Lillian Galedo, Executive Director Lgaledo [at] filipinos4justice.org 510-465-9876 x308

Geraldine Alcid, Programs Director galcid [at] filipinos4 justice.org 510-465-9876 x311

Christopher Cara, Youth Services Director ccara [at] filipinos4 justice.org 510-487-8552

Jerico Abanico, RACE Youth Counselor jabanico [at] filipinos4 justice.org 510-487-8552

Katie Joaquin, Organizer kjoaquin [at]filipinos4 justice.org 510-465-9876 x301

Judith Olais, Administrative Asst. jolais [at] filipinos4justice.org 510-465-9876 x302

Roxanne Pecadeso, PLAY Coordinator rpecadeso [at] filipinos4justice.org 510-487-8552

Jean Tolentino, AYPAL Site Coordinator jtolentino [at]filipinos4 justice.org 510-465-9876 x310

Eduardo Valladares, Newcomer Counselor evalladares [at] filipinos4justice.org 510-465-9876 x304

AYPAL Interns: Anna Bach, Nazarene De Los Reyes, Jody Diala, Touissant Jones, Leslie Luo, Ervin Lopez

RACE Interns: Charlie Boado, Devon Devera, Victoria Nunez

PLAY Interns: Kelvin Espino, Rani Reyes

Staff Bios

Lillian Galedo is Executive Director of Filipino Advocates for Justice where she has worked since 1980. Lillian is also a founding board member of the National Network for Immigrant and Refugee Rights, is currently on the board of Oakland Asian Cultural Center, and a national co-chair of the National Alliance for Filipino Veterans Equity, working to win recognition and equal status for Filipino WWII veterans.
 
She is the recipient of fellowships from The Wallace Gerbode Foundation, the Bannerman Foundation, and Eureka Communities. She has received recognition for community service from Asian American Studies at U.C. Davis, East Bay Californians for Affirmative Action, Filipinas Magazine, U.C. Davis Alumni Association, Asian Pacific American Labor Alliance, Family Bridges, and the Filipino American Women’s Network.

Geraldine Alcid, Programs Director, has been with Filipino Advocates for Justice since 2006. Previously, she amassed many years of leadership experience in project management and organizational administration at Heald College in Hayward as a Dean and later, the Director of Academic Affairs. She majored in English as an undergrad at UC Berkeley, and later completed her Master’s degree at San Francisco State University in Ethnic Studies focusing her thesis on the digital divide in education. Born in Makati, Philippines, raised in Chicago and a California transplant in the late 80’s, she’s spent time in Sacramento and the Bay Area, where she became involved in the Filipino Community.

Christopher Cara was a student organizer when he first became a health educator intern for Filipino Advocates for Justice in 1995. He returned as a volunteer advisor for Pilipino Youth Coalition of Southern Alameda County (PYC) in 1998 and joined the FAA staff as a Youth Counselor. Over the past 8 years, he has single-handedly institutionalized our youth development programs at Logan High School and Alvarado Middle School which serve youth through peer support and prevention education. Chris has been long time advocate for Union City youth, particularly those affected by violence. He is now Filipino Advocates for Justice’s Youth Services Director and facilitates the Building Adults Though Awareness (BATA) program at Alvarado Middle School and James Logan High School in Union City.

Jerico Abanico has been with Filipino Advocates for Justice as a RACE Program Youth Counselor for the past 4 years, having previously been a RACE Organizing Intern, while he was a student at James Logan High School. He was a leader in the violence prevention campaign in Union City and became active through his involvement in PYC (Pilipino Youth Coalition), South County. He is currently in school working on his degree in counseling and human development with a concentration on youth and family services. He is also very active at St. Anne’s Church where he is a leader in their Youth and Young Adult Ministry.

Katie Joaquin is FAA’s Lead Organizer. She started here at FAA as a summer intern in 2005 to help with the airport worker project and joined the staff in 2007 to be the main organizer. She is an experienced community organizer with a background in organizing students for racial justice and access to education at UC Santa Barbara, where she earned her B.A. in Global Studies & Socioeconomics. She is loved by the workers she organizes, and has expanded FAA’s Worker Support and Organizing Program to include a Caregiver organizing project in South Alameda County.

Judith Olais started with Filipino Advocates for Justice as a “work experience” referral from Asian Manpower Services in 1985 and has been her workplace since arriving from the Philippines in 1983. Judith is the administrative assistant and keeps the office running. In fact, when she takes a sick day or vacation, we’re virtually helpless. In addition to supporting all the staff, Judith provides back up to Ed in our Newcomer Services. She is our main contact with the public—the friendly and sympathetic voice on the phone and on the front line at the office. We would not be who we are without Judith.

Roxanne Pecadeso is a heath educator and program coordinator for FAA’s PLAY program. Being a former participant in PYC has ignited her commitment to helping the Filipino community. Now a PYC advisor, Roxanne is constantly inspired and excited about the powerful youth she meets. She is currently studying at Cal State East Bay, majoring in Sociology with a Social Service option.

Jean Tolentino is the AYPAL Site Coordinator and has been active within the Filipino American community since her time at the Pilipino Youth Coalition (PYC), Vallejo. She graduated from St. Mary’s College with a B.S. in Psychology and previously worked at Oakland Asian Student Educational Services (OASES) as the High School Program Coordinator. Jean is also currently pursuing her Master’s degree at the University of San Francisco.

Eduardo Valladares is the Newcomer Coordinator. He provides immigration assistance, general information and referral, job search strategies and public benefits counseling to recent arrivals. He has also led some of our civic participation efforts and was trained by the Mobilize the Immigrant Vote (MIV) project. He has worked at FAA for over 15 years, landing a job here soon after immigrating to the U.S. He is fluent in the Tagalog, Ilongo, and Cebuano dialects of the Philippines. He initially immigrated to the U.S. as a minister, but decided instead to work in the community.

BOARD

Trina Villanueva is Board President and has been on the board for 7 years. She is a Project Manager at the Mayor’s Office of Economic and Workforce Development at the City and County of San Francisco where she helps manage the Community Benefit District program. Trina also serves on the board of the Greenlining Academy Alumni Association, which is a multi-ethnic leadership development program aimed at providing hands-on public policy and advocacy experience and other skills that will enhance participants’ effectiveness to become social justice leaders. Trina holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy from the University of Michigan and a BA in International Development Studies and Psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. She recently became a new mom to Santiago Manuel Preciado. She and her husband Hector are learning to master the art of juggling family, work and community.

Ronald Pineda is a Senior Marketing Associate for Children Now, a nonpartisan research and advocacy organization working to raise children’s well-being to the top of the national policy agenda. Prior to joining Children Now, Mr. Pineda served in key positions for private and public sector organizations throughout the Bay Area, including Oakland Unified School District, Selectquote Insurance Services, Flexera Software (formerly Zero G Software), and Asian & Pacific Islander Wellness Center. His passions continue to revolve around racial and social equality, HIV/AIDS and related health pandemics, and immigrant rights. Mr. Pineda holds a B.A. in Anthropology and Journalism from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

Rob Bonta serves as a Deputy City Attorney in the San Francisco City Attorney’s Office. He also holds elected public office as a Director of the City of Alameda Health Care District. Rob is the Chair of the City of Alameda Economic Development Commission, Co-President of the City of Alameda Democratic Club, and President of the Asian Pacific American Democratic Caucus of Alameda County. On the Board of Filipino Advocates for Justice for six years, Rob is proud to be following in his mother Cynthia Bonta’s footsteps advocating for social justice for the Filipino American community. Rob lives in Alameda with his wife Mia and three children Reina, Iliana, and Andres.

Raymond Colmenar is a Senior Program Officer for The California Endowment, a private, statewide health foundation that promotes fundamental improvements in the health status of all Californians. He has more than 17 years of service in philanthropy, public policy research, advocacy and community building. Ray was an associate director of PolicyLink, a senior research associate with The Rockefeller Foundation, Executive Director for the South of Market Problem Solving Council, and Policy Analyst for the San Francisco Department of Human Services. Ray currently serves on the board of ZeroDivide, a community foundation investing in technology to benefit people in low-income and other underserved communities.
He lives in Albany, California, with his wife Fatima Angeles, and children, Isabela and Alessandro.

Don Rodis is a Purchaser for the City and County of San Francisco. He has been a Board Member since 1992.

Andrea Ibarra Tacdol works part-time for the Ditching Dirty Diesel Collaborative, a regional environmental justice organization that is lowering diesel emissions in low-income communities of color. Before becoming a board member, Andrea had been involved with Filipino Advocates for Justice for over 10 years as a Pilipino Youth Coalition member, RACE youth intern, communications/technology staff member and volunteer. She is a proud Bay Area Pinay and recent mama who spends the rest of her time playing, laughing and caring for daughter Soluna!

Yvette Torres is a Compliance Analyst at Union Bank in San Francisco and the Safety Floor Warden. She has a B.A. in Economics and in Politics from UC Santa Cruz. Outside of work, she is the Co-chair of the Diversity Committee at her daughter’s school and volunteers a lot at her son’s high school. Currently, she is a Volunteer Assistant Referee for her daughter’s soccer team and likes to practice martial arts at home with her three children. She is trained in Arnis (Filipino Martial Arts), Tae Kwon Do, and Aikido. Yvette also helps organize peace vigils, cultural festivals, and used to coach junior varsity track.