Leadership
Nuestro equipo de liderazgo está formado por profesionales apasionados que aportan experiencia, creatividad y dedicación a todo lo que hacemos. Están aquí para apoyar nuestra misión, fortalecer a nuestros equipos y mantenernos avanzando.
Meet Our Board
Como Director de Operaciones, Justin lidera las operaciones diarias de la Downtown San Diego Partnership, donde impulsa el crecimiento y la estrategia de una organización de más de 120 empleados. Justin obtuvo su licenciatura en Artes de Baldwin-Wallace College con especialización en Negocios Internacionales. Posteriormente asistió a Lesley University en Cambridge, Massachusetts, donde obtuvo su maestría en Relaciones Interculturales con concentración en Capacitación y Consultoría. Fue miembro fundador y Director de Operaciones de Mission Edge, una de las organizaciones de consultoría gerencial más grandes para empresas sociales y organizaciones sin fines de lucro en San Diego. Ha trabajado como coach ejecutivo para líderes locales, estratega de juntas directivas y especialista en nuevas empresas. Justin también ha desempeñado otros roles de liderazgo en operaciones y finanzas, además de ser consultor de recursos humanos y operaciones para empresas de planificación de eventos y restaurantes. Su participación comunitaria incluye liderazgo en juntas directivas de organizaciones locales sin fines de lucro como Community HousingWorks, The AjA Project y la Columbia Community Foundation. Justin y su pareja, JC, disfrutan de la escena teatral de San Diego, las numerosas oportunidades para hacer senderismo que ofrece nuestra región y explorar nuevos restaurantes en el creciente mundo culinario de San Diego.
Trevin Epps is a wealth advisor with Perigon Wealth Management. He is a Certified Wealth Strategist (CWS®) with over 20 years of experience in wealth management and advisory services. Trevin specializes in serving high-net worth individuals, families, and small businesses by creating personalized financial plans focused around the 13 wealth management issues of greatest importance to them. Trevin is passionate about serving the community, having served on several charitable boards and led ministry outreach teams over the years. He is currently on the Board of Directors for the Children’s Dental Health Association of San Diego and is actively involved with the outreach team at his church. Trevin graduated from Kansas State University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing/Pre-Law and has a master’s degree in finance from Webster University.
Reverend Webb is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and currently serves as the Senior Pastor/Teacher of the St. John Missionary Baptist Church of Oceanside, CA. He has served in this capacity since October 2014. He earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology from the University of Maryland Baltimore County and a Masters of Divinity Degree from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at the Virginia Union University.
Prior to being called to St. John Church, he served on the ministerial staff of the Morning Star Baptist Church in Catonsville, Maryland, where he was licensed and ordained. Since he arrived, Reverend Webb has opened the doors to the entire community, served special meals, completed a major renovation of the church, and invited local clergy to join together the help veterans received household goods for their new homes. Most recently, he was awarded the NAACP Religious Service and Activism Award. Reverend Kadri Webb is a man of action who lives and believes “Actions speak louder than words.”
Javier Lara is an Operations Management leader with extensive experience in domestic and international supply chain & manufacturing practices. He’s been able to apply his skills for private and publicly held companies and has been fortunate to travel the world in the process of applying his craft. Javier graduated with Honors from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management. He’s currently employed by Viasat Inc. in Carlsbad where he lives with his wife and children.
Assistant Chief of Staff / Operations Officer for Marine Corps Instillations – West, Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton.
Colonel Jackson hails from Detroit and enlisted into the Marine Corps Reserve in 1992. He graduated from Tuskegee University with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and received his commission via the Platoon Leader’s Class program in December of 1996.
Operations include: Operation Iraqi Freedom as a Company Commander; Operation Enduring Freedom as a Combat Advisor; Operation Enduring Freedom as the Regimental Combat Team-7 Future Operations Officer.
Colonel Jackson is a graduate of The Basic School, Amphibious Warfare School, Expeditionary Warfare School, Joint Forces Staff College, and the National War College in Washington D.C. Colonel Jackson’s personal decorations include the Bronze Star with Combat Distinguishing Device, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Gold Star, Meritorious Service Medal with three Gold Stars, Joint Commendation Medal, Navy-Marine Corps Commendation Medal with two Gold Stars, Navy-Marine Corps Achievement Medal with Combat Distinguishing Device and one Gold Star, and the Combat Action Ribbon with Gold Star.
Mei Bautista is a passionate advocate for the homeless, shaped by her own struggles with homelessness throughout her childhood and early adulthood. After graduating from high school in Escondido, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, studied fashion design, and hosted numerous community service projects. Driven by her experiences, Mei founded “Humanitote” four years ago, an initiative that creates reversible tote bags. For every bag sold, she donates a filled hygiene kit to individuals experiencing homelessness, totaling over 1,000 kits distributed. As the owner of Daydream Here, a vibrant retail gift shop in Escondido, Mei empowers and supports over 40 local vendors while deepening her mission to combat homelessness. Her ultimate goal is to reunite with her siblings, adopted over ten years ago, while continuing to serve her community through her volunteer efforts and entrepreneurial spirit.
Minister Brooks currently serves as an Associate Minister at Rising Star Missionary Baptist Church. She graduated from Kent State University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Education and from San Jose State University with a Master of Arts Degree in Administration/Supervision. The wife of Alphonso Brooks, Carol is also the mother of two sons and a grandmother of three. Currently, she is a member of the North County African American Women’s Association and the Women’s Community Club. She has served on the Board of Directors for the Vista Community Clinic and KOCT Community Television. She also served on the Community Healthcare Alliance Committee for the Tri-City Healthcare District.
Erick is Senior Vice President at Cultura San Diego, a full-service furniture and design provider. A key member of Cultura leadership, Erick manages teams across sales, marketing, and design. With more than a decade of experience in sales and management, Erick is dedicated to promoting opportunities for diversity within the commercial real estate industry. He is deeply involved in the San Diego community, serving as a board member of CREW San Diego (2022–2024) and as a mentor with Promises2Kids for LGBTQ youth. Through Cultura, Erick further supports local nonprofit organizations across San Diego by coordinating furniture donations and services for individuals and families in need.
The Rev. Meg Decker has served at Trinity Episcopal Church in Escondido for over 20 years. In that time she has led the congregation in creatively engaging the outside world in service and Christian witness.
Leading one of the founding congregations of Interfaith Community Services, the Rev. Decker highly values cooperation between faiths and has been instrumental in organizing interfaith events, demonstrating how religion can be a force for unity and service in the community. She currently leads the Escondido Faith Leaders’ Council and is organizing a multi-faith chaplaincy program at Interfaith Community Services.
An attorney with Higgs Fletcher & Mack, Mitch joined the Board in December 2016. Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Mitch and his wife Julie came to San Diego in 1981 after working in the Criminal and Tax Divisions of the Justice Department. Mitch specializes in tax controversy cases as well as business matters. He has been listed as a Southern California SuperLawyer for several years. In addition to professional commitments, Mitch has served on several charitable boards and organizations, including serving as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of Seacrest Village, Second Chance, the Anti Defamation League, and Serving Seniors.
Silas I. Harrington is licensed to practice law in California and Washington State, and he maintains a law office in Escondido focused on tax controversy, estate planning, and business formation and planning.
Mr. Harrington is an active member of Community Lutheran Church in Escondido, California. He appreciates the opportunity to apply his skills to maintain and build his local community.
Carol Lazier is a highly accomplished San Diego philanthropist and community volunteer. She is an active member of Rancho Bernardo Community Presbyterian Church and presently serves as Board Chair of San Diego Opera where she successfully led the effort to prevent the Opera’s closure. “The Arts connect us as human beings. Art nourishes our souls, increases empathy and tolerance.” She has served on the boards of the San Diego Museum of Art, the San Diego Symphony, and the Palomar Family YMCA. Carol was co-founder, lead underwriter, and is President of Solutions: Exploring Success Post High School, a non-profit that provides college and career information to San Diego students. Carol has also given her time and resources to such non-profits as Palomar Health Foundation, CSUSM, UCSD Rady School, and UCSD Jacobs Hospital.
Yusef Miller is the founder of Mosques Against Trafficking, Co-Founder of The North County Equity & Justice Coalition, Member of the Racial Justice Coalition of San Diego, Member of East County Justice Coalition, Board Member of Activist San Diego, and Board Member of the Islamic Society of North County (Escondido Musullah). Upon retirement from the Armed Service, Yusef filled his time with Social Justice activities, first through Interfaith teams, Escondido Together, Poway Interfaith Team (POINT), San Diego Regional Interfaith Collaborative (SDRIC), as well as the District Attorney’s Interfaith Advisory Council and the San Diego Anti-Hate Crimes Coalition, fighting disparities on all fronts, including race, religion, gender, and immigration status. Currently, Yusef is a Community Health Worker (CHW) for The Multicultural Health Foundation and is the North County COVID-19 Awareness Rep for the African American Community.
Dr. Ronald Ramirez has served as Dean of the College of Business Administration at California State University San Marcos since 2022. Guided by a strong commitment to student advancement and an opportunity-focused mindset, he has led the college through consecutive years of growth, marked by rising student success and expanded community partnerships.
A proud graduate of the California State University system, Dr. Ramirez returned to CSU driven by a deep commitment to student equity. Before transitioning into academia, he built a diverse professional background across the telecommunications, semiconductor, and oil industries.
Dr. Ramirez holds a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of California, Irvine, an MBA from the USC Marshall School of Business, and a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from California State University, Fresno. Beyond his academic leadership, Dr. Ramirez is dedicated to serving his local community and supporting underserved populations.
Meet Our Team
La carrera de Greg se ha centrado en ayudar a los demás. Tras licenciarse en Ciencias Políticas por la Universidad de California en San Diego en 2003, trabajó en el Instituto Joan B. Kroc para la Paz y la Justicia de la Universidad de San Diego. En 2006, se incorporó a Interfaith Community Services como coordinador de voluntarios y enlace con comunidades religiosas, desempeñándose posteriormente como director de desarrollo durante cinco años. En 2011, pasó a formar parte de la Universidad Estatal de California en San Marcos como director de grandes donaciones, fomentando el apoyo comunitario para un programa regional de admisión garantizada que ofrece una vía de acceso a la universidad a jóvenes de bajos ingresos y comunidades desatendidas.
Greg regresó a Interfaith como director ejecutivo en mayo de 2014, liderando un proceso inclusivo de definición de visión estratégica que devolvió la titularidad de Interfaith Community Services a sus diversas partes interesadas y estableció una visión clara para el futuro de la organización. Dicha visión impulsó la creación del Hawthorne Veteran and Family Resource Center (un programa de cuidados de recuperación para personas sin hogar dadas de alta hospitalaria), la apertura del Haven House Year-Round Emergency Shelter (el primer refugio de emergencia permanente para personas sin hogar de todos los géneros en el norte del condado) y el lanzamiento de programas de recuperación y bienestar para abordar problemas de adicción y salud mental.
Greg es expresidente y miembro del comité directivo de la Alliance for Regional Solutions, miembro del consejo asesor en representación de los proveedores de servicios de la zona costera norte (North Coastal) para el sistema regional de atención continua a personas sin hogar (*Regional Homeless Continuum of Care*), miembro del consejo asesor de servicios sociales del condado de San Diego y expresidente del North County Philanthropy Council. Obtuvo su maestría en Liderazgo y Gestión de Organizaciones sin Fines de Lucro en la Universidad de San Diego en 2009.
Filipa Rios is a seasoned nonprofit executive with over 24 years of experience advancing innovative, community-driven solutions across the health and human services sector. She began her career in direct service, working with individuals and families facing homelessness and complex behavioral health challenges, which shaped her enduring commitment to equitable, person-centered systems of care.
She has progressed into executive leadership and currently serves as Chief Operating Officer at Interfaith Community Services, where she oversees a broad portfolio of programs across behavioral health, housing, and social services. In this role, she leads complex operations, drives cross-system collaboration, and partners with public agencies and community stakeholders to advance integrated, outcomes-driven service delivery.
Filipa also brings experience in housing and service integration, strengthening her ability to align programmatic and structural solutions that support long-term stability. She is known for designing and scaling effective programs, building strong partnerships, and navigating evolving policy and funding environments to meet community needs.
With deep expertise in program development, behavioral health, and public sector collaboration, Filipa is a strategic and operational leader committed to advancing systems change and delivering meaningful community impact. She holds a Master of Public Administration.
Luis Murillo serves as Chief Development Officer at Interfaith Community Services, where he provides strategic leadership for fundraising, marketing, volunteer engagement, faith partnerships, and community engagement as a member of the Executive Team. With more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit advancement, he has led major and principal gift fundraising programs across complex organizations in the community-based, higher education, and international humanitarian sectors.
Prior to Interfaith, Luis served as Regional Director of Development for Catholic Relief Services (CRS), one of the world's leading international humanitarian organizations, where he managed a multi-million-dollar fundraising portfolio supporting global initiatives addressing poverty, food insecurity, disaster response, refugee assistance, and long-term development. He also held development leadership roles at the University of California San Diego, contributing to a multi-billion-dollar comprehensive campaign, and at Barrio Logan College Institute, where he helped build the organization's development function and fundraising infrastructure.
Born in Mexico and raised in California's Central Valley, Luis is a bilingual fundraising leader who brings both lived experience and professional expertise to his work, with a deep commitment to building philanthropy that reflects and serves the communities it supports. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Philosophy from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.
An avid reader with a broad interest in literature and ideas that explore the human experience, Luis lives in University City with his wife and two children. He enjoys spending time with his family, going to the beach, and supporting the San Diego Wave as a season ticket holder since their inaugural season.
Robert serves as the Chief Financial Officer and joined Interfaith in 2023. With 30 years of experience in Finance and Accounting, he has held executive and leadership positions in public and private companies, focusing on healthcare and executive development. Prior to joining Interfaith, Rob was most recently Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for XiFin, Inc., and was previously the Chief Accounting Officer for Vistage International. Rob is a Certified Public Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Salem State University.
Lauren serves as Deputy Chief Program Officer at Interfaith Community Services, where she provides strategic oversight of multiple departments, including Inland and Coastal Services, Short-Term Housing, Permanent Housing, Quality Assurance & Compliance, and the organization’s One Campaign initiative funded by the Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. With over 17 years of experience in nonprofit and government leadership, compliance, and program development, Lauren has led agency-wide efforts in policy creation, grant and contract management, and data-driven performance measurement.
She brings extensive experience working with Continuums of Care and has served as a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) Administrator for two different CoCs, supporting system coordination, data integrity, and federal reporting requirements.
Previously, she served as Director of Quality Assurance, Compliance, and Grants, where she acted as the organization’s HIPAA Privacy Officer and oversaw all contracts, reporting, and audit functions. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Services Administration and a Master of Arts in Public Administration. She is passionate about strengthening systems of care through effective program design, compliance, and cross-sector collaboration.
Lauren is also a proud Navy wife and mom to her three fur babies.
