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Elizabeth Forer is the former CEO of the Venice Family Clinic (VFC), an organization that serves tens of thousands of low-income, uninsured and homeless families and individuals from over a dozen locations. VFC’s partnerships with many Westside health systems and clinics, such as UCLA’s Geffen School of Medicine, ensure the delivery of high-quality care to [...]
Michelle Christie founded No Limits for Deaf Children in 1996. What started as a theater program for deaf children has evolved into an organization that provides intensive educational therapy for low-income deaf children and their families, as well as audiology services, public speaking and leadership training, and college preparation. The organization’s transformative theater productions have [...]
Kay Buck joined the Coalition to Abolish Slavery & Trafficking (CAST) as its CEO in 2003, bringing with her 25 years of experience leading anti-trafficking initiatives. Kay leads one of the longest-running anti-slavery organizations in the nation, serving thousands of survivors and their families with a continuum of services to help them rebuild their lives. [...]
Alvaro Ballesteros is the Chief Executive Officer of JWCH Institute, a nonprofit established in 1960 to improve the health and wellness of underserved families in Los Angeles County. The Institute does so through coordinated health care, health education services, and research. Its programs include HIV services, drug treatment, family planning, and referrals for medical care.
Cynthia Campoy Brophy is the Founder and former Executive Director of artworxLA (formerly The HeArt Project), an organization that combats the high school dropout crisis through the arts. Since its inception in 1992, artworxLA has grown to bring its yearlong arts education program to dozens of continuation high schools across Los Angeles County. Prior to [...]
Leslie Heimov is the Executive Director of the Children’s Law Center of California (CLC), a nonprofit public interest law firm that represents tens of thousands of children who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned and are under the protection of the Juvenile Dependency Court systems in Los Angeles or Sacramento County. CLC attorneys and social [...]
Anita Landecker is the Executive Director of ExED, an organization committed to improving public education and closing the achievement gap by developing high-quality charter schools, primarily in low-income communities. Prior to joining ExED in 1999, Anita directed the Western operations of the Local Initiatives Support Corporation.
Ben Schirmer is the former Executive Director of Rainbow Services, a member of a network dedicated to keeping families safe by providing support and assistance to women and children affected by family violence. Rainbow Services offers a 30-day emergency shelter, a transitional shelter where women and children may remain for up to one year, and [...]
Scott Ward is the former Executive Director of the Armory Center for the Arts, a Pasadena-based community organization committed to creating, teaching, and presenting the arts to people of all ages and backgrounds. The Armory’s programs include exhibitions and performances, on-site sequential education, community art experiences, school residencies, and professional development classes for teachers and [...]
Michael Alexander served as the Executive Director of Grand Performances for nearly 30 years. The nonprofit presents free performing arts that reflect the best of global culture and foster community among the diverse peoples of Los Angeles. Previously a performer, arts manager, and curator of cultural programs, Michael started his professional performing career as a [...]
