Laura is happy to be part of the team at North Marin Community Services. She is a Bay Area native, raised in Petaluma. She is a graduate of Santa Rosa Junior College and UC Berkeley, where she majored in Social Welfare. After working as an IT consultant for bay area non-profits, she spent several years as a data analyst at Santa Rosa Junior College, and joined the North Marin Community Services team in March of 2022. In her spare time, Laura hangs out with her cat Andromeda, reads everything under the sun, and devotes endless hours to solving puzzles.

Emily Bugos is a long-time member of the Novato community and has dedicated her career to the Child Development industry. She obtained a Master of Arts in Education with a concentration in Early Childhood Education in December 2020 from San Francisco State University. Prior to this, she earned a Bachelor of Science in Health Education with a focus on community-based public health. Emily has worked within SFSU as a Head Teacher with Associated Students Early Childhood Education Center serving children 0-5 years, and as an Elementary Education Dept Teaching Assistant (she will also be a lecturer there this fall). She has experience working with children and families from diverse backgrounds, and has worked at various childcare centers including Bright Horizons at Letterman Digital Arts Childcare Center. She holds a Site Supervisor Permit and has familiarity working with CA State licensing requirements (Title XXII) and CA Dept of Education (Title V) regulations. Emily is a Program for Infant Toddler Care (PITC) Certified Trainer, consults for Early Care Educators of San Francisco, and has presented at various conferences. Emily progressed through the NUSD public school system, from kindergarten through high school, and is an alumna of the Novato Youth Center afterschool program. Working with children and families has always been a passion for Emily, who believes that these relationships are at the heart of the work that we do. She is delighted to be welcomed to the NMCS team and to become part of such a strong community of people working to offer high quality programs. In her personal time, Emily enjoys reading, indoor cycling and hiking with her dog.

Charlotte has been working within Marin County’s safety net and continuum care for the last 10 years. Prior to becoming the Director of Case Management and Housing at NMCS, her most recent position was the Director of Resolution Programs and Housing at St. Vincent de Paul Society of Marin, where she worked since 2017. Charlotte helped create the County’s first Homeless Outreach Team and Whole Person Care Program, which were both the foundations of Coordinated Entry. Charlotte is an experienced case manager and has extensive knowledge about assisting vulnerable populations, County specific resources, affordable housing, and working with County contracts.

Born and raised in Oakland California, Charlotte graduated from Mills College in 2009 with a Bachelors in Research Psychology. She is a passionate advocate and lives in Sonoma County with her husband and two little boys, Hunter and Wyatt. She is especially interested in wild mushroom foraging with her family and cooking.

"I am devoted to providing dignity to all people.”  - Charlotte

Christina Hetzer (she/her) completed six years of a Ph.D. program in Clinical Psychology at Palo Alto University with an emphasis in LGBTQ+ Psychology. She has experience working with marginalized and underserved adults and children in various settings including community mental health, residential, shelters for the unhoused, and the juvenile justice system. She has a background in case management, triage and crisis response, and psychological assessment and evaluation. She stepped away from the program in 2017, after obtaining a master’s degree, to explore other career opportunities in the field while focusing on her other dream of starting a family. Without hesitation, she took the first opportunity that presented – school-based prevention and early intervention – and has grown in this position, working out in Shoreline Unified ever since. Through the Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) grant-funded position, Christina has provided individual and group counseling for students (K-12) and has supported training/education and outreach for students, staff, and parents/caregivers in various areas including social-emotional learning, restorative practices, trauma-informed care, suicide prevention, substance abuse, and social media safety. Her background in Animal-Assisted Therapy has been welcomed in Shoreline and she hopes to continue serving the community with a four-legged friend at her side. More recently Christina’s role has shifted to a focus on program development and coordination of services to enhance school climate/culture and improve access to care.

Christina takes great pride in the collaborative relationships she’s built with community partners and colleagues throughout Marin County and the more intimate relationships she’s built with students, staff, and families within Shoreline. It is through these connections she feels rooted in the community in which she serves.

Christina lives in Sonoma County with her spouse and two children. She enjoys spending time outdoors, working in the garden, hiking, biking, and going on adventures with her family.

Donnell is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with over 14 years of experience working with adults and children experiencing severe and persistent mental illness and trauma. Donnell has worked extensively in both the for-profit and non-profit business sectors and was the owner/operator of her own bookkeeping business for many years.  Donnell enjoys working in a setting where she can utilize both her knowledge and skills of program planning and administration and her skills of therapy.

Donnell earned her M.A. degree in Counseling Psychology from Sonoma State University. Prior to becoming a therapist, Donnell pursued a teaching credential and has been certified as an Instructor of Trainers by Girl Scouts U.S.A.  and has developed and led many staff and agency trainings. She has created and implemented multiple mental health rehabilitation programs and effectively managed budgets exceeding $2 million. Her latest endeavor was to research, select and help implement therapeutic social and emotional learning curriculum for the YWCA’s preschool program.  Donnell is trained in multiple therapy modalities including wraparound, cognitive behavioral therapy, Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, Dialectical Behavioral Therapies (DBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and is certified by Boston University's Center for psychiatric rehabilitation in psycho-social rehabilitation and Hazelden's Co-Occurring Disorders program.

Donnell and her husband enjoy farm life where they have two large fluffy cats, dogs, mules and chickens and love to spend time taking daytrips to local or nearby points of interest whenever they can. Donnell loves to organize and plan events and to use any other spare time for sewing, quilting and crafting.

Maria worked for the County of Marin- Behavioral Health and Recovery Services as the Outreach and Engagement Coordinator and helped support their efforts to reduce ethnic and racial disparities by investing more resources, training, and support for Community Health Advocate and Promotores programs in underserved communities (including Latine individuals, mono-lingual Asian populations, and individuals living in Marin City), and increasing coordination and cultivating relationships with grassroots, faith-based, and other community providers and partners. In this role, she fostered strong relationships with key community partners, led Mental Health First Aid trainings, Family Support Groups, and Parenting Classes. She was previously a therapist at an inpatient facility providing services for people with dual diagnoses and has trained and worked in a variety of clinical settings and provided psychotherapy to adults, adolescents, children, couples, and families, with a focus on addressing the needs and disparities in the immigrant Latine population and LGBTQ+ communities.

Alaine Kalder joined NMCS as the organization’s first HR Generalist in February 2020 and was promoted to HR Manager in October 2021. Prior to NMCS, Alaine worked in Human Resources at VIP Petcare, with a focus on recruiting, talent management, and employee relations. She holds two Bachelor of Arts degrees (Psychology and Gender and Women's Studies) from the University of Illinois, Chicago, a PHRca certification, and a Human Resource Management Certificate from Sonoma State University.

Alaine is a member of NMCS's Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee, Business Impact Team, and Compliance Team. She enjoys sharing her love of the HR field with her colleagues and supporting employees and volunteers across the organization.

Michelle Keane began her journey at North Marin Community Services (then the Novato Youth Center) in December of 1998.  She began as the After School Kindergarten Aide, and since then has taken on a variety of classroom roles in all Early Childhood Education (ECE) programs - from the infant room to preschool.  In 2017 she became the Preschool Head Teacher and focused on providing quality care, and an enriching, developmentally appropriate environment for the children in her care.  In 2020, she was promoted to ECE Assistant Manager, where she splits her time between the classroom and providing more focused support to the ECE Program.  She also runs the Developmental Playgroup Program, offering support to families that don’t have access to affordable and high-quality preschool. Michelle holds an AA degree in Early Childhood Development from Santa Rosa Junior College.

Liliana comes to North Marin Community Services with experience in the non-profit sector working with Big Brothers Big Sisters of the North Bay, followed by transitioning into a Staffing Consultant role with AppleOne Employment Agency and experience within Administrative Support. Serving in an array of roles from intake, case management, recruitment, administrative and management, Liliana has been a strong support for the community and organizations.

Graduating from Sonoma State University in 2008 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology, Liliana knew her future roles would involve directly working with the community. Returning to an organization which directly supports youth, adults and families has been a place where she feels most comfortable and passionate. Now, as a mother of 3 young school aged children, Liliana sees the importance of community support for all.

Isaura has been with our organization for more than 20 years and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work. She has been working for several years with our Amigos program and for many years with the Thriving Families program, assisting some of our most vulnerable families to strengthen relationships, reduce barriers to care, connect them with critical resources and participate in wraparound team meetings. Her support and effective case management have allowed many families in Marin to overcome personal crisis and family emergencies. These interventions have created family stability reducing the likelihood of child abuse.

While her days are filled with difficult stories of challenging circumstances, Isaura receives each family with an open-heart and her full attention, treating each family or individual with the utmost dignity, compassion and respect.

Isaura has also done contract work for Children & Family Services and in 2015 became certified as a Visitation Supervisor through Marin County’s Superior Court. Isaura received the North Bay Business Journal’s 2022 Latino Business Leadership Award. She lives with her husband and son in Novato.

Paul was born and raised in Novato attending local schools and has distinct memories of meeting his friends at what was then known as the Novato Boys Club. Paul graduated from Marin Catholic High School and received a Bachelor of the Arts from the University of Chicago.  After several years in the outdoor recreation industry, Paul returned to the Bay Area and began a career focused on helping others through non-profits.  Over the last 15 years he has held multiple leadership positions at the Alameda Food Bank and Hand in Hand Parenting, with an emphasis on operations and finance including time as Executive Director at both organizations.  Paul has a record of building capacity and creating programs that improve the client experience while protecting the bottom line. When not working Paul enjoys exploring the outdoors with his three children, preferably on bicycles.

Amy was raised in North Carolina and attended Smith College in Massachusetts, where she studied English and Environmental Science & Policy. After graduating, her passion for protecting the environment and connecting with people led her to work in environmental education. In 2018, Amy transitioned into communications, managing marketing and increasing fundraising at a nonprofit camp and conference center. She joined North Marin Community Services as part of the Development Team in 2021. Amy holds a Professional Certificate in Fundraising through UC Berkeley Extension and is a graduate of Leadership Novato. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, camping, reading, and gardening.

Heather comes to North Marin Community Services with a background in program evaluation and social science research. With over 10 years of experience in the field of data collection, reporting, and outcomes monitoring, Heather enjoys working "behind the scenes" of a mission-centered organization to streamline their data collection processes and systems to align with the organization's mission and values, priority program areas, and frontline staff's day-to-day workflow. She is excited to work at North Marin Community Services because she sees how the breadth of services the organization provides--from access to affordable childcare, to case management with linkage to resources and referrals in the community, to offering mental health services - demonstrates the kind of comprehensive approach that is needed to move the needle on poverty.

Most recently, Heather held the position of Data Program Manager at Food for Thought, a medically tailored food bank in Sonoma County. Before then, Heather spent nearly ten years in the Evaluation and Learning Department at First Place for Youth, a provider of intensive case management and housing services to young adults aging out of the foster care system.

Heather has a bachelor's degree in psychology and English from University of the Pacific, and a master’s degree in education from UC Davis. She lives in Rohnert Park with her husband and her two children. Outside of work, she likes to read, drink craft beers, and throw pottery.

Jim Correa joined the NMCS Board of Directors in 2017. “Being part of the North Marin Community Services board of directors for the past six years has been one of the highlights of my career. I am honored and privileged to serve the NMCS staff and clients as the Board President for the upcoming year and contributing to continue making NMCS the best organization,” he shared.

Captain Jim Correa was raised in San Rafael after moving to California from New York City at the age of two. He began his policing career at the San Rafael Police Department in 1997. At the San Rafael PD, Jim worked as a field training officer, street crimes unit officer, detective, corporal, sergeant, and lieutenant. In May of 2017, Jim was hired as a captain for the Novato Police Department. He is most proud of his work associated with community engagement, gang prevention, and domestic violence and child related investigations.

Jim, who is bilingual in English and Spanish, lives in Novato with his wife and two children. He has strong connections within our communities, church, schools, and youth sports. Jim is a board member for the North Marin Community Services, serving as the board president. He has previously served as the chairperson for the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. He also served on the Not in Our Town (NIOT) steering committee. NIOT was an anti-hate and anti-bias partnership with several community-based organizations, including the Novato Unified School District and North Marin Community Services. Jim also enjoys coaching youth baseball and is a member of the little league board of directors.

Jim holds a master’s degree in public administration from Golden Gate University and a bachelor’s degree in public administration from the University of San Francisco. He is a graduate of the Sherman Block Supervisory Leadership Institute, Claremont Graduate University Executive Leadership Institute/ Drucker School of Management, California Chiefs of Police Association Executive Development course, as well as the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Jim completed the Leadership Novato- Novato Chamber of Commerce Leadership course in 2023.

Captain Correa is proud to serve the Novato Police Department and honored to help lead the department and volunteer in the community where he lives and is raising his family.

“I’m truly honored to serve on the NMCS Board of Directors, a responsibility I take very seriously. Working to support our participants and staff is one of the highlights of my policing career.”

"NMCS was instrumental in seeing me through a rough patch of my life and after getting back on my feet, it was an easy decision to give back in service and support to an organization so near and dear to my heart."

“A TFI client's joyful tears, a Food Pantry client's friendly smile, so precious.”

“I choose to serve on the board because I believe in NMCS’s mission of ensuring opportunities for all. NMCS is a strong advocate for change and equality, and their work ensures the underserved are heard, seen, and have access to the much-needed safety net services that help families, youth and adults thrive. I am honored to be part of their community.”

Tony Clark is a Bay Area native and a Novato resident for almost 8 years. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree in both Finance and International Business from California State University at Long Beach and an Accounting Certificate through the UCLA Extension. He is a former finance manager for the City of Novato, and currently works as the Finance Director for Marin Community College District at the Indian Valley Campus. Working in accounting and finance for over 20 years, he believes the numbers tell a story. He has found that the more skilled staff are at interpreting this story, the more effective they can become in allocating their financial and intellectual resources. Tony has also participated on the NMCS Finance Committee for one year, and in the new capacity of Board Member, is excited to help provide policy and operational guidance to the NMCS Team, as well share their story to others so they can continue to provide invaluable services and support to the Novato community.

“Helping to foster positive change in our community.”

“The desire to be a part of North Marin Community Services centers on my belief that people matter, as individuals, as family members, as community members.  And yet, our social justice system and our safety net for those who are impoverished (and/or disabled, from diverse communities, legal and illegal immigrants and so on) are both profoundly unjust and demonstrably unequal. I personally do not know how to take steps to correct such wide scale injustice or to patch the basic safety net – and yet, serving on the Board of NMCS is one way that I can help course correct. Working with like-minded fellow board members and staff, gives me the satisfaction that at least in this corner of the US, our community members receive needed, essential services timely and effectively, while treating the recipients with dignity and respect.”

Ericka is on a lifelong mission to advance racial, economic, and gender equity through inclusive community development and education. For the past three years, she has been a member of the dynamic Low Income Investment Fund (LIIF) team, where her work has revolved around early care and education policy, DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) initiatives, and administration. She is also pursuing her Doctoral degree in Educational Leadership at the San Francisco State University Graduate School of Education, researching the experience of Latina early childhood educators with transformative grassroots leadership development as union members in California. Ericka's rich Latin cultural heritage inspires her commitment to inclusivity, diversity, innovation, and joy. She lives in Novato with her husband and daughter and enjoys attending community events and hiking.

"Having worked with NMCS as a partner for many years and personally benefiting from their invaluable services, such as child care, I feel a deep connection and commitment to the organization's mission. Serving as a Board member is a chance to give back and contribute to an organization that has supported me and many others in meaningful ways. I look forward to collaborating with fellow board members and stakeholders to sustain, enhance, and expand our services, ensuring that NMCS continues to meet the needs of our community and exceed expectations."

Throughout her life, Gina Fromer has devoted her career, energy and talent to serving the needs of families in San Francisco and communities across California. Dr. Fromer became President and CEO of GLIDE in October 2023.

In April 2019, following more than four decades of leadership in youth and family services and education programs—including in some of San Francisco’s most underserved neighborhoods—Gina joined Children’s Council of San Francisco as Chief Executive Officer. In 2023, her title was elevated to President & Chief Executive Officer. Gina managed a staff of 140+ and oversaw Children’s Council’s $236 million budget to support San Francisco children, families and early educators. She led the organization’s partnership with the San Francisco Department of Early Childhood, as well as a host of other city and state agencies and organizations. Gina believes that quality childcare and early education is a basic human right.

Raised in San Francisco’s Bayview-Hunters Point neighborhood, Gina began community service in her teens as a counselor for Young Community Developers, which provides support and training for young adults.

She began her career at Head Start, then rose through the ranks of the San Francisco YMCA to become District Vice President, overseeing three YMCA branches serving 15,000 families. She raised over $8.5 million for the Bayview YMCA capital campaign to complete the building of the Bayview Hunters Point YMCA.

Prior to her roles at GLIDE and Children's Council, Fromer was CEO of the San Francisco Education Fund, where she directed community volunteer programs, educator grants and student scholarships designed to help public school students succeed. Prior to that, Gina served as the California State Director at The Trust for Public Land, where she created new parks in park-poor neighborhoods in Los Angeles and San Francisco, while protecting landscapes across the state.

Gina has a wealth of leadership experience and deep connections to a vast array of communities across the state. Having advocated on behalf of families and children her entire life, she says, “It is all about empowering people to advocate for themselves, to create the social justice and social change needed to change the world.”

“I joined the North Marin Community Services Board of Directors because I believe in the power of collective action and the impact of positive change within our community. I connect and believe in NMCS’s mission, and when I was a youth, the organization helped support my family when we were in need. My mother gave back to NMCS in the Novato Human Needs Center years through service on the board. And, for me, by being part of this dedicated team, I can give back by contributing my skills and knowledge toward creating a lasting impact on the lives of individuals and families in need. Together, we can create lasting change, inspire hope, and empower individuals and families to thrive. Serving on this board allows me to shape a brighter future for our community, where everyone can access essential resources, support, and opportunities.”

“I am honored to be a member of the North Marin Community Services board, because the organization helps its participants live up to their potential while being treated with dignity and compassion."

“I am honored to serve on the board of North Marin Community Services, which mission closely aligns with my values. This dynamic team solves complex challenges for our neighbors, making sure there is opportunity for all in our diverse community.”

“I chose to serve on NMCS Board because I believe in the Mission: To empower youth, adults and families in our diverse community to achieve well-being, growth and success.”

“Deciding to serve on the NMCS Board was not a difficult decision for me. Not only did I want to share my time and energy serving the less fortunate in my wonderful hometown community of Novato, but I also wanted to carry on in my mother's footsteps. My mother, Annette K. Smail, was one of the founding forces in the formation of the Novato Human Needs Center 50 years ago and also served on the Board!”