ALYSSA C.

they/them/theirs
Operations Manager

Originally from Houston, Texas, Alyssa moved to Los Angeles to attend the University of Southern California, receiving their Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and Ethnicity with a minor in Public Health in 2016. While at USC, Alyssa coordinated numerous student-driven programs during two years as Executive Director of the Queer and Ally Student Assembly. Finding a passion for advocacy, they have continued to do coalition and community work as LGBTQ+ Programming & Communications VISTA for the Health Equity Alliance and, most recently, as a Youth Advocate at the Los Angeles LGBT Center. Alyssa is passionate about creating spaces for young people to express and explore their identities and experiences.

Alyssa is currently completing their Master’s in Counseling through Northwestern University with the goal of obtaining licensure as a Professional Clinical Counselor. When not working or in class, Alyssa likes to kayak and crochet (not at the same time).

CAMERON SIEBOLD

they/them/theirs
Program Director

Cameron is a non-binary, mixed-race life-learner. Born and raised in San Diego, CA, Cameron has a deep-seeded love of culture and community. They received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology with a minor in Science, Technology, and Society from the University of Southern California in 2016, and worked with USC's Queer and Ally Student Assembly as their Multiculturalism and Diversity Chair to provide programming to queer undergraduate students. After graduating, Cameron worked as an assistant, store manager, and Entrepreneur-in-Residence with a few start-ups in LA's competitive fast-casual food scene, advocating for workplace transparency and employee agency along the way.

A self-identified gaymer and raver, Cameron currently serves as the Volunteer and Inclusivity Coordinator for the Queerness in Games Conference (QGCon) based out of Montreal, and sits on the committee for the Long Beach LGBT Center's film festival, QFilms.

COLEMAN BRYANT

he/him/his
Administrative Associate

Coleman is an artist/musician and DJ from Pasadena, CA, and a recent graduate of the University of California Los Angeles, where he studied and conducted research in Political Science and Music. He is passionate about the intersection of social justice and art and how it can positively impact communities of color in Los Angeles County.

At UCLA, he was heavily involved in making the community a safer space for Black and Brown students. He was the director of Hip Hop Congress, where he organized concerts and workshops aimed at ‘edutaining’ the broader community. Among other leadership roles, he was also the president of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. by way of the Gamma Xi Chapter. Formerly, he worked with VIP scholars as a peer counselor, helping underrepresented students in LA become competitively eligible for colleges while taking courses taught in a social justice framework.

Elida Ledesma

she/her/hers
Executive Director

Elida is a Southern California native, she received a Bachelor’s of Arts in Communications and Spanish from the University of California, Los Angeles and a Master’s of Public Health, with a concentration in Community Health Sciences, from the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. Prior to working with the Arts for Healing and Justice Network she worked as a research assistant for the UCLA Department of Medicine on the RISE project, which examined adolescent risky behavior. Currently, Elida serves as the Executive Director of the Arts for Healing and Justice Network overseeing program evaluations, the creation of a shared theory of practice, on-going trainings for members and county agencies, in addition to managing daily operations. Elida was also selected as a 2016-2017 Arts for LA Activate fellow, completing the Arts Education track. Her passion lies in helping and advocating for underrepresented and vulnerable populations.

Garrett Barr

he/him/his
Director of Impact Research

Garrett Barr is the Director of Impact Research for the Arts for Healing and Justice Network. His work focuses on examining the impact of AHJN's programs on youth, youth-serving adults, member arts organizations, partners, and the communities the network serves. By taking a youth-centered approach, Garrett looks to young people and their ideas and perspectives to determine exactly what information and data the Network collects, how, and from whom. Before joining the AHJN team, Garrett worked for Johnson & Johnson's Global Public Health Group and the Aspen Institute. He holds a Masters of Public Health from UCLA's Fielding School and a Bachelors of Science in Economics from the University of Wisconsin - Madison. Garrett lives in Los Angeles with his girlfriend and enjoys exploring new places, listening to vinyl, sketching, reading, and running with the Skid Row Running Club.

Jael Villanueva

they/them/theirs
Program Coordinator

Jael Villanueva is a nonbinary poet, flow artist, and LGBTQ+ youth crisis counselor from Los Angeles, CA. They are passionate about their work with youth as they aim to uplift and support queer young people in need. Jael will receive their BA in English Literature in 2022 from Cal State University Long Beach and has focused their studies on Indigenous, POC, and protest literature/journalism. While at CSULB, Jael was a founding member of the CSULB chapter of NLGJA, The Association for LGBTQ+ journalists. They have also spent time volunteering for organizations such as Mental Health Hookup and The Child and Family Center in order to assist in bringing light to the importance of mental health in both youth and adults.

During their free time, Jael thrives in nature; spending time outdoors, building their skills in metalwork, and wandering through LA's vast network of trails.

Julian Harris

he/him/his
Director of Youth Leadership

Julian Harris is the Director of Youth Leadership for the Arts for Healing and Justice Network. Coming from humble beginnings, Julian's biggest inspiration is his mother. Born in South Bend, IN, Julian moved to Orlando, FL when he was just two years old. His mother, Babette Allen, is a Program Director for Pathlight Homes (Housing for the Homeless in Central Florida) and has been working in that space for over 25 years. When Julian and his family first moved to Orlando, they were homeless which birthed his passion for serving in underdeveloped communities. Julian graduated from Florida A&M University with his Bachelors in Public Relations and started working for the City of Orlando as the My Brother’s Keeper Coordinator. Prior to working for the city, Julian spent some time as a substitute teacher in a Juvenile Detention Center in Orlando.

Julian’s skill set ranges from marketing, program planning, engaging in funding sustainability efforts; to disseminating progress and results to community leaders and stakeholders to encourage expanded support for non profits. As Julian likes to say, “I'm here to be a vessel."

Mora Greer

she/her/hers
Youth Policy Advocate & Administrative Assistant

I grew up in Inglewood but I’m orginally from Iowa. I joined AHJN in 2018 and since then, I’ve been in a play, made a podcast, participated in public comment, held a Youth leading role and more. I plan on expanding that list of accomplishments and continuing to fight and stand up for what it is right.

Rebekah Rose Ressler

they/them/theirs // she/her/hers
Program Manager

Rebekah Rose (they/she) is a queer non-binary illustrator, muralist and trauma-informed yoga teacher located in Long Beach, CA. They have been working with survivors of trauma since they began teaching yoga in 2014. Rebekah approaches their work with a lighthearted sense of humor and play, as they hold space for their students. In addition to their work as a teacher, they also have their BFA in illustration from California State University Long Beach. Their artwork centers issues related to queerness, consent, body image, mental health and social justice. They firmly believe that the path towards collective liberation is only possible by centering the needs of those most impacted by oppressive systems and actively working on healing the subsequent trauma that gets stored in the body through movement and creative expression.

Zoe Rawson

she/her/hers
Director of Youth and Community Justice

Zoë has worked alongside youth and community first as a counselor and then as a social justice advocate for over 20 years. In Los Angeles, she spent several years engaged in community lawyering with the Labor/Community Strategy Center to decriminalize school discipline and played a pivotal role towards ending the widespread practice of truancy sweeps and policing of students in low-income communities of color. As the Director of Youth and Community Justice with AHJN she now supports the Network’s ‘Art, Resilience and Community Justice’ initiative by building the capacity, leadership and creative development of youth returning to the community from incarceration.