The following bios were current as of the Sabbatical award date, but have not been updated.
Jeff Carr is the Executive Director of The Bresee Foundation, an organization that provides health services, literacy and academic enrichment, technology and employment services, outreach and recreation in one of central LA's poorest and most densely populated communities. In 2001, Mr. Carr oversaw the completion of construction of a state-of-the-art $2.7 million neighborhood center, which houses Bresee's youth activities, pediatric, family and mental health care, a Cyber Café, and neighborhood meeting space. Mr. Carr joined The Bresee Foundation in 1987 as a college intern who was charged with creating a recreation program for neighborhood youth.
Denise Fairchild is the Founder and President of Community Development Technologies Center, a training, applied research and technical assistance organization specializing in community development strategies. In partnership with L.A. Trade Tech College, CD Tech has developed the nation's first program in community development at the community college level. Other groundbreaking work includes the creation of an Individual Development Account (IDA) program for low-wage workers to save for a house, a business, or educational opportunities. Prior to starting CD Tech in 1994, Dr. Fairchild was the Director of the Los Angeles Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC).
Mark Gold is the Executive Director of Heal the Bay, where he was hired as the first staff scientist in 1988. Heal the Bay is a grassroots organization with approximately 10,000 members and volunteers dedicated to maintaining healthy waters in the Santa Monica Bay and Southern California. The organization uses scientific research, education, advocacy and community action to ensure a safe environment for human and marine life. Heal the Bay recently expanded its popular Beach Report Card to include all of California. Dr. Gold has spent his entire life near the Santa Monica Bay, graduating from Santa Monica High School and receiving his undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCLA, where he has also taught.
Gilda Haas is the Founder and Executive Director of Strategic Actions for a Just Economy (SAJE), a pioneer in banking rights and economic justice for low income people. SAJE recently received national attention for negotiating a landmark agreement with the developers of the Staples Center to include area residents in employment and development plans. Prior to founding SAJE, Ms. Haas founded Communities for Accountable Reinvestment, taught at the UCLA School of Public Policy and Social Research, and directed the Community Economic Development Unit at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles.
Brenda Shockley is the President of Community Build, which was incorporated in 1992 in response to the Los Angeles civil unrest. The organization's mission is to revitalize south Los Angeles through human investment and commercial and economic development. Ms. Shockley oversaw the development of 16,000 square feet of commercial space in Leimert Park which serves as a center for the African American community, offering a coffee house, 99-seat theater, office space, and a park. Community Build's Youth Center in the Vermont/Manchester neighborhood provides employment training, services for foster youth, and scholarships. Before joining Community Build, Ms. Shockley was a practicing attorney and the President of the Drew Economic Development Corporation.
Ron Sossi has served as the Artistic Director of the Odyssey Theater Ensemble since he founded the group in 1969. A three-theater complex known for staging plays that are provocative in content and form, the Odyssey attracts devoted audiences. Mr. Sossi is an acclaimed director who won the Los Angles Drama Critics' first Lifetime Achievement Award in Directing, among other awards. He has directed in Europe and Asia, and taught at UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, and other colleges and universities. Past Odyssey seasons have seen such Sossi-directed milestones as Peer Gynt, Mother Courage, Faust, and the eight-year run of Kvetch. Prior to forming the Odyssey Theater, Mr. Sossi was a television executive with ABC.
