Misty Avila
James B. McClatchy Foundation, Chief Impact Officer
Board Term: 2023-2025, Vice President of External Committee
Misty Avila has spent 15 years in the nonprofit sector supporting youth development, youth media, afterschool programs and community organizing. She currently serves as the Chief Impact Officer for the James B. McClatchy Foundation leading a unified program team for the Central Valley quality of life, English Leaders, and the free press. Born in Sacramento, Misty cares deeply about uplifting voices in the Central Valley of California. She has served as Chief Administrative Officer for UC Davis Continuing and Professional Education and actively serves on the Board of Directors for Aspiration, a nonprofit which supports nonprofits with technology. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and brings her family restaurant roots into her everyday work. Misty is also a proud mom and enjoys advocating for systems change led by youth voices.
Chrystal Ellis Sweazey
American Conservatory Theater, Human Resources Director
Board Term: 2023-2025, President of Governance Committee
Chrystal Ellis Sweazey serves as the Director of Human Resources at the American Conservatory Theater with over ten years of leadership and organizational development experience. Chrystal served as Director of Human Resources for Hanna Boys Center and as Executive Director for Grattan After School Program. She was recognized for her commitment to education and leadership development by the California Department of Education in 2016. She resides in the Bay Area, California, where she enjoys the great outdoors and spending time with friends and family.
LANE GALLETT SMITH
The David & Lucile Packard Foundation, Internal Communications Manager
Board Term: 2022-2025, Governance Committee
Lane is an Arizona native who grew up in out-of-school-time programs. From her personal participation in after school care and a multitude of clubs and organizations, she developed a passion for engaging students outside the classroom. She has nearly a decade of experience as a high school teacher and out-of-school-time professional and has Bachelor’s degrees in Education and English Literature from Arizona State University as well as a Master’s degree in English and Teaching Writing from Northern Arizona University. She currently works in philanthropy managing the Foundation’s internal communications by leveraging resources to increase trust, transparency, and access across the organization.
Hanna Jensen
Junior Achievement of San Diego County, Vice President of Impact
Board Term: 2023-2025, Board President-Elect & External Committee
Hanna Jensen is the Vice President, Impact at Junior Achievement of San Diego County (JA San Diego), bringing over 10 years of experience in philanthropy and nonprofit youth development. In this capacity, Hanna is responsible for leading the development, programs, and marketing teams at JA San Diego. Prior to JA, Hanna was the Director of Community Outreach for the YMCA of San Diego County. Hanna is native to Southern California earning her B.A. in Liberal Studies from San Diego State University and her M.A. in Social Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine University. Hanna is dedicated to building a brighter future for San Diego’s youth through her participation as a Board Member for the Toby Wells YMCA and her involvement in the San Diego Women’s Foundation. Most recently Hanna was awarded San Diego Business Journal’s “Top 40 Next Business Leaders Under 40”. In her spare time Hanna enjoys rooting on the Lakers with her dachshund Kobe Bean.
Gina Lima
Healthforce Center at UCSF, Program Manager
Board Term: 2023-2025, Vice President of Governance Committee
Gina Lima has over 10 years of leadership development experience and a deep passion for promoting access to quality education for all. Gina is currently a Program Manager at UCSF where she oversees program implementation and evaluation for a leadership development program for health care leaders throughout California. Prior to UCSF, Gina worked at Genentech supporting the implementation of global IT projects. She started her professional career at CalSAC, which sparked her interest and motivation in the field of education. Gina received a BA in International Relations from San Francisco State University. In her spare time, she trains jiu jitsu and loves to travel.
Gizzele Linayao
Moreland School District, Expanded Learning Opportunities Program Manager
Board Term: 2023-2025, Board Secretary & Governance Committee
Gizzele Linayao has over 20 years of experience in the expanding learning field. Most of her work focuses on developing and creating systems for fee-based before and after school programs in San Jose. As a former site coordinator, she was passionate about helping parents build confidence in their parenting styles and providing opportunities for youth to explore their interests, exercise their independence, and build life-long friendships. As a CalSAC Senior Certified Trainer, Gizzele is committed to uplifting the expanded learning workforce. During the height of the Covid pandemic, she was recognized by the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors for her contributions to the community. She designed a remote tutoring program for Moreland School District's students that was staffed by expanded learning front line staff. Gizzele is a member of the West Valley College Child Development Advisory Group and a TA Fellow alum from the inaugural cohort of the California Expanded Learning School of Leadership and Facilitation. One of her most significant accomplishments in the field after receiving her graduate degree in Human Development and Educational Leadership from Pacific Oaks College was co-creating the framework for the Site Coordinator Network and launching it at the Site Coordinator Symposium. She currently works as the Expanded Learning Opportunities program supervisor for Moreland School District. Gizzele enjoys spending time with her family, reading, and archery in her spare time.
Naomi McSwain
Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center, Board Member and former Executive Director
Board Term: 2023-2025, External Committee
Naomi McSwain grew up in South Los Angeles where staff at a community-based afterschool program helped her leave a life of gang activity. Naomi’s counselor there helped her apply to college and go on to earn a BA in journalism and marketing from CSU Northridge. Naomi spent the next 15 years as a newspaper reporter and magazine editor before too many stories on gang violence led her to complete an MA in intercultural studies and children at risk from Fuller Theological Seminary. Naomi wrote her thesis paper on gang prevention in Los Angeles. A year later, she returned to her previous work as executive director of the Al Wooten Jr. Youth Center, an agency Naomi helped found in 1990 in honor of her cousin, killed in a drive-by shooting. With more than 25 years in nonprofit management and a goal to help empower agencies and schools to provide quality afterschool programming, Naomi is a certified CalSAC trainer who also serves on the advisory board for ExpandLA, a mayor’s office initiative to improve out-of-school-time programming in the city. Naomi is co-chair of the Community Response System of South Los Angeles education committee, which is promoting high dosage tutoring as a solution for addressing the learning losses. Naomi completed a certificate in nonprofit management from USC in 2020 and is a steering committee member with the LA County Department of Public Health Trauma Prevention Initiative Community Action for Peace, a collaborative empowering agencies to help reduce the kind of violence that led to the murder of Al Wooten, Jr.
Aleah Rosario
Partnership for Children and Youth, Co-CEO
Board Term: 2022-2024, External Committee
Aleah Rosario has over ten years experience advancing equity in the youth development field and is currently the Co-Chief Executive Officer with the Partnership for Children and Youth. Previously, with the California AfterSchool Network, she led the development of responsive policies and strategies that uplift, advance, and bring dignity to the youth worker workforce. Her commitment to the workforce was honed during her time with the California School-Age Consortium where she engaged with hundreds of committed, skilled, and equity-centered youth-serving leaders and advocates. Born and raised in rural central California, Aleah is descended from five generations of women of color activists in the Central Valley, received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from CSU Stanislaus, and is an alum of the White-Riley-Peterson Policy Fellowship which aims to equip participants with a real-world understanding of the art, science, possibilities, and realities of policymaking around afterschool and expanded learning.
Shilpa Sachdev
Intapp, HR Program Manager
Board Term: 2023-2025, Internal Committee
Shilpa migrated to San Francisco Bay Area from India’s tech hub, Bangalore, over a decade ago and has since grown her family to include a firecracker toddler and 15 alive and thriving indoor plants. A fervent advocate, she stands tall for survivors of domestic abuse, actively volunteering with Matri to raise awareness and engage donors. In the past, she championed the cause of education equity by volunteering to teach spoken English to children from low-income families in India and served as an ESL volunteer with the Sunnyvale library. Shilpa has also added her voice to the ongoing debate of immigration reform and has been a strong advocate for work authorizations for the community of H4 visa holders. Beginning her career in marketing, Shilpa discovered her true calling lies in fostering inclusive workplace environments, which led her to transition into HR. Currently, she leads executive program management and communications for the People organization at Intapp, where she continues to champion organizational development and strategic communication.
Danny Salas
Woodcraft Rangers, Chief Program Officer
Board Term: 2023-2025, External Committee
Danny Salas, Chief Program Officer, oversees the Woodcraft Rangers expanded learning programs that cover a range of specialty areas including STEM programming, Visual & Performing Arts, Literacy & Numeracy, etc., while guiding a team of Directors and Program Managers who are responsible for over 950 passionate and highly trained site-based site coordinators and club leaders. In this role, Danny has overseen Woodcraft Rangers Back 2 Woodcraft Rangers Training Academy, PLAY Conference , a Peer Learning and Youth conference, Site coordinator training Academy, and a County wide Continuous Quality Improvement efforts in Expanded Learning. He has been instrumental in the formation of partnerships that support inclusion of neurodiverse and LGBTQ+ youth. As a native Angelino from the Boyle Heights neighborhood, Danny has a deep commitment to communities that are historically underserved. He is passionate about mentoring and coaching youth and staff to achieve their greatest potential and has successfully led the program team to develop and leverage partnerships that uplift communities.
MICHAEL SCHIEBEL
Allianz Technology of America, Inc., Chief Financial Officer
Board Term: 2022-2025, Internal Committee
Michael Schiebel attended out-of-school-time programs while growing up. As a parent, he experienced the importance of out-of-school-time programs, different models, and the impact of organizations that support children and parents in Europe and the U.S. He is a Vice President of Finance at Allianz Technology, which provides technology services to the Allianz financial services group, and he has over 15 years of finance, technology, and leadership experience. Originally from Stuttgart, Germany, Michael graduated from DHBW in Germany, attended the SEP program at Stanford Graduate School of Business, and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition to serving as a board member at the California School-Age Consortium, Michael also serves as a board member at the non-profit organization Scrum Alliance, which supports the agile way of working movement and has certified over 1.4 million people.
Steve Stookey
CypherWorx, Inc., Co Founder & CCO
Board Term: 2023-2025, Board Treasurer & Vice President of Internal Committee
Steve Stookey’s story started out on a farm on the East Coast, working west as he graduated from Wittenberg University with a degree in Business/ Economics. Steve found his way to the West Coast, accumulating over 30 years of award-winning Sales and Management experience. Steve and his wife Rosslyn live in Seattle with their 2 school age children, Jack, and Ava. A Co-Founder of CypherWorx, Steve brings a great deal of experience working with afterschool programs across the country. As a partner to CalSAC, Steve has shown a passion for providing the best possible experience for children in afterschool programs, supporting the CalSAC mission.
Chris Williams
BAYCAT (SF), Associate Director of Community Engagement
Board Term: 2023-2025, External Committee
Chris Williams is a Puerto Rican educator, coach and storyteller. Originally from New York City and a first-gen college grad from Hampshire College, Chris works with students (and their families), specifically from backgrounds similar to his own. He provides energy, passion, and creativity to everything he does, whether it’s hosting karaoke, teaching Identity & Ethnic studies or telling stories at The Moth (and other events). He has also led workshops on cultural competency and DEI-related topics with The ReMix: Cultural Consulting Collective. Currently, Chris is the Associate Director of Community Engagement at BAYCAT as well as an Identity and Ethnic Studies teacher. He is an avid learner, and striving to become a more effective educator, storyteller and connector.