UNITY COUNCIL - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Site Director, Fruitvale Center / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Site Director, Foothill Square
Job Titles:
- Professional Development Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Founding Executive Director
Job Titles:
- Generalist / Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Operating Officer
- Interim Chief Operating Officer / Department: Community Programs
Armando Hernandez oversees The Community Programs Department that houses workforce development, financial services, and youth programs. The following programs and services are now housed under Community Programs:
Job Titles:
- Director of Operations
- Director of Operations / Department: Operations
Arturo (Art) Rodriguez brings over 20 years' experience in operations and leadership roles in addition to a technical background in computer networking and programming.
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Real Estate Development
- Vice President of Real Estate Development / Department: Real Estate Development
Aubra joined The Unity Council (TUC) as Director of Real Estate Development in September 2018. Prior to joining TUC, Aubra worked with two other Bay Area developers where she directly managed or oversaw the development of over 790 units of housing representing $380m in total development costs. She is well versed in every stage of development including developing and implementing acquisition and financing strategies, facilitating the work of a design and construction team to identify appropriate design solutions for targeted populations, and overseeing project management staff to deliver high quality and impactful projects.
Throughout her career, Aubra has worked in affordable housing finance and tax credit syndication, city government, and taught affordable housing finance. Aubra holds a Masters in Regional Planning from the University of North Carolina and graduated with High Distinction from the University of Michigan with a Bachelor's degree in Sociology. Aubra completed the LISC Housing Development Training Institute Program and Advanced HDTI Program in 2008 and 2010 respectively; she is also a LEED Accredited Professional under the LEED for Homes program.
Job Titles:
- Mental Health & Disabilities Manager
Job Titles:
- Secretary
- Secretary of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Executive Officer / Department: Executive
- Visionary Leader
Chris Iglesias is a visionary leader who has dedicated his career to executing a social equity agenda through innovative and strategic public-private partnerships. As the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Unity Council (TUC), he leads one of East Oakland's most vital community assets-a 53-year-old social equity development organization devoted to improving the quality of life for the residents of the largest Latino neighborhood in the Bay Area-Oakland's Fruitvale District-through a place-based economic and intergenerational equity agenda.
As CEO, Iglesias is responsible for leading the organization's 300 dedicated staff and $20 million annual budget, providing holistic support services to over 8,000 individuals and families, including high-quality early education, pioneering youth programming, robust senior citizen services, and financial and career empowerment. In addition, he oversees $125 million in assets, including the management of major affordable housing and community real estate like the Fruitvale Transit Village-a nationally recognized transit-oriented development project.
Over the last seven years, Iglesias' leadership has led to the organization's financial growth, including a reinvigoration of the business model and real estate portfolio. He has been instrumental in:
• Securing $58 million in funding for 94 units of affordable housing for families and veterans at the Fruitvale Transit Village Phase IIB;
• The revitalization of TUC's early education programming through the City of Oakland's Early/Head Start Program;
• Institutionalizing Oakland's Latino Men & Boys program-a key project of President Obama's My Brother's Keeper Initiative, in partnership with the Oakland Unified School District and Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf; and
• Partnering with residents and small business owners to preserve and enhance the neighborhood's unique cultural identity and vitality.
Iglesias, an Oakland native, is a recognized public sector leader with a longstanding career in the Bay Area. Prior to joining TUC, he served as San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's Senior Advisor on Jobs and Contracting Programs. He also served as the Executive Director of San Francisco's Human Rights Commission and the Founding Director of CityBuild-San Francisco's nationally recognized construction workforce program aimed at training residents for public and private construction projects.
Iglesias currently serves on the Job and Housing Coalition and SPUR Oakland Board, the Oakland Thrives Leadership Council, and is the Co-Chair of the African American Latino Action Alliance. He holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business from San Jose State University, where he played NCAA Division I FBS Football as a wide receiver.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Property Manager
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Relations at a.C. Transit
Claudia is currently the Director of Legislative Affairs and Community Relations at A.C. Transit, where she develops and maintains on-going relationships between the District and external organizations. She has over ten years experience in city government with the City of Oakland in both the Mayor's office and City Council. Claudia also has extensive non-profit experience. She has a B.A. from U.C. Berkeley.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Daniel was born in Sacramento, growing up in a household with a Shi'ite Muslim father, a Southern Baptist mother, a humanist sister, and an agnostic ginger cat. With the exception of the cat, all inspired him to contribute to the communities in which he lives through acts of service, charitable donations, and most of all, through listening and learning about our shared humanity. He enjoys building and working on platforms and strategic frameworks that allow people to better their organizations and themselves. While his path has led him through many different careers and industries, from real estate to criminal defense to cybersecurity, his focus has always been on how he impacts others.
After a short stint in Los Angeles to get a BS in Anthropology from UCLA and an even briefer stint in San Francisco to get a JD from UC Hastings College of the Law, Daniel moved to Oakland in 2011.
Job Titles:
- School Readiness Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Children & Family Services
- Associate Director of Children & Family Services / Department: Children & Family Services
Dolores G. Terrazas joins The Unity Council as the new Associate Director of Children & Family Services as of March 2020. She has extensive experience in the field of early education including serving as the Director of Children Services for Mission Cultural Center in San Francisco and has served and consulted with agencies within the Bay area.
In her professional path, she has acquired a wealth of experiences dedicated to working in communities where economic and social change are a major factor in transforming the lives of children and their families. She has worked in post-secondary education, local and national government and two-generation and direct operated organizations with very vulnerable communities. She has a deep practice-based background in early education, family engagement, board governance, and team intersectionality.
Dolores earned her BA in Liberal Studies and History from San Francisco State University and her MA from New Mexico State University in Education - Curriculum and Instruction.
Job Titles:
- Project Manager / Real Estate Development
Job Titles:
- Communications & Events Coordinator / DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Job Titles:
- Social Services Coordinator / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Job Titles:
- Director of Social Enterpris
- Director of Social Enterprise / Department: Peralta Service Coorporation
Erica has been in the non-profit sector for more than four years. Before joining The Unity Council, she worked at the Marriott Foundation as an Employer Representative. Erica was responsible for placing participants with disabilities in competitive employment in the east bay by implementing effective training and post-employment services to guarantee their success in the workplace. Erica's training emphasizes in resume development, mock interviews, and conducted job readiness workshops custom to meet their individual needs.
Erica is passionate about raising awareness with bridging the gap between local businesses and communities. Erica is an expert on establishing meaningful relationships and transforming the lives of others through employment. Erica looks forward to continuing to fulfill her purpose with helping low-income adults to reach their full potential and secure their growth in Peralta Service Corporation.
Erica holds a B.A. in Sociology from San Francisco State University.
Job Titles:
- President
- President / Department: Executive
Erin Patch is a passionate and strategy oriented leader who has dedicated her career to developing and implementing solutions to social justice issues. As the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of The Unity Council (TUC), Patch has made it a priority to increase staff development and programs sustainability. Patch's ultimate goal is to strengthen the organization so that it can better serve future generations in Oakland and the East Bay.
Patch is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization's 300 dedicated staff and $20 million annual budget, providing holistic support services to over 8,000 individuals and families, including high-quality early education, pioneering youth programming, robust senior citizen services and financial and career empowerment.
Over the last five years, Patch's strategic direction has contributed to the organization's financial growth, including a reinvigoration of the business model and real estate portfolio. She has been instrumental in:
• Identifying new revenue streams and growth opportunities for the organization.
• Ensuring cost-effective program implementation and seamless program integration.
• Overseeing sustainability measures for all assigned programs.
• Increasing staff engagement and productivity within the organization.
• And most recently developing a five-year strategic plan for the organization.
Patch has lived in Oakland for the past 20 years and is committed to having an impact in the city she calls home. Patch is a recognized leader with a longstanding career in the Bay Area. She started her career in affordable housing 15 years ago at Affordable Housing Associates in Berkeley. Patch is also the co-founder of a nonprofit that seeks to make assistive robotic technology widely available.
Patch holds a Bachelor of Arts in Urban Studies, City Planning from San Francisco State University where she was the Assistant of the Chair of Urban Studies Department and co-authored SFSU Environmental Audit.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Property Manager
Job Titles:
- Manager of Employment Services
Job Titles:
- Latinx Mentoring & Achievement Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Senior Services Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Director of Property Management
- Director of Property Management / Department: Property Management
Job Titles:
- Site Director, De Colores Center / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Family Engagement Coordinator, Cesar Chavez Center / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Health and Nutrtion Manager / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Board of Directors
Jose heads Programs & Partnerships for Stephen and Ayesha Curry's Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation - a new foundation the Currys launched that aims to become one of the country's most innovative and impactful charities through its commitment to creating equal opportunities and bright futures for every child. In his role, Jose oversees the vision and direction of ELP's grant-making & programmatic work and will mobilize support for this work across ELP's base of brand and foundation partners.
Prior to joining the Eat.Play.Learn Foundation José served as the Director of Equity and Strategic Partnerships under Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf. In this role, José served as senior advisor to the Mayor, with the responsibility of creating, coordinating, and facilitating public/private/ philanthropic partnerships that foster equitable opportunities and benefits for the people of Oakland.
José also served as Chief Executive Officer of Inner City Advisors (ICA) from 2004 to 2015. He led ICA to become a nationally recognized, award-winning organization for its work on scaling small businesses and entrepreneurs as a way to create Good Jobs, especially for people with the highest need. In the ten years with ICA, he oversaw a portfolio of companies that created over 5,000 jobs, creating over $150 million in wealth for local residents and collectively generating almost $200 million in revenue. He also created a platform for hundreds of professionals to participate by contributing over $25 million of total pro bono investments into the ICA mission. His innovative thinking led ICA to launch Fund Good Jobs - an investment fund focused on using capital to influence the creation and retention of quality jobs - and the Talent Management Group - an innovative approach that is reshaping the workforce development sector.
José has built a reputation as a visionary leader, strong manager, innovator and relationship-builder who builds mindful and creative organizational cultures that yield high impact and results. Jose is passionate about promoting a fundamental change in the way communities and all its residents benefit from economic development efforts. He is a leader that has convened public, private and community people and resources to solve many communities and business problems.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer
- Chief Financial Officer / Department: Finance
Job Titles:
- Latino Men and Boys Middle School Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Chief of Staff / Department: Operations
Karely Ordaz joins The Unity Council (TUC) as Chief of Staff with extensive experience in organizational development, executive leadership, policy, and advocacy. In her role, she serves as a strategic advisor to the CEO, strengthens alignment and cohesion across the organization, and leads TUC's policy and advocacy efforts.
Prior to joining The Unity Council, Karely worked as Chief of Staff at Hamilton Families, an anchor institution in San Francisco, where she led a series of executive-level transitions, strategic planning and developed the organization's equity, diversity, and inclusion strategy. She worked for the City of Oakland as Special Assistant to Mayor Libby Schaaf and Policy Analyst to Councilmember Noel Gallo where she focused on strengthening East Oakland communities. She has worked on various local, state, and federal policy issues including housing justice, homelessness, human trafficking, education, gender equity, climate change, and immigration.
Karely has held leadership positions at various nonprofit boards supporting low-income youth and families in Alameda and West Contra Costa Counties. Currently, she sits on the board of directors of East Oakland Boxing Association (EOBA), an anchor institution lifting up youth and families in deep East Oakland.
Karely is an immigrant-American who grew up in Oakland's Fruitvale District. She holds a B.A. from UC Berkeley in American Studies with a concentration in Environment, Policy & Public Health. She is a proven strategic and innovative leader who is passionate about creating equity in the most marginalized communities.
Job Titles:
- Grant Writer / DEVELOPMENT & COMMUNICATIONS
Job Titles:
- Grants and Contracts Financial Manager / ACCOUNTING
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager / Peralta Service Corporation
Job Titles:
- Assistant Operations Manager / Peralta Service Corporation
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center
Lili Gangas is the Chief Technology Community Officer at the Kapor Center working to create new and more inclusive tech innovation ecosystems regionally & nationally. Her work is centered at the intersection of technology, economic justice, and action-driven partnerships to tackle pressing social and economic inequities of underrepresented communities head-on. Her areas of focus include emerging themes such as Future of Work(ers) and Equitable Cities, particularly as they relate to seeking out new economic development models with cross-sector partners. Lili believes that it is critical that we help prepare and upskill communities of color for the future, today. She leads with urgency to provide paths for East Bay talent to not only enter but also create tech in order to unlock upward economic mobility. She was a New America CA fellow focus on Tech for Good, was recognized as SF Business Times Most Influential Women in Business and SF Business Times 40 Under 40, and is an MBA lecturer at Mills College. Lili was recently a featured Salesforce Dreamforce and TEDxOakland speaker.
Before coming to the Kapor Center, Lili was an Associate Principal at Accenture Technology Lab's Open Innovation team, based out of Silicon Valley, building bridges between startups and commercial clients. She was also a founding member of the Innovation Services team at Booz Allen specializing in crowdsourcing, prize challenges, and open data solutions at the federal level. Before that, Lili could be found in the lab working on software and hardware solutions for the aerospace industry as a Senior Multi-Disciplined Software Engineer at Raytheon Space and Airborne Systems.
Lili's community involvement is at her heart and purpose. All of her work is focused on engaging communities at different intersections to show that tech can be done right if it's inclusive of all people - whether it's locally in Oakland or across the US. She's a proud immigrant from Bolivia and believes in meeting the community where they are at. She's been an active Startup Weekend organizer - helping launch Women's Edition, Impact Edition, and Latinx in Tech Editions. She also helped organize the first TEDxOakland. She is an advisor to tech-focused nonprofits such as AI-4-All.org and 1Degree.org.
Lili holds an MBA from New York University Stern School of Business, a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California.
Job Titles:
- Education Manager, Cesar Chavez Center / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Children & Family Services
- Vice President of Children & Family Services / Department: Children & Family Services
Luis is the Interim Director for Children & Family Services. He first joined The Unity Council in 2005 as an AmeriCrops member. He later joined the Children & Family Services division where he worked in various roles, including as an Assistant Parent Involvement Coordinator and Recordkeeping & Reporting Coordinator working with the Director on monitoring contract and funding compliance. In 2010, Luis was selected as a National Head Start Fellow at the Office of Head Start in Washington, DC and worked on policy initiatives relating to dual language learners. Upon returning to The Unity Council, Luis helped lead the agency's Head Start expansion into Concord, CA.
Luis holds a Master of Arts degree in Education from San Francisco State University and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth. He is also a certified Pre-K CLASS trainer and is a board member of the Contra Costa County Local Planning & Advisory Council for Early Care & Education.
Job Titles:
- Digital Access Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Mariah is the National Program Lead at Kaiser Permanente for Thriving Schools, which focuses on supporting the mental and physical health of all school students and staff. She has worked for over 15 years in the public and community health field leading efforts around healthy eating, physical activity and most recently mental health and wellbeing. Prior to Kaiser Permanente, she led community and school health research and evaluation projects for eight years at the Samuels Center for Health Research & Evaluation and has also worked in La Clinica de la Raza's Community Health Education department and Children's Hospital of Oakland's Research Institute. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, she lived in Haiti and the Dominican Republic for four years working on rural community health issues.
Mariah holds an M.P.H. from UC-Berkeley and a B.S. in Biology and Human Nutrition from UW-Madison. She lives in the Fruitvale neighborhood of Oakland with her family and is passionate about supporting and investing in her local community.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Youth Services
- Associate Director of Youth Services / Department: Community Programs
With over a decade of experience in the higher education, workforce development, and public health sectors, Marianne is passionate about providing access, advising, and support to youth, particularly first generation students of color. Marianne was born and raised in the San Joaquin Central Valley but has enjoyed living in a number of different cities in CA and out of state too. A proud Aggie, she received her B.A. in Economics and Communications from UC Davis and an M.A. in Educational Leadership from Sacramento State.
Marianne joined The Unity Council in September 2020, as the Associate Director of Community Programs - Youth Services. Building off the strength of current programming, some immediate goals are to strengthen staff capacity, curriculum development and data reporting of youth initiatives including 1) Latino Men and Boys (LMB), 2) Latinx Mentoring, and Achievement (LMA), and our 3) Youth Career Services. Under her leadership, the department will integrate services to meet the academic, social, cultural, and economic needs of Oakland youth ages 12-24.
Before joining the Unity Council, Marianne served as the Central Valley Program Coordinator for the CA Adolescent Health Collaborative, a grant initiative of the Public Health Institute, which offered Healthy Relationships Education to youth in Stanislaus and Merced Counties. She also served as staff support to two Cal-SOAP programs, housed under the Sacramento County Office of Education. In this capacity, she hired and onboarded AVID tutors and provided administrative oversight to the distribution of the Capital Area Promise Scholarship. Besides a year with the CA Environmental Protection Agency, and a year with the CA Human Development, the bulk of Marianne's experience has been in higher education and college access programs such as Upward Bound at San Jose State and a non-profit called Breakthrough Sacramento.
Marianne's passion for educational equity and social justice stems from her experience growing up "poor" while attending a Catholic elementary school. She then transitioned to a public high school where she was the minority in college-bound classes. Additionally, as one of nine children, her parent's traditional Mexican values instilled cultural humility and the love and joy of her roots. Growing up, she fondly remembers trips in the family van to San Luis, Rio Colorado, Mexico, singing rancheras along the way with her dad. Marianne has a variety of hobbies and loves attending various community, arts, and educational events that celebrate cultures and enrich our lives.
Job Titles:
- Business Services Manager
Job Titles:
- Manager / Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Chief of Staff
- Member of the Board of Directors
Miguel Duarte was hired as Chief of Staff on December 1st, 2016. He is entering his second season with the Athletics. In his role, Duarte oversees the Office of the President arm within the organization. He supports Club President Dave Kaval in heading the day-to-day business operations. In addition to piloting special projects, Duarte assists in managing the design and construction teams of the Athletics new ballpark efforts.
Duarte spearheaded the move of the Athletics business operations to a 40,000 square-foot, 3rd-floor space on Oakland's waterfront at Jack London Square, a move which centralized the club to the community it serves while also offering first-class amenities for the staff. The office features a uniquely designed memorabilia hall, state-of-the-art gym, and a batting cage.
Prior to joining the Athletics, Duarte spent seven seasons with the San Jose Earthquakes of Major League Soccer. He originally joined the ‘Quakes as a Fan Relations Specialist. He led the team in renewal percentage in 2013, earning the club the Commissioner's Award given to the team with the highest retention rate in MLS. Promoted to Executive Assistant and Board Liaison in 2013, Duarte exclusively worked under Kaval in the building of Avaya Stadium, a privately financed soccer-specific venue near San Jose Miñeta International Airport. Avaya Stadium opened to rave reviews and had hosted numerous matches with noteworthy clubs, including the 2016 MLS All-Star Game and friendlies featuring the US Men's & Women's Nation Teams.
Duarte holds a B.A. in Broadcast Communications from San Francisco State University. He also served as the Earthquakes online reporter and in-stadium host during his tenure in San Jose. The San Francisco native currently resides in Redwood City, CA.
Job Titles:
- Career & Resource Center Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Senior Research Associate at WestEd
Mirella is a Senior Research Associate at WestEd, a non-profit organization working towards improving learning, healthy development, and equity in schools and communities. For the last seven years, her work at WestEd has focused on quality improvement and assessment in early care and education programs across the bay area. Before joining WestEd, Mirella worked for UC Berkeley's Center for the Study of Child Care Employment (CSCCE) researching how our nation prepares, supports, and rewards the early care and education workforce. Mirella has also worked as a toddler and preschool teacher.
Mirella grew up in Dixon, CA, and has lived in Oakland for nearly 15 years. She previously served two terms on the Alameda County Early Care and Education Planning Council and co-chaired the Early Care and Education sub-committee. Currently, Mirella volunteers weekly at the Alameda County Community Food Bank.
Mirella holds a BA in Psychology and Spanish from UC Davis, MA in Developmental Psychology from SF State, and an EdD in Educational Leadership in Early Childhood Education from Mills College. She has been in the early childhood field for over 20 years.
Job Titles:
- Site Director, Thurgood Marshall
Job Titles:
- Interim Director of Community Programs
- Interim Director of Community Programs / Department: Community Programs
Rafael joined The Unity Council in mid-June as the Associate Director of Health and Social Services, overseeing three main areas, Career, and Financial Services, Senior and Resident Services, and the COVID-19 response which includes the CommunIty Ambassador and Food Security programs.
Before his role at TUC, Rafael was the Director of HIV Services at Instituto Familiar de la Raza in San Francisco's Mission District. He managed HIV and LGBT health services programs, including mental and behavioral health. The population he served included immigrants, low-income individuals, youth, and seniors.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
- Public Finance Banker at the Firm Piper Sandler
Ralph is currently a public finance banker at the firm Piper Sandler. He works with local agencies in the issuance of tax-exempt and taxable municipal debt for public projects. He returned to Piper Sandler in 2017 (he started his career there in 1998 and left in 2006) after working at several other firms. Ralph has more than 20 years' experience working in the field of public finance, issuing literally billions of dollars in debt to finance a variety of public projects including city and county facilities, redevelopment projects, schools and other infrastructure.
Ralph currently lives in Oakland and appreciates the diversity of both culture and ideas the City has to offer. He has three daughters, two of which are adults, and a third that is a grade school-aged special needs person. He attended public schools in Berkeley, graduating from Berkeley High School in 1988. Ralph received his BA from UCLA in Latin American Studies in 1994 and his MBA from Thunderbird, The American Graduate School of Management in 1996
Job Titles:
- Small Business Improvement Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Associate Director for Data & Compliance
- Associate Director for Data & Compliance / Department: Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Data & Special Projects Coordinator / Children & Family Services
Job Titles:
- Resident
- Services Coordinator
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Directors
Silvia is the mother of a twelve year-old and two five year old twin Head Start graduates. Last year Silvia served as the Vice President for the Parent Committee and as an Alternate Representative for the Policy Committee. Currently she is a Representative to the Policy Council/Committee and volunteers regularly in the Head Start Program. Silvia is also active in her older child's middle school and has served on the PTA. As a parent of former Head Start students, Silvia represents the Head Start Program for the agency.
Job Titles:
- Assistant
- Property Manager
Job Titles:
- Interim Vice President of Fund Development & Communications
- Interim Vice President of Fund Development & Communications / Department: Fund Development & Communications
Job Titles:
- Vice President of Human Resources
- Vice President of Human Resources / Department: Human Resources
Job Titles:
- Director of Economic Development
Job Titles:
- Operations Manager / Children & Family Services