Who We Are
First Place for Youth staff at a 2010 planning retreat
First Place for Youth is a Bay Area-based nonprofit organization founded in 1998 to remedy the lack of services available to youth who are making the difficult transition from foster care to independent living.
First Place for Youth Board of Directors
Cassandra Benjamin, Chair
Steven LaFrance, Vice Chair
Robin Johansen, Secretary
Michael Conn, Treasurer
Kappy Dye
Eliza Greenberg
Dana Kirby
Greg Kranias
Mimi Lee
Robert Moore
Lon O'Neil
Jeff Schaffer
Keith Shultz
First Place for Youth Staff Directory
Sam Cobbs
Chief Executive Officer
510-272-0979 x222
Deanne Pearn
Co-Founder
Vice President of Policy
510-272-0979 x243
David Rothenberg
Executive Vice President
510-272-0979 x241
Denise Wells
Vice President of Administration and Finance
510-272-0979 x239
Liz Bender
Director of Strategic Initiatives
510-272-0979 x263
Carmen Butler
Director of Human Resources
510-272-0979 x253
Christy Saxton
Director of Contracts and Partnerships
510-272-0979 x246
Aron Sumii
Director of Talent Management
510-272-0979 x229
DEVELOPMENT
Michele Brown, Grants Specialist
510-272-0979 x295
Andrea Miller, Development Officer
510-272-0979 x301
Claudia Miller, Director of Foundation and Corporate Investments
510-272-0979 x299
Amy Fackelmann Gonzalez, Director of Development - Southern California
213-835-2707
MY FIRST PLACE
Toby Addington, LA County Manager
213-835-2700
Katie Anderson, Youth Advocate
213-835-2709
Saundre Allen, Youth Advocate
925-771-3100 x3106
Alex Atkinson, Director of Southern California Region
213-835-2700 x701
Martina Bakilana, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x300
Dionna Brown-Noguera, Housing Specialist - Contra Costa and Solano Counties
925-771-3100 x3107
Charmaine Carter, Housing Specialist - Alameda and San Francisco Counties
510-272-0979 x254
Kathleen Collins, Youth Advocate
213-835-2700
Jennifer Duncanson, Youth Advocate
707-430-4360 x4365
Tanya Ford-Goins, Youth Advocate
707-430-4360 x4361
Malka Goodman-Sills, Community Housing Youth Advocate
510-444-4655
Terrez Gordon, Youth Advocate
213-835-2705
Connie Handlin, Program Manager - Contra Costa County
925-771-3100
Amy Hayes, Youth Advocate
707-430-4360
Julie Jun, Assistant Director of San Francisco Region
510-272-0979
Maral Karacussian, Youth Advocate
213-835-2700 x710
Diana Kenlow, Youth Advocate
925-771-3100 x3105
Justin Lee, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x252
Nicole Martinez, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x244
Anu Nagaraj, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x237
Alisha Petty, Solano and Contra Costa Counties Program Specialist
707-430-4360, 925-771-3100 x3101
Justin Piper, Housing Manager
510-272-0979 x247
Kate Rose, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x225
Talia Rubin, Youth Advocate
510-272-0979 x258
Mounir Tyler, Program Manager - Alameda County
510-272-0979 x255
James Walker, Director of Programs
510-830-3630 x226
Michelle Zajac, Assistant Director for Solano Region
707-430-4360
SOLANO COUNTY ILSP
Tiffany Puckett, ILSP Supervisor
707-430-4360 x4370
Susan Harris, Education Advocate
707-430-4360 x4372
SAN FRANCISCO COUNTY ILSP
Cynthia Chavez, Education and Employment Specialist
Alexis David, Education Advocate
Naomi Irvine, Education and Employment Specialist
Marshelle Johnson, Education and Employment Specialist
Maryam Toloui, ILSP Manager
STEPS TO SUCCESS / EDUCATION & EMPLOYMENT
Micayla Birondo, Education & Employment Specialist
510-272-0979 x314
Veronica Boutelle, Education & Employment Specialist
510-272-0979 x308
Justin Brown, Education & Employment Specialist
510-272-0979 x245
Susan Kimball, Education & Employment Specialist
707-430-4368
Maddy Russell-Shapiro, Assistant Director of Education and Employment Services
510-272-0979 x259
Trichelle Smith, Education & Employment Specialist
510-272-0979 x315
Erica Stowers, Education & Employment Specialist
707-430-4369
Carvell Wallace, Career Pathway Coordinator
510-272-0979 x245
FIRST STEPS
Candy Calhoun, Program Specialist
510-830-3630 x238
Simone Harvey, Program Specialist
510-830-3630 x240
Folola Takapu, First Steps Coordinator
510-830-3630 x244
EVALUATION AND LEARNING
Matt Bush, Data Support Specialist
510-272-0979 x238
Dessert-Rae Tejada, Data Support Specialist
510-272-0979 x221
FINANCE & ADMINISTRATION
Erica Berry, Executive Assistant
510-272-0979 x262
Michele Jordan, Senior Accountant
510-272-0979 x306
Caressa Sanchez, Operations Manager
510-272-0979 x236
Ana Karina Vazquez, Staff Accountant
510-272-0979 x294