Ben AuneBenjamin is a Minnesota native, and lives in San Rafael so he can commute to work on the ferry. He began his career as a teacher, but for the last 30 years has held various executive level positions such as Executive Director, Governor’s Council on Health and Wellness for the state of Minnesota, Director of Health Systems for Honeywell, Inc., President and CEO of InterHealth, and EVP of the Benedictine Health System. Ben graduated from Luther College with a BA in Sociology and has two master’s degrees as well. He currently serves on the Board of the Center for Volunteerism and Non-profit Leadership and is an avid sports fan and collector of small wooden and porcelain owls.
Claudia AlvarengaClaudia is originally from El Salvador and. moved to the Bay Area in 1995. Claudia obtained an Associate Degree in Child Development & Family Studies from City College of San Francisco. She has enjoyed working with people of different backgrounds, ethnicities, and ages over a period of 15 years at different non profits in the Bay Area. To continue with my commitment and passion to help others, Claudia joined Operation Access could in 2010 as a Program Assistant serving Alameda, San Francisco, and San Mateo Counties. Her favorite foods are Italian and Salvadorian, and she enjoys exercise.
Ali BalickAli is originally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She graduated from Smith College in 2008 with a double major of Spanish and Latin American Studies. During undergrad she spent her junior year studying in Buenos Aires at the University of Buenos Aires. Alison currently lives in San Francisco and hopes to continue working to help the Latino Community in the Bay Area.
Jason BeersJason administers the databases, oversees financial matters, and is active in program development. He has had many different roles with the organization since he joined Operation Access in 2002. Prior to Operation Access, he was Vice President and Branch Manager of Old Republic Exchange. Jason earned a Bachelor’s degree in Latin American Studies from Wesleyan University.
Christabel BreenChristabel Breen was born in San Francisco and grew up in Boulder, Colorado. She graduated from Smith College in 2010 with a degree in Social, Personality, and Gender Psychology; and a minor in Spanish. She interned with Greenaction for Health and Environmental Justice, a nonprofit in San Francisco, her sophomore year, and studied abroad in Quito, Ecuador her junior year. Christabel looks forward to continuing her work in public health and immigrant communities. She currently lives in the Mission and likes to dance, go camping, drink Philz coffee, and eat gigantic papayas in the sun.
Antoine de FridmanAntoine was born in Cambridge, MA, and grew up in Caracas, Venezuela. He received a B.A. in Business Administration from the Metropolitan University, and later, a B.A. in Creative Writing and a M.A. in English Composition from SFSU. Before joining Operation Access in 2010, he worked for the Consulate General of Venezuela serving the Venezuelan community in the West Coast. He likes cooking and is learning Afro-Venezuelan percussion and Venezuelan folk music.
Jenevieve GranerJenevieve joined Operation Access in July, 2008 and works to develop the OA network to better serve patients in Alameda and Contra Costa counties. Before her move to the Bay Area, she was a project associate with the Massachusetts Veterans Epidemiology Research and Information Center and an administrator with the Bolivian Consulate in Boston. Jenevieve grew up in Cochabamba Bolivia where she fell in love with The Andes Mountains. She earned a B.A. in International Relations from Boston University.
Ellen KaufmanEllen joined Operation Access in January, 2010. She manages fundraising – including grant writing and reporting, corporate and individual donations – as well as communications. Previously, Ellen worked as a consultant for organizations such as Kaiser Permanente, Blue Shield of CA, San Francisco Health Plan, Sutter Health, Integrated Healthcare Association and the Alameda/Contra Costa Medical Association. Ellen holds a Master's Degree in Health Services Planning and Administration from Boston College and a B.A. from Syracuse University.
Marisol Ponce de LeonMarisol started at Operation Access in 2006 and is responsible for financial reporting and accounting, hr, develops and maintains the OA website, and provides IT support. Prior to joining OA, she served as a Staff Assistant/Donor Services/Intern Coordinator for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in Washington, DC. Marisol is a Massachusetts native, and has a B.A. in International Relations from Carleton College, Northfield, MN. She currently lives in the Inner Richmond, and enjoys, going to shows, relaxing in the park or café with a good book, and a good strong cup of coffee.
Daniel RabkinDaniel, originally from Cincinnati, OH, graduated from Hampshire College with a B.A. in Journalism. Before joining OA in 2008, Daniel spent 2.5 years in the Peace Corps in Guatemala, where he worked with Mayan community members on projects in Food Security, Appropriate Technology, and Small Business Development. Previously, he worked as a Legal Assistant in New York, representing public assistance recipients at Fair Hearings. He has traveled, worked, and studied in various places around the world, including Israel, Spain, and Central and South America. He also volunteers with the San Francisco SPCA in the Animal Assisted Therapy Program, with a dog he adopted while in Guatemala.
Allan RomeroAllan Almanza Romero is a graduate of Balboa High School. He received the Golden State Award for Spanish Writing and a Community Learning Award from SFSU. Allan was the Administrative Coordinator for the Human Service Agency- City and County of San Francisco and has assisted in guiding foster youth (14 to 21 years of age) to meet life challenges and become successful adults. His skills, experience and eagerness to serve the community make him an excellent program assistant at OA for Marin, Sonoma and Contra Costa Counties.
Meilyn SantanaMeilyn is a Trilingual Program Coordinator for Marin & Sonoma counties. In her position, she performs an array of duties for the North Bay region. Meilyn is originally from Brazil and holds a BA in International Relations from the University of Administration & Sciences of Curitiba, Brazil. She is also a member of Brazilian Alliance's Board of Directors and is an interpretive volunteer at Rota Care San Rafael. Meilyn is passionate about helping and guiding new immigrants to the U.S..
