Amy Everitt serves as the President of Golden State Opportunity, a leading, California-based anti-poverty organization.

Prior to joining GSO, Amy spent nearly seventeen years working to ensure that everyone could have a family if, when, and with whom they wanted as the Vice-President of Special Projects at NARAL Pro-Choice America and as the State Director for NARAL Pro-Choice California. Amy launched NARAL's first, innovative, multi-level corporate engagement initiative to educate, engage, and mobilize the corporate sector to support reproductive freedom. Amy led, with other stakeholders, the unprecedented and historic Don't Ban Equality declaration that secured more than 360 CEO signatures in support of the business case for reproductive freedom. Under her leadership, California successfully regulated anti-choice fake women's health centers to hold them accountable for their false advertising.

Amy has worked on campaigns throughout California including Kamala Harris for San Francisco District Attorney, Kathleen Brown for Governor, San Francisco Supervisor Willie B. Kennedy, and numerous state assembly and senate races. While at the Democratic National Committee, she focused on redistricting, establishing the first Rural Caucus and electing Mark Warner Governor of Virginia, Jim McGreevy Governor of New Jersey, Kathleen Sebelius Governor of Kansas, Dave Freudenthal Governor of Wyoming and re-electing the North Dakota federal delegation in 2002.

Outside of politics, she lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for three years, serving as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of HCMC and as a freelance journalist for the Vietnam Business Journal and the Vietnam Investment Review. Amy was also the Country Manager at the U.S. Trade & Development Agency for Southeast Asia, bridging business opportunities for American companies with infrastructure needs in developing countries.

Amy currently sits on the Board of the Center for Civic Engagement and is active with the Silicon Valley DemFems. Previously, she served as the Board Chair for Emerge California, Board Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Council, and on the Steering Committee for the Civil Rights Coalition of California.

She is a 5th generation Californian with deep roots in San Francisco and Newman, CA who attended UC Santa Cruz (BA, Politics) and UC San Diego, School of Global Policy & Strategy (MPIA). She currently lives in Burlingame with her three kids and, more often than not, with her nephew-dog, Eddy.

Andy Rodriguez is the Organizing Manager for Golden State Opportunity, working with grantee organizations and elected officials in Los Angeles to promote CalEITC4Me and reduce poverty among California’s working families.

Prior to joining GSO, he was the Youth Development director at Bresee Foundation. Andy is experienced in non-profit management, with a track record of success in leading and directing community-focused initiatives in Los Angeles. He has demonstrated a deep commitment to social justice and has dedicated his career to improving the lives of those in his community through his work in the non-profit sector. With his expertise in community organizing and program development, Andy has made a significant impact on the organizations he has served, working to build stronger and more equitable communities throughout the city.

As the Director of Development at Golden State Opportunity, Ari plans, researches, writes a portfolio of foundation grants.

Prior to joining GSO full-time, Ari served as Principal of Breakstone Consulting providing grant writing, research, strategy, and fundraising services to clients across sectors. He previously served as Institutional Giving Manager at the Contemporary Jewish Museum, Grant Writer at the Asian Art Museum, and Event Coordinator at Gladstone Institutes, among other positions.

Ari is from Berkeley, California, and graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a double BA in Anthropology and History. He has been an active participant in electoral and political organizing since 2012, particularly around progressive taxation issues. He enjoys gardening, cooking, walking around Lake Merritt, and hanging out with his young nephew.

Cayla McCrae is the Designer and Web Manager at Golden State Opportunity where she manages our websites and designs all collateral materials for both GSO and our signature education and outreach program CalEITC4Me.

Prior to joining GSO, she spent eight years working in branding and communications at mission-driven organizations including the American Red Cross, Denim Day, and Doctors Without Borders. She specializes in design practices that are trauma-informed and human-centered, often working cross-discipline with organizers, educators, writers, developers, ethnographers, craftspeople and others.

Cayla is an alum of Art Center College of Design and UCLA’s Design | Media Arts program.

Citlalli Lizárraga is the CalEITC+ Project Manager at Golden State Opportunity where she manages the schedule of our President and assists our Operations Director.

Prior to joining GSO, Citlalli worked in nonprofit development for three years. She is a Northern California native and graduated from Saint Mary’s College of California with a BS in International Business.

Citlalli loves to help people and volunteers at the Alameda Community Food Bank. She enjoys traveling, finding new food spots and exploring nature areas in the Bay Area.

Denise is the Senior Manager of Finance & Administration at Golden State Opportunity, where she manages human resource functions for the GSO team.

Prior to joining GSO, Denise was the Senior Operations Manager at Schaffer&Combs, a search and strategy consultancy dedicated to the purpose driven sector. She’s also worked for ING, Banc of America Securities, and Liz Claiborne.

A longtime PTA member, Denise previously served as Board Financial Secretary, Board Treasurer, and Chair of DogFest, a fundraiser that raised $100,000 for her children’s elementary school. She’s also the Troop Leader and Treasurer of her daughters’ Girl Scout Troop.

Denise is a New Jersey native, who earned her B.S. in Business Administration from the American University in Washington, D.C. She lives in San Francisco with her husband and three daughters, their budgie, Kiwi, and their dog, Baxter.

Emily is returning to GSO as Development Administrator following two terms as Fellows Lead. With the knowledge and experience gained from the program, she supports the SoCal team in texting incentives and volunteer recruitment. Before joining GSO, Emily worked as Front Office Specialist and Peer Advocate at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Pasadena. As a fierce supporter of reproductive rights, she lobbied in DC to democratize access to care. Emily hails from Knoxville where she studied Journalism and Cinema Studies at the University of Tennessee.

Esperanza (Espe) serves as the Chief Communications & Public Affairs Officer for Golden State Opportunity where she oversees the communications team and develops effective communications and marketing strategies.

Prior to joining GSO, Espe served as Vice President for HPA Strategies where she helped clients tell their stories in unique ways through innovative communications, marketing, and public relations. She also worked with the San Francisco Public Utilities Commission (SFPUC) planning public and community relations programs for the Hetch Hetchy Water System Improvement Program (WSIP) and served as the director for Safeway’s northern California public affairs programs.

Espe earned her MA in International Affairs and Latin American Studies from George Washington University and her BA in International Relations and French from the University of San Diego. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Jamie is the Narrative Media Strategist for Golden State Opportunity where she creates social media content and manages six accounts across Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube.

Prior to joining GSO, Jamie managed social media strategy and communications for San Joaquin Memorial High School and West Hills Community College District where she crafted award-winning social media campaigns. She also worked as a reporter for the Coalinga Recorder.

Jamie earned her MA in Strategic Communications from Washington State University, her BA in English from UC Berkeley, and earned a professional certificate in Digital Marketing from CSU Fullerton. She lives in Clovis and enjoys spending time with her husband, camping, and sampling new restaurants.

Jen Dodd is the Deputy Director of Programs at Golden State Opportunity where she leads implementation and oversight of our core programs including CalEITC4Me.

Prior to joining GSO, Jen served as Program Director at LifeMoves, where she developed, implemented, and oversaw programs to support medically fragile individuals experiencing homelessness in San Mateo and Santa Clara County. Jen also worked with the Institute for Human and Social Development (IHSD), a Head Start organization serving families throughout San Mateo County, and served as Administrator at Novelles Developmental Program.

Jen earned her MBA and BA in Psychology at University of California, Davis. She lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her family.

Jordan is the Programs Assistant at Golden State Opportunity. Jordan was previously a Distributed Organizing Fellow and Policy Fellow, where he worked with the policy department in their pursuit of providing Californians with the services needed to find peace and thrive.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jordan graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Literature. He hopes to one day fully understand the full implementation of the arts as a means of substantially healing the wounds of the world.

Lindsay Cooper Martin is the Chief Operating Officer at Golden State Opportunity. With over 25 years of experience, Lindsay has served the non-profit sector in executive leadership and consulting roles. Most recently she was part of the founding team of ACLU California, a 501c4 organization focused on advancing and protecting civil rights and civil liberties in California, overseeing governance, finance, administration, legal, human resources, operations and organizational advancement.

As a consultant, her clients have included Grace Cathedral, Longwood Gardens, Kennedy Center, Museum of the American Revolution, the Studio Museum in Harlem, SFMOMA, and the Smithsonian. She also served as Deputy Director for the Wexner Center for the Arts in Columbus, Ohio and the Director of Administration at the Hammer Museum at UCLA.

She has degrees in Political Science-Public Service and Art History from UC Davis where she was also an ArtsBridge Scholar teaching arts education in Title One public schools.

Patricia is the Executive Assistant to the Office of the President. Patricia has over 20 years of experience supporting executives, partners and senior executives across a range of industries. Outside of her professional life, Patricia enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends, indulging in her love for shopping and cooking. She enjoys giving back through community service initiatives, and she is passionate about serving and helping the unhoused community. She also partners with her husband in providing marital counseling and mentoring young couples.

Patricia brings a unique blend of expertise, dedication and a personal approach making her an invaluable asset to the executive team.

Ryan is the Deputy Director, Integrated Campaigns for Golden State Opportunity where he oversees our online and offline organizing, digital campaigns, and data projects.

Prior to joining GSO, he ran digital advocacy, fundraising and organizing campaigns for progressive, non-profit organizations for more than ten years.

Ryan earned a BA in Environmental Analysis from Pomona College. He lives in Oakland with his wife, his cats, and his dog and loves all things outdoors and urban gardening.

As the Senior Digital Organizer at Golden State Opportunity, Taylor Jackson uses innovative digital strategies to promote economic mobility and build collective power.

Prior to joining Golden State Opportunity, Taylor has led initiatives to address systemic barriers and empower workers. She mobilized communities in Southern California to advocate for Senate Bill 16, which expands local enforcement of civil rights protections in housing and employment which passed. In North Carolina, she collaborated with unions, policymakers, and grassroots organizations to enhance worker protections and improve job quality through comprehensive labor programs. As part of the Black Census Project 2023, Taylor built and executed a strategy to amplify voices in the nation’s largest survey of its kind since Reconstruction.

Having grown up in three countries, Taylor has gained firsthand insight into economic disparities across diverse contexts, shaping her deep commitment to systemic change. Her global perspective drives her passion for crafting equitable solutions, and through her role, she remains dedicated to advancing economic equity and breaking the cycle of poverty.

Vanessa Orozco is the Legislative Advocate at Golden State Opportunity.

Prior to joining GSO, Vanessa has worked in the political arena for several years in both the public and private sector. She most recently worked for an Assemblymember at the California State Capitol as a Legislative Aide. She is a Northern California native and graduated from California State University, Sacramento with a Master’s in Public Policy and Administration and a Bachelor’s in Communication Studies.

Vanessa lives in Sacramento with her partner and two cats, Toast and Bagel. She enjoys cooking, traveling, and all things outdoors.

Donna Nino is a 4th-year Sustainability Studies major at the University of Riverside, California. She is studying to receive a Bachelor of Science degree. Her previous experience includes working as an ambassador and community organizer for a non-profit organization that advocates for clean water and air in California, specifically in the Inland Empire and Central Valley. Donna’s future career goals include working with local non-profit organizations to improve the Inland Empire as a city and home to its families and individuals. She aims to use this experience and knowledge in community organizing and activism to impact the world around her positively.

Elvira Rabadon is a student at University of California, Riverside and will be graduating this year with a Bachelors in Philosophy/Law and Society. She has been involved in the Legislative Advocacy Committee at ASUCR where she lobbied for various problems within the UC; issues including student's basic needs, inaccessibility of college education, financial aid reform and menstrual health equity. Last summer Elvira also helped in educating and helping the community of Los Terrones in Honduras in matters regarding family law- specifically domestic and child abuse through Global Legal Brigades. She is very passionate about tackling social injustices and ensuring people's basic needs are met by fighting for policy changes in the government.

Emily is returning to GSO as Development Administrator following two terms as Fellows Lead. With the knowledge and experience gained from the program, she supports the SoCal team in texting incentives and volunteer recruitment. Before joining GSO, Emily worked as Front Office Specialist and Peer Advocate at the Planned Parenthood clinic in Pasadena. As a fierce supporter of reproductive rights, she lobbied in DC to democratize access to care. Emily hails from Knoxville where she studied Journalism and Cinema Studies at the University of Tennessee.

Jordan is the Programs Assistant at Golden State Opportunity. Jordan was previously a Distributed Organizing Fellow and Policy Fellow, where he worked with the policy department in their pursuit of providing Californians with the services needed to find peace and thrive.

Born and raised in Los Angeles, Jordan graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz with a degree in Literature. He hopes to one day fully understand the full implementation of the arts as a means of substantially healing the wounds of the world.

Karina is a recent graduate of San Diego State University, holding a B.A. in Political Science. She is a highly organized and motivated individual with an interest in advocacy and policy work, particularly within the nonprofit sector. Karina’s personal experiences have spurred her passion for nonprofit work, understanding the incredible, life-changing impact that nonprofits can have on the lives of citizens. She aspires to create tangible policy changes and advances to equalize access to healthcare through affordability and insurance accessibility.

Maria Manaog is from Chandler, Arizona but moved to the Bay Area in 2023. She is a recent graduate from Arizona State University with a M.S. in User Experience (UX). She specializes in qualitative research, mostly in tech for B2B software companies. However, she ultimately aims to work in Educational Technology or in the nonprofit world, creating valuable insights to create and improve solutions that more efficiently connect people in need to impactful resources. She also has experience in community outreach and event planning, specifically in Asian American/Pacific Islander initiatives in university settings. Maria also is the founder of her own art magazine (Club Rambutan), where she collaborates with creatives across the U.S. and beyond to spotlight work done by intersectional and intercultural artists.

Valorie Reyes, a first-generation college graduate from California State University, San Bernardino, holds a Bachelor's in Political Science. Aspiring to become an attorney, she envisions utilizing her skills to contribute to advancing social justice causes. Valorie is excited about her role as an Organizing Fellow with Golden State Opportunity, where she plans to apply her academic and personal background to address critical issues and create opportunities for marginalized communities.

As a first-generation college student, Vanessa graduated from the University of California, Santa Cruz studying Philosophy and Politics. There, she actively engaged in campus organizing and student government, where she worked to build coalitions to increase higher education funding. Prior to joining GSO, she worked as the Campaign Organizer at Evolve CA, a Bay Area non-profit community organization, focused on reforming Proposition 13.

Born and raised in the Bay Area, Vanessa is deeply committed to building relationships and improving the lives of working people. In her spare time she finds joy in women's basketball, exploring the outdoors, and indulging in her love for music.

Amy Everitt serves as the President of Golden State Opportunity, a leading, California-based anti-poverty organization.

Prior to joining GSO, Amy spent nearly seventeen years working to ensure that everyone could have a family if, when, and with whom they wanted as the Vice-President of Special Projects at NARAL Pro-Choice America and as the State Director for NARAL Pro-Choice California. Amy launched NARAL's first, innovative, multi-level corporate engagement initiative to educate, engage, and mobilize the corporate sector to support reproductive freedom. Amy led, with other stakeholders, the unprecedented and historic Don't Ban Equality declaration that secured more than 360 CEO signatures in support of the business case for reproductive freedom. Under her leadership, California successfully regulated anti-choice fake women's health centers to hold them accountable for their false advertising.

Amy has worked on campaigns throughout California including Kamala Harris for San Francisco District Attorney, Kathleen Brown for Governor, San Francisco Supervisor Willie B. Kennedy, and numerous state assembly and senate races. While at the Democratic National Committee, she focused on redistricting, establishing the first Rural Caucus and electing Mark Warner Governor of Virginia, Jim McGreevy Governor of New Jersey, Kathleen Sebelius Governor of Kansas, Dave Freudenthal Governor of Wyoming and re-electing the North Dakota federal delegation in 2002.

Outside of politics, she lived in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam for three years, serving as the Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce of HCMC and as a freelance journalist for the Vietnam Business Journal and the Vietnam Investment Review. Amy was also the Country Manager at the U.S. Trade & Development Agency for Southeast Asia, bridging business opportunities for American companies with infrastructure needs in developing countries.

Amy currently sits on the Board of the Center for Civic Engagement and is active with the Silicon Valley DemFems. Previously, she served as the Board Chair for Emerge California, Board Chair for the UC Santa Cruz Alumni Council, and on the Steering Committee for the Civil Rights Coalition of California.

She is a 5th generation Californian with deep roots in San Francisco and Newman, CA who attended UC Santa Cruz (BA, Politics) and UC San Diego, School of Global Policy & Strategy (MPIA). She currently lives in Burlingame with her three kids and, more often than not, with her nephew-dog, Eddy.

Ana Grande is a first-generation Salvadoran American with an extensive background in community organizing, policy, and non profit management. She has worked in education access, higher education, and healthcare industries, with a keen focus on empowering children of color, women, and immigrants to achieve the American Dream. Ana is widely known for her role as the Statewide Campaign Director for the California DREAM Act, a role that permitted an exploration and love toward academia. Most recently, Ana served as the Academic Dean and adjunct professor at Mount St. Mary's University, and currently is the Executive Director at Program for Torture Victims.

Ana holds a BA in Political Science, an MA in Humanities, and is wrapping up her EdD in Interdisciplinary Leadership from Creighton University.

Grande earned her bachelor’s degree in political science and government, and her master’s degree in humanities/humanistic studies from Mount Saint Mary’s College. She also earned her Doctorate of Education from Creighton University.

Cynthia V. Guerrero is a Partner at public affairs firm California Strategies and brings the highest caliber of expertise to her clients with unmatched advisory experience specifically relating to the technology sector. She provides clients with corporate strategy and public policy guidance, working collaboratively with them to achieve goals and overcome any crisis. Her 20-year experience in tech policy and finance has distinguished her as one of the well-known experts in the industry.

Guerrero advises world-renowned Silicon Valley companies on how to navigate the regulatory process, which often trails innovation, and provides valuable strategic counsel to Tech Startup companies looking to position themselves in California’s competitive technology sector. Her business and policy acumen also includes a deep understanding of the banking, finance, and investment securities industries, making her uniquely qualified to provide clients with keen insight on legislative, regulatory, and business challenges that directly affect the corporate bottom line.

Prior to joining California Strategies, Guerrero founded CG Consulting Group, Inc. in 2003 where she dedicated her time ensuring client success by strategically navigating the legislative process and overcoming regulatory hurdles at the federal and state level. Her previous work includes serving as the California Director for TechNet, the leading bipartisan network of CEOs that promotes the growth of the innovation economy, where she nurtured long-term relationships between technology leaders and policymakers at the state and federal level. She has also worked at the Rand Corporation and in the investment securities industry for top firms such as Credit Suisse First Boston Technology Group, Barclays Global Investors, and Merrill Lynch.

Guerrero has her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science with an emphasis in Pre-Law and a minor in English Literature from Mount St. Mary’s University in Los Angeles. She graduated with a master’s degree in Public Policy specializing in Economics and International Relations from Pepperdine University and is currently enrolled at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive LEAD program. She serves on the Board of Advisors for Pepperdine University, School of Public Policy, the National Board of Directors for New Leaders Council, and the Board of Directors for Golden State Opportunity.

Darrell A. Peeden is the co-founder and Vice President at SBX Youth and Family Services, a GSO grantee working to break the cycle of poverty and violence through mentoring, education, and community organizing. Darrell previously served as Moreno Valley School Board President. He is also co-founder of Think Big Gaming, a social enterprise focused on investing in digital assets and providing economic opportunities in the virtual world economy. In 2016, he worked here at GSO as an Economic Justice Fellow.

An Inland Empire native, Darrell is a first-generation college graduate. Darrell started his college career at San Bernardino Valley College and finished with his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in public policy from UC Riverside.

Gabrielle Hedlund is a Bay Area-based philanthropist with a background in education, technology, and journalism.

After a successful career in marketing and journalism covering Silicon Valley and technology innovations for the consumer market, Gabrielle left the tech industry in 2000 to pursue teaching, bringing her love of communication and social justice together to demystify curriculum and inspire youth to find and use their voices. She taught English at Bay Area schools for several years. At Castro Valley High School, she developed a small student “Arts, Language, and History” academy to help students struggling with attendance and grades. Gabrielle also taught middle school English at Ecole Bilingue, an independent Bay Area French school where she also coached TEDx speakers and helped run the school’s annual Maker Faire.

Gabrielle holds a BA in English from UC Santa Cruz and received her Master's in Educational Leadership and Administration from Mills College. She is pursuing a second Master's in English from Bread Loaf School of English at Middlebury College. In addition to serving on GSO’s board, she sits on Planned Parenthood Mar Monte’s Gala and Capital Campaign board.

Gabrielle and her husband, Marc, are parents to two teenagers and a sweet American Staffordshire.

Joe Sanberg is a progressive business leader and anti-poverty advocate.

As a steward of the movement to pass the Earned Income Tax Credit for low-income families in California, Joe founded CalEITC4Me, one of the state’s largest anti-poverty programs, which has put more than $10 billion back in the pockets of working families. He successfully led the charge to expand eligibility for the program to low-wage workers, young adults and seniors, who had previously been excluded from the tax credit. Then-California Gov. Jerry Brown’s top adviser Nancy McFadden called Joe the “spark” behind the state’s efforts to execute the new program.

He was raised by his mom in Southern California.

Michael P. Meehan is the President and CEO of Squared Communications, a leading boutique strategic communications and political consulting firm for the past 15 years. Meehan has worked with Fortune 100 companies, trade associations, nonprofits and political advertising groups and others and has executed crisis communications strategies and complex communications efforts for policy advocacy. He is also a Founding Partner at the Potomac West Group, a bipartisan public affairs firm that conducts campaign style coalitions for companies. Meehan is a guest lecturer at Columbia University’s School of International and Public Affairs. Meehan was nominated by both Presidents Obama and Bush to serve on the Broadcasting Board of Governors, which oversees all U.S. media outlets. Meehan served as Chair of the Board of the Middle East Broadcasting Network, Radio Free Asia and Open Technology fund, serving 100 countries in 61 languages with a weekly audience of over 225 million people.

Meehan spent nearly 30 years working on Capitol Hill and on Presidential, Senate and Congressional campaigns, including the DNC, the DSCC and the DCCC. He appears regularly on Fox News’ ‘The Daily Briefing’ show.