Board & Staff

Board & Staff

Carmen Chavez headshot

Carmen M. Chavez, Esq.

Executive Director

Amy Romaker, Esq.

Sheppard Mullin Richter & Hampton LLP
(Retired)

Board Chair

Board of Directors

Tom Laube, Esq.

Sandler, Lasry, Laube, Byer & Valdez LLP (Retired)
Board Vice Chair

Mary Siegrist

Corelogic (Retired), Investor
Board Secretary

Elena Perez

MANA de San Diego
Board Treasurer

Gerald Akwanya Awichu

Community Leader and Mental Health Advocate

Nicholas A. Asaad

Reddit, Inc.

Kay Chandler, Esq.

Cooley LLP (Retired)

Ashlee Difuntorum, Esq.

Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir LLP

Arezoo Jamshidi, Esq.

Hanson Bridgett LLP

Steve Keane, Esq.

Illumina

Mehran “Ron” Mehrtash

Lanata Corporation

Danny Milla

Cox Communications

Ryan Rauzon

Summit Strategy Group LLC

Julie M. Robinson, Esq.

Cooley LLP (Retired)

Kit Ryan, Esq.

Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP

Brittany Syz, Esq.

SDG&E

Gregory A. Vega, Esq.

Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek

Tessa P. Yutadco, Esq.

Fractional Corporate Counsel

STAFF

Pedro Anaya, Jr.

Communications Manager

Samaria Avila

Receptionist

Ismael Avilez

Support Services Coordinator

​Anne S. Bautista, Esq.

Legal Support and Strategy Director

Matthew E. Cannon, Esq.

Managing Attorney, Children’s Program

Giovanna Cano

Legal Assistant, Litigation Program

Rachel Carey, Esq.

Managing Attorney, Pro Bono Program

Zelena Lissette Cartagena, Esq.

Associate Attorney

Shirley Chestnut, Esq.

Staff Attorney

Justin Cintron

Legal Assistant, Children’s Program

Francesca Egger, Esq.

Associate Attorney, Community Legal Response Project

Elena Gutierrez, Esq.

Associate Attorney

Paola Gutierrez

Executive Assistant

Evelyn Hernandez

Senior Legal Assistant, Victims of Crime

Jesse Imbriano, Esq.

Legal Director

Jenny Jaramillo

Program Assistant, Pro Bono Program

Arwa J. Zakir Kakavand, Esq.

Managing Attorney, Community Legal Response Project

Zohaile Kakavand, Esq.

Associate Attorney

Ismael Leiva

Receptionist

Evelyn Alicia Lopez, Esq.

Managing Attorney, Victims of Crime Program

Melissa Lopez

Program Assistant, Children’s Program

Matthew McMahon

Operations Associate

Jennifer Medina, M.A.

Grants Manager

Mersedeh Mehrtash

Legal Assistant, Litigation Program

Thajaira Muñoz

VIT Program Assistant

Liza Perkins-Cohen, Esq.

Managing attorney, Litigation Program

Arely Preciado

Program Assistant, Community Legal Response Project

Gabriela Espinoza Rodriguez

DOJ Accredited Representative

Meghan Topolski, Esq.

Staff Attorney, Victims of Crime Program

Artemisa Valle

Manager, Information Systems and VIT Program

Valeria Vargas

Development Assistant

Jonathan Vega

Finance & Administration Director

Chantal Venter, Esq.

Staff Attorney

Mia Eadington Walter

Philanthropy Director

Jerry Webber

Development Officer