OUR TEAM

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Regina was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area and can’t imagine living anywhere else. Growing up in the liberal melting pot that is the Bay, Regina had an inclination toward social and racial justice at an early age, attending rallies and protests as young as 7 years old. She went to CSU Monterey Bay where she got her B.A. in Social and Behavioral Sciences. After spending several soul crushing years in the corporate world, Regina found Summer Search and was inspired by the mission of empowering young people to thrive through meaningful mentorships and experiences.  Now as the Talent Manager, she loves enabling people to join in on that mission.

In her free time, she loves reading, karaoke, live music, tending to her dozens of plants and being the fun auntie.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Alexandra believes every person has an equal right to an affordable education. Her passion for educational equity stems from a desire to do justice to her parents’ example and sacrifice. Alexandra sees the best in others: their humanity, beauty, talents and courage. It’s her aim to help others notice, develop and unleash their gifts to impact Summer Search’s mission. Alexandra started serving others when she was a brace-faced, bi-focal wearing 14-year-old. She has been an AmeriCorps volunteer, secretary of a Board of Directors for an organization serving survivors of domestic violence, and a staff aid to a Member of Congress. For the past six years, she’s been a Big Sister to young man named David.

Alexandra graduated summa cum laude from The Ohio State University. She’s currently pursuing a Masters in Public Administration. She considers herself lucky to live in Santa Rosa, California with her husband Billy and their two-year-old Catahoula, Hooly.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Sherri comes with over 10 years of experience in college access programming and learning and evaluation. Sherri grew up in rural parts of North Carolina where she had opportunities to participate in summer enrichment activities where she explored STEM interests and built social capital. As an undergraduate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, she was actively involved in recruitment initiatives that increased opportunity and access for students of color. After earning her BA in Psychology, Sherri joined Teach for America where she was able to teach high school science for two years in Charlotte, NC. Upon completion of TFA, Sherri went to Washington University in St. Louis where she competed her MSW concentrating on Social and Economic Development.

As a professional, Sherri has dedicated her work and study to the intersection of education, policy, and social welfare. She is passionate about education equity for under-resourced populations and using data to inform services. Sherri joins us from Pivotal Connections (aka Pivotal), a non-profit supporting education and employment for current and former foster youth in Silicon Valley, where she most recently served as their Director of Learning and Evaluation. During her 13 years at Pivotal, Sherri helped the organization develop comprehensive higher education support services that included academic coaching, scholarships, and tutoring and established their Learning and Evaluation department.

On a personal note, Sherri enjoys binge-watching all the things that encompass genres of comedy, science fiction, action, adventure, and crime fiction, and if something combines all five, it’s a winner in her book! She has found that living within 1-2 hours drive time from a beach is imperative to her inner peace, as are YouTube videos of puppies.

Sharonda has a background in Youth Development and Program management and evaluation. She is originally from Texas and spent 7 years in Chicago finishing up her bachelors and earning her Masters in Educational Psychology.

Sharonda is passionate about creating and managing spaces that allows marginalized youth to thrive and explore the world through safe risk taking. She is most at ease when working within a passionate team of collaborators and creatives. She enjoys being in nature and exploring who she is with books, music, and food.

Pronouns: He/They.

Julius is passionate about mission-driven work that creates lasting impact in Black and Brown communities faced with the effects of historical exclusion and marginalization. After several years touring internationally as an active-duty musician with the United States Navy, Julius received an honorable discharge and utilized the Post 9/11 GI Bill to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Behavior & Change at New York University. Julius has worked in Talent Acquisition across various industries including college access nonprofit, higher education and digital marketing. As the Recruitment & Operations Specialist for College Possible Philadelphia, he developed his passion for youth development nonprofit work. Building relationships and connecting highly qualified mission-driven professionals to career opportunities at Summer Search is what Julius finds most exciting about his work.

In their free time, Julius can be found singing in jazz jam sessions across the Philly area, practicing Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction meditation techniques, and traveling with his partner, Kristin.

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Emily brings decades of work in experiential education and a passion for social justice to her work at Summer Search. She began her relationship with Summer Search while working for Outward Bound, where she had the opportunity to instruct several Summer Searchers on Minnesota Boundary Waters canoeing courses. She went on to become a mentor in Boston for several years and coordinated the local Summer Experiences programming for the site. After leaving to work in study abroad and attain her master’s degree in Social Change, Emily returned to join Summer Search’s National Program Team in identifying/improving/implementing systems to support local sites to best serve students.

Based in Portland, Maine, Emily loves to quilt, read, and get out in nature as much as possible with her partner and young son.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Erica believes that all youth are entitled to quality education and personal development opportunities. Her belief in creating equity for the leaders of tomorrow led her to Summer Search.

Erica brings four years of experience at Bay Area non-profits serving local youth. She first worked at Seneca Center as a mental health counselor for foster kids of all ages. She then moved from direct care to support staff, and joined HR/Talent team at Reading Partners, a national literacy program. Joining the Talent Team at Summer Search, Erica works to attract and retain the excellent talent through talent acquisition, onboarding, training, and more. She is proud to act as a resource and partner for staff throughout the organization.

When she is not working, you can find Erica spending time in the great outdoors hiking, camping, and discovering the best hidden swimming holes in California. She also travels frequently to Chile to visit her in-laws.

Erica obtained her Bachelors of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Hispanic Studies from Oberlin College. She lives in Oakland, California with her husband and their scruffy terrier.

Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Brendan believes that every young person, regardless of where they come from, should be able to pursue their dreams. He is grateful to bring his creativity and passion to help promote Summer Search’s mission and to lift up the many incredible stories of Summer Search’s participants and their families.

Brendan’s passion for education comes in part from his own college experience at the University of Miami. Go Canes! He developed an enthusiasm for summer educational programs in high school after spending four weeks away from home studying ancient Greek culture and literature. To this day, Brendan says that this summer program was one of the most enriching and inspiring experiences of his life.

Brendan also loves to explore the world. He has lived and studied in New England, South Florida, “Old” England, and Northern California. He has backpacked through Australia and most of Western Europe, including Greece, of course. In his free time, Brendan enjoys playing basketball, watching English soccer, and writing/performing comedic hip hop songs.

Most of all, he loves (in partnership with his wonderful wife) playing with his baby daughter, Marlow.

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Bekah strongly believes in the power of opportunity and access to experiences and education that allow young people to imagine possibilities beyond those they see in their day to day lives. This belief drew her to Summer Search. Bekah started her career as a Sign Language Interpreter before pivoting to working in nonprofit spaces. She brings over 10 years of experience working in database and systems management at various nonprofit and educational organizations and is thrilled to use her skill set supporting the mission at Summer Search.

When she’s not working, you can find Bekah watching boxing, trying to sneak away to a boxing gym for a workout, trying out new sewing projects or attempting to entertain her energetic toddler through bike rides and trips to the library. She lives in El Cerrito, CA with her husband, 2 kids, and FMD dog Chica.

Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Seth is passionate about serving youth, building community, and developing a culture of philanthropy among young people. All of these have come together in his work at Summer Search.

Seth is the chief evangelist for engaging alumni in every facet of our work: as volunteers, as staff members, as donors, and as cheerleaders in their communities. In representing and engaging the voices from the most permanent stakeholders in the Summer Search community, Seth deepens the relationship between Summer Search and nearly 2,500 alumni.

Seth comes to Summer Search with more than six years of experience in alumni relations and development, most recently at his alma mater, UC San Diego.

Seth has volunteered for a number of organizations such as the New Leaders Council, the San Diego LGBT Community Center, the Trevor Project, and I’m From Driftwood.

In his free time, Seth loves to cook, practice yoga, sail the waters of San Francisco and San Diego, explore the beauty of San Francisco, and travel to exotic places near and far with his husband, Jared.

Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Lance Edward Jones has spent his post-secondary career propagating equity in areas of opportunity. Whether tunneled whispers beneath Capitol Hill or shouts amidst the tumult of a Moroccan souk, Lance facilitates conversation and mutual understanding. He believes that unquenchable passion must be met with innovative, insightful action.

Lance enjoys motorcycles, sailing, a rising pulse, and nuance. His Boykin Spaniel, Kobe Bean Jones, pervades both consternation and respite.

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Kara is motivated to work in service of young people in order to ensure they have equitable access to the opportunities necessary to achieve their personal and professional goals. Kara brings to Summer Search more than six years’ experience supporting nonprofits in fine arts, filmmaking, and education. Most recently, she served as the Associate Director of Institutional Giving at the Center for Youth Wellness, where she leveraged the philanthropy of foundations and corporations to support the advancement of the medical community and broader public in recognizing the effects of exposure to adversity on children’s health.

Kara holds two B.As in Film Studies and Public Relations from Loyola University Chicago and serves on the board of The Women’s Building in San Francisco. She hails from Cincinnati, Ohio, and when not at work, enjoys cooking, traveling, karaoke-ing, and going to the movies.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Shelby grew up in a household that fostered a passion for politics and social awareness. This interest, strengthened by working with youth during her high school and college years, led her to develop a strong belief in education and social justice. Prior to moving to San Francisco in 2008 to join the Summer Search National team, Shelby spent six years at the Western Divisional Headquarters of The Salvation Army in Omaha, Nebraska. It was here that she first worked in development and began her career in data management.

In her role as the Senior Development Database Administrator, Shelby leads the overarching strategy and optimization of Summer Search’s development data. She supports all development staff to increasingly leverage the database to improve fundraising strategy and donor stewardship.

In 2013, Shelby was among the very first users to become Blackbaud Certified in The Raiser’s Edge (bCRE) and now holds a Professional level certification.

Shelby is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, where she majored in English with minors in Biology, History and Political Science. She also holds an A.A. in Web Support Technology. Outside of the office, she can often be found cheering for Nebraska football (Go Huskers!), experimenting with vegan cooking, enjoying all of San Francisco’s best concert venues, or exploring Golden Gate Park with her bull terrier, Penny.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Christina is a first-generation college graduate whose parents instilled in her a strong belief in the power of education. Her passion for driving social change by addressing systemic inequities has taken her from her home state of Arizona to Washington, D.C., Sweden, and finally New York, where she now calls home.

Christina brings to Summer Search several years of experience supporting and being a thought leader to executive leadership and boards of directors. Prior to Summer Search, she was a part of the development team at Partnership with Children where she led strategic year-end giving campaigns, managed fundraising and cultivation events, and served as the liaison to the board of directors. She also worked with international healthcare think tank, ACCESS Health International to support the creation of organization-wide policies and procedures.

Christina holds a Master’s in Public Administration (MPA) from the University of Arizona (beardown!). She capped her graduate studies with the opportunity to study alongside students from all over the world and specialized her MPA in international health policy at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm. In her spare time, Christina enjoys training for her next race, weekend walks to the farmer’s market with her boyfriend and their pup, Pretzel, and planning the next Catan night/adventure with her loved ones.

Pronouns: He/Him/His.

Chris is a firm believer in the power of community to drive social change.

A Utah native, Chris studied Spanish at Kenyon College before moving to Washington, DC. During his time in DC, he worked at the Latin American Youth Center, volunteered at local nonprofits, and pursued an MFA in poetry at the University of Maryland. In 2016 Chris moved to the Bay Area and worked at a bookstore and a nonprofit magazine before joining the Summer Search team. As a Development Operations Associate at Summer Search, Chris combines his commitment to social justice with his operations experience and, with the rest of the Dev Ops team, ensures that gift data is accurate and up-to-date.

In his spare time, Chris goes to drag shows, makes ice cream, and is a co-publisher of speCt, a small poetry press based in Oakland.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

After years of working with youth in the outdoor education space, Lindsey Roark Yee realized she wanted to make a bigger difference in the lives of young people and Summer Search’s comprehensive program with Depth Mentoring spoke to her.

Lindsey led the North Bay Summer Search program team for five years where she cultivated a spirit of innovation and collaboration before moving to the National Program Team in 2014. For a year and a half Lindsey served as the temporary Regional Program Director while the Bay Area underwent regionalization before coming back to the National Program Team where Lindsey now combines her deep understanding of the Summer Search program model with her management skills in the pursuit of meaningful and high-quality programming for young people.

Lindsey holds a BA in Communication, a Masters in Organization Development, and a National Championship earned while playing collegiate softball for UC Davis. She received the 2013 Summer Search ‘Laugh and Celebrate Success’ award.

Lindsey loves backpacking with her husband, visiting her family in Grass Valley, crunching autumn leaves underfoot, holding a warm mug of tea with both hands, and playing with her two young boys.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers.

Amanda Sayre is committed to addressing the inequalities within our communities and world. In college, she participated in global fieldwork and cultural exchanges in several countries such as Brazil, South Africa, Kenya and China. Amanda assisted local communities address challenges including hunger prevention, family planning and wildlife preservation. These experiences bolstered Amanda’s interest in a career to help others.

Amanda joined Summer Search in 2007 to support organization-wide development efforts. Amanda was our first dedicated development staff member and is the glue of our development teams. Today Amanda is responsible for the behind the scenes fundraising work that advances Summer Search’s long-term development work and overall strategy.

Amanda graduated from The George Washington University in Washington, DC with a BA in Business with a concentration in Marketing. When Amanda isn’t working, you can find her hiking or camping in Southern California, enjoying a meal with family, or reading a book quietly on her balcony.

Pronouns: She/Her/Hers

Sylvia entertained being an Archeologist or Anthropologist studying ancient artifacts and societies in some remote part of the world, but instead has spent the past 20 years working in Accounts Payable at companies like Cost Plus World Market, and Petco Animal Supplies.

Working at Summer Search allows Sylvia to satisfy her desire to give back to her community, and attain personal value through her job. Sylvia is a great team player and works on many project teams.

Sylvia attended San Diego State University and the University of Phoenix in the ongoing pursuit of a BA degree in Accounting.

Along with her husband of 31 years, Sylvia has raised 3 children. When Sylvia is not working, she devotes most of her time with her family. Her passions include reading, watching movies, and planning the next trip to a white sand beach.