Thank You, Board Members!
Imagine LA’s board members have made a significant impact on the organization’s growth and success. Each individual contributes an unique perspective, knowledge, and experience to our mission – for which we are so thankful! Join us in celebrating three retiring board members: Barbara Bouza, Gary Hunt, and Teddy Kapur.
“Leadership isn’t a reward. It’s a responsibility.”
- Barbara Bouza
FAIA, President, Walt Disney Imagineering
In the midst of COVID-19, the economic recession, and our nation’s reckoning with racism, Barbara helped Imagine LA answer the call to reflect on its values and establish practices that push against systems of oppression for their staff and clients. As a leader for Imagine LA’s Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion (DEI) initiative, she helped shape the culture of the organization as we know it today.
Recognizing the marginalized role Black women like herself were often pushed into, she sought to change workplace culture to dispel unconscious biases and provide more opportunities for BIPOC employees. She felt that it was incredibly important to have a space where everyone can talk about race. “We’re always asked as if we’re an expert. Just because I’m an African American, does not mean I am an expert. How do we make it a two way responsibility,” she stated. She formed those spaces wherever she spoke - not just at Disney Imagineering, but at Imagine LA as well.
Thank you, Barbara, for serving our organization by inspiring brave conversations and creating change!
“It's amazing to see how far Imagine LA has come since our first three families in 2008 – and today, almost 300. It’s been a journey.”
- Gary Hunt
Sr. Business Development Executive, Ansys
Gary was a founding board member for Imagine LA - serving since the organization’s inception in 2006. He has seen Imagine LA grow by leaps and bounds, and the organization has benefited from his expert advice on that growth year after year.
Gary, an experienced semiconductor intellectual property account executive, served on Imagine LA's Social Benefit Committee. As we developed the Social Benefit Navigator app, he steered the direction of this innovative tool - providing his expertise toward the new technology’s ease of use and functionality.
In addition to lending his expertise to our mission, Gary has also been incredibly generous financially, especially in the early, lean years, allowing us to help us continue pursuing our mission.
Thank you, Gary, for helping this once-tiny organization grow!
“Focus on personalized mentorship, family support and expanding opportunities are what makes Imagine LA so special.”
Teddy Kapur
Attorney - Partner, Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP
Fueled by his long-standing interest in community service, as well as his passion for advocacy and public policy with respect to homelessness issues, Teddy Kapur served for many years as Imagine LA’s Board Chair since 2018. He saw Imagine LA as a one-stop-shop for making a difference in all the areas he cares about most: families and youth, mentorship, economic mobility, and addressing LA’s greatest crises – poverty and homelessness.
With Teddy’s participation and leadership, the Board has pushed for and equipped Imagine LA to grow its program by nearly 500% through geographic expansion and new family referral sources, including onsite service provision in Permanent Supporting Housing developments. Through Teddy’s advocacy, Imagine LA has evolve its core program to better meet the needs of families and youth emerging from homelessness, and wrote and began executing an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion strategic plan. Teddy provided strong guidance at the outset of the COVID-19 pandemic, with families and youth at the center of every decision. Among other highlights during Teddy’s tenure as Board Chair, Imagine LA became the first family services organization in Los Angeles to be awarded funding for Department of Health Services Intensive Case Management Services.
Beyond leading the advisory board, Teddy also served as an Imagine LA Volunteer Mentor. He was matched with a single mother with three daughters, who had recently emerged from experiencing homelessness. Through his consistent presence, compassionate approach, and generosity of time and spirit, bit by bit, Teddy and the mentoring team built rapport and trust with their family. Eventually, Teddy and the team became as close as family as they walked alongside their mentees through their personal journeys.
Thank you, Teddy, for being involved in Imagine LA’s mission on both a personal and professional level!
Teddy, Gary, and Barbara - we can’t thank you enough for your service to Imagine LA. We will always remember your contributions as we boldly move forward in the journey to end the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Los Angeles.