Dr. Charles Hansen is a nonprofit executive and equity-centered leader with more than 20 years of experience advancing systems change in education, youth development, and community services. He currently serves as Chief Program Officer at Peninsula Family Service, where he oversees more than 45 programs spanning early learning, youth workforce development, older adult services, and community wellness. Dr. Hansen holds a Doctor of Social Work, and his research focuses on dismantling the preschool-to-prison pipeline by addressing implicit bias and exclusionary discipline in early education. He has led regional trainings, policy conversations, and cross-sector initiatives aimed at promoting restorative, developmentally appropriate responses to harm and strengthening pathways to opportunity for system-impacted youth.

Dr. Margaret Heredia-Peltz is an accomplished bilingual educational leader with over two decades of TK–12 administrative experience and a steadfast commitment to equity, student & staff wellness, and transformative school systems. As Executive Director of Student Services for the San Mateo-Foster City School District, she leads critical initiatives across 22 schools serving over 10,500 students, including Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), Restorative Justice, Wellness, Community Schools, and Title IX compliance. As a California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators (CALSA) member for the past four years, Dr. Heredia-Peltz has proudly served as a presenter and, most recently, as a keynote speaker at the 2025 aPODERar Symposium, sharing her vision for inclusive leadership and culturally responsive practices. Her statewide impact spans strategic planning, community engagement, and the creation of trauma-informed, student-centered interventions. Dr. Heredia-Peltz brings a proven track record of systems change to her newly elected CALSA Regional 1 Director role and a deep passion for mentoring and uplifting Latino leaders. She holds a Doctorate in Educational Organizational Leadership from Mills College and is a proud Superintendent Leadership Academy participant (Cohort XIV).

Chris Middleton is a Staff Attorney based in Oakland, CA. Prior to becoming a Staff Attorney in October 2025, Chris was YLC’s Equal Justice Works Fellow, Sponsored by Baker McKenzie and Salesforce, Inc for the 2023-2025 term. Chris’s fellowship project focused on reducing homelessness among child welfare and juvenile justice-involved youth in California, New Mexico, and Washington through coalition building, community education, representation in administrative hearings, systemic advocacy, and litigation. Previously at the Youth Law Center, Chris also completed a Stanford Law School Deane F. Johnson Public Interest Fellowship. His prior work focused on addressing the challenges of the school-to-prison pipeline in California; ensuring access to quality education for child welfare and juvenile justice-involved youth; limiting the use of congregate care settings in child welfare and juvenile justice, especially the disproportionate impact of institutional settings on LGBTQ+ youth; and addressing conditions issues in the juvenile justice system. Prior to joining YLC, Chris served as a law clerk to Judge Myron H. Thompson and Judge W. Keith Watkins in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Alabama.

Tiffany Uhila Hautau is the Executive Director of Anamatangi and a Samoan High Chief. She leads Anamatangi with a deep commitment to cultural integrity, community wellness, and intergenerational leadership, grounding the organization’s work in Samoan values, collective care, and service to Pacific Islander communities.

Tonga Victoria is a community leader and communications strategist, and the founder of Swordhouse Inc., a movement communications firm. She serves as a Public Works Commissioner for the City of East Palo Alto, leads regional and international initiatives connecting the Bay Area to the Blue Pacific, and is the Communications Director for Anamatangi.

Laumanu Petelo is a pioneering figure in Tongan broadcasting and journalism. As former Controller of News and Current Affairs for the Tonga Broadcasting Commission, she helped shape national communications throughout the 1980s and 1990s and guided Tonga into the new millennium with a trusted, unmistakable voice. She now lives in Hayward with her family and continues to contribute to Tongan news and cultural life, both on-island and across the global diaspora.

Luc Gnamien is the Program Manager for the Peer Point program at Fresh Lifelines for Youth, a peer-led initiative designed to divert youth from suspension, expulsion, and arrest. Luc has led the Peer Point program since its inception in 2022. He previously served as Community and Corporate Partnerships Manager at Sacred Heart Community Service and founded B.L.A.C.K. Outreach, a San Jose-based nonprofit advancing Black liberation through education, advocacy, and community-driven programs, as well as Feed the Block San Jose, a grassroots initiative serving San Jose’s unhoused community. Luc holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Project Management through Year Up United.

Joe Lareau graduated from Berklee College of Music, followed by an MPhil in Ethnomusicology from the University of Ghana and an MBA from the University of Phoenix. Currently, he is an Educational Consultant and Coach at the Center for Responsive Schools. For 20 years, he taught at private schools in the Boston area, instructing students in percussion, music, and West African rhythms. A strong advocate for diversity and cultural awareness, he focuses on learning and appreciating the ethnic groups and the cultural context of the music he teaches. He also served as an innovation coach and designed enrichment programs for after-school programs. He lives in Maynard, Massachusetts, with his wife and their four children.

Gustavo Ramirez has his BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and a Master's degree in Social and Emotional Learning. He began his career as an outdoor education instructor with the Inter-Act Program and has since accumulated over 22 years of experience with the Inter-Act Outdoor Education Leadership Academy, serving 6th-12th grade youth and adults across California. Gustavo also has 15 years of experience in after-school programs and 7 years of teaching, Gustavo has excelled as a site director, school community liaison, and classroom teacher. As a National Trainer for the Reconnecting Youth company, he travels nationwide to deliver CAST curriculum training to school staff and social workers, focusing on social and emotional support for students and mental health awareness. Additionally, for the past 10 years, he has worked with the California Teaching Fellows Foundation, providing staff development training for after-school educators in the Central Valley.

Adam F. Valencia, MSE, has served as an administrator for more than 25 years, guiding districts and youth-serving agencies in implementing research-based strategies to improve safety, student engagement, and overall, well-being across all school settings. As the owner and CEO of Reconnecting Youth, Inc., he advanced evidence-based programs that strengthen school climates, support youth across Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 systems of care, and equip educators with practical tools to address challenges such as violence, chronic absenteeism, and dropout. His work also extends to justice-involved youth, ensuring that prevention and intervention efforts reach young people navigating alternative education, re-entry, and community supervision pathways. These programs can be delivered as Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions within MTSS and PBIS frameworks. Students who participate in RY Inc. programs consistently demonstrate positive gains in school connectedness, mood management, suicide-risk reduction, and drug-use control, including maintaining drug-free behaviors.

Maria Huning is the Director for Cañada College's TRIO and Project Change programs. She has spent the last 21 years helping low-income, differently-abled, justice impacted, and first-generation college students in San Mateo County to achieve their college dreams. Maria is a Bay Area native with a Bachelors from Mills College and a Masters in Education from Notre Dame de Namur University. She is passionate about equity and access, especially in education.

Angel Ramirez is the Financial Education Specialist for Monterra Credit Union and has been leading financial literacy efforts since May 2024. Born and raised in the Bay Area, specifically in San Mateo County, Angel is deeply committed to giving back to the community that shaped him. In his role as Financial Education Specialist, he has the opportunity to advance that mission by expanding access to financial education and empowering community members with the tools to build long term stability.