EBSC has a vibrant team of lawyers, paralegals, advocates, and volunteers who help advance our mission.
Alexander Kristallis,
Staff Attorney – Residency Lead
Alex started volunteering at EBSC in 2016 while completing his Law and Politics degree at Queen Mary, University of London. He then joined EBSC in October 2019 after completing an MA in international human rights law at Georgetown University. He primarily helps clients apply for affirmative asylum, residency, and citizenship applications.
Alina Medina Mora,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Alina was born in Mexico and immigrated to the U.S. as an adult. She holds a B.A in International Relations. She grew up in a small town in Jalisco that has a very high immigration rate to the United States. Her personal history with immigration and her interest in direct client services put her in the path of becoming an Immigration Paralegal, a position she has held since 2016 in the Private and Non-Profit sector.
Alondra Garcia,
Support Services Caseworker
Alondra joined EBSC in 2022 as a Digitization Coordinator and is now a Support Services Caseworker. She was born and raised in Southeast Los Angeles in a culturally rich Latinx community. She then moved to the Bay Area and graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Psychology and Education. Alondra has worked with marginalized communities for more than 6 years.
Ariana Smith,
Staff Attorney
Ariana first joined EBSC in 2021 as a law student intern, and she’s so excited to be returning as an attorney! Ariana studied International Studies and French at Vassar College before attending UVA Law. She clerked for the Los Angeles Immigration Court and worked as a staff attorney at Ayuda, a DC-based immigration nonprofit. At EBSC, Ariana primarily helps clients apply for asylum and special immigrant juvenile status. She feels honored to be part of this dynamic and dedicated team.
Angela Fitzsimons,
Senior Staff Attorney
Angela has been a staff attorney at EBSC since 2015. She represents asylum seekers, including unaccompanied minors. She is very grateful to work with the supportive and dedicated staff at EBSC and to serve the immigrant community.
Bree Davis,
Development & Communications Associate
Bree joined EBSC as a volunteer in 2019 working with the Amplifying Sanctuary Voices (ASV) Oral History Project. In 2020 she graduated from UC Berkeley with a degree in Sociology and joined the development and communications team to assist in fundraising and outreach work. Bree is the daughter and granddaughter of immigrants and is proud to be part of EBSC.
Carolina Flores,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate & Naturalization Coordinator
Carolina is the daughter of first-generation Oaxacan immigrants. She became passionate about immigrant rights growing up amidst the rise of anti-immigrant policies in her hometown of Escondido. In 2022 she received her bachelor’s degree in Legal Studies and Political Science from UC Berkeley and is now incredibly grateful to work at EBSC with such a passionate and dedicated team.
Cathy Mendoza,
Mam Outreach Lead
Cathy was born in Guatemala and immigrated to the U.S. when she was 4 years old with her parents. She grew up in Oakland, California, and is part of the Maya Mam community. Cathy faced many challenges because of her immigration status. She started working with the Voces Maya outreach team in 2021 and is helping the Mam community by being their voice. She works hard to achieve all her dreams.
Crecencio Ramirez,
Radio B’alam Consultant
Crecencio is an Indigenous Mam radio producer, educator, and activist living in Oakland, California. He is passionate about helping the Mam community and showing young immigrants that they can achieve their dreams.
Cristina Ceballos,
DOJ Representative & OLAS Director
As an immigrant from Mexico, Cristina’s passion for immigrant rights came from bearing witness to the obstacles their own family faced. Cristina joined EBSC in 2017 and works primarily with LGBTQ+ asylum seekers. They also coordinate the OLAS-LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Project. Their focus on the LGBTQ+ immigrant community stems from their own experience growing up as gender queer in Mexico. Cristina started as a volunteer in 2013 while attending UC Berkeley, where they earned a BA in Sociology.
Cynthia Coronel Borboa,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Passionate about immigrant and civil rights, Cynthia received her BA at UCR with a major in Philosophy / Law and Society. She received her paralegal certificate from SFSU and began interning at EBSC in 2018. She started as the Office Administrator in April 2019 and is now a paralegal. As a paralegal, she helps asylees petition for their families, among other areas.
Esmeralda Mendoza,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate & Voces Maya Coordinator
Esmeralda was born in Guatemala and migrated to the U.S. with her parents in 1997. She grew up in Oakland, California, and is part of the Maya Mam community. Esmeralda faced many obstacles in life due to her immigration status. She now works at East Bay Sanctuary Covenant as a paralegal and Mam interpreter focusing on residency, after starting as a volunteer in 2020.
Esmeralda Perez,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Esmeralda began volunteering at EBSC in 2018 while working on her Paralegal Studies certification at San Francisco State University. In early 2019, she joined EBSC as a paralegal, assisting asylum clients. She received her bachelor’s degree in International Relations at San Francisco State University.
Isabel Leon,
Support Services Caseworker
Isabel joined ESBC in 2022 as a Support Services Caseworker. She has years of experience working at other community-based organizations where she helped people navigate local resources, advocating for them in the educational system, as well as providing therapeutic groups and crisis interventions. Isabel received her BA in Psychology from San Francisco State University in 2012. She strives to be a strong supporter of underserved populations, with a focus on immigrant communities.
Juan Jesus Enriquez Delgadillo,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Juan came to EBSC in 2019 as office administrator and currently works as a paralegal. Born in Mexico, Juan received asylum in 2019 with EBSC’s help. Committed to LGBTQ+ advocacy, Juan has been active in the OLAS LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Project, providing community-building support to LGBTQ+ asylees.
Kathy Correia Brasil,
Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Kathy joined EBSC in 2016 as a volunteer and currently works as a paralegal. In 2018, she graduated from UC Berkeley with a BA in Identity and International Migration from the university’s Interdisciplinary Studies Field major program. They speak English, Spanish, and Portuguese fluently, and they have studied American Sign Language and Mam. Kathy is a queer child of Azorean immigrants and is dedicated to advocating for marginalized communities through her work.
Kaveena Singh, Co-Executive Director, Director of Immigration Legal Services
Kaveena started as a legal intern at EBSC in 2003. After earning a BA from Brown University and a JD from UC Hastings, she clerked at the LA Immigration Court and was a staff attorney at the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals. She supervises all aspects of EBSC’s legal program.
Leslie Corpus,
Office and Hotline Administrator
Leslie plays a vital role in supporting the immigrant and undocumented community, offering a safe, compassionate space for those seeking help. Drawing from her own immigrant experience, she guides individuals through complex systems, from legal aid to community resources. In 2021, she earned her CCMA degree and now works with EBSC, where she continues to make a meaningful impact on the lives of those she serves.
Liliana Macias, Senior Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Liliana became passionate about immigrant rights while growing up in the border town of San Ysidro. After earning her BA in Political Science from UCLA in 2014, she moved to the Bay Area and volunteered for EBSC as an asylum interpreter. In 2016, she became a paralegal for unaccompanied minors.
Lisa Gano,
Co-Executive Director, Director of Operations
Lisa joined EBSC in 2018 and brings a wealth of experience in program and organizational management. Her background is in planning and operations in the international humanitarian sector and she is delighted to be providing operational, financial, and administrative leadership at EBSC.
Lisa Hoffman, Co-Executive Director, Director of Development & Communications
Lisa has 30 years of experience in program management, communications for social change, and supporting community-based organizations to raise funds for their vital programs. Lisa started as a volunteer at EBSC and became Development Director in 2017 and ASV Director in 2018. She has an MA in Cultural Anthropology and speaks Spanish, Russian, and French.
Manuel de Paz,
Lead Community Organizer
A Salvadoran refugee, Manuel joined EBSC in 2006. As Lead Community Organizer, he facilitates free informational workshops on a range of immigration topics and coordinates our grassroots organizing efforts. For an excellent article on Manuel, read Sanctuary from the Storm. He became a U.S. citizen in 2008.
Marta Alicia Mendoza,
Mam Outreach Worker
A native of Guatemala, Marta is from the Maya Mam ethnic group and speaks Mam, Spanish, and English. She joined EBSC in 2012 as a client while working to support herself, and as a volunteer in 2020. She started working in 2021 as an outreach community leader to give people the right information. She is passionate about helping the Mayan and Latinx communities with interpretation and other support.
Maya Kandell,
Outreach Coordinator
Maya began working with EBSC in early 2019 as a volunteer. She graduated from UC Berkeley in 2020 and wrote an honors thesis highlighting how Maya Mam community leaders are challenging barriers to language access in immigration courts and nonprofits. Now she works with the Voces Maya team as an outreach and citizenship class coordinator. In this role, she co-teaches community classes in Fruitvale and online, collaborates with community partners to share key information on immigrants rights in Spanish and Mam, and works with an amazing team of community leaders.
Michael Smith,
Immigration Legal Services Advisor
Michael co-founded EBSC’s Asylum Program in 1992. He has mentored thousands of law students and pro bono attorneys over the years. An expert on the treatment of Indigenous peoples in Guatemala during the civil war, he is author of various books and articles and was honored by the Dalai Lama.
Miriam Henneberger,
Finance Manager
Miriam, a native of Guatemala, joined EBSC in 2016 as a contractor providing support in bookkeeping, administrative and financial planning, and human resources. These days, Miriam’s priorities are ensuring processes and financial management – maintaining the accounting system, reviewing and providing financial reports to management and directors, and participating in the execution of changes to procedures and policies to facilitate control, accountability and expansion.
NADYA ALEXANDRA MENDOZA,
HUMAN RESOURCES AND OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Nadya graduated from UC Santa Cruz in 2018 with a BA in English Literature. After working at Brightlight Behaviour Group LLC providing in-home care for children on the autism spectrum, she joined EBSC in 2022 to continue to help people and provide support for those who feel underserved and lack representation.
Owen Thompson-Lastad,
Advocacy Programs Manager
Owen has worked with the immigrant community since 2002, starting as an advocate for farm workers. He later worked as a program manager for the East Bay Community Law Center and a financial counselor for the Mission Economic Development Agency. In 2021, he received a master’s degree in nonprofit administration, specializing in the trauma-informed approach. Owen is fluent in Spanish and proficient in Portuguese.
Rebecca Gerny,
Special Projects Coordinator
Rebecca is researcher, writer, organizer, former paralegal and project manager with experience in immigration law, grassroots agroecology, women’s empowerment, global health, and antitrust. She is passionate about integrating storytelling and arts in the pursuit of migrant and climate justice. In her free time she enjoys hiking, identifying California native plants, vegetable gardening, and reading climate and contemporary fiction.
Rosalba Lorenzo,
Mam Outreach Worker
Rosalba Lorenzo was born in Todos Santos Cuchumatan, Huehuetenango, Guatemala, and is part of the Maya Mam community. Her first language is Mam, and she spent her childhood in Guatemala. She immigrated to the United States with her family in 2017 and now works with the Voces Maya outreach team and Radio B’alam.
Shiori Akimoto,
Immigration Legal Services Program Manager/OLAP Accredited Representative
Shiori, an immigrant from Japan, began volunteering at EBSC in October 2012 while working on her bachelor’s degree in Ethnic Studies at the University of California, Berkeley. At EBSC, Shiori manages the DACA program, organizes workshops, and also works on TPS and family petition cases.
Veronica B. Granillo, Senior Staff Attorney – Asylum & Removal Defense Lead & Citizenship Lead
Veronica started volunteering at EBSC in 2013 as a volunteer attorney. She ran her own private practice for almost 10 years before joining our team in 2021. As an immigrant herself, she can relate to the anguish and struggle that many face while trying to obtain legal status in the United States. She currently works on affirmative and defensive asylum cases, U Visas, residency, and naturalization.
Yuko Matsumoto,
Senior Immigration Legal Services Advocate
Yuko began interpreting for EBSC in 2012 while completing an MA in Latin American studies at UC Berkeley. As a paralegal, she assists unaccompanied minors and LGBTQ+ asylum applicants from Brazil. She is fluent in Spanish and Portuguese. She received her BA in Liberal Arts from Soka University of America.
Board
Abigail Rich,
Immigration Attorney
Abigail is a Senior Staff Attorney and Clinical Supervisor in the Immigration Unit at East Bay Community Law Center, where she provides direct legal services and also teaches UC Berkeley law students. She previously worked at EBSC, first as a Liman Fellow focused on holistic services for immigrant survivors of trauma, and then as a Staff Attorney. Abigail is on the Advisory Board for the OLAS LGBTQ+ Sanctuary Project and has a JD from Yale Law School.
Angelica Tripp, Treasurer & Study Abroad Financial Aid Counselor
Angelica became an EBSC volunteer in 2012 shortly after graduating from Cal and assisted with grant writing and fundraising. She cherished her time as a volunteer and was amazed by the positive impact EBSC staff and volunteers have made on so many people’s lives over the years. Angelica was born and raised in the East Bay, has a Master’s in Organization and Leadership from USF, and is a Senior Financial Aid Counselor at UC Berkeley.
Alex Schafran, Treasurer & Housing and Planning Consultant
Alex is an author and consultant working to address California’s Housing Crisis. Prior to his career in housing and urban development, Alex worked as an early EBSC staffer in the late 90’s and has been connected to the organization on and off ever since. He is honored to help chair the organization and serve on the Finance Committee.
Bill Balderston, Berkeley Fellowship of Unitarian Universalists
Bill has been involved with EBSC since 1986, participating in Central American solidarity efforts starting in NYC in the 70s, first with Nicaragua, and then with El Salvador as a founding member of CISPES. Bill has also been a long time teacher union activist, having taught in Oakland for 23 years, and serving on the leadership of the teachers union. His life is greatly enriched by working with high school youth.
David Arias, Journalist
David began volunteering with EBSC’s citizenship course in 2024. Over the past decade, he has worked in digital marketing and outreach across nonprofit, higher education, and LGBTQ+ organizations, and previously worked as a reporter. He is bilingual and a dual citizen of Guatemala and the U.S. Originally from Chicago, he now lives in the Bay Area and holds an M.A. in mass communications.
Glenda Pawsey,
St. John’s Presbyterian Church
Glenda is a retired English as a Second Language teacher. As a member of St. John’s, one of the founding churches of EBSC, she has been very involved with EBSC for many years. Her church has welcomed families from El Salvador and Guatemala since the early days of the Sanctuary Movement, creating decades-long friendships. Glenda was also an EBSC office volunteer for many years.
Jennifer Reisch,
Employment & Civil Rights Attorney
As an attorney specializing in labor and employment-related civil rights, Jennifer has dedicated her career to advancing economic, gender, and racial justice. She first became involved with EBSC as a law student at UC Berkeley Law, where she volunteered with and later co-directed the Central American Refugee Clinic. Since then, she has worked in non-profits and in private practice, representing and collaborating with working people, labor and community-based organizations on litigation, policy advocacy, and organizing campaigns. Jennifer joined the EBSC Board in 2023 and serves on the Fundraising and Hiring Committees.
Julieta Barcaglioni,
Co-Chair & Social Worker
Julieta has over ten years of experience in program development, implementation, and strategy in both the public and nonprofit sectors. For most of her career, she has been involved in the housing and homelessness ecosystem. Julieta is currently the Senior Program Officer for Housing at Tipping Point Community. She is on the Board of EBSC to support building responsive, equitable and effective programs and systems to make lasting change.
Pierre Labossiere,
Haiti Action Committee
Pierre is the Co-Founder of the Haiti Action Committee (HAC) and the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund (HERF), established in the Bay Area in 1991 and 2004 respectively. Working with Haiti’s grassroots movement and engaged in the struggle for justice and democracy, HAC and HERF provide information regarding conditions on the ground, assist refugees and support community-based initiatives and institutions working for the liberation and the rebuilding of Haiti.
Reena Arya,
Co-Chair & Immigration Attorney
Reena is the Director of Immigration Legal Services at JFCS East Bay and has over 20 years of experience working with refugees and immigrants. Her journey as an advocate for justice includes impactful roles at the Catholic Legal Immigration Network, UNHCR, Human Rights First, KIND, HIAS, and the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. Reena was also an asylum officer and trainer at the San Francisco Asylum Office for many years. She holds a JD from Penn State and a Masters in International Humanitarian Law from the Geneva Academy.