Equality Program Deputy Field Organizers
Courage Campaign Deputy Field Organizers are Equality Program volunteers committed to empowering and training leaders in their communities to mobilize for a more progressive California. Modeled after the Deputy Field Organizer (DFO) Program the Obama campaign utilized during both the primary and general elections, Courage Campaign DFOs have made the following commitments to organize in their communities:
- Volunteer 10-20 hours per week
- Build and execute a local plan for community engagement
- Attend local community events on behalf of the Courage Campaign
- Be a spokesperson for the Courage Campaign Equality Program at local media events
- Identify leaders, help coordinate them in local Equality Teams and build community and commitment around that leadership to build local power
- Provide organizing trainings and support to activists and progressive organizations in communities across California.
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Wendolyn Aragon - San Francisco: Wendolyn Aragon is a Bay Area Native, raised in a working class family. Being a union man, her father always talks politics and stresses the importance of voting. When she was 18, she volunteered for the 1992 Clinton-Gore Campaign and was inspired to keep getting involved in every presidential election from then on. However, it was Howard Dean who really made the biggest impact when it came to grassroots organizing. She started volunteering with Courage Campaign last year when she attended an event called Milk + Love. Wendolyn then volunteered to host an Equality Team kick-off meeting, ran a few canvasses, and eventually became the San Francisco Team Leader. In addition to serving as a DFO with the Courage Campaign, she is a regional representative for the Restore Equality 2010 campaign.
KSuzzane Massey - East Bay: KSuzanne is a lover of life, as well as a life learner. In 2008, she married the woman of her dreams. They have a 21 year-old daughter that they have raised together for the past 8 years. Now in her second professional career, she is an instructional assistant at a community college. She is a Spirit Practitioner, a writer, an avid reader, and a public speaker. She enjoys visioning; going on walking meditations; walking the labyrinth; attending workshops & retreats; spending time with my family; and playing with her dogs, Sachi and Clara!
Mitchell Oster - San Francisco: Mitchell Oster is high school math teacher, most recently working at Balboa High School in San Francisco. Beginning as a precinct captain and out of state volunteer in Nevada and Texas for the Obama campaign, Mitchell has worked on campaigns for about two years. In the summer of 2009, he worked as a Regional Field Director for the Anthony Woods for Congress campaign in California's 10th Congressional District. He also recently spent a wek in Portland, Maine working on the No on 1 campaign. He is married and loves his wife of 13 years. Although now a Northern California resident, he was raised in San Diego and can be seen most Sunday afternoons screaming at a football game on television.
Justin Pabalate - Northern NorCal Coast: After spending the last 3 years as Co-Chair of Humboldt Pride as well as Co-Chapter Leader for Marriage Equality USA in Humboldt County it was a natural fit for Justin to become a Deputy Field Organizer for the Courage Campaigns Equality program. Long before Prop 8 was introduced on the ballot Justin had been working in tandem with a multitude of queer focused organizations in his area building bridges and doing community outreach. With the successful defeat of prop 8 in Humboldt he hopes to use his experience to help turn the tide of social acceptance throughout California, especially in rural areas, in order to create a safe environment for queers to be able to live openly.
Robert Renteria - Sacramento County: Robert is a Latino, Los Angeles native and he has been active in the GLBTQI/Animal Rights/Human Rights movements for over 10 years now. He started off in Hollywood, CA with Bienestar, as part of the Ellos de Hollywood men’s group. From there, he has worked/volunteered for LA Animal Services as a Volunteer/Event Coordinator, the Children’s Circle, Camp Laurel, The LA Gay & Lesbian Center, APLA, OutFest Film Festival in LA, the SoCal GSA Network, PFLAG, and the Southern California HIV/AIDS Coalition. More recently, he has worked for JWCH doing HIV testing and counseling and the Whittier Rio Hondo AIDS Project with the Phoenix Project and the Christopher Wahl Youth Center assisting with organizing Gay-Straight Alliances in the area and advocating for LGBTQI Student safety in schools. Moving up to Sacramento in August of ‘09 has given him the opportunity to inject himself into current, local movements and really offer what he has learned as a resource.
Michael Roland - Sonoma: Michael Roland has had a number of interesting career paths on his way to becoming a teacher and a social justice advocate. He started his first job out of college selling boats for the largest marine dealer and despite a lack of experience in that area, he went on to be a successful salesman. He went from there to the insurance industry, working as an underwriter for a Birkshire Hathaway owned casualty insurance firm in Foster City. He took on a number of minor actuarial duties before quitting to pursue a business start-up called Affordable Integration. AI failed as the economy turned and investors pulled out, and that led Michael to turn to education. He has been working on joint graduate degrees in business administration and learning and instruction, and started teaching special education at a start-up charter high school in Redwood City.
Justine Sarfan - Northern NorCal Inland: The 2008 California battle for equal marriage brought a lot of controversy to the surface, and both the LGBT and the heterosexual communities still debate the relevancy of issue, a reality that inspired deep thought for Justine. After working with the Obama campaign and briefly with OFA, she concluded that she wanted to do organizing for an issue that felt more personal to her. Her emotional response to the marriage equality battle in the media were clear as a bell; she wanted to be closer to the fight so that she could put her energy to use. She is glad to be part of the committed, close knit DFO team, and proud to be working with a smart, progressive organization like Courage Campaign in the interest of justice for all!
Courtney Shelley - Sacramento & Sierra Foothills: Courtney grew up in the Sacramento suburb of Placer County. After graduating from UCLA, she and her husband returned to the quiet foothills-area to raise their two children. When Proposition 8 campaigning was in full-swing, she watched her peaceful, family-friendly community become overrun with "Yes on 8" signs. She realized that if she wanted to raise her children to value themselves and all people, her work would need to start right in her own neighborhood. She has been working ever since to engage her neighbors in and around the very conservative area of Sacramento to remind parents how their opinions of marriage equality might be hurting their own children, and help people remember that the foothills are not a place we move to in order to avoid diversity, but a place we move to in order to find peace in our lives and share that peace with others.
Tiana Trutna - East Bay: Tiana Trutna is her name and she is here to make sure marriage equality is for all one in the same. She grew in Eureka California, the middle child in a large family. She has 8 siblings to be exact and grew up in a hippy shack. To school she went, ASL and dance she did learn, and now she is in Berkeley California, where she lives and earns. Growing up quite poor and consistently made aware of the fact, she have developed a great affinity for taking action to make things different, rather than just talking of how things could be different. She has always been involved in demos and rallies for both animal rights and women’s rights. As a straight ally, she will be marching alongside incredible love warriors until marriage equality is an undeniable reality.
Shannon Wolfrum-Greene - East Bay: Shannon is an Family Law Attorney and an activist for LGBT rights. She was involved in the "No on Prop 8" campaign. Shannon is committed to redoubling her efforts and further mobilizing the community to bring BACK the right to marry to all consenting adult Californians. Shannon urges all supporters to vow to fight until same-sex marriage is legal nationwide.
CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Derrick Dominguez - Central Coast: A multi-issue activist, Derrick Dominguez is the Regional Field Organizer for San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, and Monterey Counties. He has served as a resource for Equality Team events throughout the Central Coast, including helping establish and initiate new university and community LGBT equality teams. Through Courage Campaign and the DFO program, he was sent as a volunteer for the 'No On 1' marriage equality battle in Maine in October/November 2009. While there, he was active in volunteer recruitment and campus related events. Derrick works with 'The Center for ReUniting Families,' a non-profit organization committed to inspiring choices for living a sustainable and conscious life.
Jackki Hirahara - Central Valley: Jackki Hirahara is the Deputy Field Organizer for Fresno County and for Campus Organizing. She has worked on campaigns for Gore, Kerry and Obama. Jackki also did community organizing for Senate Bill 174 and the California Special Election. She moved back to to her hometown of Fresno after President Obama's inauguration with a sense of duty to work in the Central Valley community. She found her place after attending Camp Courage Fresno. From there with other organizers she formed the Fresno County Equality Team and worked hard organizing Meet in the Middle 4 Equality in Fresno. She currently works with CalVoter and the Democratic Party registering voters and is also working on a Fresno City Council Campaign.
Jasmine Leiva - Central Valley: Jasmine's experience as an organizer and an activist includes working on Reproductive Justice and Marriage Equality. She has volunteered with Planned Parenthood, and worked on Parental Notification campaigns (No on Props. 73, 85, and 4). For Jasmine, the latter half of 2008 was spent phonebanking for Obama and working as a campus organizer for Vote Down 4 and 8. Her campus organizing skills were useful as she spent time in Portland, Maine volunteering on the No on 1 campaign. Jasmine was also one of the founding members of the Fresno County Equality Team, and an organizer for the Meet in the Middle rally. In addition to volunteer work, Jasmine lives her passion by working as a Health Educator for Fresno Barrios Unidos, where she empowers youth through knowledge of reproductive health. Jasmine is committed to working for a more progressive California, and believes the best place to do so is at home in the Central Valley.
Ashlee Williams - North Central Valley: Ashlee is an advocate for equality. She has worked in social services throughout her career, but most near and dear to her are issues related to social equity and community. She is a local advocate for grassroots efforts in accessing healthcare, healthy foods, education, the environment, and civil rights. After marrying her life partner in 2008 and attending Camp Courage Fresno in 2009, Ashlee assumed marriage equality as a central issue for her own local, state, and federal organizing. The Los Banos Equality Team was formed in June 2009 and continues to join in courageous conversations to ensure equality for all.
Michelle Wright - Central Valley: Michelle came to Fresno from San Diego in 2000 on a sports scholarship to Fresno State. Ultimately she felt called away from collegiate softball after 2 years because it wasn't an avenue that she was prospering in; but didn't feel called to leave the Fresno community. She spent the following 6 years working at faith-based camps in the mountains of CA and Miami, FL, primarily working as a mentor to high school aged girls. She's been very active in the high school and competitive coaching world over the last 3 years and has volunteered with many faith-based organizations including FCA, NieuCommunities, and area churches.
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
Alifah Ali - Los Angeles: Alifah Ali is a civil rights activist and a budding activist in Los Angeles. Seeded in Fresno, Alifah has a passionate instinct to write and sing for the cause. Before relocating from the Central Valley, Alifah served as the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Fresno Equality Team and as an organizer for Meet in the Middle.
Sara Beth Brooks - San Diego: Sara Beth Brooks is an activist and organizer in San Diego, CA. After the passage of Proposition 8, she got involved through Join the Impact and started planning marches and rallies. She attended the inaugural Camp Courage in Los Angeles in January of 2009, and has been a facilitator and organizer for Camp Courage since. Sara Beth also works in the labor movement for Unite HERE, the hotel and restaurant employees union, and organizes around marriage equality and choice in San Diego.
Felicia Carbajal - San Fernando Valley: Felicia Carbajal is no stranger to community organizing having spent over a decade working on prison reform as well as helping to develop a program that is part of Los Angeles Sheriff"s Dept. There Felicia empowered men and women as they transitioned into mainstream society. The passage of Proposition 8 forced Felicia to step away from reentry and into a new arena that included fighting for the LGBT community. Felicia was fortunate to be able to legally marry her partner during the narrow time period in 2008 when it was legal. Felicia cherishes every moment she can spend with her wife and their 3 year old niece.
Erin Faulk - Los Angeles: Erin Faulk began her fight for equality in South Carolina and is dedicated to bringing equality to all parts of this nation, starting with California. Her love for travel has brought her into contact with so many amazing people who have shown her that differences are what make our world worth living in. Having been raised in a Christian home, she has a special interest in reaching out and including people of faith in the fight for equality.
Tracy Greene - San Fernando Valley: Tracy Greene is a member of one of the 18,000 same-sex couples who married in California between June 17, 2008 and November 4, 2008. She is a social activist for equal rights and she will not stop until we reach full equality for all! Tracy brings many unique talents to the movement including her experience in software engineering, project management as well as her knowledge of social media. She was a "Super Volunteer" during the No on 8 campaign and recently took a Volunteer Vacation to help on the ground in Maine for the No on One campaign. Tracy is also better known for her infectious smile.
Laura Kanter - Orange County: Laura Kanter married her beautiful wife Karla Bland on August 8, 2008, in a small park near our home in Irvine, California. She has a Master's Degree in Social Welfare from UCLA and became a social worker so that she could do work that empowered others and promoted social justice. She has worked as a clinical social worker for almost 15 years, serving as an advocate for others in different capacities. Since the passage of Proposition 8, she became a founding member of the Orange County Equality Coalition (OCEC) and OCAN, the Orange County Action Network. She has helped to plan numerous events in Orange County and Los Angeles including Don't Fire Dan, the first protest honoring Dan Choi, the Eve of Justice, Decision Day and the Corona Del Mar Rent Protest. She also co-chaired the OUTWest Bootcamp with Christine Pelosi. This fight has led Laura to Washington D.C., Maine, and now, New Jersey.
Phyllis Lozano - Inland Empire: Phyllis Lozano has lived in the Inland Empire for 6 years. She is currently working on her Masters in Psychology with an emphasis on non-profit management. She is an activist, humanitarian, and community organizer. She started with Courage Campaign as an Equality Team Leader and now oversees 3 Equality Teams in the High Desert as a Deputy Field Organizer. She has worked on various projects in her community to bring awareness to issues such as AIDS funding/cutbacks and feeding the homeless. She is passionate about Equality because she believes that this great country was built on the foundation that we were all created EQUAL. She is committed to the movement and will jump in and do whatever it takes to help build a more progressive California.
Lesli Lytle - Los Angeles/Orange County: Lesli Lytle grew up in Cypress, CA, the daughter of two Republican parents. They had been married for 48 years when her dad passed away. She states, "I have always wanted a marriage that would last forever. I still seek that." She firmly believes that every couple deserves to seek that ideal. In 1993, Lesli received her BA at CSU Sacramento. She majored in English and minored in Environmental Science and Criminal Justice. She is an Alumnus of the very first Camp Courage, in Los Angeles. She is a Human Rights, Animal Rights and Earth Rights activist. Fighting injustices. Lesli says her favorite quote is: “Never let the odds keep you from doing what you know in your heart you were meant to do.”
Brian Shurwood - Los Angeles: Brian Shurwood is a credentialed teacher and licensed attorney in California. Brian taught for four years at a traditionally underserved elementary school in Los Angeles. The monumental successes that Brian was able to facilitate in this environment furthered his belief in the promise of education and bolstered his passion to expand opportunities through education reform. Brian currently sits on the Board of a premiere public Charter School, Synergy Academies (Los Angeles), which has overcome one of the most vexing challenges confronting education— eliminating the achievement gap for low-income African-American and Latino students. Brian holds degrees from USC (BA), Pepperdine (MA), and New York University (JD), and is a member of Screen Actors Guild.
Kristal Vick - WeHo: Kristal Vick is an activists with a history of volunteerism in a broad number of progressive social justice movements. Kristal Vick attended the first Camp Courage and has since joined the Camp Courage team as a facilitator helping to train activists all over the state and helping to create a progressive political infrastructure in the the state of California. She was was recently honored by Christopher Street West as a LA Pride 2009 community ambassador and was asked to speak alongside West Hollywood Mayor Abby Land, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaragosa, and then Gubernatorial candidate Gavin Newsom. Kristal Vick continues her social justice work as a Deputy Field Organizer for Courage Campaign and has just been named one of their southern California faith outreach coordinators.