staff
JANÉA JACKSON
CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Janéa Jackson, AICP is HomeRise CEO, bringing nearly two decades of management experience in affordable housing, government administration, and urban planning.
With a track record of building successful partnerships at the local, state, and federal level, she was previously HUD’s Multifamily West Region’s Asset Management Division Director in San Francisco. Ms. Jackson has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Sociology from the University of Pennsylvania and a Masters of Urban Planning from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In her spare time, you will find her taking her three children to their music concerts, attending sporting events, enjoying new restaurants, and traveling.
Sergio Perez
CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER
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Sergio joined HomeRise in April 2023 as Interim Chief Financial Officer, bringing 20 years of experience in non-profit accounting and finance to the organization. After beginning his professional career as an auditor at PwC in Boston, Sergio transitioned over to the non-profit sector where he has successfully managed and directed all fiscal functions of non-profit organizations in accordance with GAAP and other regulatory, funding and advisory organizations in accordance with the financial management techniques and practices appropriate within the non-profit sector.
Sergio holds a B.B.A in Accounting from the University of Massachusetts Amherst and a J.D. from Suffolk University Law School in Boston. He is also an attorney in good standing in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Born and raised in Boston, Sergio now lives in the Bay Area and enjoys fitness and spending time with his family.
ALEXANDRA SCANNELL
EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT TO THE CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
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Alex joined HomeRise in July 2022 as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Executive Officer. She is responsible for providing administrative support to the CEO, Executive Level Staff and the Board of Directors of HomeRise.
Before joining HomeRise, Alex worked in education for over 10 years, not only teaching in classrooms but also in administration where she put her operational expertise into practice. She is passionate about working with people, especially in the underserved communities that she grew up in. She has a wide variety of experience in serving the community including supporting at-risk youth in West Oakland, San Francisco, Richmond and Vallejo. Her prior experience also includes providing emotional support for court protected day-homes in East and West Oakland and coordinating events that provided toiletries, food, food education and mental health resources for the homeless in the East Bay.
ANAT LEONARD-WOOKEY
VP OF PROGRAMS
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Anat joined HomeRise in August 2014 and is currently our Vice President of Programs. She brings over 20 years of experience across the homeless services system of care (e.g. shelter, transitional housing, permanent supportive housing and supported employment) serving multiple communities, including survivors of intimate partner violence, youth, families, seniors, persons living with HIV/AIDS, and persons with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Prior to joining HomeRise, Anat was the Deputy Executive Director of Housing Services at Bowery Residents’ Committee in New York City. She holds a Masters in Social Work from Columbia University, and licensure as a Clinical Social Worker in New York and California. She is passionate about harm reduction and social justice and believes deeply in the wisdom within each human. She has enjoyed supporting non-profits through Board Service in the past and most recently termed off the Board at Dolores Street Community Services. She is the mom to a toddler who keeps her on her toes and volunteers as a Crew Leader with Sutro Stewards to stay connected to nature.
KEN HAROOTUNIAN
VP OF FUND DEVELOPMENT
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Ken Harootunian is responsible for fundraising, marketing, communications, and social media.
He has focused on fundraising and nonprofit management since the 1980’s, helping to spur growth and scale impact for three different Planned Parenthood affiliates, Stanford University, the University of Pennsylvania, and the East Bay Community Foundation. Ken joined HomeRise in August 2021 having managed and led numerous successful major gift and capital campaigns. He currently serves as Board Chair for Exposing Hope (focused on the global refugee crisis) and is a board member of the Numi Foundation (which provided more than 600,000 pounds of food to families and seniors here in the Bay Area during the Pandemic and is currently working to provide critical water filtration technology/hardware for the citizens of Ukraine).
ARIELLE STARACE
DIRECTOR OF HOUSING OPERATIONS
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Arielle is responsible for the Housing Operations Department and overall operations of HomeRise’s housing portfolio. She oversees the property management, facilities, and compliance teams.
Arielle joined HomeRise is 2018 after relocating from New York City where she held several positions but ended her time there as Director of Programs at SKIP of New York, a case management agency for developmentally disabled and medically fragile children. She started as a Resident Services Manager for the Tenderloin family sites, before becoming the Program Director for the Tenderloin Adult PSH Portfolio. In 2022, Arielle joined the Housing Operations department as the Interim Linkage and Leasing Director, working on lease ups of two new buildings, vacancies within our existing portfolio, and strengthening relationships with our community partners. Arielle has a Bachelor of Psychology from Temple University.
Lynnette Hollins
INTERIM DIRECTOR OF HUMAN RESOURCES
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Lynnette Hollins is a San Francisco native from the Western Addition who currently resides in the East Bay. She has more than 15 years experience in dual roles as a Human Resources and Payroll Manager. She brings over five years of experience from San Francisco’s legacy radio stations, known for broadcasting the 49ers, Giants, and Warriors. Having been with HomeRise since early 2020, Lynnette is excited lead the HR department in this interim role with her expertise and commitment to the organization’s growth and success.
RENEE PENTON
DIRECTOR OF RESIDENT SERVICES
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SARA SHORTT
DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC POLICY & COMMUNITY ORGANIZING
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Sara Shortt brings over 25 years of experience in community organizing, policy advocacy, program management and service delivery in the areas of economic justice, anti-poverty organizing, affordable housing, homelessness and tenants’ rights and anti-displacement issues. Sara spent the past three years running an innovative, multi-disciplinary homeless outreach program in LA’s Skid Row, which successfully housed hundreds of chronically homeless residents.
Before that she was the Executive Director of the Housing Rights Committee, where for 11 years she was at the forefront of eviction prevention efforts, rent control preservation, renter anti-displacement measures and renter’s rights public education and legal services. Sara started out in San Francisco 20 years ago organizing residents of SROs in the Tenderloin. She is a passionate and fierce advocate for the rights and dignity of the city’s lowest income renters.
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