YOUTH VENTURES JOINT POWERS AUTHORITY - Key Persons
Aimee Eng was elected School Board Director for Oakland Unified School District in 2014 representing District 2, encompassing the Lake Merritt, Crocker Highlands, Cleveland Heights, San Antonio, Bella Vista and Chinatown neighborhoods. In her role on the Board, Eng has served as Chair of the Budget and Finance Committee and as the Board Liaison to the District's Bond Oversight Committee, Citizens Advisory Committee on Special Education, and the City of Oakland's Education Partnership Committee. In addition to her role on the School Board, Eng is Vice President of Programs at the Thomas J. Long Foundation, a private grant making foundation, where she oversees a $90 million grant making portfolio. The Foundation supports grants in the fields of Education, Disability Services, Senior Services, Safety Net Services and Capacity Building initiatives in Alameda and Contra Costa Counties.
Job Titles:
- Director of Housing and Economic Security
- Project Manager for Oakland Thrives
Aly Bonde is a Policy and Project Manager for Oakland Thrives, and an East Bay native and fifth-generation Californian. Aly was most recently the Director of Public Policy for the Oakland Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, where she led the Chamber's work in policy advocacy and equitable economic development as well as ran the political action committee and Leadership Oakland - the Chamber's popular civic and professional development program. Previously she worked in housing and real estate policy for the Oakland/Berkeley Association of Realtors as Deputy Government Relations Director.
Aly carries a master's degree from the Goldman School School of Public Policy at UC Berkeley and undergraduate degrees in Political Science and Communication from the University of California at Davis - where she served as Managing Editor of the award-winning daily newspaper The California Aggie and graduated magna cum laude. Prior to her career in public policy, she worked as a special needs teacher for two years - the most rewarding yet challenging job she's ever had.
Aly spends as much of her spare time as possible with family and friends and also enjoys hiking, reading, and gardening. She is also a court-appointed advocate for Alameda County foster youth and serves on the boards of several nonprofits.
Job Titles:
- Director, Alameda County Health Care Services Agency
The Health Care Services Agency comprises the County's behavioral health, indigent health, public health, and environmental health programs and services. The Agency's mission is to provide fully integrated health care services through a comprehensive network of public and private partnerships that ensure optimal health and well-being and respect for the diversity of all Alameda County residents. Colleen joined the Alameda County Health Care Services Agency in December 2017 with more than 25 years of prior experience in the health sector, just previously as the Deputy Director of the San Francisco Department of Public Health. Colleen initially joined the San Francisco Department of Public Health in 1999 after seven years with the AIDS Project Los Angeles, and from 2005 to 2010, she served as the director of state government relations for two publicly traded biotechnology companies before returning to San Francisco in 2011 as that agency's deputy director.
A longtime Oakland resident, Colleen holds a Masters of Public Administration/Health Services Administration from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelors of Arts in History from the University of Southern California.
Curtiss Sarikey brings over thirty years of experience working to improve communities and schools for children and families. He was most recently at the Stuart Foundation from 2016-17 as Senior Director where he led work for the Foundation on educator leadership, labor management collaboration, and state level policy on continuous improvement and capacity building.
Mr. Sarikey was also the Deputy Chief of Community Schools and Student Services department in OUSD from 2011 to 2016 where he was responsible for student and family support services and district collaborations with public and private partners. In 2016, he was awarded a Community Schools Initiative Leadership Award from the National Coalition for Community Schools. He was also adjunct faculty for University of San Francisco School Counseling Program where he taught courses in family engagement and school improvement.
Dave Brown currently serves on the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for District 3. From 2013 to 2021 he was Chief of Staff and Senior Policy Advisor for Alameda County Supervisor Wilma Chan. He also served as her political aide from 1992 to 1998 before he co-founded a technology company that provides data sharing and data analytics for non-profits and public agencies. From 2002-2012, he was Co-President of a campaign strategy and fundraising firm and served as a School Board member in West Contra Costa (2004-08).
Job Titles:
- Board President / Oakland Unified School
Dr. Gary Yee served for more than ten years as an elected School Board Member of the Oakland Unified School District (2002-2013). During his tenure, he served as President of the Board for two terms. In 2013, with the sudden departure of the Superintendent, Dr. Yee was appointed by the Board as Interim Superintendent for the 2013-14 school year. Altogether, he has served since 1973 as a public-school educator: elementary teacher; assistant principal and principal; and district office administrator.
Dr. Yee also had a distinguished career preparing educators. He has been a permanent faculty member in Education Administration and Teacher Education at Boston College (1995-97), St. Mary's College of California (1998-2000), and Holy Names University (2000-2005), where he served as the chair of the Education Department. He left that position to assume several senior management positions in the Peralta Community College District: instructional dean at Merritt College; Director of Development, Associate Vice Chancellor of Research and Institutional Development; and Vice Chancellor of Educational Services, where he retired in 2008.
During his active service, Dr. Yee also served as Executive Director with several non-profits: Oakland Child Health and Safety Initiative; Oakland Education Cabinet; Early Care and Pre School Initiative, and the Career Pathways Trust Initiative. In retirement, he has consulted for the Career Ladders Project, focused primarily on dual enrollment and career academy research and policy development.
Dr. Yee is an OUSD Board Representative to the California School Board Association (CSBA) and to the Council of Great City Schools (CGCS), in addition to the California Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development (CASCD). He was elected as a founding board member for the Linked Learning Alliance. Dr. Yee has published a variety of scholarly research studies, written for journals and local news sources, and regularly presented at national and regional conferences.
Dr. Yee was elected Board President on January 3, 2022.
Dr. Yee is a life-long Oakland resident and graduate of Castlemont High School. He has two grown children, a foster daughter in college, and four grandchildren.
Mr. Reiskin began his city government career twenty years ago as Assistant to the City Manager here at the City of Oakland. Over the course of his impressive career, he has developed a wealth of knowledge and expertise in critical areas of local government including public safety, transportation and infrastructure, customer service, and financial management. He is an effective leader who is leading an organization with more than 4,500 employees and a $1.6 billion annual operating budget.
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- First 5 Alameda County in 2015 As Chief Operating Officer
Ms. Spanos joined First 5 Alameda County in 2015 as Chief Operating Officer to oversee Finance, Contracts, Human Resources, Evaluation and Research, and Program Planning. In her role as COO she has overseen the development of First 5 Alameda County's 2017-2021 Strategic Plan, brought about rigorous focus on program evaluations through Results Based Accountability, and forged relationships with new agencies and community groups.
Before joining First 5, Ms. Spanos served as the Deputy Director for Alameda County Social Services Agency and prior to that she was the Chief of Policy and Community Development for Youth UpRising in Oakland, the Principal Financial Analyst for the City of Oakland, and a Bank Examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank in both New York City and San Francisco. With a Master of Public Administration from NYU's Graduate School of Public Service, her experience in both large systems and grassroots networks makes her well situated to lead First 5 Alameda County's complex and collaborative work.
"I came to First 5 because I believe deeply in what we do," says Ms. Spanos. "I believe our society's success is measured by the well-being of its youngest children. At First 5 we're focused not just on kids, but families, and not just families, but neighborhoods, and not just services, but policies that promote economic opportunity. I can't think of more important work than ensuring all kids, and their caregivers, access joyful learning experiences and family resources in their communities and homes. With the right support, all of the County's children can start school confident, healthy, and ready to learn. It's a thrilling time, with an ever-increasing understanding of the societal return of investment that occurs as a result of programs and policies that support optimal child development. With this understanding comes renewed commitment and support from leaders. I am honored to be entrusted with this position during such a seminal point in the history of the early childhood movement."
Job Titles:
- Superintendent
- Superintendent / Oakland Unified School
Superintendent Kyla Johnson-Trammell was appointed to her post in the 2017-2018 school year. She has deep roots in the city of Oakland and the District. She was born and raised in East Oakland, attended Montclair Elementary and Montera Middle schools, and she has spent her entire professional career working in Oakland Unified School District.
Over the last nineteen years, Johnson-Trammell developed her skills as both an educator and administrator and served students in several capacities including: elementary school teacher; middle school assistant principal; elementary school principal; Director of Talent Development; Associate Superintendent for Leadership, Curriculum, and Instruction; Network Superintendent and, most recently, as Interim Deputy Superintendent. She is honored to have the opportunity to lead OUSD educators in service of young people in her hometown.
Johnson-Trammell received her undergraduate education at the University of Pennsylvania and was awarded her Doctorate in Educational Leadership at the University of California, Berkeley.
She knows there is much work to do before every student across the District reaches their full potential. As an Oakland native, she has seen firsthand the strength of this community and the dedication of its educators. She says, "The time is now to turn good intentions into strong results. Together, we can transform OUSD from a school district showing areas of improvement and pockets of success to one that is known for consistent excellence and equity, transparent and honest communication, and quality schools in every neighborhood."
Mayor Libby Schaaf was inaugurated as Oakland, California's 50th mayor on January 5, 2015. A native of Oakland, Mayor Schaaf previously served one term as a member of the Oakland City Council. She was a former Council chief of staff and top mayoral aide to Jerry Brown. Mayor Schaaf has two decades of public service experience that began while she was a young attorney leading volunteer efforts in Oakland. She later left her legal career at Oakland's largest law firm to build and run the first centralized volunteer program for Oakland public schools at the Marcus Foster Institute. Mayor Schaaf eventually went on to become Public Affairs Director for the Port of Oakland.
She is honored to serve the people of Oakland and to help promote her hometown as the greatest place to live, work, play and do business. She is committed to revitalization that preserves and celebrates Oakland's diversity and leads to direct prosperity for long-time residents and newcomers. Her four areas of focus as mayor are: holistic community safety, sustainable vibrant infrastructure, equitable jobs and housing and responsive trustworthy government.
Mayor Schaaf holds a BA in political science from Rollins College and a J.D. from Loyola Law School.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Thrives
Melanie Moore is Chief Executive Officer of Oakland Thrives. An experienced, strategic social sector leader specializing in innovation, collaboration, and collective impact in public-private partnerships, she was a professional evaluator for over 15 years, leading projects assessing the impact of youth development, school reform, community development programs, capacity-building initiatives, and funder networks. As a strategic leader in the social sector for over 10 years, she has created strategies for achieving community and population-level results in governmental, nonprofit, and philanthropic organizations. Dr. Moore was the lead evaluator for the San Francisco Department of Children, Youth, and Families first comprehensive outcomes-based evaluation, and also led the Department's citywide strategic planning efforts for the Mayor's Children's Cabinet.
Dr. Moore founded See Change, Inc., an evaluation and strategic consulting firm with the goal of improving critical thinking in organizations working to make social change. After eight years leading the company, she joined the Family Independence Initiative as Managing Partner to promote economic and social mobility for families. In this role, she was a founding partner of ALL IN Alameda County, an initiative to bring an innovation approach to the county's poverty alleviation efforts, and ultimately she led ALL IN for five years as Director. Most recently, Dr. Moore served two seasons as the Executive Director of the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation. She lives in Oakland with her two daughters and many pets.
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Director of Operations for Oakland Thrives
Myisha Robertson, Director of Operations for Oakland Thrives, is an assertive strategic and entrepreneurial leader with the capacity to deliver extraordinary results. Myisha gained her extensive skills in strategic planning, business development, and leadership through her experience in the nonprofit and public sectors, where she served in various strategic and operational compliance roles. During her time in Community Relations with Kaiser Permanente, Myisha collaborated with community-based organizations and nonprofits in support of Kaiser Permanente's initiatives to address social needs and community conditions. Myisha served two years as the Director of Community Engagement with the Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce where she cultivated existing and new business partnerships to help improve organizational growth, spearheaded initiatives to expand brand awareness, and provided value-added programming by producing special events and business development programs. Prior to moving to Oakland in 2017, Myisha worked for the State of California at various agencies as a strategic planning and operations analyst. Myisha is very passionate about supporting the community and enjoys creating connections between people, organizations, and resources.
Job Titles:
- Supervisor
- Supervisor, District 4
Supervisor Nate Miley was elected to the Alameda County Board of Supervisors in November 2000. He was re-elected for a fourth term in 2012. Prior to representing District 4, Supervisor Miley had the honor of serving the residents of Oakland City Council, District 6. Voters first elected him to the City Council in 1990 and again in 1994 and 1998. While on the council he earned a reputation as a "maverick" who proactively worked with the community and his colleagues to address some of the city's long -standing issues around problem liquor stores, crime, and community development.
Supervisor Miley has dedicated his entire adult life to community and public service. He started his community involvement by taking a position with the Oakland Community Organizations (OCO) and has worked with many community-based groups, as well as trained community organizers through the National Center for Urban Ethnic Affairs.
Supervisor Miley holds a BA from Franklin and Marshall College and a JD from University of Maryland.
Job Titles:
- City Council President, Councilmember District 2
- President of the Oakland City Council
Nikki Fortunato Bas is President of the Oakland City Council and represents District 2, one of the most diverse districts in the city. Since taking office in 2019, she led the passage of the strongest COVID-19 eviction moratorium in the State of California and a COVID-19 grocery worker hazard pay $5 wage bonus covering 2,000 workers in Oakland's largest grocery stores. She authored fair chance housing protections for people who were formerly incarcerated, created a fund for community land trusts to prevent displacement and create permanently affordable, community-owned housing, introduced a progressive corporate tax which will be on the ballot in 2022, and is now leading a task force to reimagine public safety in Oakland with the goal of redirecting $150M of the police budget towards programs and services that address the root causes of violence. For two decades prior to being elected in 2018, Nikki pushed for worker, environmental, gender and racial justice. She organized immigrant garment workers to win their wages back in Oakland Chinatown, and she worked in coalitions to raise Oakland's minimum wage with paid sick leave and create living wage jobs on the Oakland Army Base and reduce diesel truck pollution at the Port of Oakland.
Job Titles:
- Representative to the California School Board Association
Palak Shah is a consultant providing strategic planning, financial modeling and data analysis to organizations particularly in the public education and policy fields. Palak has provided strategic advice and developed financial models for multiple startups, leading to multi-million dollar investments; she has implemented a new Salesforce instance and provided hundreds of technical trainings at various skill levels at a post-secondary readiness nonprofit; and, she has designed and facilitated culturally relevant community engagement sessions to lift up community voice and inform strategic changes at public school districts.
Previously, Palak was with the Superintendent's Office of Oakland Unified School District as an Education Pioneers Fellow and then a Strategy Analyst, where she developed and implemented major initiatives such as the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan, Equity-Based Budgeting, and the Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP).
Palak holds a BA in Economics and a minor in Global Poverty and Practice from the University of California, Berkeley. She is a first generation South Asian American from Queens, NYC and as a result is quite snobby about pizza and Indian food. In her spare time, Palak enjoys hilly bike rides, boba, and naps on the couch (in that order).
Sheng Thao was elected November 2018 to the Oakland City Council, representing District 4. She is the first Hmong American woman to be elected to City Council in the State of California.
Sheng Thao is the daughter of Hmong refugee parents from Laos. Sheng was born and raised in unincorporated Stockton and is the 7th of 10 children. She is a domestic violence survivor and as a single mother, Sheng put herself through college while working and raising her son.
Sheng lives in Oakland's Laurel District and enjoys spending time with her 13-year-old son, Benedict, who is an avid cellist. They enjoy biking and hiking in Joaquin Miller Park, a world-famous park in her district, and camping in the Stanislaus and El Dorado forests with her family.
Sheng continues to advocate throughout the United States around her experience as a survivor of domestic violence and her road to becoming California's first Hmong Woman Councilmember in hopes to inspire, bring awareness, educate and support others.
As County Administrator, Susan Muranishi provides professional, innovative and proactive leadership to the Board of Supervisors, Agency/Department Heads and the public through responsible fiscal and administrative policy development and program oversight. She provides clear direction and strategic management necessary to accomplish Board policies and delivers services efficiently and effectively. She also works collaboratively with other public officials, community-based organizations, labor organizations, special interest groups and business and community partners.
Ms. Muranishi holds a B.A. in the Social Sciences from University of California, Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- Director of Measurement, Evaluation, & Data Strategy
- Is Director of Measurement
Tammy Lee is Director of Measurement, Evaluation, & Data Strategy for Oakland Thrives. She has a deep commitment to and extensive experience in partnering with communities & other stakeholders and leveraging data for action to advance health & social equity. Prior to joining Oakland Thrives, Tammy served as a community epidemiologist at the Alameda County Public Health Department for over 15 years. Beyond traditional disease surveillance and monitoring health inequities, her work has centered on asking questions of "why" (root causes of inequities) and "so what" (what can and should we do). She is passionate and skilled in translating data into action, including program design/implementation, community engagement/advocacy, and policy/systems change.
Tammy has a Master of Public Health degree (specializing in Socio-Medical Sciences and applied research methods) from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Biology (with a concentration in bio-psycho-social aspects of child & adolescent development) from Stanford University. She is a 2018 national Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Culture of Health leader, with a strategic initiative focused in East Oakland. She is a proud daughter of Korean immigrants and mother of two boys, who are part of what inspires her to push for change for generations to come.
Job Titles:
- Research and Project Assistant
Thuy Do is a Research and Project Assistant for Oakland Thrives. Before joining the Oakland Thrives team, she was a Project Consultant and Resource Manager for the California WIC Association in collaboration with the National WIC Association and the California Department of Public Health. Thuy also serves the Sacramento and Oakland community as a volunteer birth doula and is certified as a breastfeeding peer counselor.
Thuy received her undergraduate degree of Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Thuy holds a Master of Public Health degree with an emphasis in Health Management and Policy from San Diego State University, where she served as a graduate student liaison for the American Health Care Executives organization in the San Diego chapter for two years. She is currently an active member in the California Association of Healthcare Leaders chapter of Northern California.
Thuy often travels between Sacramento and San Leandro with her husband and their chiweenie, Foxy. She is a registered yoga teacher in Vinyasa and Restorative Yoga, an indoor cycling enthusiast, and enjoys climbing when she is not spending her time at the dog park.