Laura Valdéz

Laura Valdéz was born and grew up in El Paso, Texas on the U.S./Mexico border. Her social justice framework is rooted in the struggles she witnessed growing up as a daughter of Mexican immigrants and queer Xicana.

Laura brings over 20 years of leadership experience in nonprofit administration, public health, public policy, and grassroots organizing. As a human rights activist, she has led several social justice organizations including organizations working for immigrant and LGBTQ rights. As a National Urban Fellow, she earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Bernard M. Baruch College, School of Public Affairs in New York City and is a LeaderSpring Fellow alumni.

Laura believes that long-term social change in this country requires sustained commitment and leadership from those most closely impacted by pervasive inequity and injustice and is looking forward to grounding this work at Mission Action.

Saúl Hidalgo L.

Saúl has over 25 years of nonprofit experience – most of which has taken place in the Mission. His previous experience includes being a nonprofit consultant, executive manager, therapist, program developer, and university lecturer. He previously served as the agency’s Director of Housing & Shelter Programs.

Nolia Yulan Lai

Nolia Yulan Lai has over 15 years of human resources management experience. She holds a Master’s in Public Administration and an undergraduate degree in Business Administration. She has worked in the non-profit, business, education, and health sectors in both union and non-union environments. She has extensive experience in employee relations and engagement, benefits and compensation, staff development and performance management, staff recruitment and retention, and has considerable knowledge of labor and employment law. She has demonstrated experience of her proficiency in strategic and policy-making aspects of HR as she is certified as both a Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR), as well as a Senior Certified Professional by The Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM-SCP). As an immigrant from China, she values our organization’s mission and the many services and programming we offer the immigrant community and is excited to be grounding her work at Mission Action.

Maribel Gonzalez Ruiz

Maribel is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of progressive senior management experience in planning, budgeting, forecasting, and leadership roles. With a strong emphasis on data-driven decision-making, she possesses advanced analytical and problem-solving skills. Maribel is known for her resourcefulness, flexibility, and exceptional ability to build and lead teams effectively. She excels both in collaborative environments and when working independently, demonstrating her self-starter mindset. Maribel’s leadership style is characterized by her proficiency in influence management, engagement, and collaboration, making her an effective leader who drives impactful results.

Kara Mitzel

Kara is a fundraising professional with over twenty years of leadership experience in the non-profit sector. While Kara’s roots in San Francisco reach back to the 19th century when her great-grandfather founded a bakery in North Beach, she grew up moving frequently due to her father’s job, both within and outside of the United States. Her parents instilled in her and her sister a deep commitment to fight against injustice in all its forms and to uphold the beauty and dignity of humanity. She comes from a long line of teachers and labor organizers and, prior to working in fundraising, taught English composition. She has lived in the East Bay for over a decade with her two daughters, her mother, two cats, and a very sweet but ill-behaved dog. On weekends, you can find her leading Girl Scout activities, volunteering in her community, or writing short fiction.

Renee Penton

With over 18 years in the nonprofit sector, Renee’s journey spans community mental health, substance use disorder treatment, street outreach programs, and housing services. She’s served in both provision and leadership roles, focusing on nurturing healing and resilience among individuals, families, and communities.

Yesenia Lacayo

Yesenia has been involved in the non-profit sector from an early age. She was a participant in the Mission Area Federal Credit Union- Youth Credit Union Program which empowered low-income youth to be financially independent and responsible with an emphasis on higher education.  She was a board member for YLI for 2 years, a program that provided grants to youth created projects, and was also a Senior Youth Advocate for Mission Dignity, where her mission was to empower youth in the Mission to finish their high school diploma and continue into higher education or vocational training. She was a shelter case manager with Mission Action for 2 years and transitioned to the Program Manager role in the winter of 2015. She continues to grow and plans to continue advocating for the neighborhood she was born and raised in.

Jackeline Rodriguez

Jackeline, a proud Bay Area native with a background in communications and marketing, brings a deep commitment to her role at Mission Action, inspired by her upbringing as the daughter of Mexican immigrants. As the Donor Engagement Manager, she is passionate about building relationships that support the agency’s mission of empowering low-income and immigrant communities.

When she’s not working, Jackeline loves exploring new places and has a deep appreciation for art. She strives to blend her personal and professional journeys, always aiming to make a positive impact on the community.

For inquiries, feel free to reach out to Jackeline at jackeline.rodriguez@missionaction.org. She looks forward to connecting with those who share her passion for community impact.

Arturo Arévalos

Arturo Arevalos, a native of San Francisco's Bernal Heights, draws deep inspiration from his personal journey and love for the city. Despite facing challenges, including a period of incarceration, Arturo emerged as the first in his family to earn a high school diploma and he transformed into a devoted husband and father, advocate for the underprivileged, and a positive force in his community. Motivated by the impactful lessons and support he received from the people of San Francisco, Arturo joined Mission Action five years ago. Starting as a monitor at DSP, he steadily advanced to become a shift supervisor and contributed to the opening of BVHM. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Arturo played a crucial role in enhancing responses to protect the city's homeless communities, particularly at Safe Sleeping Village Everett and site 25. His commitment to service led him to Safe Sleeping Village site V04, where he served as Site Coordinator and eventually became Program Manager. Notably, Arturo takes pride in his contribution to ensuring safety for over 1,000 Covid-19 vulnerable homeless individuals during the pandemic. Amidst these accomplishments, he continues to enjoy personal passions such as playing softball, celebrating life with family and friends, and passionately supporting the Raiders.

Manuel Piña

Manny has over 12 years of experience in Operations, mostly in private corporations. Manny holds a BS in Mechanical Engineering with a Masters in Logistics Management. He has a solid background in project management, systems, and processes operations. Manuel has developed a solid career in the operations field, working with large corporations such as Tesla and Amazon to name a couple. As an immigrant from Venezuela and understanding all the struggles our communities go through, Manny decided to jump out of corporate and practice something more meaningful for our society with the hope of bringing more smiles to those that need it the most.

Raquel Espana

With over 20 years of experience in nonprofits, Raquel has experience with education and youth organizations. She was the Founding Executive Director for the Foundation for San Mateo County Libraries and is passionate about social justice. She has her master’s in education with an emphasis in equity and social justice from San Francisco State University.

Jaime Torres

Jaime is a San Francisco Native raised in the Mission District by a single immigrant mother. He attended and graduated from John O’Connell High School. Since then, he started working in the non-profit field supporting people experiencing homelessness in San Francisco. He has grown a passion for this work as he loves to help people and it has provided him with many opportunities for growth in his own professional life.

La’Oshia Tillman

La’Oshia Tillman is the Associate Manager of Housing and Shelter Programs. She has a BA in Liberal Studies and has been working in the non-profit sector for 9 years. Her journey started as an on-call Front Desk Clerk and worked her way up to the Assistant Program Director at the Civic Center Navigation Center. Ending in Permanent Supportive Housing as the Resident Services Manager. Through her years in this field, she has been able to help individuals get into Permanent Supportive Housing and access benefits that would help them achieve self-sufficiency in their own way.

Enrique Roldan

Enrique Roldan was promoted as Program Director of Cohen Residence in 2020. Enrique worked for 5 years as the Dolores Shelter Program Manager and additionally served, for almost 5 years, as the Casa Quezada Program Manager. Enrique is a proud San Francisco native, born and raised in the Mission District. He is passionate about the work Mission Action does and believes in making a difference both on the individual level and as part of larger whole. Enrique takes pride in being able to give back to a community that helped him develop into the person he is today. He demonstrates an elevated level of customer service by interacting with tenants in a respectful manner that allows him to build relationships and and embraces his connections with staff, leading to an environment that helps the program thrive with positivity.

Leslie Valdez

Leslie is an innovative and visionary leader, with more than 8 years of diverse experience working in the non-profit and government sectors administering housing programs for low-income San Francisco residents who are homeless / at-risk homelessness and individuals with special needs. Her focus is delivering strong professional inclusive practices, advocating in the Latinx communities that are often underrepresented in housing and promoting awareness for homelessness assistance programs. Leslie studied at University of San Francisco, with a degree in Business Administrations, she has dedicated her life to helping others and by partnering with allies across the housing industry to ensure all identities feel included. Leslie was born in a small town in Texas but spent most of her life in San Francisco, California. She’s proud of her Mexican heritage. The humble work of her beloved brother Roger Valdez, formerly Casa Quezada employee and of Eric Quezada, formerly executive director of Mission Action, a great leader on housing and economic justice and immigrants’ rights, drives Leslie’s passion and commitment for nurturing and fostering the next generation of leaders.

Stephanie Senna

Stephanie Senna, with a childhood marked by homelessness and challenges, developed a deep commitment to helping those in need. Her personal experiences have shaped her into a compassionate advocate for the less fortunate. Under the guidance of Dolores, Stephanie seizes the opportunity to provide others with the support she lacked as a child. Her overarching goal is to ensure that every individual in the Dolores Shelter Program finds a secure space for essential needs such as food, shelter, and hygiene. Stephanie is dedicated to fostering an environment where those in need feel a sense of community and realize they are not alone. As she works towards these objectives, her aspiration is that everyone leaving the program does so with a positive and safe outlook on their future.

David Martinez

David Martinez is the Program Manager at Casa Colibrí/Mission Inn. His parents immigrated from El Salvador to the U.S. without money or support, yet they built a life and raised three children. David is deeply grateful for the values they instilled in him.

He pursued his education at San Francisco City College while working at the Tenderloin Housing Clinic (THC) for three years. This experience with the homeless population had a profound impact on him. Although he initially considered healthcare, David realized his true calling was in social work.

With extensive experience in support services and HSH, David is confident in his ability to provide outstanding services to clients and staff. He is excited to join Mission Action and support its mission: Dolores Street Community Services nurtures individual wellness and cultivates collective power among low-income and immigrant communities for a more just society.

Rafaela Ramirez

Rafaela Ramirez is the new Program Manager for the BVHM Stay Over Program. She and her family immigrated from Mexico City to the United States, overcoming language barriers and adversity to educate her eight siblings.

Rafaela has always been passionate about helping youth. She began her career with an internship at the SF Juvenile Probation Department, then worked with the SF District Attorney and the Sheriff’s Department Religious Services, supporting the Women’s Building in reintegrating formerly incarcerated women. In 2021, Rafaela joined Larkin Street Services as a Case Manager and later became the Program Manager of Casa Esperanza, serving transition-age youth (18-24). She provided comprehensive care for individuals and families affected by addiction, trauma, mental illness, and homelessness, with a focus on Latinos. Currently, Rafaela manages CYHI, a housing program for LGBTQ youth.

Rafaela is honored to join Mission Action and is excited to support, mentor, and create better opportunities for families at the BVHM Stay Over Program.

Jacqui Portillo

Jacqui Portillo has over 20 years of experience in the social service sector and family support movement. Most recently she worked for East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC) where she started and operated Oakland Unified School District’s Central Family Resource Center. She was involved in EBAC’s Trauma Transformed Program and brings a wealth of knowledge and wisdom about strategies to deliver trauma informed services and creating healing spaces for our community. She lived in the Mission District 15 years ago and is remarkably familiar with nonprofit organizations in the Mission. Jacqui was the Founder and Coordinator of Casa Corazon at Instituto Familiar de La Raza. She has a deep commitment to immigrant families and social justice work.

Alejandro Nuno

Alejandro Nuno was born in Guadalajara Jalisco, México. His parents brought him to live in the US when he was 10 years old. He grew up in Santa Monica, CA and has been residing in San Francisco since 2001. He attended the University of San Francisco and received a BA in Psychology as well as two minor degrees in Latin American Studies and Media Studies. He also completed a Master’s degree and Doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology with a Multi-Cultural Emphasis at Alliant International University in San Francisco. Early on in life, he knew that his calling was to support those in need. Now at Mission Action, he can serve and support those that experience similar challenges and have similar needs as his family did in the past. This personal experience along with his professional and educational experience is giving him the opportunity to change the lives of those that come to our organization.

Fabiola García

Fabiola Garcia, originally from Mexico City, is the Wellness Program Manager with over four years of experience in the field. Her journey to the U.S., accompanied by her mother and children, was marked by overcoming language barriers and a deep commitment to supporting others. Fabiola’s passion lies in empowering her clients, connecting them with essential resources, and fostering an environment of empathy and kindness. She believes that a foundation of understanding and support is key to helping individuals regain confidence and achieve their life goals.

Sanika Mahajan

Sanika Mahajan grew up primarily in the South Bay as the daughter of South Asian immigrants. Her commitment to centering social justice for marginalized groups is grounded in her experience as a survivor of sexual and gender-based violence, which led her to community organizing and restorative justice as a grounding framework. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Studies from Harvard College with a minor in Global Health and is also a certified Restorative Justice practitioner.

Sanika has five years of experience in nonprofit spaces, organizing, and political education. She has led coalition-based campaigns for national policy change in Title IX and participated in local racial justice movements and mutual aid food programs in the South Bay. She is committed to finding transformative joy in community-building in her role at Dolores Street.

María José Bastías

Maria obtained her BA in Pedagogia Media en Inglés (English Language Pedagogy) and a Licenciatura en Educación at Universidad Católica de la Santísima Concepción (UCSC), in her home country Chile. Her commitment with immigrants, emergent readers, and emergent bilinguals motivated her to pursue a Masters in English with Concentration in TESOL at San Francisco State University (SFSU). Maria’s approach to education uplifts trust and care, advocacy, leadership, and liberation in all areas of life.

Although Maria’s heart is in adult education in community-based settings, she has worked in community-based organizations, community colleges, the CSU system, and has collaborated with educational leaders in states across the country. She continuously seeks opportunities to learn and implement community-led and participatory research.

Maria is a Ed.D. in Educational Leadership candidate at SFSU. Maria’s work and research incorporates data literacy and research justice in adult education at the instructional, curricular, and policy-making levels. She strongly believes that developing immigrant and Indigenous people’s identity around data can impact the leadership and advocacy work they do -in different languages- in their communities.

Sean McMahon

Sean was raised in an immigrant family in Richmond, California. He comes to Mission Action with 14 years of experience in nonprofit organizations, with nearly a decade of that as an immigration attorney. His work has focused on removal defense, federal immigration litigation, detention issues, and the intersection of law and organizing. Prior to Mission Action, Sean represented both detained and non-detained immigrants in removal proceedings and federal litigation at Pangea Legal Services. His work at Pangea included habeas litigation for detained immigrants, appellate matters at the circuit level, and amicus and impact litigation work such as Pangea v. Dep’t of Homeland Security I and II, the lawsuits that blocked the Trump Administration’s changes to asylum regulations.

Previously, Sean worked at the Community Development Project of the Urban Justice Center (now TakeRoot Justice) in New York, where he provided legal support for the organizing work of workers’ centers and grassroots community organizations. He represented individual members of these organizations on a broad spectrum of humanitarian immigration matters, provided technical assistance for organizing campaigns, and helped to advocate for policies supporting immigrants’ rights in the New York area. Sean was also in the first class of Immigrant Justice Corps (IJC) legal fellows, from 2014 to 2016. He earned a bachelor’s degree with honors from U.C. Berkeley, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. As Legal Program Director of DDLAP, Sean hopes to continue to help build power in working-class and immigrant communities.

Cindia Diaz

Cindia Diaz is a Senior Program Manager for Housing Rights. She leads a team dedicated to providing comprehensive services and resources related to housing rights, eviction prevention, and tenant support for the Latino/a/x population in San Francisco. Cindia’s dedication to civic engagement and public health evolved during her years of volunteering at Clínica Martín-Baró, a student-run clinic. She brings extensive experience in managed health coverage care, community-based organizations, and non-profits. Cindia has also supported housing rights projects and programs in Tijuana and Oaxaca, Mexico, highlighting her commitment to collective action. She is proudly from the Mixteca people of Oaxaca, Mexico.

Finn Palamaro

Finn Palamaro (they/them) is a community organizer with years of experience working in Los Angeles, Arizona and San Francisco with a focus in building collective power across different immigrant and low-income communities. Currently they are the program manager for the San Francisco Immigrant Legal and Education Network, a unique collaboration of 12 legal and service organizations dedicated to aiding and empowering the immigrant community in San Francisco.

Lizzie Davis

Lizzie, a dedicated legal advocate, has been an integral part of Mission Action since 2018, where she has held various roles including Staff Attorney and Supervising Attorney before assuming her current position. Her work is centered around providing vital legal representation to individuals facing deportation, a mission she approaches with unwavering commitment and compassion. Prior to joining Mission Action, Lizzie honed her expertise at The Door, a nonprofit organization, where she served as an immigration attorney. There, she specialized in representing young people seeking Special Immigrant Juvenile Status in both New York Family and Immigration Courts.

Lizzie is a proud graduate of NYU School of Law, where she actively engaged as a student advocate with the NYU Immigrant Rights Clinic, further deepening her commitment to immigration justice. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Lizzie’s linguistic skills have been instrumental in serving diverse communities.

Licensed to practice law in New York, Lizzie brings her expertise to immigration courts and the Board of Immigration Appeals nationwide. Her tireless dedication to defending the rights of immigrants reflects her profound belief in justice and human dignity.

David Valencia

David Valencia, originally from El Salvador, has dedicated their life to advocating for immigrant rights and community empowerment. They began their activism by organizing with day laborers and students in their hometown. Inspired by their own immigrant experience, David now works with the Women’s Collective and Day Labor Program in the Bay Area, fighting for the rights and dignity of immigrant workers.

Outside of their work, David enjoys spending quality time with friends and family. They are also passionate about energy healing and aspire to continue their journey as a Reiki practitioner. David’s commitment to social justice and holistic well-being shines through in all aspects of their life.