Meet the team who makes our work possible

Alex Contreras (they/them/theirs) is the Program Manager for Housing Equity at The Greenlining Institute, where they work on drafting policies and programs that produce new and affordable community-driven housing opportunities that build intergenerational wealth within communities of color. Prior to joining the Greenlining Institute, they worked as a Policy Analyst for California’s Department of Housing & Community Development. Raised in Downey, California Alex learned first hand how poor land use policies can negatively impact communities like theirs. Currently a freeway expansion is slated to bulldoze through the elementary school or park they grew up playing in, along with hundreds of their neighbor’s homes. Which is why they’re committed to approaching their work through a focus on equitable outcomes for all communities. Alex also sits on the steering committee of Streets for All LA, the Sierra Club’s Northern Alameda Executive Committee, co-founded the Happy Cities Coalition, and in their spare time leads the Destruction for Nada Campaign, a campaign to end freeway expansions throughout the state of California. When they’re not working on bettering all of California’s land use, you can find them on a windy trail hiking or biking.

Alvaro S. Sanchez (he/him/his) is an urban planner with extensive experience crafting, implementing, and evaluating strategies that leverage private, public, and philanthropic investments to deliver benefits to priority communities. Alvaro is The Greenlining Institute’s Vice President of Policy. He leads a team that develops policies that create a future where communities of color can build wealth, live in healthy places filled with economic opportunity, and are ready to meet the challenges posed by climate change. Under his leadership, The Greenlining Institute has shaped over $5.2 billion in California Climate Investments targeted at priority communities, established the Transformative Climate Communities and Regional Climate Collaboratives state programs via legislation, and launched the Towards Equitable Electric Mobility Community of Practice, a multi-state effort to advance equitable electric mobility policies. Prior to joining Greenlining, Alvaro led Green For All’s stormwater infrastructure strategy. As a member of the State and Local Initiatives team, he led the organization’s strategies for connecting impacted communities to economic opportunity related to national stormwater infrastructure investments. He wrote several reports detailing the untapped opportunity of using green infrastructure as a cost-effective stormwater management tool that creates job and business opportunities for underserved communities. Several leading water and stormwater utilities throughout the country have used the framework he presented to deliver triple-bottom-line benefits. Alvaro has over a decade of experience working on economic development and land use issues throughout California and nationally. In 2011 he received a Master of Planning degree from the University of Southern California, where he focused on affordable housing and economic development. He is on the board of the Urban Sustainability Directors Network, the advisory board of the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation, LISC’s Emerging Leaders Council, and the advisory committee of The University of California Alianza Mexico’s “Latinos and Mexico: Culture and Identify” program. He was named one of Grist's 50 Fixers in 2019. Alvaro, who believes you can never be too wonky, lives in North Oakland, grew up in Los Angeles, and was born in Mexico City.

As Senior Program Manager for Capacity Building, Aminah Luqman (she/her/hers) leads the capacity building work in Oakland and supports local stakeholders to advance community-driven, equitable climate solutions. Prior to joining The Greenlining Institute, Aminah worked at Shared Value Media as the Community Partnership Manager for the California COVID-19 Workplace Outreach Project. As the Community Partnership Manager, she worked with community-based organizations in the Bay Area, Sacramento and Los Angeles regions to reach workers who were disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic about their rights in the workplace. She was also the Census 2020 Program Manager at United Way Bay Area, where she worked in coalition with 100+ community-based organizations to make the 2020 census more accessible and culturally relevant for “hard-to-count” communities in Alameda, Contra Costa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, Solano and Marin counties. Prior to moving back to Oakland to work at United Way Bay Area, Aminah lived and worked in Colombia for two years as a Fulbright grantee. Aminah was born and raised in Oakland and in her free time she loves to play sports, dance hip-hop and salsa, read, and spend time by bodies of water.

Ariadne Villegas (she/her/ella), is the Greenlining the Block program manager. In her role, she supports the work to prepare for climate infrastructure investments and drive effective climate action that meets the needs of communities of color. Ariadne is a climate and health justice advocate deeply committed to ensuring frontline communities lead the creation of thriving, healthy communities. Raised in the Central Valley of California, she understands first hand the impacts of environmental and social inequality and celebrates the ongoing resilience and joy of rural, agricultural communities like her own. She previously worked at the Public Health Institute on research to improve community resilience to climate change and reduce toxic exposure to environmental pollutants. Ariadne holds a Master’s degree in environmental health from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and Bachelor's degrees in public health and environmental science from the Johns Hopkins University. Outside of work she enjoys running, gardening, and exploring new trails with her dogs.

Ashley Myrriah (she/her/hers) works to build up The Greenlining Institute’s robust digital communications and social media operation. Ashley got her start in advocacy fundraising on behalf of the Democratic National Committee while at Grassroots Campaigns during the 2008 general election and continued grow her campaign skill sets at GMMB. Prior to joining the Greenlining team in December 2018, Ashley worked in public affairs and strategic communications at several major political organizations in Washington state and D.C. Ashley Myrriah earned a Master of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington and a B.A. in Government & Politics from The University of Maryland, College Park.

Brittany Yann (she/her/hers) is the Events and Donor Engagement Coordinator at The Greenlining Institute. Her primary responsibility is to support the execution of our annual conference and other events that amplify the organization's advocacy and racial equity work. She also supports donor engagement and fundraising campaigns and coordinates Salesforce databases. Prior to joining The Greenlining Institute, Brittany worked in KQED's Development department, where she supported gift processing, acknowledgements, challenge grant administration and database management for major gifts, foundations, and planned giving. Additionally, she has previous experience in membership fundraising from her time at Boise State Public Radio. As a child of Cambodian immigrant parents, Brittany navigated the dual identities of her Bay Area and Boise, Idaho upbringing. After completing her Bachelor of Arts in Communication and certificates in Public Relations and Nonprofit Management at Boise State University, she eagerly returned to the Bay Area, reigniting her connection to her roots. In her spare time, Brittany enjoys exploring the many hikes in the Bay Area, perusing farmers' markets, and showering her beloved senior cat with affection.

Chagan Sanathu (she/her/hers) is the Chief of Staff at The Greenlining Institute where she supports the executive office in optimizing administrative workflow, managing day-to day operations, establishes organizational processes, and creates efficiencies within the executive team and throughout the organization. Chagan graduated with her Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the Simon Business School at the University of Rochester with distinguished fellowships from the Consortium for Graduate Study in Management, Forte Foundation and American Association of University Women. She also holds a B.A. in business and public relations from Goshen College. Chagan previously worked with the Leadership Academy as the Senior Program Manager leading the Casa Joaquin residential program for UC Berkeley undergraduate students. Over the last decade, she has helped 800+ first-generation, low-income students of color gain the skills needed to be successful in their undergraduate and professional careers. Chagan immigrated from India, is of Mongolian, Tibetan and Indian descent. Rooted in advocacy and empowerment of immigrant communities, she enjoys community organizing with the local South Asian diaspora with Alliance of South Asians Taking Action. In her free time, she likes to walk around Berkeley and check out local farmers markets with her husband.

Danielle Bell (she/her/they) is the Media Relations Senior Program Manager, where she amplifies Greenlining’s racial equity and policy work and increases the organization's impact through narrative and advocacy campaigns. Prior to joining Greenlining, Danielle was a strategic communications consultant to some of the most influential companies around the world as they navigated high-stakes crises, transitions, and corporate issues. She graduated from University of California, Los Angeles with a degree in English. Danielle is also an urban farmer with Indigenous Permaculture, a grassroots organization that works with communities most severely impacted by food insecurity due to historic and ongoing systemic inequity. As an urban farmer, Danielle works with community members to build sustainable community-based food systems that provide culturally relevant, organic food to those in need. She is passionate about land stewardship, facilitating access to free food, and creating a world where underserved communities are empowered to thrive. In her free time, you can find Danielle identifying native plants, binge-listening to an audio book, or writing poems in her Notes app.

Debra Gore-Mann (she/her/hers) is the President & CEO of The Greenlining Institute. Debra has over 25+ years of leadership experience in nonprofit and private research universities and over ten years of private sector business development expertise having worked in investment banking, international infrastructure development and engineering. Debra received her B.S. in Management Sciences and MBA in finance from Stanford University. She serves on multiple nonprofit and foundation boards that work to serve communities whose works include criminal justice, nonviolence, youth educational opportunities, supporting young adults in sports and economic opportunity. Currently Debra serves on the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco Community Advisory Council (chair); PG&E Community Advisory Group; California Organized Investment Network; and Nonprofit Insurance Alliance California Board of Directors.

Deirel Marquez (she/her/ella) is the Program Manager for Climate Resilience at the Greenlining Institute, where she works to advance policies that will strengthen climate resilience in frontline communities. Deirel brings a wealth of experience in advocacy, policy and program evaluation, and cross-sector collaboration. She played a key role in a successful California state campaign targeting the payday loan industry and has worked closely with historically marginalized residents of San Francisco’s most neglected neighborhoods to develop wealth-building programs rooted in a reparations lens. She also has experience working as an analyst and evaluating the impact of various health, economic, and social state policies and programs on the people of California. Deirel graduated from UC Berkeley as a proud non-traditional transfer student with a degree in Global Studies. She is also an alum of the Public Policy and International Affairs (PPIA) Fellowship at Princeton University. Outside of work, when Deirel isn’t relaxing, philosophizing about life, or watching Star Wars, you can catch her engaged in a variety of recreational activities like rock climbing, cycling, boxing, and more.

Derya Arac (she/her/hers) is the Director of Development at The Greenlining Institute where she manages cultivation and stewardship of institutional funders and individual donors. She has a decade of experience in development, communications, and process improvement with the aim of advancing nonprofit missions. Derya previously served as Associate Director, Development Operations at KQED, where she oversaw day-to-day financial functions, operations and systems for major gifts, foundations, and planned giving. Prior to KQED, she managed development and social media efforts as Director of Development and Outreach at Children Now, a research, policy, and advocacy organization focused on improving child well-being. Derya has also worked in communities across the Bay Area as an afterschool teacher, literacy and writing instructor, and refugee mentor. She has an M.A. in Political Science from San Francisco State University and a B.A. in Political Science from California State University, East Bay. Derya was born in Vancouver, B.C. to Turkish and Chinese parents, and has lived in Oakland for over a decade.

Elise Lozano (she/her/hers) is the Development Program Manager at The Greenlining Institute. She works towards the Greenlining Institute’s mission by supporting current funder relationships, narrative building, and cultivating new funding opportunities. Elise previously worked as Development Coordinator at Meals on Wheels of Contra Costa, Inc. where she oversaw direct mail campaigns, gift processing, grant stewardship, and donor cultivation. Elise also has previous experience with nonprofit program coordination in her work with YMCA of the East Bay’s Youth & Government Program. Originally from Fresno, Elise moved to the Bay Area to attend Saint Mary’s College of California in Moraga where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a minor in English. She now calls the Bay Area home and enjoys nature walks, exploring new restaurants, listening to true-crime podcasts, and spending time with her two pet snakes.

As Director of Capacity Building, Emi Wang (she/her/hers) is committed to supporting communities of color to achieve their visions and build power. Our neighborhoods have been shaped by racist and exclusionary public policies, and we must double down on community ownership over the solutions. Emi leads Greenlining’s Capacity Building team, which supports under-resourced communities across California and nationally to gain equitable opportunity and access to tools to lead their own transformations. Working with local partners, she helped to catalyze a collaborative community-led process in South Stockton to secure $35 million in green capital investments through the Transformative Climate Communities program. Emi is also a proven policy advocate, advocating for policies that center communities and dismantle structural barriers. She led advocacy for SB 1072 (Leyva, 2018), which created the Regional Climate Collaboratives program to build the capacity building and technical assistance infrastructure needed in California’s most vulnerable communities. Prior to joining Greenlining, Emi supported grassroots community improvement initiatives in communities of color and low-income neighborhoods across New York City. Emi holds a B.A. from Vassar College. Born and raised in Brooklyn, Emi has mad love for the 718.

Erica Plasencia (she/her/ella) is a first-generation daughter of Mexican immigrants. She grew up in a small rural town in Northern California, where she experienced the clear impacts of limited access to resources and education, and its implications on social and economic mobility for communities of color. As the Program Manager for Economic Equity at Greenlining, Erica leads bank accountability efforts at the federal level using the Community Reinvestment Act, an anti-redlining law that obligates banks to serve the needs of low and moderate income communities and reinvest in these communities in order to combat the racial wealth gap and segregation. Prior to joining The Greenlining Institute, she worked at California Community Builders where she helped address economic and racial justice issues through community education efforts on redlining and policy advocacy focused on access to homeownership for people of color. In addition to her non profit work, Erica has worked in various higher education settings helping address the Latinx educational pipeline by assisting students with college readiness skills, retention programs, and implementing culturally relevant curriculums. Erica enjoys going home to her mom's home cooked meals, dancing, playing volleyball, and going on hikes with her fiance.

Erika Céspedes (she/they/ella) is the Senior Director of Leadership Academy at The Greenlining Institute where she oversees efforts to empower the next generation of racial equity leaders to bring lasting, transformative change for communities of color. Erika is an experienced Program Director with a demonstrated history of leading in community-driven social justice programs. She has over 15 years of experience working at the intersections of racial justice, popular education, arts & cultural strategy, and grassroots organizing efforts that center directly impacted communities. Erika holds an M.A. in Ethnic Studies and will complete a Doctorate in Education (Ed.D.) focused on Educational Leadership, Social Justice, and Equity from San Francisco State University in 2024.

Fatima Abdul-Khabir (she/her/hers) is the Senior Program Manager of Energy Equity at the Greenlining Institute. Growing up in a small Southern California desert town, Fatima has witnessed firsthand the environmental impacts that low-income communities and communities of color face: drought, extreme heat events, and poor air quality. She’s also seen the transformative effect of community water-saving efforts and how one house installing solar panels can start a chain reaction around the neighborhood. Fatima believes in achieving a just transition to clean energy by spotlighting communities of color and their needs in the decarbonization movement. She works in the Climate Equity team to further equitable energy policies and programs in California and beyond. In her previous role as a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Fatima supported state and federal programs with energy-efficient product procurement and renewable energy acquisition initiatives. Fatima was also a part of the sustainability team at San Mateo Community College District, and led development of the District’s Decarbonization Strategy. Fatima graduated from Cornell University in 2018 with a B.S. in Environmental Engineering and a minor in Creative Writing. She is also an accredited LEED Green Associate who enjoys reading fantasy books, baking sweets and experimenting with espresso.

George Lee (he/him/his) is the Director of Greenlining the Block (GTB) at The Greenlining Institute. George directs strategy and development, subgrants, technical assistance, and capacity building for community-driven climate infrastructure projects in communities of color in California and beyond. George has over 10+ years of project management and co-director experience in developing and optimizing equitable community-led public/private park capital projects, and hands-on fabrication and construction management experience building permanent, engineered and permitted public land art installations. George identifies as half northern European and a half southern Italian (3rd generation). He is a practical, professional activist for ensuring disadvantaged, marginalized communities have access to the health-promoting benefits of clean, safe public spaces and infrastructure. George received his B.A. in Environmental Studies from Vassar College, and his MLA in Urban Ecological Design from the University of Washington. He is a member of the American Society of Landscape Architects, Fulbright Speaker, Eagle Scout and Student Conservation Association Alumnae.

As Associate Director of Climate Equity, Hana Creger (she/her/hers) contributes to the development and implementation of policies leading to clean transportation and mobility investments in California that result in positive health, environmental, and economic outcomes. Her work is focused on the intersection of transportation, climate change, and economic opportunities for low-income communities of color. Prior to Greenlining, Hana implemented innovative campaigns for Alameda County’s Clean Commute Program, to promote long-term sustainable behavior changes. Hana has also worked as a community organizer, advocating for climate change action and public transit policies in San Diego. Hana was born and raised in Berkeley, California. She graduated magna cum laude from San Diego State University with a degree in Sustainability, with a particular interest in environmental justice and equity. Outside of work, Hana enjoys spending time with family and friends, hiking, cooking, and traveling. Her greatest fear is being stuck inside on a sunny day.

As Program Manager of Finance, Irma Hurtado (she/her/hers) is responsible for overseeing the organization’s accounts payable and accounts receivable as well as offering support to the Development team on grant and data processing. Previously, Irma worked at Briones International, LLC as a bookkeeper, where she provided bookkeeping services to various nonprofit organizations in the Bay Area. While volunteering at Mujeres Unidas y Activas, Irma became passionate for human rights and social justice as well as the work of the nonprofit sector. This is what drew Irma to The Greenlining Institute. Irma holds a B.A in Political Science from Cal State East Bay. She grew up in the Bay Area, where she currently lives with her husband. During her free time Irma enjoys dancing, hiking and spending time with her family.

Isa Gaillard (he/him/his) is Senior Program Manager of Transformative Communities at the Greenlining Institute and helps facilitate and lead the Towards Equitable Electric Mobility (TEEM) Community of Practice. He also works to grow Greenlining’s capacity-building efforts so that the organization can scale its racial and environmental equity approaches. Isa is an urban planner and environmental justice advocate who is passionate about creating a future in which all communities have access to clean, healthy, and affordable transportation options. He holds a Master’s degree in City Planning from the University of California, Berkeley, and a Bachelors in Public Policy from the University of Michigan. In his off time, Isa enjoys playing basketball, soccer, and learning Spanish.

Jazmin Williams (she/her/hers) is a Bay Area native who grew up in East Oakland, where she became familiar with the lack of resources and opportunities that her community had access to. She developed an early understanding that she wanted to be in a position to create change in communities of color, where families can thrive and create a legacy. Jazmin attended Tuskegee University, where she received her B.S. in Psychology. Though she was raised in the bay, she spent a lot of her adult life in Alabama, North Carolina, and Virginia. During that time, she volunteered at food banks, after school programs, and women & children shelters. She figured out that her passion was being a part of something that provides support and equal opportunities for all. Prior to joining Greenlining, she worked in public affairs and communication for the Housing Department for the state of Virginia. There, she held seminars and workshops for people of color who were released from prison. The organization focused on reentry back into society for the individuals who were incarcerated and their families. In her spare time, Jazmin enjoys spending quality time with her 6 year old daughter, attending local comedy shows, sporting events (Go Warriors!), and finding new local restaurants.

Jennah El-Ashmawi (she/her/hers) is the Media and Communications Coordinator at the Greenlining Institute. Prior to joining Greenlining, she was the Social Impact Fellow at United Way Bay Area, supporting fundraising efforts for basic needs programs, youth empowerment, and housing justice. She also led social media content creation for a grassroots congressional campaign. Additionally, Jennah worked at the Center for Sustainability at Santa Clara University, organizing campus-wide events promoting sustainability. She attended Santa Clara University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Communication with a minor in Sustainability. In university, Jennah was actively involved in the Middle Eastern and North African club and worked towards ethnicity recognition, mental health support, and cultural competency for her community. Outside of work, Jennah enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, playing soccer, cooking, and experiencing live music events.

As Senior Program Manager for Capacity Building, Katherine Cabrera (she/her/hers) supports local stakeholders in Los Angeles to advance community-driven, equitable climate solutions. Katherine’s passion for social change stems from her lived experience growing up in the city of Ontario in the Inland Empire. As a youth activist, she actively organized against the policing of her immigrant community and witnessed how the logistics economy impacted her hometown as it expanded in the region. This led her to combine her passion for immigrant rights with environmental justice and advocate for increased resources to grassroots-based organizations. Katherine holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California, Los Angeles, a bachelor’s degree in Environmental Analysis from Pitzer College and is also a Fulbright recipient. During her free time, she enjoys trail running and summiting Southern California’s peaks.

Laura Skaggs (she/her/hers) is the Vice President of People and Culture at The Greenlining Institute. Laura has more than 30 years of experience in human resources management, previously serving in director and VP roles at the Institute on Aging, Planned Parenthood Golden Gate and Planned Parenthood Northern California, the East Bay Agency for Children, San Francisco AIDS Foundation and as an HR consultant for Robert Half Management Services and Next Level Strategies. With a strong commitment to improving the health and wellbeing of Bay Area communities, Laura is personally driven to ensure that staff is supported with excellent compensation and benefits, professional development opportunities and an engaging organizational culture. She takes pride in having a personal and professional connection to the mission of the organizations that inspires her work and leadership. Laura was born and raised in Oakland and still resides in East Oakland. Laura’s love for music, cooking, camping, and flowers keep her motivated and inspired to do her best work.

Lolly Lim (she/they) is the Program Manager of Climate Investments Research at Greenlining, where she studies the impact of policies and identifies solutions to actualize equitable climate investments. Lolly’s previous work has been rooted in understanding the impacts of climate change on under-resourced communities, and uplifting solutions in the realm of project-level interventions, planning, and policy change. She has worked at the UCLA Luskin Center for Innovation where she managed research on the impacts of extreme heat on vulnerable populations and identified regulatory gaps to address extreme heat in California. She has supported the development of climate change adaptation plans at the local and regional scales in Los Angeles. She also has experience evaluating energy efficiency and renewable energy programs across North America to assess program reach and efficacy. Lolly is based in Tongva / Gabrielino / Kizh land (Los Angeles). Outside of work at Greenlining, she enjoys learning and writing about Korean environmental history, mythology, and folktales; providing translation and interpretation support to Korean communities in Los Angeles; and spending time outside. Lolly holds a master’s degree in Urban and Regional Planning from UCLA and an Sc.B. in Geology-Biology from Brown University.

Marcus Cordero (he/him/his) is the Human Resources and Payroll Manager at The Greenlining Institute where he provides seamless and comprehensive administrative support to his colleagues. Marcus’ career path has led him to work for local CBOs including La Clínica de la Raza, Oakland Museum of California, and most recently with UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital. Over the course of his career, he has seen how supporting his colleagues is supporting the mission. Marcus came to the Bay Area to attend UC Berkeley where was exposed to community health services organizations while working part-time with LifeLong Medical Care. Marcus earned the Society for Human Resources Management Certified Professional certificate (SHRM-CP). He grew up in southeast Los Angeles, in the City of South Gate. He enjoys traveling to LA to visit his family and longtime friends. He enjoys hiking and exploring the local outdoors. Marcus is always ready to experiment with new camping recipes. Campfire tater-tot waffles, anyone?

Maria Barakat MPP (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager for Transformative Racial Equity at the Greenlining Institute where she supports California state level racial equity policy development. She is committed to furthering racial equity and justice, the dismantling of capitalist, patriarchal, misogynist, racist, white supremacist systems and structures through public policy and legislative advocacy. In 2023, she completed the largest and most comprehensive study of racial equity budget frameworks in the country while working for the Public Health Institute in partnership with executive-level stakeholders in the California government. Her work centers on the external capacity building and technical assistance to the California Racial Equity Commission in developing the statewide racial equity framework. Her work includes internal development of Greenlining’s organizational racial equity praxis and technical assistance to racial equity practitioners in California and the United States. Maria holds a Master of Public Policy degree from University of California Berkeley’s Goldman School and specializes in racial equity and housing and homelessness policies. Her public policy work and education integrate her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology of Law and Society from University of California Davis where she focused on Critical Theories, Race and Ethnicity, Inequality, and Punishment and the Criminal Legal System. In her previous career, she was a Project Manager and Chef for nearly 20 years in California, Mexico, and Colorado. She is a voracious learner, a home gardener, and a runner.

Marissa Wu (they/she) is the Transportation Equity Program Manager at The Greenlining Institute, where they work to advance a just transition by bridging the gap between climate justice and labor and supporting equitable implementation of green transportation policy at the state and federal levels. Prior to joining Greenlining, Marissa worked as the Political Lead for UAW Local 2865 and UAW Local 5810, the labor unions representing 48,000 academic workers at the University of California, where she led the unions' legislative advocacy through their historic 2022 strike and developed a worker-driven political program. Marissa is a lifelong Californian who grew up in San Diego and earned two B.A.s from UC Berkeley in Sociology and Cognitive Science. In their free time, Marissa enjoys making art and music, hiking, and imagining an abundant future in which all people are free.

As the Transportation Equity Program Manager, Maurissa Brown (she/her/hers) advocates for clean, safe, and affordable mobility options that benefit low-income communities of color. Maurissa works to ensure state zero-emission vehicle transportation policy, planning and investments build healthy, climate-resilient communities. Maurissa previously worked as a Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Clean Energy Diversity Fellow during which she developed a background in building science and innovation, energy codes and policy, and zero-emission technologies. Maurissa built a relationship with the Coalition of Communities of Color and joined the Building Community, Shifting Power Collective in Portland, Oregon as a researcher and organizer. She held healing space for communities of color to determine their own climate justice needs for local policy, which led to the Collective’s development of the HEART Standards–equitable and healthy building performance standards–for communities who live in existing rental housing in Multnomah County. Maurissa was born and raised on Tongva land (South Central Los Angeles). As a South Central native, Maurissa personally understands the socio-economic impacts of redlining and intentional neighborhood disinvestment. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Ecology, Behavior, & Evolution from the University of California, Los Angeles. Maurissa is an artistic and scientific mind and enjoys melding the intersections between ecology and environmental justice through painting and writing. She believes storytelling through art is essential to changing the narrative of our cultural relationship to nature and one another.

Melanie Morelos (she/her/they) is the Government Affairs Strategist at The Greenlining Institute, where she advances the organization's legislative priorities and develops strategies to achieve them. Melanie brings more than 5 years of experience serving the California State Legislature, where she crafted policies aimed at increasing affordable housing production, expanding employment leave for women and LGBTQ+ communities, and reducing gun violence in high risk neighborhoods. Her most recent role was Legislative Director to Assemblymember Buffy Wicks, where together they started a working conversation about how social housing could be achieved in California, negotiated high stakes legislative priorities like workplace vaccine mandates, and advanced the Assemblywoman into her highest role as the Chair of the Assembly Committee on Housing and Community Development. Melanie is a daughter of farmer workers, and a proud member of the LGBTQ+ and Latinx communities. She believes housing is a human right, and that equity should be accessible to low-income families, women and people of color. When Melanie isn’t working, she enjoys rock climbing, socializing with friends, playing fetch with her dog, Grace, and planning her next trip out of the country.

Mercedes Gibson (she/her/hers) is the Economic Strategy Senior Program Manager, where she partners with the Business Team inside City of Oakland’s Economic & Workforce Development Department to better support small businesses of color, as outlined in Oakland’s 2018 -2020 Economic Development Strategy. As an East Oakland native, Mercedes is familiar with barriers to wealth for black and brown families living in parts of Oakland that have been historically underdeveloped, ignored and redlined. Since 14, she has advocated for the needs of communities often not invited to sit at the table: poor folks, people of color, queer people and women. She has also worked at various nonprofits that serve these communities: Hack the Hood, LYRIC and Young Women United For Oakland. As a San Francisco State University alum and a certified life coach in positive psychology her passions are communication, strategy and performing on stage. In her downtime she tries to be in a lake or river as much as possible, stargaze around a fire, and read graphic novels.

Molly Tafoya (she/her/hers) is the Senior Director of Communications at The Greenlining Institute, where she leads the communications team responsible for the organization’s strategic communications as well as earned and digital media strategies. Molly brings nearly 15 years of experience executing comprehensive public education campaigns, including policymaker and legislator engagement strategies to advance equity and justice for all. Her most recent roles have included Director of Nonprofit Partnerships with Open to All, where she directed a coalition of more than 200 intersection national and state advocacy organizations in advance of the vision that when a business opens its doors to the public, it should be open to all. Prior to that, she served as the Director of Community Engagement with the Movement Advancement Project maximizing the organization’s work advancing equality for LGBTQ people focusing on state-level engagement, coalition building, and advocacy. She has also served as Senior Field Representative with Asm. Rob Bonta, Director of Public Affairs with Early Edge California, and Director of Communications with One Iowa. From her work advancing LGBTQ equality, to lobbying for increased investments in early childhood education, Molly’s lifelong work for social justice and equity is grounded in her deep commitment to intersectional community engagement, and a strong love of strategic communications. She is the Board Chair for the City of Oakland Head Start program, a Head Coach with the Oakland Girls Softball League, and a volunteer with Brown Girl Surf. Raised in Hawai’i, she misses it every day as she now lives in Oakland. She holds a BA from Georgetown University.

Monica Palmeira (she/her/hers) was raised in Eastern North Carolina as a first-generation American in a Portuguese family. Her professional background includes ethnographic research, affordable housing advocacy, climate policy, and community engagement. Prior to joining Greenlining, Monica most recently held positions at the California Public Utilities Commission leading environmental justice initiatives, as well as at the California Governor’s Office of Planning and Research – Strategic Growth Council where she spearheaded various outreach and technical assistance programs to support communities in accessing climate-related funding programs. She received a B.A. in International Studies and Public Policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. In her free time, Monica loves spending time with her young son, visiting family back in Portugal, and rediscovering her home state.

Morokot Uy (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager of Capacity Building supporting her hometown of Stockton. Prior to joining Greenlining, Morokot engaged in environmental, climate, and capacity building work to support the efforts of Rise Stockton, an environmental justice coalition striving to make collective impact and center community priorities in climate solutions. Most recently, she was an Executive Fellow placed at the California Strategic Growth Council where she supported the development of their capacity building and community resilience programs. Morokot is excited to focus her work back in Stockton and tie together her experience of working in the community with her new knowledge of policy and program practices. Morokot graduated from UC Davis with a B.A. in International Relations. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends, finding new food spots to try, and picking up random hobbies.

Rami Ibrahim (he/him/his) is the Economic Equity Coordinator team, supporting The Greenlining Institute’s vision of economic investment among communities of color and holding financial institutions accountable. As a second-generation Palestinian American, Rami is passionate about ending U.S. destabilization of our homelands and centering refugee and immigrant communities in policies surrounding economic, climate, housing, and health justice. Prior to joining Greenlining, he conducted research pertaining to refugee resettlement and engaged San Diego refugee and immigrant communities in State, County, and City redistricting processes. Rami was born and raised in San Diego, California and received a B.A. in Political Science from UC San Diego. His dream is to continue fighting in coalition with Palestinian youth and elders and marginalized communities throughout the world for our collective liberation.

Rawan Elhalaby (she/her/hers) is the Associate Director of Economic Equity at the Greenlining Institute where she oversees bank accountability efforts using the Community Reinvestment Act. As the daughter of working class refugees, Rawan is all too familiar with the obstacles to achieving self-sufficiency in the United States for low-income and immigrant families. As such, she has spent her career addressing these obstacles at Greenlining and one-on-one with recently arrived refugees from Iraq, Somalia, Syria, and Afghanistan (among others) to San Diego at the International Rescue Committee. She has also worked as a policy consultant to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the County of San Diego, the Western Regional Advocacy Project, and the Dellums Institute for Social Justice. Rawan holds a degree in Political Science from San Diego State University and a Master of Public Policy from UC Berkeley’s Goldman School of Public Policy.

As Senior Legal Counsel of Transportation Equity, Román Partida-López (he/him/his) leads our mobility and transportation electrification work. He advocates for legislative and regulatory laws that improve access, affordability and lasting socio-economic and environmental benefits for low-income communities of color. He focuses on advancing equitable policies and programs that deliver clean air, zero-emission mobility options and workforce opportunities for our most impacted communities. Román is based in San Diego CA. He grew up in National City (South of downtown San Diego), two blocks away from the freeway and across the street from a car body shop that regularly violated city codes by sanding, chroming and painting vehicles out in the open. His exposure to these toxic chemicals and pollution inspired him to work on addressing environmental injustices in his community. He is currently the Chair of the Disadvantaged Communities Advisory Group that advises the CPUC and CEC on the development of equitable energy policy and programs. He is also on the board of Forth Mobility and Casa Familiar. Román is happy outdoors, at a park or coaching youth softball or baseball with his wife and three kids. He received his B.A. from the University of San Diego and J.D. from Thomas Jefferson School of Law.

Rosa María Martinez (she/her/hers) is Office Manager, overseeing the management of our office and building. Previously, she worked with the Health Equity Team managing Greenlining’s Diversity in the Health Workforce initiative, looking at current representation of people of color at all levels within the health field. She also worked on ensuring that information about the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was reaching limited-English communities throughout California, conducting presentations across the state. Rosa María co-authored an issue brief designed to help ethnic small businesses understand key elements of the ACA affecting them. Rosa María served on the Advisory Council to the San Francisco Mexican Consulate (2012-2014) and was the secretary for the Council’s Committee on Health and Sports. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Spanish Language and Literature with a minor in Business Administration from the University of California, Berkeley. Originally from Zacatecas, México, Rosa grew up the Bay Area where she currently lives with her husband and daughter. In her spare time she loves to go horseback riding.

Ryan Ly-Burbridge (he/him/his) has been with The Greenlining Institute since 2013. He is the Senior Facilities Coordinator in charge of managing our 360 Center community event space, providing T1 IT support, and organizational capacity building. He is a Bay Area Native with deep roots in the East Bay, and is heavily into the Marvel Universe, Board Games, Dungeons & Dragons and wine.

Safia Haidari (she/her/hers) is the Capacity Building Program Manager for the San Diego region to support community stakeholders in advancing equitable climate solutions. As a first generation Afghan-American, Safia is passionate about uplifting marginalized voices in decision making. After receiving her bachelors degree in Social Science, she worked with various community based organizations in San Diego that focused on immigrant rights, transportation justice, and police accountability. Hearing these stories of resiliency sparked her passion for community driven social change. Prior to Greenlining, Safia served as the Director of Policy Advocacy and Organizing at Youth Will, where she worked to improve systems and uplift the experiences of marginalized youth. During her time with Youth Will, she oversaw/implemented several campaigns including the creation of a green jobs corps program to support low income youth, the inclusion of free menstrual product dispensers in public facing City and County facilities, and the creation of an Office of Child and Youth Success within the City of San Diego. In her free time, she loves going to the beach, exploring new coffee shops, reading memoirs, and spending time with friends and family.

As the Senior Program Manager for a Clean Energy Initiative, Sneha Ayyagari (she/her/hers) utilizes her background in engineering, policy analysis, and capacity building to help advocate for more climate resilient and equitable policies, organizations, and technologies. Most recently, Sneha was a Senior Associate at Rocky Mountain Institute where she supported government agencies and advocates in creating equitable energy efficiency and housing policies. She has previously held fellowships at the Tomkat Center for Sustainable Energy in California, Green Empowerment in Nicaragua, and the Natural Resources Defense Council in New York. She earned a B.S. and an M.S. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Stanford University. She enjoys making and listening to music, learning from her loving family’s history and culture, and spending time at local animal shelters, libraries, and community gardens.

Sona Mohnot (she/her/hers) is the Director or Climate Equity, Climate Resilience. In her role, she advocates for environmental equity and works to effectively empower communities of color. Sona comes to us from New Orleans, and moved to the Bay Area to work on environmental equity issues. She became interested in environmental equity after witnessing the disproportionate environmental burdens that communities of color face in New Orleans, especially after Hurricane Katrina and the B.P. oil spill. Sona interned at several environmental nonprofits throughout law school and realized that she wanted to pursue a career in public interest environmental law.

Sutapa Balaji (she/her/hers) comes to The Greenlining Institute with extensive experience supporting nonprofits in their Finance and Operations areas. She is committed to building and growing strong and sustainable nonprofit organizations. Starting in program management at a nonprofit over two decades ago, Sutapa has had stints in development prior to finding her place in the Finance and Operations space. Over the years she has also successfully led various organizations through their periods of leadership transition ensuring that staff were supported, and that the organizations stayed true to their mission, vision and values. Sutapa moved to the US from India two decades ago. After receiving her MBA in India, she worked in both the corporate and social sector. After moving to the U.S., she has chosen to focus on the nonprofit sector. Her experiences in different social service organizations helped her find the resilience and adaptability that so many immigrants bring to enrich the social fabric of this country. She loves living in Oakland and enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and exploring the wonderful food scene in the Bay Area.

Teo Octavia Saragi (they/them/theirs) joined The Greenlining Institute in 2023. Prior to this role, they engaged in transportation and mobility justice work as the Communications Manager at Bike East Bay. Teo's background in policy advocacy, creative storytelling, and community mobilization informs their approach to social justice-centered digital communications. Teo holds a BA in Public Policy Analysis, Sociology, and Asian American Studies from Pomona College and is excited to apply their skills and knowledge at Greenlining in ways that uplift communities of color. Outside of work, you can find Teo searching for the tastiest vegetarian dishes in the Bay Area.

Vinhcent Le (he/him) is Senior Legal Counsel at The Greenlining Institute, where he works on issues related to consumer privacy, broadband access, and equity in artificial intelligence. Le also serves as a Board Member of the California Privacy Protection Agency and is the designee of the Speaker of the California Assembly. Le is on the steering committee of the ACM Conference on Fairness, Accountability, and Transparency, and brings a focus on responsible AI to his work. Le received a J.D. from the University of California, Irvine School of Law, and a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California, San Diego.

Yesenia Perez (she/her/hers) is the Program Manager of Climate Equity where she leads the development and implementation of California’s climate resilience and clean mobility policies to ensure that they effectively address the needs of communities of color. Yesenia holds a deep commitment to advancing equitable, community-driven climate solutions led by local stakeholders that are historically excluded from public decision-making processes. Prior to joining Greenlining, Yesenia worked as a strategic consultant for public sector clients and supported projects that centered equitable and participatory community planning practices. Yesenia has also worked as an environmental educator for K-12 students. Yesenia graduated from U.C. Berkeley with a B.S. in Society and Environment, focusing on environmental justice and policy and holds minors in both Public Health and Public Policy. In her downtime, Yesenia enjoys practicing yoga, dancing and spending time in the Bay Area sunshine.

Zhanae Briggs (she/her/hers) is the Senior Coordinator for Communications at The Greenlining Institute, where she supports the Communications and Policy teams in amplifying the work of the organization through publications and media. She is passionate about uplifting the voices and lived experiences of people of color and bringing communities together. Zhanae was born and raised in various cities across California where she has had the opportunity to live and work in a multitude of spaces. She earned a B.A. in Communication Studies at Sacramento State University, as well as an M.A. in Communication with an emphasis on Intersectionality and Organizational Functions from San Diego State University. Prior to joining Greenlining, she worked in higher education where she taught and advocated for nontraditional students, and conducted research on the experiences of women of color in academia and the workplace. In her free time, Zhanae enjoys reading, baking, traveling to visit her family, and spending time by the lake as a new Oakland resident.

Angel Lin (she/her/hers) is the Technology Equity Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where she works alongside the Technology Equity team to develop a strategic understanding of existing and emerging regulations that surround the algorithmic systems making key economic decisions that impact our lives - from loan application approvals to receiving public assistance. Angel’s experience in data-driven advocacy informs her work in algorithmic equity. As Chair of the Inclusive Excellence Student Advisory Council, she developed a demographic data tracking mechanism to bring to light racial profiling instances taking place within the campus police department. In 2022, she served as the inaugural Government County Fellow at the Vietnamese American Service Center in San Jose. There, she utilized community-based research methods to develop culturally competent programming to expand access to health and human services in immigrant communities across the county. As Student Body Vice President at Santa Clara University, Angel conducted a campus-wide evaluation to develop a $56,000 Wellness Grant Program. This grant program distributed stimulus funds to vulnerable student groups following the Covid-19 pandemic. After four years of working on assistive technology and disability programming within the university's Office of Accessible Education, she worked with faculty members to pioneer the university's first ever Disability Studies Minor. Angel Lin graduated as Valedictorian of Santa Clara University in 2023 with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and Ethnic Studies. Her advocacy experience has given her an understanding of the profound and vital role that data places in racial equity initiatives. This informs her work today as she works to develop regulations targeting bias in the algorithms that govern our increasingly digital lives.

Dohee Kim (she/her/hers) is the Legislative Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where she works with the Systems Change team to incubate public policy proposals, navigate the state budget process, lobby key elected officials at the State Legislature, advocate for community-driven legislative priorities, and build relationships with key stakeholders to advance Greenlining’s political strategy and agenda. As a Korean-American who was born in Korea, Dohee feels connected to the Korean Diaspora. Her desire to reconnect with her roots and heritage has encouraged her to be mindful of intergenerational impact, to respect the land and people’s self-determination, and ground her community advocacy based on people’s real-lived experiences. Diving into political sociology at UC Berkeley as a Cal Alumna encouraged her to critically analyze social movements, power struggles, and systemic, structural oppressions that continue to have lasting impact on our communities. Dohee served as the District 7 Zoning Adjustments Board Commissioner for the City of Berkeley from 2018-2022, facilitating denser housing development in context of an ongoing Bay Area housing crisis. She has also led non-profit community programming around anti-racism education for youth leaders as well as gender and sexuality-equity initiatives with the YWCA Berkeley/Oakland for six years. She is a former labor and human rights researcher with both UC Berkeley’s Labor Center and Human Rights Center. Her multi-sectoral experience in local community building work has instilled a strong desire to dismantle harmful and obsolete systems and structures to instead reimagine possibilities beyond the confines of the status quo. At Greenlining, Dohee aims to translate her skills to advance pressing legislation and policy that foster climate, racial, and economic equity for communities of color and frontline communities directly impacted by alarming rates of climate change. During times of restoration, she enjoys attending local concerts with friends, jamming, singing, engaging in political education with community organizing groups, organizing direct actions, and taking long walks around the neighborhood aimlessly.

Eva Pitts (she/her/hers) is the Community Development Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where she is working with the Greenlining the Block team to help bridge the gap between community capacity and new infrastructure funding opportunities to ensure that climate investments are being directed and absorbed by communities of color for the types of projects that are needed most, allowing her to merge her interest in policy with environmental activism. Previously, Eva was a Civic Spark Fellow where she worked with the San Joaquin Council of Governments (SJCOG) to expand capacity in San Joaquin County. She worked with SJCOG as lead agency with the Regional Climate Collaborative to build sustainable resilience against climate impacts in three communities of focus; Lodi, Tracy, and Stockton. Additionally, she analyzed over 800 bus stops in Stockton where she was able to find that a majority of bus stops in school zones that did not have transit amenities. She was then able to use this data to apply for transit infrastructure grants. In addition to serving disadvantaged communities, her interests include painting, hiking, and rock climbing. Eva is a Stockton native and a graduate of UC Davis where she earned her B.A. in Political Science and a minor in Environmental Policy Analysis and Planning. Eva looks forward to her 2024-25 service year with Greenlining Institute, where she is excited to continue pursuing her activism in environmental justice with disadvantaged communities.

Gyasi Pigott (he/him/his) is the Climate Equity (Mobility) Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where he is assisting in advocacy efforts to shape and implement equitable, sustainable, and community-driven mobility decisions, plans, and projects at the local, regional, state and federal level leveraging Greenlining’s frameworks and principles as a guide. Gyasi’s love for climate, economic, and mobility equity was born out of his interactions with neighbors and community groups in the formerly redlined West Oakland neighborhood– Lower Bottoms, a predominantly Black community impacted by highways and industrial activity– where he moved into in 2020. Here, he was confronted with the harsh reality of what it means to live in a community that is bisected by freeways that lacks adequate public transit, food options, and economic opportunities. He wants to use his voice, skills, and passions to elevate communities like these through better mobility infrastructure that connects people to green spaces, healthy food opportunities, well-paying jobs, and cultural expression for community development. Before beginning at the Greenlining Institute, Gyasi worked as a fellow at a Bay Area based affordable housing non-profit where he gained valuable insights into the development of affordable housing for the region's most vulnerable populations. Using his experience working in the housing sector, Gyasi seeks to develop a holistic vision of urban development where there exists plentiful, high-quality housing opportunities that are seamlessly connected by a robust, equitable transportation network. Gyasi also works as a mobility advocate where he fights for better mobility opportunities in the Bay Area. Gyasi, a Bay Area Native, was born in Berkeley, CA and is a proud community college graduate from the Peralta Community College District. He received his undergraduate degree in Sociology and Public Policy from the University of California, Berkeley. When Gyasi is not working to improve mobility and transportation, he can be found playing soccer in Oakland’s Chinatown, hammocking by Lake Merritt, biking, or playing with his cats.

Swelihle “Sweswe” Tembe (she/her/hers) is the Economic Equity Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where she works with the Small Business and Banking teams to analyze the availability of small business lending products that meet the capital needs of BIPOC entrepreneurs and small businesses as well as barriers that exist to providing safe, low-cost lending options for these businesses. Swelihle was born and raised in Mbabane, Eswatini, and graduated from Wellesley College with a degree in Economics and Africana Studies. Her upbringing in Eswatini, combined with her experiences living in various countries, has ignited a deep passion for driving positive change in international development. These experiences have fostered a strong commitment to combating racial oppression and advancing social and economic equality. Inspired by Desmond Tutu’s powerful words, “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor,” Swelihle believes in taking tangible, meaningful action to address systemic issues. Her focus lies in understanding and addressing the complex financial systems originally designed to exclude BIPOC communities and that continue to perpetuate injustice. Her goal is to contribute to creating a more equitable society by creating economies where everyone has the opportunity to participate and thrive regardless of race, ethnicity and gender. In her spare time, she enjoys lifting at the gym, hiking, and taking walks. She also loves listening to music and curating playlists. She is also excited to start learning how to play the bass guitar.

Sydney Guthrie (she/they) is the Climate Resilience Fellow at The Greenlining Institute where she assists in advocacy efforts to shape and implement inclusive, equitable, affordable, and accessible climate resilience policies, programs, and services for low-income communities of color at the state and federal level. Before joining Greenlining, Sydney worked with American Rivers as a California Water Policy Intern and with the California State Lands Commission as an Environmental Policy Intern. Sydney is from a small fishing town in Tlingit Aani, also known as Southeast Alaska. While at Stanford, Sydney studied International Relations, focusing on environmental policy and Indigenous advocacy. She has lived in the Bay Area for 6 years now, and believes in investing in local communities and the importance of giving back to the place you live. For as long as she plans to live in the Bay Area, she wants to work for organizations that advance the lives of those living here. In her spare time, she loves to cook, play video games, and attend arts events.