The following bios were current as of the Sabbatical award date, but have not been updated.
Bob Erlenbusch is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Coalition to End Hunger & Homelessness, which uses organizing, education, advocacy and lobbying in its efforts. Most recently, LACEH&H has gained recognition for its Bring Los Angeles Home! partnership to develop a comprehensive plan to end homelessness in the next decade in Los Angeles City and County. Mr. Erlenbusch also serves as the Board President of the National Coalition for the Homeless and is an Adjunct Professor at USC's School of Social Work.
Michael Held is the Executive Director of the Etta Israel Center, having served in that role since the organization's founding in 1993. Etta Israel Center is the largest agency serving children and adults in the Jewish community with special needs on the West Coast. Dr. Held has brought Etta Israel's knowledge and expertise to the Los Angeles Unified School district and the California State University system to train all teachers in a more inclusive model.
Forescee Hogan-Rowles is the President & CEO of Los Angeles' first public-private economic development partnership, Community Financial Resource Center (CFRC). A native Californian, Ms. Rowles has over 15 years of community economic development experience. Since her appointment at CFRC in 1995, the organization has served over 80,000 low-income individuals, provided over $10MM in small business loans, and helped create and retain nearly 1200 living wage jobs in low-to-moderate income communities throughout Los Angeles.
Elisa Nicholas is CEO of The Children's Clinic, Serving Children and Their Families, a system of community health clinics in Long Beach for low-income families. Dr. Nicholas has led the growth of the clinic from one site to six to provide over 56,000 visits per year while working with the community to implement critical health programs such as controlling childhood asthma. Dr. Nicholas also serves as an Associate Professor of Pediatrics at the University of California, Irvine, School of Medicine and holds leadership roles at Miller Children's Hospital.
Bruce Saito is the Executive Director of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, the largest nonprofit youth corps in the country. LACC provides young adults and school-aged youth with job skills, training, education and work experience in conservation and community service projects, such as tree planting, trail blazing and graffiti removal. Mr. Saito serves on national, state and local commissions and boards dealing with conservation, community service and youth development.
Leonardo Vilchis is the Executive Director of Union de Vecinos, a nonprofit in East Los Angeles that builds community through organizing, developing leaders, building coalitions and creating models for dialogue and democratic practices. A working artist who amplifies his organizing with videography and sound installation, Mr. Vilchis is celebrating the tenth anniversary of Union de Vecinos this year with the 1,500 volunteers and leaders in its Network of Neighborhood Communities.
Sabbatical Program