Coro Women in Leadership
Cohort 7

Toni Castro-Graham
Vice President, Curt Pringle and Associates
LinkedIn
Antonia has over twenty years of experience working in local government and recently left the public sector to work for a public affairs and outreach firm; where she works with clients in the climate, energy, and sustainability space. While in the public sector Antonia served as the Chief Operating Officer for the Orange County Power Authority a four-city Community Choice Energy provider and as the Deputy City Manager for the City of Fullerton. Ms. Castro-Graham is also an Adjunct Professor of public administration and sustainability policy at CSUF and Cal Poly Pomona. Antonia holds a Master’s degree in Sustainability Leadership from Arizona State University, an MPA from CSUF, and a BA in American Studies and Political Science from CSUF. Ms. Castro-Graham is looking forward to engaging in leadership training with women from throughout Southern California and hopes to learn from her colleagues.

Victoria Cepeida-Mojarro
Program Director, Groundswell Action Fund
LinkedIn
Victoria Cepeida-Mojarro is the Program Director of Groundswell Action Fund where she oversees grantmaking and capacity building to their over 50 women of color grantee organizations. She is a highly qualified electoral and issue-based campaign professional with more than 15 years of experience in immigrant rights, healthcare, racial equity, and reproductive justice. Victoria’s professional experience includes serving as National Deputy Field Director for Community Change Action- Immigrant Voters Win; Campaign Manager for California Long Term Care Education Center, and Coach/consultant to many smaller non-profits nationally. Victoria grew up in Los Angeles and is the daughter of Mexican immigrant parents.  She is a mother of two amazing little humans, enjoys reading, karaoke, and spending time in her garden.  She attended New York University and serves on the board of Black Women for Wellness Action Fund and the community board of Liberty Hill for 2021. Victoria is looking forward to being in the Coro Women in Leadership cohort to broaden her viewpoints, create deeper roots in her hometown, and collaborate with other like-minded women.

Denise Diaz
City of South Gate Councilmember – Public Affairs Manager The Chicago School of Professional Psychology
LinkedIn
Elected citywide to serve on the South Gate City Council in 2017, Denise has enhanced her community by focusing on job creation, economic development, and has been a vocal advocate for gender and environmental equity and sustainable communities. Denise was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom to The Rivers and Mountains Conservancy and The Watershed Authority and sits on the board of the California League of Cities Environmental Quality committee, the California League of Cities Latino Caucus and is the first ally on the LGBTQ Caucus. Denise is currently the Public Affairs Manager for The Chicago School of Professional Psychology, a nonprofit, private university devoted to creating a pipeline of culturally competent mental health professionals.  Her unique roles have given her an opportunity to develop meaningful public-private partnerships to address the needs of the community.

Serah Fatani
Head Start Consultant, DHL Corporation 
LinkedIn
With two decades of experience in the education sector, Serah Fatani is driven by a deep commitment to addressing equity gaps in educational access and attainment for underrepresented students. She led high-profile strategic initiatives, including student assessment, program evaluation, creating and implementing policy, and building a centralized preschool enrollment process that led to a threefold increase in Black student enrollment for Chicago Public Schools, the 3rd largest district in the US. As the former Director of Enrollment and Strategic Growth at National Louis University, she established the university as the 3rd most frequently attended 4-year college by CPS graduates, and in 2019, 1st nationally in the percent of growth for underrepresented students. Serah has a Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology from DePaul University. As a revert to SoCal, she is excited to join the Coro WIL program to build relationships and learn more about the greater Los Angeles non-profit landscape.

Ali Frazzini
Policy Advisor, LA County Chief Sustainability Office
LinkedIn
Ali Frazzini is a Policy Advisor in the LA County Chief Sustainability Office, where she provides health equity expertise and engages with stakeholders to advance environmental and food system initiatives. She previously served as Director of Take Care, New York, with the NYC Health Department and as a fellow at the Office of the U.S. Surgeon General, where she facilitated cross-sector collaboration and supported community leadership on health equity and disease prevention. Prior to entering the field of public health, she worked at community organizations providing social support to people who had experienced homelessness and incarceration. She holds a Master of Public Health degree from the University of North Carolina and a BA in Linguistics from Yale. Outside of work she enjoys dancing, biking, and playing with her dogs. Ali joined the Coro Women in Leadership program to develop relationships with diverse, dynamic women and build capacity for effecting change.

Diana Hernandez
Director of Development, West Region / University of Maryland / University Relations 
LinkedIn
Diana Hernandez works as the Director of Development, West Region at the University of Maryland (UMD) in College Park, Maryland. Based in Los Angeles, California, her focus is to identify and secure philanthropic support in the region for university priorities and initiatives. In collaboration with campus partners and university leadership, her team helps donors achieve their philanthropic vision while building purposeful partnerships with the university. As someone committed to providing access to education through philanthropy, Diana is passionate about creating life-changing experiences for underrepresented students. She believes higher education can increase their social and economic opportunities, as well develop future diverse leaders and change agents. Diana graduated with a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA and received her Masters of Public Administration from USC. She is excited to be a part of Coro’s 2022 Spring Women in Leadership (WIL) program and looks forward to learning from a diverse group of women leaders.

Terry Kim
Director of Government Relations & Advocacy, Children’s Institute 
LinkedIn
Terry Kim is the Director of Government Relations & Advocacy at Children’s Institute. In this role, she leads the organization’s public policy strategy in the areas of education, children’s mental health, and family well-being. Previously, Terry was the Senior Policy Analyst at Children’s Aid in New York City and served as the Director of Communication & Strategic Planning for a network of public schools at the New York City Department of Education. Terry is an alum of the New Leaders Council and a member of the Asian American Professionals Association. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of California Los Angeles and a Master of Arts in Education Policy from Teachers College, Columbia University. Born and raised in Oxnard, Terry is a proud Korean-American daughter of immigrants. Through Coro’s Women in Leadership, Terry is excited to learn with a diverse network of leaders, build meaningful connections, and cultivate new skills to deepen her impact for social change.

Kristen Lee
Manager, Operations, Los Angeles Rams
LinkedIn
Kristen has been working in Operations for the Los Angeles Rams since their return to LA in 2016. In 6 seasons, she has seen almost everything one can in a career in sports – a brand new world-class stadium, building a training camp from scratch, coaching changes, international travel, and first season going 4-12 turning into 2 Super Bowls and a World Championship just 6 years later. Kristen returned to her hometown of Los Angeles after graduating from UC Berkeley as a field hockey student-athlete, with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Education. Upon return to LA, she found herself connected with LA’s BEST Afterschool Enrichment program, where a friend working for the organization encouraged her to join Coro WIL. She cannot wait to share experiences with other strong women that help each other navigate the challenges of serving as female leaders in a male-dominated world.

Galit Lipa
Executive Director, Indigent Improvement Division at Director at the Office of the Public Defender
LinkedIn
Galit Lipa is the Executive Director of the Indigent Defense Improvement Division at the Office of the State Public Defender (OSPD). There she manages a division that provides support and training to the state’s indigent defense systems and engages in efforts to improve public defense across California. Prior to her work at OSPD, she was program director for justice reform at Public Welfare Foundation. Before that Galit spent over a decade as a lawyer representing and fighting for poor people accused of a crime. She received her BA from U.C. Berkeley and her JD from Yale Law School. She recently returned to her native Los Angeles after a decade in Washington DC and is glad to no longer have to keep track of her children’s mittens. She looks forward to joining CORO Women in Leadership to join with civically engaged women who are dedicated to improving the lives of all Californians.

Juliana Moreno
Public Affairs & Community Relations Advisor, Phillips 66
LinkedIn
Juliana is the  Public Affairs & Community Relations Advisor at Phillips 66 and a seasoned external relations strategist. For over a decade, Juliana’s mission has focused on impacting and reducing the information gap and inequities that afflict disadvantaged communities. Juliana serves on the board of directors for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Los Angeles Harbor, Metropolitan Los Angeles YMCA – Wilmington, and the American Red Cross Greater Long Beach, South Bay, and Metro and Southeast Los Angeles chapter. Before joining Phillips 66, Juliana served as a Foreign Affairs Officer for the U.S. Department of State, where she managed U.S. diplomatic engagement and foreign assistance for Central American countries. Juliana’s public service experience arrays from operations, law enforcement investigations, recruitment, policy, and media relations. Juliana holds a Master of Arts in International Studies at Chapman University and holds a Double Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Spanish Language from Norwich University.

Katherine Pease
Director of Science & Policy, Heal the Bay 
LinkedIn
Katherine Pease is the Director of Science & Policy at Heal the Bay. Katherine oversees scientific research, advocacy campaigns, and policy work on water quality, water supply, and nature-based solutions in support of environmental and public health. Katherine received her PhD in Biology from UCLA, where she developed a strong connection to LA’s local waterways through her research in the streams of the Santa Monica Mountains and exploring the LA River. Katherine is excited to join the Coro Women in Leadership Program to strengthen her leadership skills and make connections to other women leaders committed to the future of Los Angeles.

Laura Santel
Former consultant, Bain & Company
LinkedIn
Laura Santel has over a decade of experience combining a deep commitment to antipoverty work with a dedication to bringing the best management practices to bear in pursuit of that mission. She served two years with AmeriCorps in Boston Public Schools, followed by five years leading innovative programs at a Federally Qualified Health Center, including an initiative to integrate behavioral health clinicians into primary care to reduce barriers to mental health services.  Recognizing the need for strong management skills in the nonprofit sector, Laura most recently worked as a consultant at Bain & Company and is now excited to combine her nonprofit and business experience to design systemic solutions addressing the root causes of poverty. Laura has a BA from Tufts University and an MBA from Harvard Business School. After moving from Boston to LA in September, she is excited to connect with other women making a positive impact in LA and beyond.

Premere Session
Associate Director, Cedars-Sinai, Healthy Habits
LinkedIn
Premere is Associate Director of Healthy Habits, a signature community benefit program at Cedars-Sinai.  Under her leadership, health education programs are provided to over 3500 Los Angeles students and families, providing technical and sustainable skills for healthy living. With proven record in program strategy, development, implementation, and positive health outcomes, Premere has led large scale public health studies throughout her career and is published in American Heart Association Hypertension Journal for nationally recognized study, Barbershops as hypertension detection, referral, and follow-up centers for black men, which she also started at Cedars-Sinai when moving to Los Angeles. She graduated with B.S. in Exercise Science from Texas Tech University and M.S. from the University of North Texas. Premere loves being active and cooking with her husband and three energetic daughters. By participating in Coro Women in Leadership, Premere hopes to connect with other empowered women who desire to leave a positive impact on the world.

Jasmine Taylor
COO, A Place Called Home
Ms. Taylor, a Compton native, has enjoyed a long career in the management of nonprofit organizations. Since running her first nonprofit at age 16 through the Constitutional Rights Foundation and RebuildLA after the 1992 LA uprisings, Jasmine is devoted to providing impactful leadership in organizations that further the mission of equity in education for urban families. She previously co-founded a charter management organization that established the Community Harvest Charter School in South Los Angeles that became one of US News and World Reports Top 100 high schools in the country. She earned her BS in Public Policy with an emphasis on Nonprofit Management and a minor in Education from the University of Southern California, and her MA in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University. Ms. Taylor is a recipient of the prestigious Reinhard Mohn Fellowship and the National Urban Fellowship. She is excited to participate in the CORO WIL program.

Julie Tolentino
Program Manager, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs
LinkedIn
Julie Tolentino, MPH is a Program Manager with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health, Division of HIV and STD Programs where she oversees the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, a national program launched locally in 57 jurisdictions across the U.S., including Los Angeles County. Her work includes advancing strategies related to HIV prevention and treatment strategies and identifying opportunities to support those most affected by HIV, HIV-related stigma, and health disparities. Julie has over ten years of experience working on public health programs and strategies related to youth development, policy, and implementation of structural change strategies.

Nicole Wainwright
Chief Operations Officer, Safe Place for Youth
LinkedIn
Nicole Wainwright is the Chief Operations Officer at Safe Place for Youth (SPY), a Venice-based organization working to eradicate youth homelessness. As the COO, Nicole oversees human resources, operations, IT, and administration, ensuring that SPY’s vision is supported by an executable business plan. Prior to her role as COO, Nicole served as SPY’s Director of Operations, and SPY’s Director of Innovation, where she successfully executed SPY’s first sizable government grant to develop community-based solutions to address trauma. Committed to a culture of high performance and continuous improvement, Nicole has played a pivotal role in SPY’s dramatic growth, the establishment of its independent 501(c)3 status, and the design and implementation of its business operations. Nicole holds a Master’s degree from UCLA and a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Noya Wang
Planning Commissioner for the City of Alhambra
LinkedIn
Noya Wang is a Civil and Structural Engineer with the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts. In her role as an engineer, she protects public health and the environment by collaborating across departments and supporting the infrastructure, prioritizing resiliency and sustainability. She serves on the Planning Commission for the City of Alhambra, advocating for resources to create affordable housing, shaping and influencing policies to support development across the city for equity and resiliency, and advancing socio-economic diversity in the city. In all her roles, she takes a collaborative approach to engage and empower people from all backgrounds towards a common vision. Noya is excited to join the CORO WIL program where she hopes to expand her network and develop lasting relationships with women that are committed to making the world better.