Agnes Toro, Administrative Program Assistant
Agnes Toro was born in Puerto Rico. She grew up in Hawthorne, California and attended Los Angeles Valley College in Van Nuys, where she received her Associate Degree in Education. Agnes has two children, her daughter Marjorie, age 40, and son Tony, age 39.
Agnes began working at Lake Avenue Community Foundation in September of 2009 for the STARS program and as the Assistant to the Executive Director. Agnes worked 17 years at the UCLA Medical Center in the Operating Room for the Executive Director. She has 25 years experience as an Administrative Assistant and enjoys working with students.
Agnes is a member of the Church of the Nazarene in Pasadena (Paz Naz), and enjoys going to the Bible Study every Wednesday with the Women’s Ministries Christian Organization. Her personal relationship with Jesus Christ began in 2007.
Agnes enjoys cooking her favorite Spanish dishes from Puerto Rico, especially Roast Pork and Empanadas.
agnest@lakeave.org 626-817-4575
Anna Ochoa, STARS Program Manager
The oldest of two, Anna grew up in Cudahy, California, a small city near Huntington Park and Bell. She was raised in a community where gangs prevailed and the education system was very bad. Despite the challenges, Anna graduated from Bell High School in 1992 and then left to Colombia, South America. Anna completed her first three years of college there and then came back to the United States to finish her degree at Cal State Fullerton (go Titans!). Anna received her Bachelor of Arts. in International Business in 1999.
Anna has worked in many different fields from Fashion design to media planning, but never felt fulfilled. She reached out to God to guide her and it was then that He showed her which direction to take.
Anna wanted to work in a place where she could help people and that is when I came to Lake Avenue Community Foundation. She has worked with LACF and the STARS program since December of 2001. She is passionate about her work and strives to empower the youth and their families by showing them God’s love.
Anna has over ten years working in ministry. Prior to STARS, she taught Sunday School for two years and also did ministry work in Colombia going to the poorest towns and teaching the children their letters, numbers, and how to read.
Anna is a newlywed, married to Gerardo (a fireman for LA City) and they are expecting their first child! She loves spending time with her husband and friends. She also enjoys dancing and singing!
Anna plans to become a nurse and do ministry work as a nurse.
annao@lakeave.org 626.817.4593
Beth Winton, Volunteer Coordinator & Mentor Program Assistant
Beth Winton is a native of Southern California. She grew up in Burbank and attended Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, where she received her Bachelors of Science in Engineering in 2006. While in college, she was a part of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which made a significant influence on her faith life and enlarged and enhanced her view of Jesus Christ, especially in regards to seeking justice and serving others.
For two years after college, she worked full time as a civil engineer in Pasadena, and spent her spare time serving with Servant Partners ministries (an organization that emphasizes ministry in low-income urban areas). During this time, she felt a tension between her work and ministry. Beth realized that while working as an engineer was a good living, it was not fulfilling. After seeking God’s guidance, she felt led to leave engineering behind her and pursue a career with non profits and community development organizations.
Beth now works with volunteers, helping them to get plugged into LACF and serve the surrounding community. She loves helping volunteers get involved and be a part of God’s vision for loving our neighbors and serving one another.
Beth is a member of Pasadena Church, swing dances almost every Thursday night at LindyGroove, and is an avid sailboat racer on her Dad’s J120, “Shenanigans.” She loves singing, reading, knitting, skateboarding (long boards), chilling with friends, and drinking coffee. She is also trying to learn the guitar and desperately trying to learn Spanish!
bethw@lakeave.org 626.817.4507
Curt Gibson, Associate Director
Curt Gibson is passionate about helping students. Having been a youth pastor for 15 years in the Nazarene church, over time he became aware of two distinct paths available to students in the Pasadena area. Surprisingly, there are more private schools in Pasadena than public. The private schools are largely filled with students from strong, supportive homes with impressive support systems. The majority of students in the public schools are unfortunately not provided the same opportunities, and many times come from difficult family systems full of obstacles making it difficult for them to become the person God intended them to be. This inequity inspired a career adjustment to this newly created position. Curt is Director of Neighborhood Student Mentoring which provides a venue to meet with community leaders, Pasadena school officials, other area non-profit organizations and area pastors who share his passion and have the resources to pave the way for change and work together as a community to develop indigenous leaders form the Pasadena Unified School District.
Curt has moonlighted doing some writing, evaluating and brainstorming for various organizations including Youth Specialties, Urban Youth Workers Institute and WordAction, a curriculum origination that supplies The Salvation Army, Church of the Nazarene, Wesleyans, Evangelical Friends, Free Methodists, and Evangelical United Methodists.
If Curt is not at work you will probably find him Building something in his woodshop, fly fishing in the local mountains, or snow boarding in the winter months.
Curt studied Outdoor Christian Ministries and Youth Ministry at Rockmont College in Lakewood, Colorado. He and his wife Kathy, (a Realtor) have resided in the Pasadena area since 1989.
curtg@lakeave.org 626.817.4590
Eric Johnson, STARS Program Manager
Born and raised in Southern California, Eric is a product of Pasadena having attended Audubon and Loma Alta Elementary Schools, McKinley Junior High, Blair High School and Pasadena City College where he studied Business Administration. He then worked for 10 years as an accountant with various companies around Pasadena including 6 years at JPL.
But Eric’s heart has always been youth ministry, having served as a youth director/pastor in Pasadena for 32 years in Baptist and Full Gospel churches. “Pastors and mentors reached out to me as a teenager dealing with abuse and molestation. They gave me hope and let me see my God-given value. Ever since then my passion was to give that same hope to others.” As a result, he has shepherded thriving Christian Clubs at Muir, Blair and PHS, created a foundation to foster academic achievement in at-risk youth, coordinated and instructed CAHSEE and Life Skills programs at Pasadena City College and is currently serving a 15-month training cohort with the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative.
When he’s not out saving the world, Eric is writing scripts for film, TV, animation and comics with his partners in their trans-media company, Pitch Block. “I love storytelling!! I love how this medium can impact people in a way that no pulpit can. I have no doubt that if Jesus was walking the Earth today, his parables would have been films and TV!”
Eric loves to cook, which is why there is always a home-cooked meal at the home church he and his wife, Ana Maria pastor. They live in Pasadena with their daughter, Daniella (19) and Oreo the cat.
ericj@lakeave.org 626.817.4535
Greg Helton, Development Director
Most recently as Vice President the past 18 years with Grizzard Communications Group, Inc. in Glendale, he was responsible for strategic fundraising development programs in the past for the American Red Cross, Community Food Banks, Habitat for Humanity Affiliates, City of Hope, The Salvation Army and YMCAs nationally to name a few.
With over 24 years in Fundraising, Greg’s nonprofit experience includes: Board Development, Major Donor Clubs, Direct Mail, Print Media, Telemarketing, Radio, Television, Public Relations, Web On-Line Marketing Programs, Major Gift Development and Planned Giving Programs.
He routinely conducts workshops on all aspects of Development Programs and enjoys the challenge of helping non-profits identify their weaknesses in order to create a more comprehensive Development Program that will raise more net income and increase brand awareness.
Greg currently lives in La Verne with his wife Sandy and their two adult children. He serves on the Board of Directors for two nonprofit organizations Christian Missionary Fund International and Music4Hunger and is a member of the Greater Los Angeles Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and Direct Marketing Association.
gregh@lakeave.org 626.817.4508
Jane Podrebarac, Mentor Coach
Jane Podrebarac has been serving as a volunteer with the Teen MOPS program since 2006 as a mentor, steering team member, and coordinator. Jane’s past experience, also, involves working as a Physical Therapist for special needs children in under-resourced areas of Los Angeles through California Children’s Services and for Adults at Glendale Memorial Hospital. Jane has been involved in mentoring relationships both as a mentor and protégé since college.
Jane was born in Iowa and moved to Northern California as a child. She went to the University of California, Santa Barbara on an academic scholarship and received her BA in Psychology. Jane continued her education and received a Master’s Degree in Physical Therapy from Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona.
Jane and her husband Derek live in Sierra Madre and have been attending Lake Avenue Church since 1998. Jane enjoys playing volleyball, softball, and connecting to people. Jane and Derek have 4 children, with 3 in PUSD schools and 1 still at home.
John Bowlin, Mentor Coach
John Bowlin was born in Vinita, a small rural town in Oklahoma and moved to California in 1972 after serving 4 years in the Air Force. He attended El Camino Junior College where he studied Business Administration. John worked in the Information Technology industry for 29 years, and the last 18 years he was the Operations Manager at the third largest law firm in California. After his career in IT, John worked at Pasadena City College as a College Recruiter for the CAHSEE and Life Skills programs where he recruited students from the Pasadena Unified School District.
John attends Pasadena Church and currently serves as Director of Intercessory Prayer. He lives with his wife Maria in South Pasadena and has been in the area for the past 10 years.
John enjoys spending time with his wife and studying the Word of God. They like to take long drives as a way of relaxing and enjoying each others company. They have four children, Asia, Shana, Mark and Gregory.
Leo Hurtado, Youth Violence Intervention Specialist and Homeless & Day Laborer Program Manager
Leo Hurtado grew up in the tough streets of East Los Angeles. He spent years as a gang member, going in and out of jail. He became involved with drugs early on, and was a slave to an addiction that lasted him more than 30 years.
While in jail, Leo was fed the Word of God through Prison Ministry volunteers. Just before his release, Leo got down on his knees and asked Jesus to come into his heart; Leo’s life was never the same.
Leo asked the Lord for help on where to go when released and received an answer from the Lighthouse Men’s Christian Home; they welcomed him with open arms.
At the Lighthouse, he learned new life skills and how to take responsibility for his actions. He learned to replace his old negative ways with new, positive patterns. Leo met Pastor Andy Bales from Lake Avenue Church and soon joined together with him at the first Super Bowl party for the homeless in 2000. Leo has attended every Sunday Evening Community Dinner and Bible Study ever since.
As the full-time House Manager at the Lighthouse, Leo served LACF by becoming passionately involved with the Prison Ministry, the Friday meals at Villa 500, the Rose Parade Flower Ministry, to name just a few. Leo also became directly involved with numerous programs in the community, such as Rebuilding Together Pasadena, the Pasadena Bad Weather Shelter, and many more. In March 2000, Leo was baptized at Lake Avenue Church, and in 2005 accepted a position as Homeless and Day Laborer Program Manager at LACF. Recently, when Leo was a guest speaker at the Wyoming youth camping trip in summer 2007, Leo felt called by the Lord to work in Youth and Gang Intervention ministries. He is now attending classes to become a Youth Intervention Counselor and will add that to his ministry at LACF.
As a single father raising five kids, Leo understands the challenges of raising young people. In his free time, Leo loves hanging out with his kids.
leoh@lakeave.org 626.817.4892
Linnie Riboli, Administrative Director
Linnie Riboli has been a community activist for more than 25 years, working in fundraising at various non-profits since graduating from Art Center College of Design in 1980. In truth, she was not personally invested until her oldest of three boys came home from elementary school one day with a story of being surrounded by kissing girls. When Linnie questioned him if this was proper behavior, her son responded, “Mom, kissing is all that girls are good for.” After years of family discussions around the dinner table and numerous community volunteering opportunities, Linnie thought her children were free from prejudice and sexism. She wondered how her own boys could be so shortsighted and realized that ignorance can be found anywhere.
Today, Linnie is the Administrative Director at Lake Avenue Community Foundation. Motivated by an inner drive to improve the quality of life for underserved families in our community, she passionately believes that we are all responsible for teaching God’s Kingdom views and values! Linnie practices fundraising with integrity, honestly, truthfulness and adherence to the absolute obligation to safeguard the public trust.
She began at LACF in April 2001 and created many of the policies, procedures and systems that promote the high ethical standards of fundraising and preserve and enhance philanthropy and volunteerism here at the Foundation. Linnie oversees the grant writing, as well as the human resources, accounting and budgeting, facility management, health services and general administrative services.
When Linnie is not holding down the fort at 712 E. Villa, she might be off teaching Karate; she recently received her black belt in Tae Kwon Do. And don’t be too surprised when she roars by on her motorcycle with its custom pipes and bars. Linnie and Jerry, her husband, have been in this community and attending Lake Avenue Church for more than 28 years.
linnier@lakeave.org 626.817.4505
Mayra C. Macedo-Nolan, Associate Director
Born the daughter of an immigrant single mom, Mayra grew up in East Los Angeles public schools in a similar environment to that of Pasadena at-risk youth, bringing a unique understanding of the daily struggles of the children, youth and families of this community.
Understanding the disparity between private and public education in our city and being the product of after-school and mentoring programs herself, Mayra is passionate about the difference positive adult role models can make in the education and life of a young person.
A mother of two teenage girls, Brittany (17) and Whitney (15), and a toddler, Quincy (3) Mayra loves to spend time encouraging, supporting and training mothers in her community to take a more proactive approach and role in the social and educational progress of their families.
As an alumnus of the DeVos Urban Leadership Initiative (www.dvuli.org), Mayra has had extensive training in the areas of organizational and personal leadership, as well as youth and community development. She is currently working on a dual Master of Arts in Global Leadership in the School of Intercultural Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, and MBA in Non-Profit Management through Hope International University.
Mayra is married to Chris, an Ohio native who’s been in the mortgage banking industry for fifteen years. Together they enjoy spending time with friends and family, and traveling with their children. When Mayra is not working or studying you can find her playing with Quincy, going shopping with or being taxi-mom for Britt and Whit’s full social lives or catching a movie at a local theatre with Chris (and sometimes a dozen or so kids). Mayra and her family live and serve in the local community of Northwest Pasadena.
mayran@lakeave.org 626.817.4592
Nancy Stiles, Mentor Coach
Nancy Stiles is a mentor coach and the liaison to Teen MOPS, which supports and mentors teen moms in the immediate neighborhood of Lake Avenue Church. Before becoming a LACF staff member, Nancy served as the coordinator of the Teen MOPS program for four years. Nancy’s experience also includes being a middle school and community college math instructor, working in children’s ministry for 10 + years, and involvement in various volunteer capacities with PUSD.
Nancy grew up in the Pasadena area and graduated from UCSD with a degree in math. She also has a master’s degree in math from UCLA-go Bruins! Nancy and her husband Adam live in Pasadena with their three children. She loves to go trail running, cook (and eat!), hang out with her family and cheer on her children’s many sports teams.
Steven Escobosa, Accounting & Payroll Coordinator
As the part-time Accounting and Payroll Coordinator for the Foundation, Steven Escobosa provides vital administrative support for the organization. Steven loves his position because he can use and share his passion for system organization and his skills with mathematical procedures. He currently attends Pasadena City College studying towards a degree in Accounting and/or Finance to fully realize his ideal of becoming a financial officer. Tied into this, he is also an employee of the Lake Avenue Church finance department, gaining additional experience towards that ideal.
As a Christian, Steven was baptized in 2004 at the age of 18 confirming his desire to learn more of “all this Jesus stuff.” He is mesmerized by the Gospel message and continues to learn more of Christ and follows his will to the best of his ability. One day he hopes to fully integrate that faith into his life, working for whatever God has prescribed him to do.
Currently, Steven doesn’t have much spare time with his two positions, but when he has a moment he loves visiting his family in Victorville as well as in Los Angeles. He has a great love of music and takes music classes at PCC for personal enrichment.
stevene@lakeave.org 626.817.4812
T.J. Felke, STARS Program Assistant
T.J. is originally from Phoenix, AZ, but is beginning to learn to call SoCal home. He has worked with youth in a variety of contexts, including Young Life and within his church back in AZ. He loves getting to be a part of helping students grow spiritually, succeed academically, and mature personally here at the Foundation.
After graduating from Arizona State in 2006 with a degree in history, T.J. was considering pursuing a job teaching college history, but after reflecting on his involvement in ministry during high school and college decided to pursue a Masters in Divinity from Fuller Seminary, which he will finish in mid 2010.
T.J. works in the Middle and High School division of STARS, and is always excited about the opportunity to combine his experience as a Tutor in the Pasadena area with an opportunity to be a positive spiritual influence in the life of the students. He knows how meaningful it was in his own life to have relationships with adults other than with his parents as he was growing up, and so he hopes that he can be one of those relationships in the lives of the kids.
When not tutoring, studying, or involved at the Foundation, T.J. likes to unwind by watching movies or hanging out with friends, cooking (and eating!) good food, reading, and playing nerdy strategy games on his computer.
Tonie Neuwirth, Data Systems Coordinator
Tonie volunteers as Data Coordinator. She is retired and came to volunteer in the Foundation office during the start up of the Ministry Campaign several years ago, then stayed on to help. As the Data Coordinator, her duties include processing donations received from our generous donors. She is continually blessed by the support of donors - large and small.
You can find her on Thursday mornings in Morning Break (a women’s Bible Study) as a co-Leader of Table 4 and you might also see her in a Lake Avenue Membership Class as a Table Host or in other in areas where she volunteers.
She is married to Tom. Her interests include gardening, and Japanese flower arranging (Ikebana - the Ohara School). Friday mornings are reserved for Ikebana class at the Arboretum. The Foundation is truly blessed by Tonie’s regular gifts of flowers, her creativity, her Godly wisdom and her extraordinary commitment to serve..
tonien@lakeave.org 626.817.4506
