Staff & Board
ACRJ Staff
Eveline Shen, MPH, Executive Director
eveline@reproductivejustice.org
Eveline has led ACRJ since 1999. Under her leadership, ACRJ has become widely recognized for its innovative leadership in the Reproductive Justice Movement in working with grassroots communities, providing thought leadership, developing effective tools and resources for evaluation, training and documentation, and organizing for long term systemic change. Eveline serves on the board of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and Movement Strategy Center. She has also served as Principal Investigator for two National Institutes of Health grants that explore the intersection between environmental justice and reproductive justice. Eveline was recently named by Women’s eNews as one of the 21 leaders for the 21st Century. She is a 2009 Gerbode Fellow and holds a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley in Community Health Education.
Moira Bowman, Deputy Director
moira@reproductivejustice.org
Moira Bowman lives in Portland, Oregon – ACRJ’s first remote staff member! She joined ACRJ in November 2007, after playing a vital role in advancing our work as a member of the EMERJ Strategy Team. Moira has been active in the social justice movement for the last 20 years on issues of economic and racial justice, LGBTQ rights and gender justice. She brings extensive experience in movement building, organizing, political education, and technical assistance. As the Director of the Gender Justice Program at Western States Center, Moira worked to build regional capacity (in Washington, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah, Nevada and Wyoming) to counter the Right's agenda and to build progressive power for low-income families, communities of color and LGBTQ folks. Moira has a B.A. from Reed College.
Hillary Brooks, Finance and Operations Director
hillary@reproductivejustice.org
A former administrative director at Media Alliance, Hillary worked for over a decade as an accounting and Mac consultant to non-profits, small businesses, magazines and individuals. As a long-time activist for reproductive and civil rights, she did grassroots organizing with groups such as Bay Area Coalition for Our Reproductive Rights. She also put her politics into song, primarily in the jazz group Maroon, which she led while living in New York City, where she also curated and performed in the Jazz Against War concert series. Hillary got her bachelor's degree at Boston University, majoring in communications research with a focus on images of women and people of color in the media, and received an M.F.A. in jazz performance at California Institute of the Arts. Since arriving at ACRJ in January 2009, she has greatly enjoyed the geeky processes of overhauling accounting practices and anchoring the organization's dynamic operations during an exciting period of growth.
Mai Doan, SAFIRE Youth Organizer
mai@reproductivejustice.org
Mai, originally from Southern California, previously worked in youth organizing helping develop programs for Filipina and Latina youth in San Francisco's South of Market community. Additionally Mai co-developed a hip-hop writing workshop series that focused on gender, oppression and healthy relationships, aided in leading a campaign to fight for free and accessible space for low-income, immigrant and queer youth in San Francisco and taught poetry at Berkeley Tech through June Jordan's Poetry for the People's teaching residency. She has been exploring the integration of creative writing, cultural work and youth organizing for the past 4 years and continues her passion of developing transformative spaces for young people that lead to both self-empowerment and collective action through her work with SAFIRE. She holds a B.A in Women & Gender Studies from San Francisco State University.
Nina Jacinto, Development Manager
Nina is a second-generation South Asian American whose love for writing and a commitment to working in the RJ movement led her to join the ACRJ family in October 2011. Prior to her work in grantwriting and development, Nina was a racial justice blogger for WireTap Magazine and wrote about reproductive and sexual health for EmpowHer Women’s Health. An active leader in the student of color community, Nina received her B.A. in English and a minor in Gender Studies from Pomona College in 2008.
Shanelle Matthews, Communications Manager
shanelle@reproductivejustice.org
Once Shanelle realized her ability to communicate could be used as a tool for social change; she committed her career to social justice media noting that it is uniquely sensitive to the needs of marginalized communities. Prior to ACRJ Shanelle worked as the first Development and Administrative Associate for Law Students for Reproductive Justice where her interest in RJ was cultivated into an irrevocable passion. Previous to that she worked as a freelance journalist contributing to media chiefly in the nonprofit sector such as Women’s eNews and The Women’s Media Center. Witnessing the birth of her first nephew, Gavin, Shanelle was inspired to research black women’s maternal health and co-founded a birthing justice collective in Oakland. She is passionate about healthy debate, protests with a cause and cheese. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from the Manship School of Mass Communications at Louisiana State University and is currently working toward a M.S. in Urban Studies; Race, Ethnicity & American Urban Culture.
Maria Nakae, MPH, Development Director
maria@reproductivejustice.org
Maria joined ACRJ in June 2006 as a New Voices Fellow and Alliance Building Coordinator. After three and a half years of supporting ACRJ's national movement building work, she joined the Development team in January 2010. Maria previously worked in community-based research, outreach, and program development on a wide range of issues including reproductive health, domestic violence prevention, parenting and child development, and mental health. Her interest in reproductive justice stems from her work with community- and school-based programs to increase access to reproductive health services for youth in low-income immigrant communities and communities of color. She holds a B.A. in Psychology from New York University and a Masters in Public Health from UC Berkeley.
Akasha Orr, Administrative Coordinator
akasha@reproductivejustice.org
Since joining ACRJ in September 2010, Akasha has worn many hats, including that of office manager, conference events coordinator, accounts payable processor and staff morale booster. What she loves about ACRJ is the support and encouragement she is given to further develop both personally and professionally, thus increasing her contribution to the organization's work. Akasha is a transplant from Los Angeles, where she worked in the entertainment industry as an actress, singer/songwriter and poet. She currently shares lead vocals in the El Cerrito-based trip-hop, funk, reggae fusion band, The Seshen. Her commitment to social justice grew out of participation in various LGBTQ campaigns, as well as environmental preservation efforts and animal rights activism. A yogi and student of naturopathic methodology, Akasha's journey is to bring harmony to body, mind and soul through humanitarian work and the performing arts. She holds a B.A. in Speech Communications from Hampton University.
Dana Ginn Paredes, Training Director
dana@reproductivejustice.org
Dana Ginn Paredes has worked for social justice organizations for over 12 years as a field organizer, trainer, national program director, organizing director and training director. Dana’s previous work to promote racial equity and healthy families within welfare policy led her to develop a strong interest in reproductive justice issues for women, youth and communities of color. She joined ACRJ in 2003, and in that time, has led research to advance comprehensive sex education policy for California public schools, has led electoral campaigns that advance reproductive justice, and has initiated and overseen the development of ACRJ’s current youth and worker organizing projects and climate change initiative. Dana is a 2008-09 fellow of the National APAWLI Signature Program of The Center for Asian Pacific American Women; a 2008 participant of the CLEAR Executive Training Program of Communications Leadership Institute; a 2007 fellow of the Women's Policy Institute; and serves on the steering committee for the California Healthy Nail Salon Collaborative. Dana holds a B.S. in Political Science from the University of California at Berkeley.
Tavae Samuelu, Grassroots Fundraising Coordinator
tavae@reproductivejustice.org
Tavae is a native of Southern California who came to the Bay Area to study at University of California at Berkeley. Her college career was spent working on issues of access to education for low-income communities of color at the bridges Multicultural Resource Center. In her time with bridges, she served as their Organizing and Community Development Director and later, Executive Director. Soon after, Tavae joined the Jean Quan for Oakland Mayor campaign as a Field Organizer in District 5. It was through that historic campaign that she grew to love Oakland, making it her new home. Prior to joining ACRJ in June 2011, Tavae was the Lead Academic Coach for Juma Ventures where she was able to work with amazing and inspiring youth from whom she continues to learn. She credits much of her passion for social justice to her infinitely patient mentors and her desire to build a better future for her adorable niece.
Jeanine Shimatsu, Executive Assistant
jeanine@reproductivejustice.org
Jeanine is a fourth generation Japanese American and a second generation Chinese American. Originally from Southern California, she moved to the Bay Area to attend the University of California at Berkeley. Having both studied and worked at UC Berkeley's School of Public Health, Jeanine is especially interested in issues related to health care access and reform. Her commitment to social justice grew out of her experience case working at the Suitcase Clinic, a student-run clinic that provides medical and social services to the undeserved communities in the East Bay. At ACRJ, Jeanine serves as a liaison for the Executive Director and Deputy Director. In her free time, she can be found pursuing different hobbies including bookbinding and baking delicious treats. She joined ACRJ in June 2011.
Melanie Tom, Field Organizer
melanie@reproductivejustice.org
Melanie is a Bay Area native, whose ancestors were part of the first wave of Chinese migrant laborers to settle in San Francisco in the late 1800's. Formerly the Youth Organizing Project Coordinator at Asian Immigrant Women Advocates, she has over eight years of experience in organizing marginalized communities through political education, leadership development and collective action. Melanie holds a B.A. in Ethnic Studies from UC San Diego and credits her activism to her parents who, as members of labor unions, often discussed inequality and injustice. When she's taking a break from dismantling global patriarchy, you'll find Melanie traveling the world, playing with her nephew or designing flower arrangements. She joined ACRJ in October 2010.
Amanda Wake, Youth Organizing Manager
amanda@reproductivejustice.org
Amanda is yonsei, fourth generation Japanese American and a third generation community organizer. She graduated from UC Santa Cruz in American Studies where she was also an active student organizer and co-director of the Engaging Education Center. She previously worked as a social worker for a mentoring program for children with a parent in the prison system. Amanda loves being part of ACRJ where she can combine two of her passions: community organizing and youth programming. She believes doing work around reproductive justice is important to the empowerment of communities, and especially enjoys doing this work with the young women she works with in SAFIRE.
ACRJ Board of Directors
Monica Plazola, Chair
Monica is an independent small business and nonprofit consultant and the Operations and Finance Director for Terra Linda Development, a real estate development services company. She has over a decade of experience in financial management, risk management, strategic development, administration, and human resources experience in both the private and nonprofit sectors. A longtime advocate for social justice, Monica serves on the board of several non-profit organizations and was formerly a staff member at ACRJ. She earned a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Psychology from Stanford University.
Destiny Lopez, Treasurer
Destiny is a second generation Mexican American and joined the ACRJ board in 2009. She currently works as the Director of Latino Engagement at Planned Parenthood Federation of America. Prior to joining Planned Parenthood, Destiny was the Executive Director of ACCESS/Women's Health Rights Coalition, an allied grassroots reproductive justice organization based in Oakland. Destiny has dedicated her career to developing policy advocacy and communications strategies that uplift the voices of women of color and has served in various capacities on staff or as a consultant to organizations including NARAL Pro-Choice New York, the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health (NLIRH), Fenton Communications and Choice USA. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of NLIRH and holds a Masters in Public Administration from New York University.
Lisa Russ, Secretary
Lisa served as the Associate Director at Movement Strategy Center from 2002-2009, when she became a Senior Fellow at MSC. As a Senior Fellow, she works with the Strong Families Initiative as a Communications Strategist, which includes leading communications for multiple campaigns, editing the reproductive justice blog, and supporting racial justice leaders to find and use their voices as writers. Lisa also facilitates the Ford Foundation’s Initiative on Sexuality Research. Previously, Lisa spent many years doing capacity building and strategic planning with social justice organizations. She also designed and led programs in experiential education ranging from hiking and canoeing to studying economics and human rights and the US Mexico border. Lisa lives, works and plays in Oakland with her husband and their two kids.
Eveline Shen, MPH, President
See bio under Staff.
Dimple Abichandani
The Proteus Fund's Dimple Abichandani joined the ACRJ Board of Directors in 2011. She leads a funding collaborative whose aim is to shift the debate around national security and human rights, and build the capacity of Muslim, Arab and South Asian community organizations in challenging post-9/11 discrimination. Dimple manages an innovative comprehensive communications infrastructure, a model for the social justice field, that serves over 100 human rights organizations with the goal of increasing communications capacity and coordination. Previously, she was the Director of Program Development at Legal Services NYC, where she developed impact-oriented advocacy projects to address the civil legal needs of low-income communities, with a focus on immigrants rights. Dimple founded the Language Access Project to ensure access to justice for limited English proficient individuals, and developed a low-wage workers rights project. She currently serves on the advisory committees of the Fred T. Korematsu Institute for Civil Rights and Education and served for six years as a Board Member for the Third Wave Foundation. Dimple earned a JD at Northeastern University School of Law, and a BA in English at the University of Texas at Austin.
Silvia Henriquez
The Executive Director of the National Latina Institute for Reproductive Health, Silvia Henriquez has positioned NLIRH as one of the leading organizations working to advance the reproductive health and rights of Latinas. Under her leadership, NLIRH has developed a successful organizing and leadership development training curriculum, a national policy agenda and built coalitions that advance a reproductive justice advocacy effort. Silvia joined the ACRJ board in 2011, and also sits on the boards of the Reproductive Health Technologies Project and the Guttmacher Institute. In 2010, she received the Ms. Foundation for Women’s “Woman of Vision” Award and the National Organization for Women’s “Woman of Action” Award. In addition, Silvia was recognized by the National Women’s Health Network at their 30th Anniversary, as one of 30 essential activists working in those 30 years who transformed and improved women’s health. Silvia graduated with a Bachelor’s in International Affairs and a Master’s in Women’s Studies, both from George Washington University.
Daniel Martinez HoSang
Daniel Martinez HoSang is an Assistant Professor at the University of Oregon with a joint appointment in the Department of Ethnic Studies and the Department of Political Science. His recent book, Racial Propositions: Ballot Initiatives and the Making of Postwar California (University of California Press, 2010), explores the history of organizing campaigns around racialized ballot measures in California since World War II. He received his PhD in American Studies and Ethnicity from the University of Southern California. Before graduate school, HoSang worked as a community organizer and trainer for ten years with the Center for Third World Organizing and People United for a Better Oakland, addressing issues including police accountability, welfare reform, and public education reform. HoSang now teaches courses in racial politics, theories of race and ethnicity, community organizing and public policy. He is on the board of directors for the Alliance for a Just Society and the Edward W. Hazen Foundation and joined the ACRJ board in 2011.
Kay Fernandez Smith
Kay Fernandez Smith, a former Fulbright Hayes Scholar to the Philippines and a San Francisco Foundation Fellow, has worked with grassroots groups, public agencies, and philanthropic organizations to advance equitable development. As Associate Director at PolicyLink, her background in political strategy has informed her focus on affordable housing and transportation equity as well as her efforts to raise awareness about infrastructure disparities facing low-income families and immigrant communities. She joined the ACRJ board in 2011.
Anasa Troutman
As an artist, producer, facilitator, strategist and activist-organizer, Anasa Troutman's mission is to use intellect, art and community building to create personal, organizational and global transformation. A Senior Fellow at the Movement Strategy Center, Anasa joined the ACRJ Board of Directors in 2011. She began her career building the soul music scene in Atlanta; among her first group of clients was a then-unknown singer/songwriter named India Arie. In the years since, Anasa has served as a member of the National Coordinating Committee for the National Hip Hop Political Convention, a member organizer for the Institute for Policy Study's Cities for Progress Program, marketing strategist for Dennis Kucinich's 2004 Democratic presidential campaign, consulting producer for the Hurricane Katrina survivor-focused Finding Our Folk Tour, organizer with the Progressive Majority's Racial Justice Campaign, and producer/leadership team member for the historic Highlander Research and Education Center. No matter what her work, Anasa's belief in the power of personal transformation and her dedication to the power of art and culture are her guiding forces to building justice, equity and compassion.
