Keith A. Baker
Mr. Keith A. Baker is an Advisor/Sr.Consultant at Diversity Research and Consulting Group, Inc., in Rolling Hills Estates, California. The company was established in 1985 and provides services to both for-profit and nonprofit organizations throughout the country. Having a focus on program development and implementation, grant writing, and program evaluation at the federal, state, and local levels. Mr. Baker is a member of the team of highly trained professional staff, inclusive of MDs and PhDs with national recognition. Prior to assuming responsibility of the company in 1995, Mr. Baker, a trained epidemiologist, and biostatistician, was previously the Program Analyst for the Los Angeles County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy and was responsible for the development, acquisition, and allocation of County resources to the more than 800 HIV/AIDS contractors. Additionally, since his departure from the County’s Department of Public Health, Mr. Baker has worked with hundreds of service providers across the country to develop and/or evaluate programs that have been funded through federal agencies such as SAMHSA, HRSA, and CDC to name a few. Prior to his work with the County’s Office of AIDS Programs and Policy, Mr. Baker was the Director of Program Development and Community Engagement at Spectrum Addiction Services, Inc., the largest treatment facility of the East Coast, and was the Director of Research and Evaluation for Worcester Fights Back, a $6m project funded by the Robert Woods Johnson Foundation. As an epidemiologist, Mr. Baker’s research work seeks to understand the relationships between cardiovascular diseases, substance abuse, and HIV/AIDS among minority populations.
Darcel Woods
Ms. Woods has amassed a diverse career in the field of Administration of Justice spanning back to the early 1980's. Her public service positions include Deputy with the Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, Youth Correctional Counselor with California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation Division of Juvenile Justice (CDCRDJJ). As a Parole Agent, along with casework, she was assigned to the Los Angeles County Gang Unit where she served as a member of an interagency task force consisting of agents and officers representing Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Agency, Los Angeles County Sheriff Department, Los Angeles Police Department, Employment Development Department, Community Based Organizations, and other allied agencies with the focus of reducing gang violence, increasing employment and encouraging higher education all during the turbulent 1980s and 1990s. She has served as a Gubernatorial appointed Commissioner to the State of California Board of Parole Hearings presiding over adult Life Term Inmate parole suitability hearings, parole reconsideration and rescission hearings, requests for Gubernatorial pardons, reprieves, and commutation of sentences. She also has over two decades of experience in education administration, program and curriculum design, management/leadership trainer, research, community team building, relationship dynamics, workplace culture, mentoring, program and staff evaluation. Additionally, she has significant experience in conflict resolution and crisis intervention skills, coordination of operations and staffing, train-the-trainer, collaborative building, pre-release and post-release correctional reintegration continuum of care services, and as a tenured college professor. Since 2014, Ms. Woods continues to work in the field of research for the primary purpose of program development, systems, and community-based education opportunities that address special topics of interest. These include Coherent Restorative Justice, Deterrence Driven Community Based Prevention Programs, Justice System Reform (4C), Restructure of Sentencing Statutes and Examination of Guidelines. She holds a Master's in Public Administration, and a Bachelor of Arts in Music Education.
Dr. Byron Johns
Dr. Byron Johns (DBJ)’s business was launched with the belief to unleash the creativity in each individual, and by doing so, solve the complex business problems of our time. His vision is to address the contemporary needs that have evolved during the current technological revolution. The commitment of his work as a coach and facilitator is to energize and inspired people and their environments to effectively navigate the current VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity) environment. His early career positions in arts organizations and later as an accomplished educator and trainer for a dot-com era tech company, motivated him to pursue bridging the gap between creative and business, showing people that anything is possible with the right plan; be it in the realm of problem-solving for a company or a very personal dream project(s), he believes most of us have creative ideas that we seek to fulfill. His realm of experience spans a variety of communities, from New York City schools, fortune 500 companies, to various small businesses, start-up companies, and arts organizations. Through his work in the US, Africa, and Europe, he has trained hundreds of communities, and corporate leaders, managers, and other professionals; as well as generated grants and strategically leveraged people resources in fulfillment of organizational objectives. DBJ has personally managed staff of 100+ to deliver over 50 concerts and productions, and large and small seminars.
Dr. Nolan Jones
Dr. Nolan Jones received his medical degree from the University of Kansas School of Medicine in 1975. After graduating, he completed a 4-year internship and residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology (OB/GYN) at the distinguished Martin Luther King Jr./Charles Drew Postgraduate Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA. Subsequently, Dr. Jones set his career goal to learn and master the Discipline of Gynecologic Oncology, which was and remains an elite subspecialty, where at that time fewer than 30 Black surgeons in the world were trained and certified in this advanced surgical discipline. Additionally, Dr. Jones and another colleague spearheaded the first Sickle Cell Anemia Screening Program on a university campus in the history of the United States. During his illustrious career, Dr. Jones has held privileges at a several of hospitals, including but not limited to Queens of Angeles, Los Angeles Metropolitan Hospital, San Bernardino Community Hospital, Kaiser Hospital, Tufts-New England Medical Center, and Martin Luther King Jr. /Charles Drew Medical Center. He was voted “Doctor of the Year” by the medical students during his teaching tenure at the Los Angeles Metropolitan Hospital. Over the subsequent 40 years, including his private practice and teaching career in Los Angeles, Dr. Jones served in predominantly medically underserved areas, including South-Central Los Angeles, while continuing to participate in a wide variety of community affairs. Today, he devotes more of his time consulting and engaging in selective social, civic, and religious engagements that serve those most in need.
Dr. Brenda Wiewel
Dr. Brenda Wiewel received her masters and doctorate degrees in social work at the University of Southern California. She currently supports and develops programs for unhoused persons and under-resourced communities, in her roles with the Keck School of Medicine’s Street Medicine Program and as a local consultant. She also works with students to develop professional skills in social work, public health, and medicine through the University of Southern California (USC). Brenda provided innovative leadership from 2016-2021 to create, implement, and sustain the USC Initiative to Eliminate Homelessness. There, she led efforts to design, support, and implement new resources for students on campus to reduce food and housing insecurity. Dr. Wiewel also organized major conferences, created many new learning opportunities for students, and supported multiple research efforts on homelessness to meet community needs.
Previously, she managed and developed a range of behavioral health services, focused on treatment and prevention in both outpatient and residential settings. Dr. Wiewel is an active Rotarian and Chair of the NASW Social Work Women’s Council, providing advocacy and professional education for licensure.
Anika Akhter
Anika Akhter is a public health professional based in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Public Health Policy from UC Irvine and an M.P.H. in Community Health Sciences from UCLA. Additionally, she is certified as a Project Management Professional (PMP). During her school years, she received various awards including the Chancellor's Award of Distinction and the Excellence in Public Health Research Award from UCI and the Future Public Health Leaders Fellowship from UCLA. After graduating from UCLA, she worked as a Health Equity Fellow for the National Institute of Justice (NIJ).
Anika has worked as a Performance Management Analyst, Project Manager, and Manager of Special Projects for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA). During this time, she played a key role in the active contract management of a $44 million portfolio of homeless service programs and managed the development and implementation of Safe Parking, hygiene, and emergency shelter programs. Anika is passionate about social, racial, and economic justice and strives to work towards dismantling policies and practices that negatively impact marginalized communities
Lorelyn J Barboza
Lorelyn (LJ) Barboza is an accomplished Nonprofit Leadership Executive with over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector pursuing organizational excellence, process improvement, staff development, and helping societies less fortunate. LJ started as a direct service provider for youth receiving services through the following systems of care: Foster Care, Probation, and Substance Use Disorder programs. Throughout her career, LJ has been promoted up through hard work and a commitment to “help those that help others”. LJ has been responsible for and delivery of Budget Allocations, Needs Assessment, Performance Reviews, Staff Development, Strategic Development, SWOT Analysis, Technology, Training, and Recruiting. LJ has a proven successful record of implementing strategic visions in real-world situations. Additionally she has managed up to 100 indirect reports, 12 direct staff, and budgets of $12+ million. LJ has served on the board of Love in The Mirror, located in Long Beach, CA and holds a Bachelor’s in Organizational Leadership from Biola University, and a Master’s in Human Behavior from National University
Robbin Randolph
Robbin Randolph is a nonprofit and local government professional with over 40 years of experience in management, administration, program development and operations, and facilitation. Her nonprofit experience includes serving as Chief Programs Officer, Crystal Stairs, Inc.; Program Director, Community Partners; Program Director, Family Preservation Services, Westside Children’s Center (now, Allies for Every Child); Division Director and Project Coordinator for L.A. Bridges-Gompers Middle School, El Nido Family Centers. Ms. Randolph’s experience in local government includes serving as: Assistant Director, General Services for the City of Sacramento; Executive Director, Human Rights/ Fair Housing Commission, City and County of Sacramento. She held various positions, during seven years working with the City of Compton and served as a Special Projects Consultant in the City Manager’s Office, City of San Bernardino. She has recently worked with the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health as the Supervisor for the Mobile Vaccine Team Phone Bank scheduling COVID-19 vaccinations throughout Los Angeles County. She has also provided training and technical assistance for the Trauma Prevention Initiative of the Office of Violence Prevention, Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. Ms. Randolph earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Pomona College, and a Master's degree in Urban Studies from Occidental College.
Binaka Patel
Binaka Patel is a well-rounded individual with a trauma-informed background. As an analyst for the Department of Health Services (DHS), Binaka has been working closely with the COVID Response Team (CRT) in testing and vaccination efforts. As an analyst, she manages the development, implementation, and maintenance of reports, dashboards as well as analysis
tools. Additionally, she designs, builds, and maintains maps reflecting this data. Prior to this position, Binaka worked as an Outreach Case Manager on Skid Row with the most vulnerable and chronically ill individuals experiencing homelessness. Along with providing case management, Binaka referred individuals to mental health treatment services, substance use
treatment services, legal services, and employment services. Binaka is also a certified Domestic Violence Counselor and continues to volunteer with victims impacted by violence.
Patrick Cortez
Patrick Cortez is joining the team as a consultant with almost a decade of experience providing data and evaluation consulting across several sectors (i.e., education, public health, leadership development), from both internal and external roles. Most recently, he worked on a project with LA County Department of Public Health in which along with a co-specialist, brought technical assistance to more than twenty CBOs over a nine month period. Patrick helped to access organizations and to build their evaluation capacity. He graduated from Cal Poly Pomona in 2011 with a Bachelor's of Arts in Psychology, and from Claremont Graduate University in 2016 with a Master's in Positive Organizational Psychology with a co-concentration in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods. He has been a member of the American Evaluation Association since 2013 and has made presentations on developing and utilizing data dashboards and helping evaluators manage excessive evaluation anxiety.
Nellie Marie Nunez
Nellie Marie Nunez is a trauma-informed community advocate, health educator, and collaborative partner trained in group facilitation and consensus building for multi-sector collaborations. She graduated from Pacific Oaks College with a Bachelor's degree in Advocacy and Social Justice in Human Development. Ms. Nunez has over 15 years of administrative and training experience in private, public, and government sectors, planning, conducting, and interpreting experimental designs in public health research and place-based intervention projects with a focus on health equity strategies. Ms. Nunez is experienced in building education and resource centers by utilizing the built environment, injury prevention education, training, and research. Her specialty is human connection, with a special interest in community capacity building in multicultural communities that are greatly impacted by health inequalities, violence, and complex trauma.
Oliver Chavez
Upon graduation from the University of Southern California, Mr.Chavez worked for The Walt Disney Company as a Digital Marketer for the Disney Interactive Division where he supported online marketing efforts for brands such as ESPN, ShopDisney, Star Wars, Marvel and a variety of Disney mobile-app games. In 2019, he pursued small business consulting and public sector focused projects for a community business incubator, the Vermont Slauson Economic Development Corporation. In 2020, he was hired as a Marketing Strategy & Communications Consultant for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health where he helped several nonprofits throughout LA County in their capacity-building initiatives during the COVID-19 pandemic. He now supports the LA County’s vaccination efforts for underrepresented groups as a Health Program Analyst II - Partner Agency Liaison for the Community Health Worker Outreach Initiative, a program aimed at bringing equity and representation to minority communities.
Luke Mallari
Mr. Luke Mallari, has been a consultant with Diversity. Mr. Mallari is a successful fundraiser with over ten years of experience, working closely with private and family foundations, corporations, and federal institutions. He graduated from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor's of Arts in Sociology, and a Bachelor's of Science in Management Science. As the current Senior Associate Director, Foundation Relations for Children’s Hospital Los Angeles CHLA, he is experienced in managing gifts at all stages of fundraising, from identification to solicitation. Mr. Mallari works with high-level, world-renowned scientists, and physicians, as well as collaborates with other major gifts officers to raise funds for research, community programs, and multiple fundraising campaigns. In his five years at CHLA, he has raised nearly $10 million from private family foundations. he fundraised over $7 million in private and family foundations and federal grants. The funds raised supported the provision of critically needed social service programs and comprehensive healthcare services.
Kamal Baker
Mr. Kamal Baker joins the company as an Intern who is attending El Camino College with a focus on medicine, psychology, and business. He is a graduate of Palos Verdes High School, the former Captain of the soccer team, and the founder of SeaKing Kindness Foundation, a nonprofit entity dedicated to providing goods and services to individuals in need. When not in school or at work, Kamal spends time surfing the California Coast, including Lower Trestles, Manhattan Beach, Huntington Beach, and Carlsbad State Beach.
Alfonso Martin
Alfonso Martin has over a decade of research experience with expert knowledge of data and statistical
systems, and provides technical assistance and support around database development and GIS software.
He offers extensive experience in using both qualitative and quantitative research methods to improve
the effectiveness of service delivery processes and system, and has experience collecting and sharing
data with a wide range of audiences. He also has experience in primary data collection conducting focus
groups, surveys, and interviews for a wide range of topics such as mental health, criminal justice,
housing/homelessness, and youth development. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the
University of California, Berkeley and is a native Spanish speaker.