Ms. Suarez has served on the CYS Board of Directors since May of 2016. She currently serves as Board Treasurer and Secretary and serves on both the CYS Finance Committee and the CYS Executive Committee.

Mayor Pro Tempore and City Council Woman for the City of Lawndale, Ms. Suarez is a public official who is dedicated to her community and invested in ensuring the prosperity of current and future generations. Ms. Suarez won her first election for City Clerk of Lawndale at the age of 23, joining the ranks of some of the youngest elected official in the state of California; she went on to become the first Chicana/Latina and the youngest member to ever serve on the Lawndale City Council when appointed to her first council seat.

She currently serves as Board of Director for the South Bay Cities Council of Government and has previously served on the El Agua Es Asuntos de Todos Advisory Board, and as a delegate for the League of California Cities LA Division.

She believes in creating change to support youth in achieving their goals and brings a passion to serve with her to CYS.

To contact Bernadette, please click here.

Ms. Valentine became a member of the CYS Board of Directors in January 2013, and as part of her Board duties serves on the Executive Committee and is the Board Vice Chair. She is Mayor Pro Tempore and City Council Member for the City of Hawthorne and an adjunct professor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, teaching Administrative Law.

A retired attorney, Ms. Valentine brings decades of legal experience to the table having worked in contract law, arbitration and mediation, as well as extensive knowledge of legislative and policy issues as an elected official.

Tireless and creative in her efforts to bring economic prosperity as well as safety issues to the forefront for the City of Hawthorne, she has served on the Planning Commission, founded the Economic Development Council, initiated the Taste of Hawthorne food and jazz festival, and as a member of the Holly Park Homeowners Association founded the Juneteenth Pancake Breakfast to benefit scholarships for high school seniors.

A recipient of the 25th Senate District’s Woman of Distinction Award, Ms. Valentine devotes her vast experience and leadership to serving her community.

To contact Olivia, please click here.

Ms. Dorris joined the CYS Board of Directors in October 2019 and chairs the CYS Finance Committee.

Ms. Dorris brings an abundance of experience in financial management, including building and managing finance teams and the management of philanthropic funds. She is the President of her own accounting and tax preparation company that focuses on serving nonprofit and agricultural clients.  

Past work includes Chief Financial Officer at Liberty Hill Foundation, a national leader in social justice advancing change through grants, leadership training and alliance building, VP of Finance at XPRIZE Foundation managing philanthropic funds globally, and taxation and budgeting at Aptium Oncology, a division of AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals.

Raised in Los Angeles and experiencing racial inequities firsthand, Ms. Dorris is passionate in her advocacy for fair and just treatment for disenfranchised communities.

To contact Winona, please click here.  

Mr. Douglass joined the CYS Board of Directors in May 2019, bringing with him extensive legal experience and strategic organizational thinking as well as a commitment to community service and involvement. As part of his CYS Board duties, Mr. Douglass is currently the Board Secretary and, additionally, he supports CYS with review of legal documents, statutes, and contracts.

Growing up in Brooklyn, Mr. Douglass faced many of the roadblocks and hurdles that, even today, are still plaguing youths in Los Angeles communities. Having had those experiences, Mr. Douglass is proud to assist CYS in its mission of providing alternative paths for young people before they are irretrievably lost to the criminal justice system.

Mr. Douglass is an attorney with Parker Shaffie LLP, where his practice includes handling professional liability  claims against attorneys, insurance agents and brokers, and real estate agents and brokers. Mr. Douglass also does community service work on behalf of the Alzheimer’s Association and Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

To contact Michael, please click here.

Diane Forte, with 15+ years of public affairs experience, shapes cities and communities. As Government Relations Manager for LA’s Westside and South Bay Cities at Southern California Edison (SCE), she is the company liaison to local governments, educates stakeholders, and resolves critical issues. Prior to her current position, Diane held the role of Deputy Director External Affairs with the Public Interest Network, Director of Sustainability Programs for Environment Now Foundation, and Owner, Forte Strategies.

Diane is thrilled to join Centinela Youth Services (CYS) Board of Directors, which empowers youth and families in south LA County and the South Bay, to create meaningful change in the lives of our youth. Her multifaceted subject area expertise includes raising strategic visibility and funding for environmental and consumer groups such as Move LA and Sustainable Works. Diane holds a degree of Bachelor of Science in Applied Math from Brown University and a master’s degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government.  To contact Diane, please click here.

Mr. Pullen-Miles joined the CYS Board of Directors in March 2019. He serves as the past immediate Board Chair and as a member of the Executive Committee.

As current Mayor of the City of Lawndale, and a former Lawndale city councilmember, Mr. Pullen-Miles has strenuously advocated to improve the quality of life for residents and to support legislation and policy that protect the interests of families. Mr. Pullen-Miles’ interests in education, vocational and green-job training, and preservation of student aid programs align closely with the CYS mission and his service on the Board of Directors.

Prior to being elected to the Lawndale City Council, Mr. Pullen-Miles held a variety of positions as district representative and aide to four members of the California Legislature. He is the former district director for former Assemblywoman Autumn Burke.  He is currently a senior deputy for LA Councilwoman Heather Hutt. He is also a former Chairperson of the Lawndale Planning Commission. 

As a one-time emergency medical technician, Mr. Pullen-Miles has a deep and abiding concern for public safety and for evidence-based programs that provide youth with powerful and positive influences and opportunities.

To contact Robert, please click here.

Ms. Sevilla became a CYS Board member in 2021 and chairs the Communications & Fundraising Committee.

An experienced communicator dedicated to working on projects that improve quality of life in her community, Ms. Sevilla is Vice President & Director of Special Forces of Murakawa Communications, a strategic communications and public affairs firm specializing in public infrastructure projects. She previously worked in HIV prevention and needle exchange/harm reduction as Associate Director at San Francisco AIDS Foundation's HIV Prevention Project, is on the boards of Raices y Semillas: Opciones Educativas and SGV 4-H Fair, serves on the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Accessibility committee at the LAX/Coastal Chamber of Commerce, volunteers with the PVP 4-H Club, and is a member of the Public Relations Society of America, the Society of Hispanic Engineers, and the Asian American Architects/Engineers Association.

A South Bay native, Ms. Sevilla was raised in the communities served by CYS and was a system-impacted youth, and as such she is dedicated to working towards human dignity and equitable treatment for system-impacted youth and families.

To contact Danielle, please click here.