Candidate Responses

Self-Nominated

Please summarize the reasons you are submitting this nomination
I have been a part of the DV field for 15 years and I am hopeful that the time is right to engage in a larger way to make a difference.  It is an exciting time in the Partnerships’ history to work with a new executive director and to be involved in exploring and ensuring equity in our field.  At Rainbow, we work to improve the lives of all survivors through our policy advocacy endeavors.  We are committed to being good partners in our community and throughout the field.  I am very involved in working to highlight the intersection of DV and homelessness/housing instability.  In addition to be the co-lead of the DV Homeless Services Coalition, we are part of the HOME (Housing Opportunities Mean Everything) Cohort, the LA Provider Alliance to End Homelessness and we were one of the first organizations to implement DVHF, including leading the first evaluation of the program in 2017.  I have successfully led efforts to advocate for local funding for DV Housing First and other strategies to address homelessness/housing instability among survivors.  Since 2016, I have been working with the National DV & Homeless Technical Assistance Consortium to improve coordination between the DV and homeless service fields.  I work regularly with the National Alliance on Safe Housing to share best practices and learn from others across the county.  I was honored by the Partnership for this work with the 2018 Partnership Award.  As the field begins to focus more and more on economic and housing stability, I hope to be a part of those efforts in a larger way.  I want to be a part of creating an inclusive field that centers the voices of survivors.  Rainbow has led the field in the implementation of trauma informed care.  Trauma informed care is all about equity and collaboration.  I am an advisor for Trauma Informed Los Angeles whose mission is to foster resilient communities that promote healing and well being through collaboration, education, and community engagement.

Describe this nominee’s participation in the Partnership’s regional networks, policy committees, peer learning circles and other components of our Membership community
I have been active in the local LA Region and regional policy committee for a number of years.   I regularly attend the Partnership annual membership meetings and have presented at the annual partnership conferences on trauma informed care and the intersection of DV and homelessness.  Our advocacy efforts in Los Angeles have informed the field especially around homelessness and housing instability.   I am committed to changing the narrative about DV and the intersection of homelessness.  Through our various partnerships, I hope to highlight the fact that DV survivors make up a large percentage of the population experiencing homelessness.  We have done incredible work over the past few years to raise awareness about the intersection of DV and homelessness.  We work closely with the Partnership on the HOME Cohort which works to highlight the intersection between domestic violence and homelessness, helping to improve continuums of care so that they more thoroughly respond to the intersectional needs of survivors.  We are working to improve connections between DV and homeless service agencies, in hopes that we can improve our systems to better support survivors.  Years ago, I was part of the StrongField Project, including the Leadership Development Program where I became more familiar with the Partnership.  I was part of the initial efforts to bring together a peer learning community around the implementation of DV Housing First.

Tell us about the nominee’s professional skills in finance, fundraising, government affairs, human resources management, marketing and public relations
I have been the executive director at Rainbow for 5 years overseeing the growth of our annual budget from $2.3M  a $4.2 M budget.  I currently oversee a staff of 60 and have have led our efforts to  establish a trauma informed culture at Rainbow, which included assessing our human resources practices to ensure they align with the values of trauma informed care.  For most of my social work career I have been part of executive management teams from the Residential Services Director at Skid Row Housing Trust to the Substance Abuse & Mental Health Coordinator at the CARE Clinics and then as the Director of Programs at Rainbow prior to becoming the executive director.  While my passion lies in policy advocacy, I have been successful with fundraising through events and creating relationships with donors in the community.  I work closely with our government funders, often leading advocacy efforts on the local level to advocate for funding and policies that support survivors. To be honest, I am fortunate to work with an amazing team of unicorns who handle our marketing!

How does this nominee represent California’s rich diversity? How might this person bring underrepresented voices into the center of our work?
I am a descendant of the Chumash tribe of California.  Being of mixed race, I grew up between two worlds, often feeling white among brown people and brown among white people.  I have spent my career working at the margins to center the voices of un/underrepresented groups.   I am committed to focusing on the intersectionality of poverty, race, and gender-based violence.  I understand my privilege as a white appearing woman in this field and I am conscious about stepping back as often as possible to ensure others have an opportunity to share their experiences.

On a scale from 1 to 10 (1=low, 10=high), how informed are you about the Partnership’s mission and strategies?
6

Please summarize the Partnership’s priorities as you understand them.
Currently, I believe the priority is to focus on equity, centering the voices of people of color with a particular emphasis on centering the voices of black women.  I am familiar with the Partnerships’ values and overall direction that include beloved community, equity, cultural responsiveness, partnership and bravery.  Intersectionality has also been a focus of the past few years.  I appreciate the ways in which the Partnership provides information about policies and brings the field together to ensure we are centering the voices of survivors, especially survivors of color in our advocacy efforts.  A lot of effort is is put into strengthening the capacity of the field while centering survivors voices, which helps provider organizations effectively respond to the needs of the survivors we serve.

Describe your leadership experience in business, philanthropy, legal, government and nonprofit sectors.
I have been a part of leadership teams throughout my social work career.  I was fortunate to be a part of the Strong Field Leadership Development Program that help to solidify my commitment to working in this field.  As and executive director, I interface with business leaders and policy makers on a regular basis and partner with other non-profits to support survivors.  Rainbow Co-leads the DV Homeless Services Coalition along with Downtown Women’s Center,  which is focused on creating a client-centered system that increases access to safe housing and supportive services for survivors of domestic violence and their families.  I am the Previous Past Chair of the City of Los Angeles DV Alliance and was instrumental in bridging the DV Alliance with our County’s DV Council.  I am part of the steering committee for the LA Provider Alliance to End Homelessness, chairing the DV Caucus.  The Provider Alliance is an alliance of nonprofit agencies united by a shared commitment to serve the needs of all who experience homelessness and to break the cycle of poverty.  I previously participated in our local continuum of care board.  As part of the DV Shelter Directors group of the LA County DV Council, I have led advocacy efforts, most recently organizing 16 agencies to sign onto a letter requesting the County identify funding to address the 55% decrease in our Presley funds. I am actively involved in the Coordinated Entry System in our area and participate in weekly leadership call to coordinate responses to local issues with people experiencing homelessness.  Since the beginning of the pandemic I have been involved in local leadership efforts to ensure a coordinated response for survivors.  The leadership efforts included a weekly call with the DV Council, LA County Attorney’s Office, City Attorney’s Office, LAPD, LAHSA, the City’s Housing Department, DCFS, legal service providers and representatives from the LGBTQ Community.  I regularly present at the annual deputies breakfast for the County Board of Supervisors, and have done press conferences with the Mayor of LA.  In addition to receiving the 2018 Partnership award, I recently received the Betty Fischer Award presented by the LA County DV Council, and the Woman of the Year President’s Award presented by the LA County Commission for Women for my leadership in our field and in LA County.

Board members help to foster a positive image of the Partnership. Describe relationships you have with business leaders, policy-makers, media outlets, philanthropists and the broader community. Tell us how you intend to cultivate those relationships on behalf of the Partnership.
I have a close relationship with local and state policy makers – mainly their staff -  to ensure they know who we are and to be able to quickly obtain a meeting to discuss any policy or funding issues that affect the lives of survivors.  I have written articles for the CA Health Reporter and have been interviewed by a number of media outlets, including NPR.  I hope to contribute to the Partnership by utilizing my contacts as appropriate.  I have experience doing press conferences and speaking on panels about the needs of survivors.

Like other nonprofits, Partnership Board members are expected to raise funds on behalf of the organization. What will you do to help us meet our annual fundraising goal?
I need more information about the annual fundraising goal.  At a minimum I plan to contribute to the Partnership beyond what I typically donate.  I hope to be able to utilize my social media contacts to bring awareness about the Partnership to a larger audience of people.  I will need to learn more about balancing the “ask” for my individual organization with the ask for the Partnership.