About Us

About Imagine LA

2009-07-06T00:22:32Z

Imagine LA is a non-profit organization whose vision is to mobilize the faith community to help make Los Angeles a city where no child sleeps on the street. Imagine LA's efforts are focused on the Los Angeles County homeless family population, which is growing at an alarming rate - 35% in the last year alone.

Currently there are 8,000 homeless families with 18,000 children in Los Angeles. Remarkably, in Los Angeles there are also over 8,000 churches, synagogues and mosques. -{Just imagine if each family was matched with one of these faith-based organizations in such a way that helped the family permanently exit homelessness, achieve sustainable independence and the children to thrive.}

8,000 + 8,000 = 0

Leadership

2009-07-06T00:39:18Z

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Rev. Dr. Mark Brewer - Founder
Senior Pastor, Bel Air Presbyterian Church

Officers

Brad Rosenberg - Chairman
Philanthropist, Investor, Non-profit consultant; Former CEO of Genesis LA Economic Growth Corporation, Former Chairman of Jewish Big Brothers, Big Sisters

John Emerson - Vice Chairman
President, Personal Investment Management for Capital Guardian Trust Company;
Former Deputy Assistant to President Bill Clinton

Lisa Maki - Secretary
Trial Attorney, Board Member - Consumer Attorneys of Los Angeles

Amy Peer - Treasurer
Entrepreneur, Owner - SIT Inc.

Members

Ken Braskamp - Member Central College Board of Trustees, Former PaineWebber West Coast Institutional - Fixed Income Dept.

Rabbi Ken Chasen - Senior Rabbi - Leo Baeck Temple, National Board of Directors - ARZA, Board of Trustees - Central Conference of American Rabbis

Dee Dee Dorskind - Philanthropist, Board of Governers - Cedars-Sinai

Gary Hunt - Investor / Research Analyst, Former Senior Research Analyst, Canvas Capital Management

Alton Johnson - Corporate Vice President - Sunny Delight Beverages Company, Founder - Bossa Nova

Dana Kiesel, Ph. D. - Clinical Psychologist

Shelley Miller - Marriage and Family Therapist, Philanthropist

Suzanne Robinson - Attorney, Philanthropist

David Rognlien - Chairman - Cadna Automotive, Member - Young Presidents Organization

Scott Sale, M.D. - Physician, Investor

Lee Silver - Head of Ervin, Cohen & Jessup Real Estate Department, Member of the firm's Practice Development Committee; Former Board Chairman of Jewish Big Brothers, Big Sisters and Past President of the Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce

Charles Sipkins - Managing Director at Sard, Verbinnen & Co., Los Angeles

Toby Waldorf - Educational Consultant, Founder - Destination-U.com, Board Member - UCLA Royce Center Circle

ADVISORY BOARD

John C. Bedrosian

Yvonne Benveniste

Brent Brockermeyer, Esq.

Bruce Corwin

Curtis Estes

Paul Freese

Michael Greer

Rafer Johnson

Tim Lovoy

Bonnie Mark

Rev. Dr. Donn Moomaw

Christie Stewart

The Late Dale Young

EMERITI BOARD MEMBERS

Mary Erickson - Founding Executive Director

Lana Corbi - Former Board Chairman

Gayle Rietmulder, C.P.A. - C.F.O. Make-A-Wish Foundation; Former Board Treasurer

A-TEAM

Wade Mayhue

Jeff Platt

David and Lisa Sall

Liz Saroki

Liz Simmons

Miranda Spradlin

Staff

2009-07-06T21:54:52Z

Click on a name to see the person's bio!

Jill Govan Bauman
President & CEO

jill@imaginela.org

Amber Vera Mendoza

Program Director

amber@imaginela.org

Lisa Sall

Operations Manager

lisa@imaginela.org

Miranda Spradlin

Development Manager

miranda@imaginela.org

Rebecca Amado-Sprigg

Senior Family Team Manager

rebecca@imaginela.org

Chantal Duson

Family Team Manager

chantal@imaginela.org

Jacquelyn M. Horton

Family Team Manager

jacquelyn@imaginela.org

Christie Stewart

Development Strategist & Event Specialist

christie@imaginela.org

Shelley Weitzel

Faith Outreach Manager

shelley.weitzel@imaginela.org

Faith Community Outreach Council (FCOC)

2009-07-07T19:04:02Z

The Faith Community Outreach Council (FCOC) is Imagine LA's exciting new multi-faith volunteer leadership body.

The FCOC is composed of social justice activist clergy and lay leaders. The purpose of the FCOC is to outreach to the Faith Community on a peer-to-peer basis to inform them about becoming Faith Partners in Imagine LA's innovative Supportive, Sustainable Family Housing Program. The FCOC also seeks candid feedback from Imagine LA Faith Partners and to engage in a practical discussion of solutions to homelessness and poverty issue.

"The FCOC embodies Imagine LA's commitment to empower volunteers from the faith community to be a part of a long-term solution to Family Homelessness - it is a volunteer sales force". Jill Bauman, Executive Director Imagine LA

FCOC Founder:

Rev. Dr. Mark Brewer
Senior Pastor, Bel Air Presbyterian Church
Founder and Member of Board of Directors, Imagine LA

FCOC Chair:

Scott Sale, M.D.
Member, Leo Baeck Temple
Chairman of the Board, New Directions

FCOC Members:

Donald Ausby

God's Empowerment Church

Rev. Andy Bales

Union Rescue Mission

Rev. Jimmy Bartz

Senior Pastor, Thad's Episcopal Church

Pastor Ryan Bell

Pastor, Hollywood Seventh-Day Adventist Church

Rabbi Ken Chasen

Senior Rabbi, Leo Baeck Temple Member, Imagine LA Board of Directors

Rev. Dr. Donn Moomaw

Former Senior Pastor, Bel Air Presbyterian Church
Member, Imagine LA Advisory Board

Pastor Jim Ortiz

Senior Pastor, My Friend's House

Lyle Randles

Chaplain, Santa Monica Police Department

David Sall

Bel Air Presbyterian Church

Rabbi Robert Wexler

President, American Jewish University
B'Nai David-Judea

Jill Govan Bauman, President & CEO

2011-10-06T20:27:28Z

Jill Bauman is the President & CEO of Imagine LA. She initially joined the organization in 2007 as a Board member and, later that year, took on the staff leadership position. She is passionate about engaging the faith-based community to embrace and eliminate the dire homeless family situation in Los Angeles and beyond.

Jill is a seasoned entrepreneur, business development executive and fundraiser. Her 25 years of experience include computer system design for American Management Systems, investment banking for Banque Paribas, fundraising for numerous political and non-profit organizations, launching three companies and helping numerous others with their business initiatives, including Ernst & Young, M Squared Consulting, University Access and Coats and Clark.

Jill is an active member of the Los Angeles community and has helped start two non-profits as well as develop an adopt-a-family program and a transitional housing facility for women and children. She is a former Board member of the Los Angeles Women's Foundation and co-founder of Weingart Center Partners. She is also an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and a founder of Thad's Episcopal Mission Station.

Jill has a bachelor's degree in economics from Smith College and an MPPM/MBA from Yale University. She and her family currently reside in the Hancock Park area of Los Angeles. Jill enjoys the arts, tennis, swimming, skiing and other outdoor activities with her husband John, daughter Isabelle and son James.

Amber Vera Mendoza, Program Director

2011-10-06T20:33:55Z

Amber Vera Mendoza is the Program Director for Imagine LA. She joined the staff in the fall of 2010 and is responsible for the day-to-day management of the organization's mentorship program as well as of numerous family/faith community matches in the program.

Amber has worked in the non-profit sector for 11 years. Prior to coming to Imagine LA, Amber worked at The Gay and Lesbian Center of Greater Long Beach where, as the Program Supervisor for their Mental Health and Counseling Services Program, she was responsible for restructuring, organizing and overseeing all therapeutic and administrative aspects of the program. She formerly worked at The California Conference for Equality and Justice as the Community Program Specialist where she developed and delivered several educational trainings and presentations to community leaders, volunteers, city officials, faith-based organizations, college students, youth and police on the issues of diversity, hate crimes, inter-group conflict resolution and equality.

Amber is a graduate of California State University, Long Beach, where she received both bachelor's and master's degrees in social work. She is an advocate for nonviolence, human rights, health care reform and social justice. The city of Long Beach and Cal State Long Beach have both recognized her with several awards and honors for her work in the community. She enjoys spending time with family and friends, volunteering, hiking and dancing.

Miranda Spradlin, Development Manager

2011-10-06T20:35:14Z

Miranda Spradlin is the Development Manager for Imagine LA. She joined the staff in January 2010 and is primarily responsible for managing Imagine LA's grant-writing, events and functions, and PR and communications.

Prior to joining Imagine LA, Miranda worked for several years in the PR industry. She was employed at some of the leading PR agencies, including Hill & Knowlton and Fleishman-Hillard, where she worked on the Healthcare and Corporate Communications teams, respectively. Miranda also worked in the Public Relations Department at the Pasadena Tournament of Roses. In that capacity, she assisted in the coordination of several major events, in the development of PR materials and in handling media relations for the 2009 Rose Parade's 200+ media and participants.

Miranda graduated magna cum laude and with honors from the University of Southern California with a degree in public relations. She completed her first two years of undergraduate studies at New York University. Miranda is a native of Los Angeles' South Bay and is passionate about her amazing family and friends, traveling and the arts.

Rebecca Amado-Sprigg, Family Team Manager

2011-10-06T20:37:26Z

Rebecca Amado-Sprigg joined the Imagine LA staff in May 2011 as a Family Team Manager. She is responsible for managing the progress of many of our participant families and their Faith Partner Teams.

We first met Rebecca when she volunteered with Imagine LA at last year's Poverty Simulation. Rebecca is very passionate about working in social service and has over 15 years of experience with low-income and homeless populations of many diverse cultural backgrounds. Before joining Imagine LA, Rebecca was the Program Manager at St. Joseph Center, a service center providing assistance to individuals and families experiencing poverty and homelessness. While there, she managed day-to-day operations and developed new programs to promote health and self-sufficiency for clients. Prior to this, she worked as the Program Director for Homeless Transitional Housing at Shelter Network, and as the Director of Volunteer Services for Career Closet. She is a seasoned community organizer, having recruited, trained and supervised hundreds of volunteers to help their local communities.

Rebecca is fluent in English and Spanish and is an Arizona native. She has lived all over both Northern and Southern California for the past 15 years. She enjoys singing karaoke, dancing, riding bikes and relaxing at Venice Beach, and is married to her high school sweetheart.

Lisa Sall, Operations Manager

2011-10-06T20:40:52Z

Lisa Sall is the Operations Manager for Imagine LA. She joined the staff in April 2011 and is responsible for the day-to-day operations and communications of the office.

Prior to joining Imagine LA, Lisa spent several years in the health care field. She worked primarily with low-income populations, first as a behavioral aide for children with autism and then as a medical assistant for a research-based ophthalmologist's office. She spent the last year working for a managed health care startup, Private Health Management, managing their day-to-day operations and copy editing.

Lisa has been a volunteer with Imagine LA for over a year and is a founding member of Imagine LA's A-Team; in fact, she and her husband chaired the A-Team's first "Cocktails for a Cause" event. Lisa is very active in her community as well, participating in local PATH events and volunteering at Bel Air Presbyterian. She and her husband founded the "First Impressions" greeting team at Bel Air.

Lisa graduated with honors from Bethel University in St. Paul, Minn., with a dual degree in Philosophy and Psychology. She grew up in Texas, but happily relocated to Los Angeles (with her husband, a native Angeleno) after college. She is very interested in film, music and travel, and spending time with her family and friends.

Jacquelyn M. Horton, Family Team Manager

2011-10-07T23:35:59Z

Jacquelyn M. Horton has worked with Imagine LA since September 2011 as a Family Team Manager. She is responsible for managing participant families and their Faith Partner Teams as they progress through the Imagine LA program.

With a passion for empowering and motivating citizens, Jacquelyn offers years of work experience earned with organizations ranging from the Los Angeles Urban League to the California State Assembly. She also uses her knowledge of government policies and procedures to design outstanding programs catering to at-risk youth and violence prevention. Having worked in diverse communities such as Watts, Westwood, and East Los Angeles, she welcomes challenges and takes pride in her ability to mobilize people to make a difference in their lives and communities.

She has a BA in Political Science from Hampton University, a MA in Behavioral Science from California State University, Dominguez Hills, and is currently pursuing a degree in Clinical Psychology from Pepperdine University. She is also a certified Gang Intervention and Prevention Specialist, Community Mediator, Court Advocate, Domestic Violence Counselor, and a 2004 graduate of the Los Angeles African American Women's Public Policy Institute (LAAAWPPI). In addition to all of this, she is a proud and active member of both Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Faithful Central Bible Church.

Christie Stewart, Development Strategy & Events Specialist

2011-10-13T22:02:58Z

Christie Stewart is the Development Strategy & Events Specialist for Imagine LA. She joined the Staff in July of 2011. She is responsible for helping in the planning of Imagine LA events, as well as perfecting Imagine LA's development strategy.

Christie spent the last two years as the CEO and Executive Director of Moving Families Forward, a non profit she founded in 2009 to provide home furnishings to families transitioning out of homeless shelters in Los Angeles. Christie has also served as president of a Children's Hospital Los Angeles auxiliary group, The Mary Duque Juniors of CHLA, since 2009. She is a seasoned fundraiser, and has served on the executive parent boards at Christian Nursery School in Studio City and Campbell Hall Episcopal School in North Hollywood to raise funds and structure community development programs.

A southern California native, Christie returned to Los Angeles in 2001 after 10 years away. She earned her BA from Duke University in Political Science and spent 6 years as the production coordinator for movies and mini-series for Hallmark Entertainment in New York. Christie and her family reside in Toluca Lake. She has two sons, Sam and Jack, and her husband Brian is the CFO of Encompass-Digital Media. Free time is spent playing golf with her family, hiking, running, skiing or anything else outdoors.

Chantal Duson, Family Team Manager

2012-01-10T22:49:16Z

· Chantal Duson has worked with Imagine LA since September 2011 as a Family Team Manager. She is responsible for managing participant families and their Faith Partner Teams as they progress through the Imagine LA program.

Chantal, a lifelong Los Angeles resident, has over 10 years of experience working with non-profits. In 2010, she started Rescue International, a small non-profit that works locally with under-served children and teens, as well as in South Africa with children affected by HIV/AIDS. Most recently, Chantal worked at Women's Care Cottage homeless shelter as a Program Supervisor, and as the director of Children's Ministries.

Chantal graduated from Biola University with degrees in Sociology and Biblical Studies. In her spare time, she choreographs and dances for her church in North Hollywood, writes poetry and spends time with her three young nephews.