EXECUTIVE TEAM

Siris Barrios

Siris Barrios served as the Emergency Rent Assistance Program (ERAP) Manager. Ms. Barrios is an expert in developing and implementing social impact initiatives that centered around community organizing. In the last seven years, Ms. Barrios organized stakeholders around placemaking strategies that inform land entitlements that resulted in Community Benefits Agreement embedded into new zoning. Ms. […]

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Arrens Castro

Arrens had fifteen plus years of progressive experience handling all aspects of daily accounting operations, financial reporting, month end closing, internal controls, financial planning and analysis, ERP management with Big 4 audit, large advertising and public cpa firm serving small to mid-size retail, non-profit organizations, petroleum, construction and manufacturing clients before she joined TRUST South […]

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Oscar Monge

Oscar Monge, currently serving as the Interim Executive Director of T.R.U.S.T. South LA, has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s mission since 2017 to reclaim land and housing from the speculative market for permanent affordable housing, racial and economic justice, and community empowerment in South LA.  With over a decade of experience in nonprofit and public […]

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TEAM MEMBERS

Arlon Tuazon

Arlon joined T.R.U.S.T. South LA in 2019.  She has 11 years experience as an Executive Assistant to the CIO in one of the largest banks in the Philippines.  She has a degree in Business Management.  She is part of the team that handles the day to day operation of T.R.U.S.T. office, providing clerical support, updating […]

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Sandra McNeill

Ms. McNeill has been involved in community building work for over twenty years, working with community-based organizations and coalitions, which have each approached the problem of wealth and resource inequality through a range of strategies. As principal of Sandra McNeill Consulting, Ms. McNeill is committed to enhancing the capacity of non-profit organizations and community-based initiatives […]

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Aishah Abdala

Aishah (she/they) was border town raised with the privilege of growing up between Tijuana, B.C., and San Ysidro, CA. Their experience as a fronteriza led Aishah to dedicate their time and service to understanding health as a social effect, health as an institution, and abolition as a process of regeneration towards community-led systems change. While […]

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Gabriela Nunez

Gabriela Nunez was born and raised in South Los Angeles. She has been volunteering weekly at T.R.U.S.T. South LA since summer 2017. At T.R.U.S.T. South LA, Gabriela has been involved in projects like the “Welcome to Our Neighborhood Dream” Slauson & Wall community event and their resident-led Sustainable and Stable Slauson plan. In addition, she […]

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Jessica Melendez

Jessica was born and raised in South Central Los Angeles. Inspired by hearing her father’s experiences growing up in South Central as an immigrant during the crack-cocaine epidemic, she pursued her BA in Politics from the University of San Francisco. After graduating, she began her professional career as an organizer in South Central LA organizing around […]

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Kristinia Kirkwood

Kristinia Kirkwood began her development career in 2017 in the South Bay, where she has been pivotal in tackling issues like homelessness, food insecurity, and low-income affecting individuals and families throughout Los Angeles. She has contributed to key initiatives, including Mayor Karen Bass’s “Inside Safe” program in collaboration with Harbor Interfaith Services, which has helped house […]

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Ivana Munguia

Ivana Munguia was born and raised in South Central, Los Angeles. As a first-generation Latina, Ivana attended the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and received her Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science, and double minored in Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences and Public Affairs in 2022. During her undergraduate years, Ivana was a member […]

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Rashad Douglass

Rashad Douglass is a dedicated political science scholar with a passion for progressive politics, housing/transit advocacy, and community organizing. Receiving his B.A. in Political Science & Government at Dickinson College, where he graduated magna cum laude, Rashad has distinguished himself through his academic excellence and commitment to social justice. Born and raised in South LA, Rashad’s experience […]

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Sim-Marcel Bilal

Sim Bilal is an seasoned organizer and activist from South Central LA. He was raised by a single mom and is Korean, Black, and Chickasaw. Sim roots his work through his identity, as an anchor and guide for systematic change. His primary focus has been organizing on the intersection of climate, housing & the environment […]

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Neyda Quintanilla

Neyda Quintanilla was born and raised in South Los Angeles, having experienced racial and social injustice growing up influenced her decision to follow a career in politics and law. The housing crisis of 2010 personally impacted her life, which led to her volunteering with the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), where she learned […]

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Karely De La Cruz

Karely De La Cruz has been shaped by a multifaceted upbringing across Tijuana, South Los Angeles, and Compton, and has been deeply ingrained in community work since her early years. She discovered her passion for activism at a young age, getting involved in various grassroots initiatives focused on supporting marginalized individuals and families experiencing housing […]

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