works to keep it that way."

Elaine joined MEDA's Community Real Estate Team as Senior Project Manager since 2014. She has been working on MEDA's new construction 100% affordable housing projects: 2060 Folsom Family Housing (126 homes for families and Transition Age Youth, with over 10,000 ground floor community serving space and cafe, adjacent to the new neighborhood park) and 1296 Shotwell Senior Housing (94 homes for seniors and homeless seniors age 62 and up), which plan to breakground in 2018.

Prior to MEDA, Elaine has worked for various community development groups in California, such as EBALDC, Chinatown CDC, and Little Tokyo Service Center. Her experience in affordable housing is extensive, ranging from planning, community organizing and real estate development. She has worked on new construction and acquisition/rehabilitation projects, and is familiar with tax credit financing (low-income housing, and historic), AHP, and local and state subsidies. Elaine holds a master's in Planning from University of Southern California.

Read Blogs featuring Elaine.

Feliciano Vera

Senior Project Manager

fvera@medasf.org
ext. 127

Three qualities you bring to work:
Urbanist
Cyclist
Citizen

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission community is a true San Francisco asset, as is MEDA."

Feliciano Vera is responsible for spearheading MEDA's large-site residential, mixed-use and community facility acquisitions team, and is responsible for shepherding the development of 1990 Folsom, a new construction affordable-housing development comprising 143 family homes, approximately 10,000 square feet of affordable Production, Design, and Repair (PDR) space, and 6,000 square feet of new early childhood development space.

Prior to joining MEDA, Feliciano was an end-to-end developer with a broad spectrum of experience in private sector real estate development and finance. As an entrepreneur in real estate and finance, he has a track record of successfully conceptualizing and executing complex projects, ranging from multi-phase, mixed-use real estate developments to tax credit equity investment funds. He earned an bachelor's degree in Government from Harvard College.

Read Blogs featuring Feliciano.

Stephaney Kipple

Senior Project Manager

skipple@medasf.org
ext. 140

Three qualities you bring to work:
Tenacity
Contemplative
Always seeking to be in right relationship

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the vibrancy and spirit of the Mission, and I am proud to support MEDA's mission to support working families, from the ground up."

Stephaney Kipple joined MEDA in fall 2018, as a Senior Project Manager for MEDA’s Casa Adelante (large, mixed-use and commercial sites) program. Stephaney is an expert in accessing commercial markets, tax credit financing and subsidy to bring opportunities to community-based and community-serving organizations, helping them realize ownership of real property. She supports the Mission District by structuring and deploying capital to social purpose real estate projects that are in alignment with the community's vision and MEDA's mission, within San Francisco's global urban context. Stephaney's Community Development Finance career has been dedicated to promoting equitable development and steering capital to communities that need it most.

Stephaney is a mother of two boys and loves her adopted home of the Bay Area. Originally from Flint, Mich., Stephaney has deep appreciation for her blue-collar background. Stephaney holds a Master's of Science in Urban Policy Analysis and Management, concentrating in Community Development Finance. She also attended Columbia University's School of International and Public Affairs, where she studied Inequality and Poverty. Her bachelor's is in Business Administration, Finance. She is a Board Member of Transform CA, a nonprofit that promotes walkable communities with excellent transportation choices to connect people of all incomes to opportunity, keep California affordable and help solve the climate crisis.

Read Blogs featuring Stephaney.

Serena Li

Project Manager

 sli@medasf.org 
ext. 129

Three qualities you bring to work:
Activator
Individualization
Explorer

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is a welcoming community and MEDA is proud to be a part of it."

Serena Li is leading the rehabilitation work for the Small Sites Program - approximately 100 units of residential and commercial units. She is also assisting with the acquisition properties for many of properties that MEDA SSP team is acquiring.

Serena joined MEDA in fall 2016, as the Assistant Project Manager for MEDA’s Small Sites program. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experiences as a former Construction Project Administrator to the Small Sites Team where she project manages the construction rehabilitation, relocation and assisting with site acquisition. With experience of occupied rehabilitation, she had become familiar with working with seniors and families through the relocation process. Being a native San Francisco resident, she is proud to be part of the Community Real Estate team, and excited to continue adding value to her work in helping the community. Serena holds dual bachelor's in Statistics and Economics from University of California, Davis.

Read Blogs featuring Serena.

Anissa Green

Construction Manager

agreen@medasf.org
 

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passion
Dedication
Curiosity

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the Mission's diversity and food. I love MEDA because I believe in and understand the importance of the work we do."

Anissa Green's parents moved from Louisiana to Oakland in search of better work at the shipyards in San Francisco. Anissa began her life in West Oakland’s Acorn Projects. Although Anissa’s family moved away from West Oakland in 1976, her family created bonds that are still in place to this day. Her parents began their home ownership journey through HUD's Home Lottery Program: Her family paid $1.00 for their current home base.

In her early life, Anissa and her mother marched with OCO to protest and bring awareness to slumlords in Oakland. As a youth, she marched to protest budget cuts in her school district. Today, she lends her talents to an organization walking the walk and making a huge difference in the lives its clients as well as a measurable impact in not only in the Mission Community, but the City.

Anissa believes that financial literacy can propel anyone to a new level as it allows one to avoid the traps of debt, low credit scores and a general lack of resources.

Read Blogs featuring Anissa.

Augustus Tagaro

Resident Engagement Specialist

atagaro@medasf.org
(415) 632-6339

Three qualities you bring to work:
Honesty
Integrity
Transparency

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is the heart of San Francisco and MEDA puts its hearts (and minds) into its work."

Augustus Tagaro is currently Resident Engagement Specialist with senior/disabled residents of MEDA's Mission/Castro cluster of the RAD apartments. He brings over 15 years experience in working with residents' services and empowerment. Augustus worked as a Family Youth Advocate in SOMA Minna Park Apartments with Asian Neighborhood Design for three years, providing residents with social services referrals to education and employment resources. He monitored and documented resident progress and situations. Augustus also represented the building residents by going to community-based organizations and public agencies to advocate, plus managed the after-school program as Program Coordinator for South of Market Resource Center for 12 years. He coordinated MOUs with the local schools to conduct activities at the schools, information referrals, home visits, outreach and promotion for community activities and events. In addition, Augustus managed the parent advisory committee, and coordinated the Food Bank and Diaper Bank. He conducted eight to 12 workshops a year, based on community need and community surveys.

Augustus went to San Francisco State University and he got his bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies. He is bilingual; speaks English and Tagalog.

Read Blogs featuring Augustus.

Juan Diego Castro

Project Assistant

jdcastro@medasf.org
ext. 114

Three qualities you bring to work:
Includer
Realtor
Strategic

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the opportunity I have found in the Mission District and MEDA–an opportunity to be part of a culture of empowerment for the Latino community."

Juan Diego Castro has been in the housing-focused community economic development field for over 10 years, including his work in New York City as well as in San Francisco. Juan Diego's work at MEDA is focused on finding solutions to housing needs for clients through technical assistance and financial coaching. Juan Diego believes that the key to intergenerational wealth lies in property acquisition and responsible land ownership, and will continue to work with MEDA towards these goals. He has a lifetime commitment to promote and facilitate affordable housing for communities of color, as his family's path to financial stability mirrors symptoms of the community which which MEDA works.

Juan Diego is a NALCAB Colegio Fellowship alumni and a Notary Public in the State of California, as well as an Americorp Public Allies alumnus. Juan Diego enjoys hiking throughout the Bay Area's scenic mountains and riding his bike around San Francisco.

Read Blogs featuring Juan Diego.

Beatriz Ordonez

Assistant Asset Manager

bordonez@medasf.org
ext. 147

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passion
Culture
Family

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission and MEDA both feel like home."

Beatriz Ordonez is responsible for asset management of MEDA's Small Sites properties and for Plaza Adelante, the nonprofit's Mission neighborhood center. This includes resolving tenant issues and working closely with property management.

Beatriz emigrated from Mexico, living in cramped quarters, so she empathizes with Latinos looking for affordable, quality housing in the Mission. She lives in San Francisco's Bernal Heights neighborhood.

Read Blogs featuring Beatriz.

Veronica Lira

Assistant Project Manager

vlira@medasf.org
ext. 113

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passionate
Determined
Diligent

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is a Latino immigrant hub, and MEDA is creating affordable housing for this community."

As Project Assistant to the Small Sites team, Veronica Lira assists in site acquisition and rehabilitation of properties that are at risk of displacing their tenants. She also coordinates with the Asset Management team in the oversight of Small Sites properties operations, including compliance/reporting requirements, and property management.

Previously, Veronica was a Project Administrator for Eden Housing, a nonprofit affordable-housing developer. Veronica received her bachelor's degree in Political Economy, with a concentration in Global Poverty and Development, from the University of California, Berkeley.

Read Blogs featuring Veronica.

Sara Lope

Assistant Construction Manager

slope@medasf.org
ext. 133

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passion
Dedication
Conscientious

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"​I love the Mission District because it's a community full of life, history and culture. The Mission feels like home and I love MEDA because it's helping preserve this awesome community."

Sara Lope grew up in Bilbao, Spain​. When she turned 18, Sara started studying to become a construction manager at Universidad de Burgos, Spain. At the end of earning her degree, she wanted to do something meaningful for her thesis, so Sara went to Huancavelica, Peru as a volunteer to design a new children's shelter. Afterwards, to broaden her knowledge, Sara decided to study Architecture at Universidad Europea de Madrid. This university offered Sara the opportunity to finish her degree at Newschool of Architecture and Design in San Diego. Sara fell in love with California and its diverse culture, especially the Latino culture.

She spent her first summer in New York, working for Paratus Group, a private project management firm. After I finished my degree, Sara found MEDA, a place where she could use her knowledge to help the community.

Read Blogs featuring Sara.

Monica Almendral

Project Assistant

malmendral@medasf.org
ext. 182

Three qualities you bring to work:
Community
Perspective
Humor

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that there is still an organization in the Mission like MEDA that is fighting to maintain the neighborhood's rich culture, history and families. MEDA not only combats one problem in the Mission, but has multiple departments that serve the community in different capacities."

Monica Almendral is a San Francisco native who grew up in the Mission District. At an early age, she was involved with several community organizations. Having grown up in the Mission, Monica is determined to keep the neighborhood the safe and beautiful community she knows and loves. After living in San Francisco, Monica went to Spelman College in Atlanta, where she received her B.S. in Mathematics. While in college, she wanted to find a way to combine her love for STEM and her looking to give back to the community.

Since joining MEDA's CRE team, she has had the opportunity to work on both the Asset Management side, as well as the Project Management side. Monica now assists CRE as a Project Assistant for large sites.

Read Blogs featuring Monica.

Jose Garcia

Project Assistant

jgarcia@medasf.org
ext. 176

Three qualities you bring to work:
Empathetic
Determined
Learner

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is the heart of San Francisco, and MEDA works to keep it that way."

Jose Garcia assists with the Small Sites Program. He is determined to keep a strong Latino Community in the Mission District. Prior to joining MEDA, Jose was a Relocation Consultant for Overland, Pacific, and Cutler LLC, where he even worked alongside MEDA during the rehabbing of five former public housing developments under the Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) program (a total of 439 units for seniors and disabled San Franciscans).

Jose attended Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, receiving a bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in International Business.

Read Blogs featuring Jose.

Nicole Guzman

Project Assistant

nguzman@medasf.org
ext. 151

Three qualities you bring to work:
Diligence
Enthusiasm
Compassion

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I’m grateful and excited for the opportunity to be working with the Community Real Estate department to help promote social justice and positively impact the lives of Mission residents through community development."

Nicole Guzman is a Project Assistant for the Large Sites program, and enrolled in NPH’s Bay Area Housing Internship Program for the 2018-2019 cohort. Nicole is excited to be applying what she is learning in the internship program to her job as a Project Assistant.

Nicole graduated from San Jose State University in May 2018 with a master’s in Urban Planning, with a concentration in Community Design and Development. Her hobbies include: practicing yoga; reading; hiking; rock climbing; and going to concerts and music festivals.

Read Blogs featuring Nicole.

Lucy Arellano

Director of Asset Building Programs

larellano@medasf.org
ext. 141

Three qualities you bring to work:
Problem-solving
Ambition
Relationships

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I am so fortunate to work with such intelligent, hard-working, dedicated fellow Latinos, whom I deeply respect- both my colleagues at MEDA, and the community members we serve in the Mission. They motivate, inspire, and challenge me to grow and work harder for them everyday."

Lucy Arellano oversees MEDA’s Asset Building Programs division, which includes direct services in the areas of: Financial Capability and Taxes, Business Development, Workforce Development, and Housing Opportunities. Additionally, Lucy shares MEDA’s integrated Financial Capability capacity building Viva! model nationally. Lucy brings over 8 years of program development and management experience in community organizations across California. Lucy holds a Bachelor's degree from the University of Washington, Seattle in Law, Societies, and Justice.

Lucy immigrated from Mexico as a child, and was raised in Sacramento, CA by her parents and 6 siblings. Lucy’s work is motivated by a first-hand understanding of the strengths and challenges within our community, and by the gratitude for the endless support she has received in order to achieve her personal and professional goals. Lucy is committed to providing the resources and opportunities for other families, just like hers, to thrive.

Read Blogs featuring Lucy.

Ernesto Martinez

Integrated Services Manager

emartinez@medasf.org
(415) 409-9172

Three qualities you bring to work:
Leadership
Impact
Community

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that MEDA’s approach to the Mission’s development is comprehensive and helps build social, human and financial capital."

Ernesto Martinez was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and has been working in the nonprofit sector for the past five years. He previously served our Latino community as a Job Developer in MEDA's Workforce Development Program and as a Tax Specialist in the Tax Program.

Ernesto holds two bachelor's degrees -- one in Economics and the other in International Relations -- from San Francisco State University. He is also the District 9 representative on the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission Citizen's Advisory Committee and enjoys empowering younger Latino and youth of color through activities such as mentoring at John O'Connell High School and volunteering for the Latino/Chicano Leadership Project.

Read Blogs featuring Ernesto.

Dairo Romero

Community Initiatives Manager

dromero@medasf.org
ext. 103

Three qualities you bring to work:
Empathetic
Community-focused
Caring

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission makes me feel right at home, as does MEDA."

Dairo Romero, who emigrated from Colombia, brings 10 years of experience in community planning and organizing. His expertise and passion for his work translates to community members feeling part of the development process, leading to the support of such projects.

Dairo wears many hats in his current role at MEDA, most notably being an integral part of the facilitation team for United to Save the Mission and having been responsible for the facilitation of meetings for the November 2015 Proposition A affordable-housing measure. The latter was a $310 bond, passed by San Francisco voters, with $50 million later earmarked specifically to address the housing crisis in the Mission District of San Francisco.

Read Blogs featuring Dairo.

Jessy Delgado

Family Economic Success Coach

jdelgado@medasf.org
(415) 663-6178

Three qualities you bring to work:
Passion
Perseverance
Collaboration

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the Mission District's food, Latino families, weather and Dolores Park, and that MEDA works for social justice, supporting our community through various free services and education."

Jessy Delgado hails from Peru. As an immigrant, she has experienced the same challenges of her community, such as learning a new language and facing discrimination. Since 2016, Jessy started to work with immigrant families via volunteer jobs with Faith and Action Network. This made her realize that she was not alone -- that if all work together for social justice and equality, the community becomes stronger. Jessy also worked with Civic Edge Consulting, educating the community for safer streets.

Jessy studied at City College of San Francisco, earning an associate's degree in Social Behavior and Business Administration; she is now transferring to San Francisco State University with the goal of obtaining a bachelor's in Finance. Additionally, she is an advanced IRS tax preparer, in the past volunteering as a site coordinator with MEDA.

Read Blogs featuring Jessy.

Alejandro Bautista

Programs Coordinator

abautista@medasf.org
ext. 126

Three qualities you bring to work:
Committed
Community
Driven

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the landscape and the community that lives in the Mission. I love the dedication and passion the MEDA staff brings to its work."

Alejandro D. Bautista Zugaide migrated from Mexico at 11 years old and has since resided in Oakland. He considers himself a fortunate person for all the opportunities and mentors that have crossed paths with him. His passion for education and his community led Alejandro to College Track Oakland, a nonprofit organization where he mentored and served as a tutor to many high school students from different backgrounds with one goal in common: higher education. During his short stay at Mission Graduates, he was able to explore and work on Salesforce, while also gaining skills in the administrative side of the organization, taking on the project of coordinating with local business for Mission Graduates’ annual Food for Thought fundraiser.

Alejandro received his bachelor's in Business Administration with a focus in Marketing and a minor in Latino Studies from California State University East Bay. One of his proudest moments -- and the highlight of his undergrad time at CSU EB -- came when he spearheaded the marketing campaign for the first "Undocumented Resource Summit" ever held on campus.

Read Blogs featuring Alejandro.

Laura Ospina-Jaramillo

Housing Opportunities Program Manager

lospina@medasf.org,
ext. 126

Three qualities you bring to work:
Learner
Includer
Empathy

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission and MEDA both offer Latinos a great life."

Laura was born and raised in Bogota, Colombia. At MEDA, she is committed to supporting individuals in reaching their own financial goals. Laura firmly believes in the importance and impact that financial education has on people's lives. As an immigrant herself, she understands how important this education is for the success of a family in their new home country and the generations to come. For that reason, Laura will continue to support MEDA in being a space where individuals can safely learn how to plan their own future and make it real.

Laura holds a bachelor's in Economics from the University of Colorado, Boulder. She has taken multiple financial coaching and leadership trainings and is planning to continue improving her skills to better serve the community.

Read Blogs featuring Laura.

Azul Cortez

Housing Opportunities Coach

acortez@medasf.org
ext. 131

Three qualities you bring to work:
Strategic
Compassionate
Dedicated

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love supporting communities of color retain a sense of place-based identity in an ever changing city."

Azul Cortez is interested in supporting the goals of community members through direct service, compassion and advocacy. Having graduated with a degree in Community and Regional Development from University of California, Davis, Azul is dedicated to spreading knowledge about strutural inequalities and creating avenues to support equity and inclusion. Azul is also committed to creating and supporting strategies to enable clients to reach affordable housing.

Having previously worked with Chinatown Community Development Center and BRIDGE Housing Corporation, Azul is excited to provide direct services to community members at MEDA.

Read Blogs featuring Azul.

Guadalupe Mercado

Housing Opportunities Coach

gmercado@medasf.org
ext. 135

Three qualities you bring to work:
Learner
Precise
Achiever

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that MEDA helps our clients grasps the concepts to securing a better future for their families in the Mission."

Guadalupe Mercado was born and raised in the Mission, her parents having emigrated from Mexico. Guadalupe has previously worked at other community-based organizations in San Francisco, plus facilitated classes for children in San Mateo for the Big Lift program, which helps kindergartners and first-graders with academic, exploratory and behavior exercises.

She is currently attending school to obtain an associate's degree in Criminal Justice.

Read Blogs featuring Guadalupe.

Jaqueline Marcelos

Financial Assets Program Manager

jmarcelos@medasf.org
ext. 143

Three qualities you bring to work:
Ideation
Activator
Input

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that the Mission is a strong community. I love MEDA because it feels like home."

Jackie Marcelos provides education and coaching focused on the areas of DISC+: debt, income, savings, credit, and banking, as well Taxes-Plus. Jackie first came to MEDA in 2007, as a Housing Opportunities client; she then began volunteering in the same program. Jackie quickly leveraged her financial-capability expertise -- and experiences as an immigrant -- to connect with and support MEDA's clients.

Having worked in various positions throughout the organization, Jackie has developed a diverse skill set that allows her to be a strong, multifaceted resource for clients. Her philosophy is that it is critical to meet clients where they are, plus support them to reach goals on their terms.

Read Blogs featuring Jackie.

Claudia Soto

Financial Assets Coach

csoto@medasf.org
ext. 122

Three qualities you bring to work:
Analytical
Achiever
Learner

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission remains a Latino immigrant gateway and MEDA offers a financial education for these newcomers."

Claudia, originally from Central America, feels very proud of being a Latina. Claudia began working as a bank officer while putting herself through three years of university in Nicaragua, and continued in that job for another seven years. When she came to live in the United States, she was aware that it would be a challenge to learn not only a new language but a completely different culture as well. However, found the opportunity to work with the Latin community in the Mission District for twelve years.

It has been a great experience working in these different financial institutions as senior customer service, assistant general manager, banker officer, and loan officer. Belonging to the MEDA family is an honor for her, allowing her to put into practice the experience and knowledge she has acquired to achieve the objectives of the organization and continue to empower our community and be successful.

Read Blogs featuring Claudia.

Rosario Chacon

Financial Capability Coach

rchacon@medasf.org
ext. 136

Three qualities you bring to work:
Engagement
Education
Perseverance

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission District is the home of many of my friends and the community that has become my family. MEDA welcomes those values and the diversity while advancing the opportunities of the larger Mission family."

Rosario Chacon is a native of Yucatan, Mexico, being raised with a wealth of traditions and values that her Mayan ancestors shared over generations. Rosario is following the footsteps of her parents by being in service to her community.

Rosario's academic background is Business Economics and a master's in Business Administration. After spending years in banking and lending, Rosario discovered her love of financial advising and planning. Rosario holds a designation as a Certified Financial Planner and a certification in Financial Psychology and Behavioral Finance -- an education that helps better serve her community and understand the many beliefs and behaviors that may hinder someone's financial fulfillment.

Read Blogs featuring Rosario.

Edwin Rodriguez

Business Dev. Program Manager

erodriguez@medasf.org
ext. 102

Three qualities you bring to work:
Achiever
Connectedness
Leadership

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I have many reasons to love the Mission District, the place my daughter grew up. I love working at MEDA because it helps Latino families build assets."

Edwin Rodriguez joined MEDA in September 2011 and has more than 13 years of experience in microenterprise development within the immigrant and low-income communities. Edwin has over 25 years of advocacy and professional outreach work in immigrant and low-income communities in the Bay Area and nationally. He served as Executive Director for the Central American Resource Center (CARECEN) in San Francisco, and program director of the Northern California Coalition for Immigrant Rights.

Edwin holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a specialization in Micro-Entrepreneurship from California State University, East Bay.

Read Blogs featuring Edwin.

Luis Ramos

Business Development and Lending Liaison

lramos@medasf.org
ext. 104

Three qualities you bring to work:
Mentor
Strategy
Profitability

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the family-serving businesses in the Mission, and that MEDA is supporting such ventures."

Luis Ramos received his master’s degree in international economic from Texas A&M University in 2011. Throughout his career, Luis has helped individuals in the United States and abroad build their businesses, utilizing small-business educational tools and the financing to grow them.

Before joining MEDA, Luis worked in rural Mexico, hosting workshops and conducting direct capacity-building seminars to help small-business owners make their dreams a reality. After traveling throughout Mexico, Ramos returned to his family, where he worked with LiftFund local small businesses in Houston by connecting entrepreneurs to education, tools and capital to continue growing and supporting the local economy.

Read Blogs featuring Luis.

Ren Floyd-Rodriguez

Workforce Development Program Manager

rfloydrodriguez@medasf.org
ext. 161

Three qualities you bring to work:
Inclusive
Empowering
Strategic

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I appreciate that MEDA creates wealth equity in which community benefits are realized and enhances the quality of life for residents in and around the Mission District."

Ren Floyd-Rodriguez oversees MEDA's Workforce Development Programs to help San Francisco's low - and moderate-income job seekers obtain and retain living wage, long-term employment. His priority is to empower the local community with effective job training and financial capability. Prior to his role, he served as a Program Coordinator at the San Pablo Economic Development Corporation and ARISE (Assets for Regional Investment and Sustainable Enterprise) primarily facilitating workforce development and housing assistance programs.

Before moving to the Bay Area, he served the Greater Los Angeles Area working at Cloud and Fire in affiliation with YouthBuild USA to support education and workforce development for at-risk youth. Mr. Floyd-Rodriguez attended California Polytechnic State University San Luis Obispo where he received a Bachelor of Science in Economics and his Master of Public Administration from California State University Northridge focusing on public sector leadership and management.

Read Blogs featuring Ren.

Jose Mariscal

Workforce Development Coach

jmariscal@medasf.org
ext. 184

Three qualities you bring to work:
Focused
Organized
Attentive

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I have to acknowledge the people in my life that opened doors for me to be successful , and MEDA gives me the chance to open the same doors for other people."

Jose Mariscal lived up in Mexico for four years of his childhood, allowing him to have an understanding of the way of life in that country. Jose later moved back to the Bay Area, where he worked construction and participated in various faith-based youth groups while attending community college. He then transferred to University of California, Santa Cruz, where he obtained his bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology, while also helping create a local school club (Empowering Latino Advancement through Educational Development).

After graduation, Jose continued his engagement with the Latino community through his fraternity: Lambda Theta Phi Latin Fraternity Incorporated. Jose started his engagement with the San Francisco community by working with the homeless population through Larkin Street Youth Services in various positions which revolved around workforce development. Jose is now excited to bring all of his life and professional experience to support the Mission neighborhood.

Read Blogs featuring Jose.

Miguel Velasco

Workforce Technology Coordinator

mvelasco@medasf.org
ext. 162

Three qualities you bring to work:
Determination
Integrity
Confidence

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that MEDA works to assist the Mission Latino community in meeting their personal and professional goals."

Miguel Velasco was born and raised in El Salvador, coming to the United States when he was 19 years old. Miguel worked in various places such as warehouses, construction sites and restaurants in the Los Angeles area, while taking ESL classes at night. He moved to San Francisco when he met his wife, Dina, who encouraged him to go back to school. So he enrolled at Skyline College to obtain his associate's degree in Network Engineering, later heading to San Francisco State University, where he graduated with honors and garnered his bachelor's degree in Business Administration Information Systems. Miguel then obtained a position in the health care industry as a recruiter, where he learned about the comprehensive onboarding process, management, compliance and training, as well as placing people in jobs.

As an immigrant, Miguel closely relates to the Latino community in the Mission District. He has experienced the language barrier, work and house insecurity, and cultural differences that cause immigrants to struggle in the United States. Miguel brings his knowledge and personal experiences to MEDA to help people overcome all of the issues he once experienced, for he knows that with education, hard work, and willingness to improve, immigrants can make a big difference in this country.

Read Blogs featuring Miguel.

Angel Vega

Workforce Development Coach

avega@medasf.org
ext.105

Three qualities you bring to work:
Integrity
Compassion
Commitment

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love the Mission because of its strong diversity and history. What I love most about MEDA is the commitment of everyone on the team: We work hard day after day to provide our community with the opportunities and the right tools to help them achieve their maximum potential as individuals and professionals."

Angel Vega exhibits a passion to motivate, serve and support an individual’s growth and success. He is committed to providing his community and clients with the essential tools necessary to achieve their personal and professional dreams and goals. An empathetic, compassionate visionary and emotionally intelligent individual, Angel’s greatest gift is his ability to genuinely connect with people. Angel earned his Master of Arts, Management and Leadership Degree at Webster University, and a Bachelor of Business Administration at the InterAmerican University of Puerto Rico. Community focused, he was proud to serve as the Ethics Committee Chair and a Board Member for the International Hispanic Art and Culture Association, and as an Advisory Board Member for the Hispanic Business Initiative Fund. His achievements include: winning the Medalla de Oro for authors in 2013; being distinguished with an Orange County Mayor recognition as a community champion in 2013; and receiving Popular Inc.’s Better Leadership Practices Award in 2007.

Born in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Angel has also lived in Washington, D.C., Florida and now California. Angel is bilingual, being a native speaker of Spanish and also fluent in English. He lives in San Francisco, California with his wife Ideneth and their two young children, Victoria and Matthew. In his free time, he loves hanging out with his family, reading and writing, scuba diving, discovering new places through travel and cooking Puerto Rican cuisine.

Read Blogs featuring Angel.

Nathanial Owen

Director of Fondo Adelante

nowen@medasf.org
ext. 153

Three qualities you bring to work:
Achiever
Doer
Mission-driven

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love working for MEDA because I am a part of a team committed to making the Mission a strong and supportive community for Latino and immigrant families. That inspires me to give of myself every day."

Nathanial Owen, a native of Sherwood, Ark., currently serves as the Director of Fondo Adelante, the Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) arm of Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA). Since joining MEDA in July 2014, his roles have included serving as Community Loan Fund Director and Associate Director of Asset Building Programs. In his time at MEDA, Nathanial has led the launch of organization’s new CDFI, which is a microlender, small-business lender and newly minted real estate lender for affordable housing.

Previously, he served as the Tennessee Market Manager for Accion Texas Inc. (now LiftFund), the nation’s largest microlender, where he led Accion’s expansion into Tennessee and Kentucky. He completed coursework for a Master of Public Service program at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, where his studies focused on economic development and poverty studies. While at the Clinton School, Owen partnered with Arkansas Baptist College to design a comprehensive model for urban revitalization efforts to be replicated in communities supported by Historically Black Colleges and Universities. He also completed an internship with the Nyaka AIDS Foundation in Uganda, where he developed the foundation’s organizational capacity in providing microfinance services in rural villages. Nathanial is a graduate of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas, where he received a B.S. in Church Ministries.

Read Blogs featuring Nathanial.

Diana Matei-Golopenta

Business Lending Manager

dgolopenta@medasf.org
ext. 130

Three qualities you bring to work:
Diligent
Detailed
Organized

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission’s community-serving businesses are still much needed, with MEDA making that happen."

Diana Matei-Golopenta manages MEDA’s community loan fund, Fondo Adelante, which provides loans to small-business owners who cannot access traditional lending. Prior to joining MEDA, Diana's professional experience includes over five years developing and managing the national business loan program for Accion East in U.S, and underwriting commercial overdrafts for a London, UK-based Fin-tech Company.

Diana has worked in the private and nonprofit sectors in several countries, with emphasis on supporting small-business owners to either start or grow their business in their respective markets. Diana believes that small businesses provide character and economic advantages to the local markets as well as strengthen the community partnerships. Diana’s passion for microfinance started during her studies in International Business Management and grew later on while teaching International Finance at her University in Bucharest, Romania. Diana holds an MBA and a master’s in Finance from the Hult International Business School.

Read Blogs featuring Diana.

Gladys Castro

Small Business Loan Officer

gcastro@medasf.org
ext. 117

Three qualities you bring to work:
Curiosity
Dedication
Resiliency

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love MEDA’s commitment to the Mission and its residents. When our community is under attack, the Mission, with the support of MEDA, continues to fight back."

Gladys Castro works to provide loans to small-business owners in the nine Bay Area counties. Prior to joining MEDA, Gladys worked one-on-one with small businesses at the startup level to help them establish a strong foundation through a business plan, understanding of financial statements and the development of a marketing strategy.

Gladys attended UC Berkeley where she studied Political Science and Education. Outside of work, Gladys likes to cook new recipes, which occasionally result in disaster.

Read Blogs featuring Gladys.

Richard Raya

Director

rraya@medasf.org
ext. 155

Three qualities you bring to work:
Direct
Driven
Inspired

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that the Mission District has been the center of the Bay Area’s rich Latino heritage for generations, and that MEDA has been at the forefront of serving this vibrant community and helping to ensure its stability and success."

For nearly 20 years, Richard has worked at an executive level to bring community leaders, administrators and elected officials together to improve community outcomes and generate revenue, including as Chief of Staff for an Oakland City Councilmember, Executive Director of Youth Radio, and Director of Administrative Services for Alameda County Public Health Department. He is focused on working closely with MPN partners and using shared data to improve educational results for San Francisco’s children, celebrating and communicating the MPN collaborative’s successes, and fundraising.

Richard’s great-grandparents were Yaquis who came to the Bay Area after fighting in the Mexican Revolution. His parents worked as farmworkers in the fields of Northern California and came of age during the Chicano Movement. Richard earned a B.A. in English and a Master’s in Public Policy from UC Berkeley.

Read Blogs featuring Richard.

Liz Cortez

Associate Director

ecortez@medasf.org
ext. 109

Three qualities you bring to work:
Dedicated
Collaborative
Mentor

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I really enjoy meeting children and families in the Mission and talking with them about their aspirations. I grew up in a very similar community. I also love the people that work at MEDA."

Liz Cortez's parents came from Mexico to the United States in the late 1960s. She grew up in Southern California, in a community very similar to the Mission. Liz works with a collective of community partners that are aligning their efforts around a common agenda, to address the holistic needs of children and families. Most of these efforts are on behalf of immigrant families with young children.

Prior, in various roles, she worked to increase family engagement and advocacy in early education settings such as Early Head Start and Head Start, and also to strengthen community partnerships through collaboration and service integration, to facilitate comprehensive delivery of services. Liz has an M.A. in Urban Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Read Blogs featuring Liz.

Ada Alvarado Freund

Early Learning Program Manager

afreund@medasf.org
(415) 316-7249

Three qualities you bring to work:
Curious
Collaborator
Compassionate

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that the Mission District truly is a community and that MEDA is preserving it for everyone, regardless of their race, income or spoken language."

Ada Alvarado Freund’s parents came to the United States in the early 1980s, during the civil war in El Salvador. They sacrificed everything so that their children could get educated and have a better life. It’s called opportunity.

Making her parents proud, Ada double majored in Latino studies and liberal arts at San Francisco State University. Always passionate about early childhood development, Ada got a job at a bilingual preschool in San Francisco, where she taught and eventually supervised the program. Feeling a need for change, Ada transferred her experience into being a family success coach for the Mission Promise Neighborhood, where she now connects families — like hers — to services in the community.

Read Blogs featuring Ada.

Celina Castro-Saelao

Family Support Manager

csaelao@medasf.org
ext. 149
cell: (415) 316-7400

Three qualities you bring to work:
Team- and community-oriented
Creative
Learner

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love to greet Mission community members. I love that my fellow staff members have passion for their work."

Like many in the Mission, Celina Ramos-Castro’s family came to the U.S. during the civil strife in many Central American nations in the 1980’s. Despite not being raised in El Salvador or physically having to immigrate to this country, Celina always keeps in mind the experiences of her mother and other community members. Celina is passionate about empowering and developing community members’ outlooks toward education, financial knowledge and cultivating economic growth in the Mission District.

Celina’s background has focused on community development, with an emphasis on youth development and financial education. She had the opportunity to work with MyPath, empowering youths to become financially fit and leaders in the community. Celina easily communicates and establishes relationships with children, youth and their parents, by showing them respect and treating them with dignity.

Read Blogs featuring Celina.

Efrain Barrera

K-12 Program Manager

ebarrera@medasf.org
ext. 125

Three qualities you bring to work:
Collaboration
Thought-Partner
Patience

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission District is a place that I have been fortunate to call home for that last 24 years, I love its vibrancy, vitality, its hardworking people, and I am proud to work for MEDA, a community agency rooted in the Mission whose mission is to strengthen the Latino families by promoting economic equity and social justice. "

Efrain Barrera immigrated to San Francisco's Mission District from El Salvador at the age of 15. He attended Mission High School and the University of California, Berkeley, graduating with a bachelor's in Sociology and Education.

Efrain has over 15 years of experience in the field of education, nonprofits, and working with immigrant families and youth. He is most effective in a collaborative environment working toward a common goal. Efrain is the proud father of a 6-year-old and a 10-year-old, who push him to become a better human being day by day.

Read Blogs featuring Efrain.

Roberto Aparicio

Family Success Coach

raparicio@medasf.org
(415) 767-8059

Three qualities you bring to work:
Mission-born
Compassionate
Understanding

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that the Mission remains a strong Latino community and that MEDA is playing a part in that."

Born into a family that, like many others, immigrated to San Francisco’s Mission District in the mid-1970’s from El Salvador, Roberto Aparicio now serves as a role model for the community’s youth to stay on a path to academic success. Roberto’s education began in the home by parents who ingrained the importance of learning; he attended St. Peter Catholic School, Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory and the University of San Francisco, the latter on a soccer scholarship.

Roberto’s background, spanning a two-decade career, showcases his passionate commitment to making a positive difference in the lives of families, adults, children and youth from the Mission District. For the first 15 years of his career, Roberto worked hands-on with youth coming out the San Francisco juvenile justice system. The last five years, Roberto worked for the city’s Family Independence Initiative, an anti-poverty project.

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Luis R. Ostolaza

Family Success Coach

lostolaza@medasf.org
(415) 316-7407

Three qualities you bring to work:
Organized
Hardworking
Reliable

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission is the heart of the City, and MEDA’s staff puts hearts into their work."

Luis R. Ostolaza was born in South America and immigrated to the United States in the late 1990's. One of the first places he visited shortly after arriving in San Francisco was the Mission District. Luis fell in love with the streets, views, foods, people and weather -- he thought he was back home.

In 2008, Luis R. Ostolaza I was able to move to the Mission neighborhood, and he now says that he would not want to live in any other place.

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Ana Avilez

Family Success Coach

aavilez@medasf.org
(415) 513-9755

Three qualities you bring to work:
Empathetic
Positive
Passionate

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I like helping families like mine in the Mission, and MEDA makes that possible."

Ana Avilez emigrated from Honduras to the U.S. at age 6. As a Mission Techies program participant at MEDA, Ana took her first step into the Mission Promise Neighborhood community, getting assistance enrolling one of her daughters in a bilingual preschool. The Mission Promise Neighborhood team immediately recognized Ana’s leadership abilities, having her join the Community Advisory Council.

When MPN was asked to partner with SFUSD to lead Making Connections — a digital literacy course for parents that teaches how to use myON, an online reading platform for students — Ana was the ideal choice. With her experience as a mother of two young learners, complemented by her technology background, Ana thrived in this role, which naturally segued into her current full-time position as a Family Success Coach for the Mission Promise Neighborhood. One quote that Ana always tells her clients is: "El que persevera alcanza.” (“If you persevere, you can reach your goal.”)

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Marianna Estrada

Family Success Coach

mestrada@medasf.org
(415) 425-7792

Three qualities you bring to work:
Empathetic
Collaborative
Culturally Sensitive

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"What I love about the Mission District is that it feels like home and has provided me with a community of which I can be a part and give back. I love that MEDA is a welcoming and inclusive agency that strives for the advancement of the Latinx community."

Marianna Estrada was born and raised in the small town of Stratford, California, located in the Central Valley, to immigrant parent from Mexico. Marianna is the first in her family to attend a university, having graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s in Psychology with a minor in Human Sexuality Studies.

Marianna has been working with the Latinx community of San Francisco for over eight years in various capacities, most recently as a housing specialist assisting families that are experiencing homelessness. Marianna enjoys networking and getting to know agencies in San Francisco -- and the larger Bay Area -- in order to refer families to appropriate services.

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Mariana Tejada

Family Success Coach

mtejada@medasf.org
(415) 425-7786

Three qualities you bring to work:
Resilient
Resourceful
Risk-taker

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I embrace the opportunity to be able to empower Mission Latino families to flourish, and encourage them to make the most of the resources available to them from MEDA and community partners."

Mariana Tejada was born and raised in Bolivia. She moved to California 12 years ago, though throughout those years she lived in Mexico, France and Turkey. She considers Mexico her second home, as she’s lived and visited Mexico every year since 2008 and since then she has established family-like relationships with friends.

Mariana studied at UC Berkeley, and after completing her B.A. in Spanish Linguistics she taught Spanish at various schools in California and Massachusetts. She has been a volunteer at East Bay Sanctuary since 2011 and, whenever possible, she provides interpretation for Latino clients seeking political asylum. Mariana firmly believes in the power and upward mobility education provides, hence her passion to foster our Latino children to pursue and complete higher education. Mariana loves languages, traveling ... and habañeros.

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Pedro Tuyub

Family Success Coach

ptuyub@medasf.org
(415) 425-7783

Three qualities you bring to work:
Reliable
Analytical
Passionate

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"Since emigrating from my native country of Mexico, the Mission District felt and looked like home. MEDA is committed to preserving the Mission District as a Latino community and I am proud to be part of MEDA’s efforts as a Family Success Coach to help Latino families have access to social services to improve their livelihood leading to economic stability and academic success for their children."

Pedro Tuyub was born in the state of Yucatán, Mexico to a farm-working family. He emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 18 after graduating from high school, settling in the Mission District, where he has lived ever since. He attended City College of San Francisco, where he received an associate’s in arts and went on to attend San Francisco State University, where he obtained his bachelor’s in psychology.

Since 1999, Pedro has been working in the Mission District; first as an editor of El Tecolote -- a 45+ years community bilingual newspaper -- covering neighborhood issues such as housing, education, health and immigration. During his years as a reporter and editor, he began working with the growing Yucatec Mayan community, which led to the foundation in 2004 of Associación Mayab, an indigenous nonprofit. Being aware of the social and economic barriers faced by the Latino community, Pedro joined the dedicated team at MEDA to continue his community work and activism.

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Erika Villegas

Early Learning Family Success Coach

evillegas@medasf.org
(415) 425-7764

Three qualities you bring to work:
Loving
Open-minded
Laughter

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"I love that I experience La Mission with my five senses: I see an array of colors, smell and taste foods from all over Latin America, hear rhythms that make me want to dance, and am touched by all the love and life here. I'm proud to be a part of the work MEDA does to continue to strengthen and empower our Latino community, and to preserve the Mission's cultural vibrancy."

Erika Villegas grew up in Salinas Valley (the "Salad Bowl of the World") surrounded mostly by hard-working Mexican immigrants like her parents. Her parents, specifically her mom, raised her and her sister to be proud of their roots. Erika attended a Spanish bilingual elementary school and continued studying Spanish in high school and university, later becoming a Spanish bilingual elementary school teacher in San Francisco.

Erika became a teacher because she has always loved kids, but mostly because as she got older she realized the potential and desire she had to give back to her community. She joined the MEDA team to continue to love and serve the Latino community because she believes in the greatness it possesses and the greater things it can accomplish while working together.

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Liz Hernandez

Family Success Coach

lhernandez@medasf.org
(415) 425-7813

Three qualities you bring to work:
Nurturing
Reflective
Resilient

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The flavors, colors, music, languages and strong sense of family that make up the Mission take me back to memories of my parents' pueblo in Guanajuato, Mexico; The Mission is a place where one’s Latinx identity can be unapologetically embraced and where organizations like MEDA serve to empower, educate and employ the local community."

Liz Hernandez' parents were born in a rural pueblo called Paracuaro, where they spent their days laboring, cooking, learning and celebrating life with family. They migrated to Northern California nearly 30 years ago, where they birthed and raised three boys and a girl named Liz. That girl would eventually relocate to Santa Barbara, where she would graduate with a bachelor’s in religion, sociology, and applied psychology.

Liz has a background working at women, youth and homeless shelters. After years of visiting family in San Francisco, she eventually made the move to live and work in the Bay Area full time, where she continued her direct services as a domestic violence specialist working primarily within the Mission, Bayview and Tenderloin neighborhoods. In her free time, she writes and performs poetry, spends time with family and apprentices at a ceramics studio in the Bayview.

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Dannhae (Maya) Herrera-Wilson

Early Learning Family Success Coach

dhwilson@medasf.org
(415) 425-7887

Three qualities you bring to work:
Resourceful
Determined
Resilient

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The Mission District evokes many positive memories for me, especially from the time I first arrived in the U.S.A. more than two decades ago. I consider it my home away from home. I love the fact that MEDA is working hard to protect and nurture the character, diversity, homes and people that make the Mission District such a special and unique neighborhood in San Francisco."

Dannhae Herrera-Wilson’s professional, educational and volunteer experience has always been oriented toward serving and empowering diverse individuals and communities facing adverse circumstances. As a first-generation immigrant, Dannhae experienced firsthand the challenges many families have had to endure while establishing themselves in the United States. These experiences propelled her to become a fervent advocate for immigrants’ rights, civil rights and women’s rights, as well as maternal and child mental health and well-being.

Dannhae’s work has included seven years as a Board of Immigration Accredited Representative (BIA) at the International Institute of the Bay Area, a nonprofit that provides immigration services to people from around the world and, most recently, two years as a Child Development, Parenting & Early Literacy Specialist in the Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program (TAPP) at the Felton Institute/Hilltop Special Services Center.

She is a certified facilitator in various parenting programs including: Abriendo Puertas/Opening Doors, Crianza con Cariño/Nurturing Parenting, and Positive Discipline, and is also a Lactation Counselor, and a Birth and Postpartum Doula.

Dannhae looks forward to contributing her expertise in working with families and partners to advance MEDA's mission and vision on behalf of Latino and other diverse low-income families in San Francisco, especially in the Mission District.

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Flor Maria Armas

Family Success and Transitions Coach

farmas@medasf.org
(415) 425-7844

Three qualities you bring to work:
Ambitious
Spontaneous
Creative

What do you love about the Mission District and MEDA?
"The short walk from the BART station to MEDA reminds me of my grandfather chaperoning me down the plaza of the small pueblo of Huejuquilla, El Alto Jalisco. We woke up early every morning to buy pan dulce from the panaderia to take with us on our journey to the potrero for which he cared. The Mission District feels like home, and for this reason I have decided to come to MEDA to dedicate my service to the community. "

Flor Maria Armas is a first-generation Mexican American, born in San Jose, Calif., to parents who emigrated from Huejuquilla, El Alto Jalisco. She attended the University of San Francisco, and during her senior year had an opportunity to volunteer for Mission Graduates (a partner of the Mission Promise Neighborhood), joining the team at Everett Middle School's Beacon Center. After graduating in 2017 with a bachelor's in Psychology and a minor in Gender Studies, Flor returned the following year as an AmeriCorps volunteer at Everett, focusing on youth development for newcomers with behavioral, restorative practice and academic issues. She was eventually offered a job with Mission Graduates as an after-school teacher.

For Flor, it is important to be part of an organization that strongly emphasizes strengthening Mission families. She will be based at John O'Connell High School, and hopes to connect many families to free services in the community.

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