St. Joseph Center, one of the largest grassroots organizations in Los Angeles County focused on providing housing, mental health, job training, and other vital services to underserved communities, proudly announced today the appointment of an all-woman executive team. This dynamic team includes esteemed and well-respected executives from the housing, non-profit, and government sectors, with a majority being women of color.
These appointments mark a significant milestone as Dr. Ryan J. Smith completes his first 100 days as CEO at St. Joseph Center this week, underscoring his commitment to effective and inclusive leadership. “We are thrilled to welcome this extraordinary group of leaders to our Executive Team,” said Dr. Smith. “Their extensive experience and deep commitment to social justice and community empowerment perfectly align with the St. Joseph Center mission. Together, we will continue to drive impactful change and support our neighbors in need.”
The new executive team brings a wealth of knowledge and a shared passion for social equity:
● Sharyn Church, Chief Development Officer, brings more than 20 years of invaluable experience in nonprofit, development, and business management, most recently serving as the Managing Director of Arabella Advisors Southern California, a renowned national philanthropic consulting firm.
● Camille Gonzalez, Chief Financial Officer, has over 30 years of expertise in accounting, most recently serving as the CFO at Para Los Niños, providing underserved children with the resources they need.
● Joi Richardson, VP of External Affairs and Communications, brings a wealth of experience in government and external affairs, most recently serving as District Director for former State Senator and current Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager Dove.
● Laurie Craft, Chief Program Officer, is a passionate human services leader who has spent the last 15 years dedicated to ending homelessness in Los Angeles, most recently doing so at Home the Mission, helping expand the organization to over 450 employees.
St. Joseph Center is an inclusive, diverse force for change, working to provide underserved, low-income families, as well as homeless men, women, and children of all ages, with the inner resources and tools to become productive, stable and self-supporting members of the community.
For almost 50 years, St. Joseph Center has been at the forefront of supporting unhoused men and women across Los Angeles. Last year, St. Joseph Center connected over 2,400 individuals with housing, provided over 45,000 hours of mental health care, and served over 46,000 hot, nutritious meals to homeless men and women at their Bread and Roses Café.
St. Joseph Center has also been a leading advocate for the advancement of underserved women in the workplace, with their digital web technology job training program, Codetalk, low-income and underserved women are given the tools and skills they need to find employment in the technology industry.
Submitted by Ty Andrews
