by Ashley Buitrago-Burrus | Jul 20, 2022 | Blog, news & upcoming event, Partners / Collaborators, PRC Mentoring Connection
Disruptors of Violence Written by: Kandee Lewis for LA Business Journal Have you been paying attention to how quickly this world is becoming a very scary place to live? People are under attack, especially women, children, and People of Color! Our lives and livelihood,...by Ashley Buitrago-Burrus | Aug 23, 2021 | Blog, news & upcoming event, Partners / Collaborators, PRC Mentoring Connection
Systemic Racism, Trauma Spur Action for Healing Grantmaking to address adverse childhood experiences and collective trauma Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest integrated, nonprofit health care organization, is supporting 13 organizations across the United States...by Ashley Buitrago-Burrus | Nov 16, 2020 | Blog
By Sue Favor Contributing Writer SOUTH LOS ANGELES — The election of Kamala Harris as the first female vice president of the United States, and the first person of color in the position, has inspired women around Los Angeles. But maybe none more than a group of teens...by Ashley Buitrago-Burrus | Nov 16, 2020 | Blog
Every marriage has its flaws because of course it does. But if the core values of trust, commitment, friendship, and mutual respect are there, couples can rise above them and come together to find happiness and love. That’s how it works. However, if a partner...
Tiffany Scott-Clemente
Board Member
Julie Fermino
Board Member
Julie Fermino is a third-generation California native, and my father is from Trinidad. Being raised in a multicultural home gave me an insight into the world from an international perspective.
I started with SoCalGas in 2002 as a part-time meter reader. My journey took me on a decade-and-a-half path within Customer Service Field Operations. One key observation throughout my journey was the minimal and sometimes nonexistent
female minority faces in the field, especially in Field Operations Management. I currently hold the title of SoCalGas Damage Prevention Supervisor over the Southeast Region, overseer of the Repeat Offender Program, and VP of Admin for VIBE (Voices Inspiring Black Employees). I have appreciated the opportunity my
career has afforded me to showcase women possess a mechanical mindset. To have a lead role in VIBE allows for a more diversified ERG and ignites an overdue awareness of much-needed cultural growth within our company. I hope to be an influence that sustains females in nontraditional roles and provides a pillar of great change before my retirement. In my off time, I enjoy spending quality vacation time with my family and broadening my children’s horizons. There is no ceiling on the road of growth.
Kinta Gates
Board Member
Brittany S. Lieteau
Board Member
Brittany S. Lieteau is a highly experienced payroll professional with over a decade of expertise in payroll processing and management. With a keen eye for detail and a commitment to compliance, Brittany has established herself as a reliable and proficient leader in the payroll domain. Her journey in the payroll industry began at CAPS Universal, where she served as a Payroll Coordinator, manually processing timecards and managing entertainment
payroll for over 700 artists. This experience laid the foundation for her career, instilling in her a meticulous approach to payroll processing. Brittany further honed her skills at Entravision Communications, where she held roles as an HR Generalist and later as an HR Manager. In these positions, she managed HR
duties across multiple states and oversaw the payroll process for a sizable workforce, gaining invaluable experience in payroll administration and HR management. Continuing her trajectory, Brittany joined Stradling Yocca Carlson and Rauth as a
Payroll Coordinator, where she was responsible for processing full-cycle payroll for a large employee base using ADP Workforce Now. Her proficiency in payroll systems and attention to detail ensured accurate and timely payroll processing for the organization.
With a solid foundation in payroll management, Brittany’s career progressed to roles of increasing responsibility. At Avetta, LLC, she served as a Payroll Supervisor, overseeing workflow management and implementing quality control measures to ensure
accurate payroll processing. Her expertise extended to implementing Canadian payroll using ADP Streamline, demonstrating her adaptability and technical acumen. Brittany’ss journey in payroll management culminated in her current role as a Payroll Manager at Nuna, Inc., where she leads the processing of multi-state semi-monthly payroll and provides comprehensive oversight of the ADP payroll system. Her responsibilities include ensuring compliance with regulations, managing taxation, and
providing ongoing support to employees. Brittany’s dedication to maintaining data integrity and confidentiality has earned her the
trust and confidence of her colleagues and stakeholders.
Brittany S. Lieteau a native of Los Angeles, California, holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from California State University, Fullerton. Her educational background, coupled with her extensive
experience in payroll management, underscores her expertise in financial operations and business administration. With a proven track record of success and a commitment to excellence, Brittany S. Lieteau remains a respected figure in the payroll management field, continuously striving to deliver superior results and drive organizational success.
Brianna Odom
Board Member
Stephen Harris
Board Member
Stephen Harris is an engineering, business, and community leader with wide array of proven success from delivering airplane programs to delivering volunteer programs. He is passionate about the aerospace industry and the positive impact it has for our families, our businesses, and our communities.
Currently, Stephen is a senior manager in Boeing Global Engagement (BGE) overseeing the business operations behind the company’s global corporate giving strategy. He is also leading the strategic implementation employee volunteer programs at Boeing that will reach over 150,000 employees worldwide.
Stephen has been involved in multiple community leadership development programs, such as serving as the lead for Chicago’s regional council at Global Glimpse, a non-profit that provides leadership programming through international travel for diverse high school students, and co-founder of GW Williams House, a student leadership program at his alma mater in The George Washington University in Washington, DC.
An LA native, Stephen received a Mechanical Engineering degree and has completed post-graduate studies at Pepperdine University.
Vanessa Rochelle Lewis
Deputy Director & Facilitator
Born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles, Vanessa Rochelle Lewis (MFA) is a Queer, Fat, Black, Femme performer, facilitator, educator, writer, activist, healer, joyful weirdo, and Faerie Princess Mermaid Gangsta for The Revolution.
Vanessa has danced across many professional and creative stages. She has been a Writer and Managing Editor for acclaimed feminist magazines, Everyday Feminism & Black Girl Dangerous; an Adjunct Instructor at multiple Bay Area community colleagues (including College of Alameda, Merrit College, and Chabot Community College); a Fundraiser and Events Coordinator for the Queer Women of Color Media Arts Project; the Artist-Facilitator In Residence for the Young Women Freedom Center; and so much more. She is currently a core team member for Creating Freedom Movements (an 18 month long social education project that supports grassroots visionary leaders to incubate healing and joy projects while learning more about the art, theory, and practice of social justice movements) and the Deputy Director for the Positive Results Center (the PRC addresses trauma from a cultural and age perspective by creating awareness to prevent and end teen dating, domestic and interpersonal violence, sexual assault, bullying, sex trafficking, and other social and interpersonal violences within marginalized communities). Vanessa has spoken at UC Berkeley, UC Davis, Hampshire College, The 5 Colleges Queer Conference, Saint Mary’s College of California, UC Riverside, California College of the Arts, California Institute of Integral Studies, Mills College, The SF Dyke March, Florida Council Against Sexual Violence, Women’s Policy Center, and more. In 2021, she was included in The Root 100, a list of the 100 most influential African Americans between the ages of 25-45.
After experiencing her appearance being weaponized against her on too many occasions, Vanessa began writing articles about what it means to exist in a body that the others perceive as ugly and why people choose to look at others and perceive them as ugly. Many people responded with their own stories of being bullied and harmed due to their appearance. This exchange inspired Vanessa to create the organization, Reclaim UGLY: Uplift Glorify Love Yourself – And Create A World Where Others Can As Well! Her vision is to co-create a world where everyone knows that they are a safe, welcomed, and valued member of their communities; has the support to dream authentically and exist in their truths; and knows that there is no face, no body, and no person who is ugly or unworthy of love and acceptance. In 2019 Reclaim UGLY hosted their first Ugly Conference. In 2020, Reclaim UGLY hosted Solidarity Healing September (an online, month-long, racial justice heal-in/teach-in that was a fundraiser and heart raiser for Black Healing October) and Black Healing October (a month of daily FREE online healing workshops for Black people by Black people). Please visit www.reclaimugly.org to learn more.
When she’s not trying to save the world, Vanessa loves listening to audiobooks; making friends with strangers; attending local performances; fun-venturing with her friends, partners, and colleagues; and swimming in every body of water she can find.
Articles
Podcasts, Radio, Interviews, & Spotlights
Greg Burks
Board Member
Dr. Gregory Burks is a seasoned professional with over 30 years of executive experience in nonprofit, community, and governmental operations. He is known for his proven leadership and management in successfully motivating team members to exceed organizational goals as well as individual’s performance objectives. Dr. Burks has extensive experience in workforce development, project, community and grant management, strategic planning, and leadership development. He has managed budget and financial management of grant-funded programs upwards of $80 million from prominent funders, such as Netflix. He has a proven track record of overhauling ineffective methods, turning around marginally producing operations.
Daisy Newsom
Board Member
Daisy Newsom is a Native born of the City of Los Angeles. Daisy graduated from Jefferson High School and is a lifetime member of the Jefferson Alumni Association. Daisy is also a Board Member of the East Side Boys and Girls Club, having been raised on the East side of Los Angeles when all Blacks were restricted to the area. It made for excellent schools, a close community and extended families.
Daisy retired from the County of Los Angeles in 1973, from Northrup Grumman in 1983, and went on to start her own success travel company, Colossus Cruises and Tours. Her commitment to excellence enabled her to became the 1st Accredited Cruise Counselor in the United States, and has subsequently travelled all over the world.
Daisy has been a dedicated, valued, active and fiscally responsible Member of the Board of PRC, and is focused on creating awareness of PRC and our work in the community to prevent abuse.
Besides her active role with PRC, Daisy is a member of SEIU Local 721 Retiree Community.
Daisy is the Mother of 3, Grandmother of 8.
Please feel free to contact me at: daisy.prc123@gmail.com
Chinarain Howard
Board Member
Chinarain Howard- A savvy business professional who lives her life by the motto “bloom where you’re planted”. Through community involvement she strives to be apart of the solution. There’s no tasks too big or small for her and connecting with people is her passion. Catch her if you can at the next Positive Results Center event!
Please feel free to contact me at: chinarain.prc123@gmail.com
Gabriela Castrejon
Mental Health Case Manager
Gabriela Castrejon is a social worker interested in women empowerment, mental health, and working with underserved communities and populations. Coming from a low-income community herself, Gaby has encountered the struggles of being a minority trying to obtain a higher education while being a woman of color.
Gaby has experience working with adults and older adults with mental illnesses and is currently interning for an adoptions agency as well. In her free time, Gaby enjoys traveling, sleeping, and dancing.
Gaby obtained her Bachelors Degree in Social Work from Cal State University Los Angeles and is currently enrolled in graduate school working on her Masters degree in Social Work from Cal State Dominguez Hills.
Please feel free to contact me at: gabriela.prc123@gmail.com
Kala Lacy
Mental Health Therapist
Macala (Kala) Lacy is a pre-licensed yoga psychotherapist and wellness educator who works with undeserved communities across the nation to provide education of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual wellness. In addition to serving as a mental health therapist for The Positive Results Center, Kala is the founder and CEO for The Well, a culturally responsive resource dedicated to providing trauma-informed holistic health services for communities and individuals experiencing marginalization and oppression. She has been published and featured in several healing-centered platforms such as Radiant Health Magazine, Black Girl Yoga, Voyage LA Magazine, Sanctuary the Podcast, Win Life, and more. Her extensive knowledge of the mind-body-heart connection and authentic way of being makes her a trusted resource within the South Los Angeles community and beyond.
Please feel free to contact me at: kala.prc123@gmail.com
Kelli Dillon
Program Manager
Kelli wears many hats! She is the Program Director for The Positive Results Corporation, Vice- President of the Empowerment Congress Southeast Neighborhood Council and newly appointed Commissioner for the Department of Community and Family services, and Project Manager for Positive Results Center.
She is also a survivor of domestic and gang violence, and is recognized in the city of Los Angeles as a Community Crisis Intervention Worker and Domestic & Gang Violences Expert.
Kelli found herself incarcerated at the age of 19 years old and was sentenced to serve a 15-year sentence. Her case intensified from a domestic violence incident, in defense from preventing an attack from her abuser.
While in the California Department of Corrections, her advocacy and community social work began during this time assisting fellow inmates with counseling and organizing for social justice issues against California State Institutions.
In 2014, Kelli worked as an advocate with Justice Now, Inc. alongside of Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson on the SB 1135 Anti-Sterilization Bill. Her testimony was key in helping the Senate and Gov. Jerry Brown pass this bill into a Law, to ban unlawful and non-consensual sterilization of California prisoners.
Kelli has received several awards for her passionate work, including the 2019 Pioneer Woman of the Year Award by the Commission of the Status of Women & City of Los Angeles. Kelli says she will continue to work in bringing education, awareness, and peace within communities of color until her purpose calls for a new assignment.
Please feel free to contact me at: kelli.prc123@gmail.com
Crystal Graham
Leadership Facilitator
Crystal Gayle Graham is an Alumni from California State University, Dominguez Hills of Carson, CA where she received her Bachelors Degree in Sociology and a Minor Degree in Child Development: Early Childhood Education in 2016.
Crystal’s passion to work with children and underserved populations developed at a very young age. After obtaining her degree, Crystal has since worked in drug rehabilitation for Southern California Alcohol and Drug Programs, Inc.; Compton Unified School District in the Special Education Department; for The Positive Results Corporation working with communities of color; and has her own nonprofit organization where she commits to doing community projects throughout the year to help serve the homeless and people from all walks of life who are in need.
Please feel free to contact me at: crystal.prc123@gmail.com
Malinda Lewis
Facilitator, Program Developer
Malinda Lewis is a passionate advocate of equality among all people, focusing mainly on under-served children and education for liberation. Graduating with her Masters in Arts from CSU Dominquez Hills in Negotiation, Conflict Resolution, and Peacebuilding, Malinda identifies as a Womanist ready for the revolution. She joined the PRC team in 2005 and currently serves as a Creative Influencer. In her free time, Malinda enjoys creating art, love, and vlogging.
Please feel free to contact me at: malinda.prc123@gmail.com
Samantha Morales
Case Manager
Samantha Morales is a dedicated Case Manager for the Positive Results Center. She works with underprivileged women and families helping them move forward by identifying barriers, developing strengths and managing their goals to ensure a safe and successful transition into permanent housing. In addition, Samantha is a certified paralegal who has worked with Legal Aid assisting low income individuals who are unable to afford attorney representation in the areas of family law, domestic violence restraining orders, elder abuse victims and civil harassment. Samantha has worked as an interpreter in the Los Angeles community and is a voice and passionate advocate for progressive immigration reforms.
Please feel free to contact me at: samatha.prc123@gmail.com
Kandee Lewis
CEO
A Masterful trainer, Certified Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Prevention Advocate, Kandee specializes in Trauma Awareness, Teen Dating Violence, Healthy Relationships, Leadership and developing youth to be Peer Advocates and Safety Partners.
Kandee has received numerous awards & honors including 2018 Hope Award in Education; 2017 Women of the Year, Education, from L.A. County Board of Supervisors & Commission for Women; and 2017, Vanguard Award Most Influential African American’s In Los Angeles, Mover and Shaker Category, 2016 Humanitarian Award, 2015 Woman of the Year; and the 2014 Woman of Distinction.
The Positive Results Corporation has received grants and funding from the following organizations under Kandee’s Leadership (partial list): Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women; Kaiser Permanente; AIDS Health Care Foundation, Allstate Foundation; Annenberg Foundation; Black Peace Office Association; California Black Women’s Health Project; California State Universities (Dominguez Hills, Long Beach, Northridge); Delta Sigma Theta; J.P. Morgan Chase; Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, The City and County of Los Angeles; Los Angeles County Human Relations Commission; Department of Mental Health; Los Angeles County Probation Department; Housing Authority for the City of Los Angeles; SoCal Gas Company; SCE; Social Justice Learning Institute; Uplift Family Services; HOPICS, L.A. Care and New Economics for Women.
Kandee’s long list of collaborations and partnerships include K-12 schools, colleges, government, business entities, community & faith-based organizations who are committed to safeguarding, mentoring, nurturing, and educating youth, young adults, and their families to be leaders and thinkers, creating healthy relationships.
Kandee has trained with The National Association of Sisters of Color Ending Sexual Assault, California Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Women of Color Network. She is a Founding Board Member for South Los Angeles Homeless (TAY) and Foster Care Collaborative, Compton’s Policing & Education Task Force, Los Angeles City Attorney’s Domestic Violence Round Table, and Los Angeles Mayor’s Human Trafficking Portal.
Previously, Kandee served as Harbor Area Planning Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles, and on the Harbor Gateway North Neighborhood Council. Prior to 2008, Kandee was a successful sales & hiring manager in Corporate America, retiring as Vice President of Sales and Interim President of a technology company.
Born & raised in Los Angeles, and married for 36 years, Kandee and her husband Carl have 3 adult children, and a Pit Bull! Thanks to the love of her family, especially her mother—Daisy Newsom—she is the woman she is today.
Please feel free to contact me at: kandeele@prc123.org
Tony Newsom
Founder