About SFOP

 

Erika Katske, Executive Director

Erika Katske has been an organizer at SFOP since May of 2004. She accepted the role as Associate Director in 2007 and later served as the interim co-director until her appointment as Executive Director in April 2008. She has been the lead organizer on our violence prevention work, in our expansion initiative with Jewish congregations and most recently on our education work. Prior to coming to SFOP, Erika organized in New York City, building a citywide leadership team by organizing in public schools and surrounding communities. She has experience in nonprofit management including fundraising, volunteer/parent/leader recruitment, increasing dues-paying memberships and assisting with grants and events. Erika graduated Magna Cum Laude from Smith College with a BA in Sociology.

erika@sfop.org

 

Emmanuelle Leal-Santillan, Community Organizer

Emmanuelle joined SFOP in March 2010. He is originally from Durango, Mexico and grew up in Las Vegas, NV to a proud family of construction and hotel workers. Emmanuelle graduated from the University of Nevada Las Vegas where he co-founded the United Coalition for Im/migrant Rights of Nevada (UCIR) after helping to organize the state’s largest public demonstration advocating for the rights of Immigrant families. In Los Angeles, he worked with the March 25th Coalition & Hermandad Mexicana on various Immigrant Rights campaigns. Emmanuelle leads SFOP’s growing “Immigrant Integration” campaign efforts and works closely with the Office of Public Policy & Social Concern of the Archdiocese of San Francisco through several parishes, the Hispanic Pastoral Ministry and the Youth Ministry.

emmanuelle@sfop.org

 

Stephen Leeper, Community Organizer

Stephen joined SFOP in January 2010. A recent graduate of the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, he has a background in psychology and mental health. Prior to working with SFOP, Stephen worked on the Obama for America campaign, and later for a student organizing project seeking to build bridges between the Greensboro student population and the surrounding community. His special interest is in helping African American communities become strong, autonomous, economically vibrant communities again. Stephen works with the Bayview and Fillmore communities and recruited SFOP’s first mosque, the San Francisco Muslim Community Center, earlier this year.

stephen@sfop.org

 

Ruby Cymrot-Wu, Community Organizer

Ruby joined SFOP six months ago after over ten years of community engagement and advocacy. After completing her undergraduate degree in American Social Movements at Smith College, she has primarily organized in Jewish and educational institutions to advocate for minority students and families. More recently, she coordinated the workforce development component of an economic empowerment program in San Francisco, assisting hundreds of job seekers in finding safe, sustainable, and meaningful work.

ruby@sfop.org

 

Patrícia Ribeiro, Partner Parish Organizer

Patrícia is a Parish Organizer working jointly with SFOP and the Office of Public Policy & Social Concerns, Archdiocese of San Francisco. SFOP began partnering with the Archdiocese in the fall of 2010 to work on the Justice for Immigrants Campaign. Patrícia has continued that work, focusing on San Francisco’s immigrant communities. Patrícia previously worked in her home country of Brazil with “Universitários Vão á Escola,” an organization that strives to make higher education more accessible for children from low income families.

ribeirop@sfarchdiocese.org

 

Luis Flores, Administration & Operations Manager

When Luis joined SFOP he already had 18 years experience in the areas of accounting, finances, human resources and office management in the non-profit sector. Previously, as a community organizer, Luis planned and implemented a variety of grassroots campaigns: voter registration, citizenship, immigration reform and other community organizing projects. He served as the National Coordinator of a lobby campaign to amend the NACARA law to provide equal treatment for all Central American immigrants. Coursed 3 years in Economics-Accounting at the National University of El Salvador and is fluent in English and Spanish.

sfop@sfop.org

SFOP has been developing leaders in San Francisco congregations, schools and community centers for 25 years. We believe that San Francisco can be a city for all.
Eleanor Williams, Former SFOP Board President

SFOP Executive Board

Michelle Antone, Board Co–Chair
Leader at Sanchez Elementary School

Sue England, Board Co-Chair
Leader at June Jordan School for Equity

Myrna Godinez, Treasurer
Leader at Corpus Christi Catholic Church

David Morgenstein, Secretary
Leader at Congregation Sherith Israel

James Calacal
Leader at Church of the Epiphany

Shorey Chapman
Leader at Star of the Sea Catholic Church

Juan Carlos Esteban
Leader at St. Peter’s Catholic Church

Marisela Sookraj
Leader at Mission Dolores Catholic Church

Dana Vinicoff
Leader at Congregation Sha’ar Zahav

Msgr. Mickey McCormick, Board Chaplain
Leader at St. Cecilia Catholic Church

Olinda Orellana
Leader at St. Anthony Catholic Church

Joan Pierson
Leader at Providence Baptist Church

Reverend Carl Alexander
Leader at True Hope Church of God in Christ

Ali Akbar
Leader at San Francisco Muslim Community Center

Liz Ungar
Leader at Congregation Emanu-El

Abra Greenspan
Leader at Congregation Emanu-El