Name: Johana Chazaro Cortes

Student info: Senior at California Baptist University studying Computer Science

I was last year’s SWE (Society of Women Engineers) Club President and this year I will be serving as the club’s outreach coordinator. I am a Data Scientist intern at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center where I get to be a main player in the development and maintenance of the cyber-infrastructure of new pilot projects.

Carson is in his second year at California Baptist University, majoring in Mechanical Engineering and minoring in Aerospace Engineering and Mathematics. He currently serves as the President of the University’s American Society of Mechanical Engineers, where he and his team have designed solar powered vehicles, and continue to develop new projects for international competitions.

Kathy Michalak

Executive Director

Habitat for Humanity Riverside

Kathy Michalak has been the Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity Riverside since April of 2014. She was appointed E.D. after having served on the board of directors for the organization, then retiring from a 35-year career in the newspaper business and joining the organization as an employee in 2009. Michalak quickly earned her Contractor’s license, became the organization’s Construction Manager and is responsible for the creation and expansion of home preservation programs assisting low income elderly, disabled and veteran homeowners keep up their homes, allowing them to age in place safely. The organization now assists over 75 homeowners every year, preserving existing affordable housing in the service area which covers Western Riverside County including the cities of Riverside, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Corona and Norco.

Habitat for Humanity Riverside currently has 40 affordable homes in development in the cities of Riverside and Jurupa Valley. 10 of those homes are small cottages being developed in partnership with the City of Riverside for their Housing First program.

Michalak has served as a member of the Grants Committee of The Community Foundation of San Bernardino and Riverside County for over 10 years and she also currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Greater Riverside Chambers of Commerce where she is Vice Chair for Membership and Marketing. She serves on the Board of Directors for Habitat California, the statewide organization for Habitat for Humanity affiliates and on the Steering Committee for Leadership Riverside.

Michalak has lived in the City of Riverside for 20 years.

Gregory J. Bradbard

President, Hope through Housing Foundation

Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, National CORE

Gregory (Greg) Bradbard, President of the Hope through Housing Foundation and National CORE’s Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships, has spent the past two decades as a community champion and nonprofit leader throughout Southern California. Greg is a passionate advocate for moving individuals from poverty to self-sufficiency. Under his leadership, Hope through Housing has launched its Pathways to Economic Empowerment financial coaching initiative, deepened youth career readiness through Building Bright Futures, and expanded community leadership through the creation of regional Executive Leadership Councils. Prior to joining Hope through Housing and National CORE, Greg served as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Inland Empire United Way. Past roles have included serving as Executive Director for Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County, and Executive Director for the Irvine Public Schools Foundation. Greg holds a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior from UC Irvine and a Master of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands. He has a long history of community service including roles on the Funders Alliance of San Bernardino and Riverside Counties, the Rancho Cucamonga Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors, San Bernardino County’s Vision Leadership Council, the End Childhood Poverty California Executive Steering Committee, and currently serves on the SoCal Policy Forum, Inland Action, and the Southern California Leadership Council.

About National CORE and the Hope Through Housing Foundation

National Community Renaissance (CORE) is one of the nation’s largest nonprofit affordable housing organizations, with 85 properties and over 8,000 apartment units across California, Texas and Florida. Founded 29 years ago in Ranch Cucamonga, CORE’s footprint includes 70 sites throughout SoCal, including 12 in Los Angeles County and 32 in the Inland Empire. CORE’s mission, along with partner organization the Hope Through Housing Foundation (Hope), is to transform lives and communities. Our shared goal is to utilize safe, stable, high quality affordable housing to elevate the health, well-being, and self-sufficiency of low-income families and seniors. Utilizing a place-based model and a solid network of community partners, Hope delivers an array of on-site health and social services to help prepare youth for a successful future, improve economic mobility for families, and build health and wellness for seniors as they age in place. With a strong focus on youth development for children and teens whose families have historically struggled economically, Hope’s mission is to increase access to opportunity and to ultimately break the generational cycle of poverty.

Carrie Harmon currently serves as Assistant Director of Housing and Workforce Solutions for Riverside County where she is responsible for advancing the County’s housing, anti-poverty and workforce development initiatives. Carrie has over twenty years of experience in affordable housing and began her career as an AmeriCorps homeless outreach worker at the VA Loma Linda. She has extensive in homeless services, affordable housing development, workforce development and community services. As Assistant Director, Carrie is committed finding innovative solutions to address homelessness, affordable housing and poverty within our communities. Carrie graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.A. in English and resides in Moreno Valley with her family.