Leadership
Who Are We?
Our leadership is a small group of individuals who believe that our most vulnerable citizens, especially youth,, families and those who are struggling, deserve to be better supported to achieve their unique life’s potential. We are committed to using mobile and web-based technology to drive change and improve access to services. OCLA believes vulnerable youth and adults know what they need to reach their potential and we are committed to empowering homeless youth and adults with effective tools to help themselves. We also believe it should be easy for all of us to become informed about youth and adult homelessness. As a community we must understand the barriers and challenges that threaten the opportunities to our fellow residents to grow into successful adults and/or realize their potential as adults and we must use this knowledge to support the needed collaborations and policy changes needed to drive regional change.
Board of Directors
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Founder, President and Board Chair
Tuan Le
Founding Board Member
Barbara Moore
Founding Board Member
Jeffery Hamilton
Board Member
Melissa Schoonmaker
Board Member
Anne Costin
Board member
Sharyn Church
Board Member
Laura DiMaggio
Board Member
Willian Finkelstein
Board Member
Austin Haye
Board Member
Pamela Krupka
Board Member
WIN Leadership
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Product Vision, Director and Outreach
Carla Buck
WIN Technology Operations Manager and Data Management
Carla Buck is a partner at Quivira Solutions and a board member of Pathways LA, the Everychild Foundation and Vistamar School. She has served as consultant to Fortune 500 Companies for over 25 years and is a leader in nonprofit efforts to support children and youth in the Los Angeles area. Ms. Buck has donated hundreds of hours to the development of WIN, offering critical management oversight to the design and development process and is a critical member of the WIN leadership team.
2019 Directory of Services for Homeless Youth
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Project Director and Content
Melissa Schoonmaker
Outreach and Distribution Support
Melissa Schoonmaker earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the University of California Irvine and went on to obtain a Masters Degree in Social Work from the University of Southern California. She is currently a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. Melissa joined the Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) as a Consultant II in the Division of School Support Services in 2012 to serve as the Homeless Liaison in order to support the 80 school districts and numerous charter schools to meet the educational needs of more than 67,000 homeless youth identified across the county. Prior to the LACOE, Melissa was employed at the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) for 16 years in several positions including Pupil Services and Attendance (PSA) Counselor, School Attendance Review Board Chairperson and as a PSA Coordinator over the Homeless Education, Pregnant Minors, Permits and Student Transfers, Foreign Student Admissions and School Court Liaison Programs. The culmination of her professional experiences has enabled her to facilitate outreach and support additional services as a collaborative partner with various district personnel, community organizations and other stakeholders in an effort to make a positive impact upon for the educational goals of these often underserved students and their families.
Jennifer Gomeztrejo
Outreach and Distribution Support
Jennifer Gomeztrejo is an educational consultant with Student Support Services Solutions, providing training and technical support to school districts, parents, students and community members as it relates to the California Education Code and other laws affecting student services and school administration. Previously, Jennifer served as a Consultant in the Child Welfare and Attendance Unit for the Los Angeles County Office of Education where she coordinated the interdistrict transfer appeal process and served as the County School Attendance Review Board (SARB) Coordinator. Jennifer’s expertise is enhanced by nine years of administrative experience at the school site level which included serving as a site administrator over curriculum and instruction, counseling, specialized programs, and professional development. Jennifer started her career as a high school social studies teacher and activities director.
Jennifer Essen
Graphic Design
Jennifer Essen is a graphic designer and principal/owner of Jennifer Essen Design. For the last two years, Jennifer has run the annual giving program at Braille Institute, Los Angeles. Previously, she was the principal designer at the Library Foundation of Los Angeles for over six years. In addition to her professional career, Jennifer has contributed her talents to many causes including Union Station Homeless Services, the Los Angeles Public Library, Friends in Deed, and most recently, creating a directory for homeless youth in Los Angeles in conjunction with Our Community LA and LACOE. Jennifer is a graduate of Art Center College of Design in Pasadena and Principia College in Elsah, Illinois.
Website
Denise McCain-Tharnstrom
Executive Editor
Professional Supporters
Our Community LA has been fortunate to have received expert guidance from highly regarded professionals who have donated time and expertise in support of our vision. Special acknowledgment must be given to the following individuals who have contributed greatly to OCLA’s existence and program goals.
William Finkelstein, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC- trademark attorney
Sabrina Weill, Weill Media, OCLA Content Communications and Marketing Strategy
Ashley Maxwell, MPH UCLA, WIN communications strategy
Fatinah Darwish, MPH, UCLA, WIN communication strategy
Elizabeth Bluestein, Public Counsel, legal incorporation
Kristina Romero and KR Media & Designs, website creation
Chris Black, founder and CEO of Updopt, a Digital Marketing SaaS company, Early Backend Technology Development. (Chris oversaw the early development of WIN's backend prior to WIN's initial launch in November 2015).
Our Interns
Glenna Roberts, Fall 2014, Research and Clerical Assistant
Megan Shipley, Summer 2015, Washington University, St Louis, Outreach and Data intern
Talia Horrow, Summer 2015, Mira Costa High School, Researcher
Greta Devoney, Summer 2016, University of Southern California, Outreach and Data intern
Olivia Lin Liang, Fall 2016, University of Southern California, Social Media Intern
Denise Jackson, Summer 2017, Data Intern
Brigitte Potter, Summer 2017, Data Intern
Madison Schoonmaker, Fall 2017-present, Data Intern
OCLA Newsletter
Editor
Maria Hwang de Bravo, Educational Consultant at Student Student Support Services Solutions, Inc., (S4)
Ms. Hwang de Bravo serves as Editor and Graphic Designer for OCLA's Newsletter. Previously she was employed by Los Angeles County Office of Education (LACOE) as Director of Student Services; Consultant II and Project Director III in the Child Welfare and Attendance Unit, Division of Student Support Services, and Acting Director III in the Division of Student Programs. While at LACOE she served as editor of LACOE's internal newsletter.