Dr. Bill Baker is the son of Edwin and Dorothy Baker and is a retired software developer and manager. He has multiple degrees culminating in a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering. During his career he focused on project management and process improvement
Heather Chambers is the Treasurer and longtime supporter of DAYS Long Beach. She has worked with tax-exempt organizations since the late 1970s. Heather graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English, returned to school, and in 1993 received her CPA license. In 2011, Heather runs the family accounting business, Heather R Chambers CPA Inc., and has served as Treasurer of DAYS Long Beach since 2005.
Dr. Norma Stoltz Chinchilla Dr. Norma Stoltz Chinchilla is Professor Emeritus from the Departments of Sociology and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at California State University Long Beach where she was a member of the faculty since 1982. She has published books and articles on the impact of immigration on the Greater Los Angeles area and how Los Angeles, in turn, has been shaped by its immigrant residents. Dr. Chinchilla has received a number of awards for her immigration-related academic and activist work including the Lifetime Achievement Award for Contributions to Central American Studies from the Lozano-Long Institute and the Center for Mexican American Studies at the University of Texas. She is a member of the Social Justice Council of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Long Beach and the co-founder and former Executive Director of the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition. Currently, she coordinates the Long Beach Immigration Forum an network of individuals who work as volunteers in immigrant-serving programs and advocate for immigration policies that are more just, humane and pragmatic.
Lisa Bode Heard Lisa Bode Heard worked for Nordstrom Risk Management for over 35 years handling employee prevention and injury claims and was awarded the Nordstrom Corporate Risk Management Employee of the Year. She is the current Alto soloist of the First Congregational Church of Long Beach and is very active on many church boards, committees and outreach programs. Her other love is performing and she has been seen in productions from New York to Los Angeles (including The Mark Taper Forum/Center Theatre Group and REDCAT.) She can also be heard singing on musical versions of multiple children's books, including The Great Kapok Tree and The Kite that Bridged Two Nations (both by composer Paul Boyd-Batstone) and is a founding member of Three Special Girls/Orphean Circus.
Dr. Patricia Kalayjian prior to her current position as Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies, served as Chairperson and Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at California State University Dominquez Hills.
Julie Lie has lived in Long Beach for over 35 years and received her Master's degree in Civil Engineering from CSULB. She has been active in the community and previously served on the Boards of Leadership Long Beach, local United Way, Urban Community Outreach (UCO), several local community/ progressive political groups and the American Society of Civil Engineers. She was Executive Director of UCO from 2018 to 2020 and presently works for the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, a new community development corporation that aims to increase the financial standing of underserved communities in Long Beach. She currently serves as an at-large member on the City's Homeless Services Advisory Committee and an active volunteer with St. Luke's Outreach/Shower Program and DAYS Long Beach. Julie is passionate about helping people secure basic needs in our community.
Jeff McFarland Jeff McFarland has a BBS in Finance, minor in accounting and a MS in Counseling MFT and has served on the Center for Psychological Health board of directors and formerly as the the CFO. He was responsible for budget development, tax filings, financial statements and fund raising, as well as treasurer for the Satir Global Network. He spent approximately 25 years volunteering with the American Red Cross in various positions, working as an Instructor, Instructor Trainer, and on many different committees. Jeff’s work includes Chief Financial Officer MFTI Focus on Recovery (now called Novus Mindful Life Institute), MFTI Miller Children’s Hospital Abuse and Intervention Center, Child Therapist Family Service MFT Trainee/Intern Long Beach City College, Senior Accountant Budget Specialist Freedom World Trade Media Group, Inc., Business Manager Fluor Daniel, Inc. Internal Auditor Micron Construction, Inc. and Project Auditor Sundance Partners, Ltd. Currently, Jeff is a Clinical Counselor in the Transitional Housing Program with Volunteers of America, Los Angeles.
Dr. Kirsten Pickus serves as the Chairperson of DAYS Long Beach. Kirsten is a former grantmaker and director of community outreach for a large healthcare system and presently works as a consultant to community-based organizations. After earning her doctorate in community health planning from UC Irvine in 2001, she taught an innovative, interdisciplinary course on HIV/AIDS at the university, drawing on her background as a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist working with people affected by HIV/AIDS, as well as her expertise in understanding psychosocial factors relating to illness, health promotion strategies, and public policy. She has a passion for relationship-building, social justice, and music.
Dominique Quevedo oversees all the domestic violence, family law and immigration work for LAFLA, including three courthouse-based domestic violence clinics. Dominique serves on the executive committee of the Long Beach Police Department Women’s Advisory Council and oversees compliance within the Foundation. In 2009, she received the Cal State University, Long Beach Lilian Robles award by the President’s Commission on the Status of Women and the Department of Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies for her legal advocacy efforts. In 2013, End Abuse awarded Dominique the Domestic Violence Advocacy Award for her work with victims of violence in Long Beach. Dominique has worked at LAFLA since 2006. Prior to her role as Managing Attorney, she was a senior attorney within the Supporting Families Workgroup. In that capacity, she oversaw several pro bono projects. She has created fruitful partnerships with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Dominique received her JD from Loyola Law School, her Master’s Degree of Social Welfare from UCLA and her undergraduate degree from Westmont College.
Robert Stapp earned his BA and MCM in music and served as Minister of Music at three churches over a period of 27 years. In addition, he has extensive experience in human resources having worked with several non-profits, Director of Human Resources at Antioch University Los Angeles, and as the head of human resources for the State Bank of India in California. Robert has a strong commitment to immigrant rights and has for more than 40 years helped directly in the resettlement of refugees and advocating for asylum seekers.
Nancy Valencia, the Executive Director of DAYS Long Beach, is a Long Beach native, attended LBUSD elementary and middle schools, graduated from Long Beach Jordan High School, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and teaching credential from California State University, Long Beach. Nancy worked as a counselor with Harbor Area Halfway House, reuniting female offenders with their families and providing resources for employment, housing drug counseling, and parenting classes. She taught elementary school in Long Beach Unified School District and Norwalk/La Mirada School District and in 2002 became a member of the Board of the DAYS Long Beach and in 2004 she became the Executive Director. Nancy is passionately committed to issues relating to children and social justice and is also a member of the board of Comunidades Con Poder Para El Cambio (CPC), and served on The Building Healthy Communities (BHC) School Work Group.
Cara Varnell is a long-time supporter of the DAYS Long Beach and has been involved with all aspects of the organization from management and planning issues to writing grants and coordinating fundraising events to teaching art, design and anything else needed for DAYSLB. She is an art conservator and since 1980 has worked for major museums around the country. For the past 20 years, she has been the owner of a private art conservation business in Los Angeles with a client list that includes museums and archives throughout the US and Europe as well as corporate and private collections
Dr. Kristine Zentgraf is Chairperson and Professor of Sociology at California State University Long Beach. In 2011, she received the CSULB Community Service Award. Recently, Dr. Zentgraf was honored as one of the 2015 Women of Distinction Award winners for the 70th Assembly District of Patrick O’Donnell. Dr. Zentgraf, was nominated by several CSULB faculty members and community members, for her commitment to immigrant rights, comprehensive immigration reform, and for her unwavering support for undocumented students at CSULB. For the past 15 years, Dr. Zentgraf has worked with the Long Beach Immigrant Rights Coalition, a grass-roots community-based organization working for more humane and just immigration policies with greater respect for all immigrants.