Senior Management

Maria G. Aguilar - Director of School Age Youth Services
Avery Bell - Director of Corporate Relations
Jacqueline Leah Bloom, LMFT - Director of Clinical Services
Joshua Hirsch - Director of Foundation Relations
Joanne Brenner Leishman - Director of Early Childhood Services
Lisa Marin, MSW, LCSW - Director of Family Services
Danette S. McBride - Director of Youth Development Services
Edith Medina - Director of Human Resources
Jorge Orozco - Director of Youth Workforce Services
Michael Perez - Director of Facilities Services Operations
Judy Perlmutter - Charter Middle School Principal
Nelson Pichardo - Director of Best Start

Maria G. Aguilar
Director of School Age Youth Services
Maria Aguilar has been serving Para Los Ninos children, youth and families since 1996. As the Director of School Age Youth Services, she manages the day to day operations and implementation of the After School Program at Para Los Ninos. In this role, she oversees nearly 100 employees, after school programs located at 12 LAUSD campuses in addition to Para Los Ninos Charter Schools and Youth Center.

Prior to accepting the postion as Director, Maria held the positions of program manager, school age care coordinator, career advisor, youth services coordinator, first offender coordinator and first offender social worker at Para Los Ninos. She earned a Bachelor of Science from California State University of Long Beach and is currently working on a Masters in Public Administration at California State University Northridge. While not in school or work, Maria spends her time watching independent films, going to art galleries, hiking, and coaching youth sports.

Avery Bell
Director of Corporate Relations
Avery Bell joined Para Los Niños in March 2008 as Director of Corporate Relations. In this role, he is responsible for the strategy, cultivation, and stewardship of corporate fundraising for Para Los Niños.  Bell is the central point of contact to maximize corporate gifts and build multi-layered, long-lasting relationships with businesses to meet the agency’s overall development and financial growth.
 
Bell brings to Para Los Niños over 20 years of corporate marketing experience in advertising, promotions, public relations, corporate alliances and sponsorships.  His former employers include The Walt Disney Company, AT&T Broadband, Bally Total Fitness and Wasserman Media Group. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Pittsburg and University of Phoenix. Bell is an accomplished high altitude mountain climber successfully climbing the highest mountain on five of the seven continents during a 7- month trip around the world.

Jacqueline Leah Bloom, LMFT
Director of Clinical Services
Jacqueline Bloom was hired as the Director of Clinical Services in January 2010. In this role she oversees the agency’s Mental Health division, which provides children under the age of twenty one and their families with therapy, case management, psychiatric, and psychological testing services.

As a licensed marriage and family therapist (L.M.F.T.) Bloom joins the senior management team of Para Los Niños after working in various management positions for other county contracted mental health facilities including Telecare Corporation, Portals Mental Health, and El Nido Family Centers. Bloom graduated from Pepperdine University with a Masters of Arts in Clinical Psychology - emphasis in Marriage and Family Therapy as well as received her undergraduate degree from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst - Commonwealth Honors College, with a Bachelor of Arts in General Psychology and Business Administration.

She is currently a member of the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy, the California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, The National Scholars' Honor Society, The National Dean's List, and the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. She is dually licensed in Florida, and continues to have a small private practice of therapy clients in West Los Angeles.

Joshua Hirsch
Director of Foundation Relations
Joshua Hirsch joined Para Los Niños as Manager of Foundation Relations in May 2007, and was named Director of Foundation Relations in August 2008. He is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with foundations to support the activities of Para Los Niños.

Hirsch has a unique background, combining scholarship and a commitment to education. He holds a bachelor’s degree in history and elementary school education from Columbia University and later went on to earn a Ph.D. in film and television from the University of California, Los Angeles. He has worked as a preschool teacher at the East Dallas Developmental Center in Texas and an elementary school teacher at Play Mountain Place in Los Angeles.

A noted film scholar, Hirsch is the author of Afterimage: Film, Trauma, and the Holocaust, and has been an assistant professor of Radio, Television, and Film at University of North Texas; and an adjunct professor at University of California, Los Angeles; University of California, Riverside; California State University, Long Beach; and American Jewish University. He continues to teach a class in film analysis at New Roads High School in Santa Monica and to speak at film studies conferences nationally and internationally.

Before joining Para Los Niños, Hirsch worked as a grant writer at Beyond Shelter. Hirsch lives in Santa Monica with his wife and two children.

Joanne Brenner Leishman
Director of Early Childhood Services
Joanne Leishman began her work with Para Los Ninos as Director of Early Childhood Services in 2009. In this role she oversees all of Para Los Niños’ child development centers and develops and implements strategies to ensure these programs are addressing community needs and that the State Department of Education standards and those of other regulatory bodies are maintained at all times.

Leishman has been a part of the early childhood education field for more than 30 years, working as Director of the Early Learning Program at the El Rancho Unified School District, Director of Pre-school and Child Care Programs at the Rosemead School District and supervisor of child development programs for the Glendale Unified School District. She has also taught parent education and early childhood education courses at Pasadena City College.

Leishman holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Child Development and a Master’s in Child Development and Family Studies from California State University Los Angeles. She also holds memberships in the National Association of the Education of Young Children, the Southern California Association of the Education of Young Children and the California Child Development Administrators Association.

Lisa Marin, MSW, LCSW
Director of Family Services

Lisa Hirsch Marin was hired in December 2006 as a Clinical Coordinator at Para Los Niños. A proven leader and expert in the field of social work, she assumed the role of Director of Family Services in June 2007. Today, she leads a team of 30 in providing therapeutic and family support services to nearly 3,500 families each year.

A licensed clinical social worker (L.C.S.W.), Hirsch Marin has spent 17 years focusing her efforts on preventing child abuse and neglect in Los Angeles’ most impoverished communities. Prior to coming to Para Los Niños, she served as a supervising children’s social worker for the Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS). Her work at DCFS included leading programs such as Family-Group Decision Making, Family to Family, and Latino Family Preservation.

Prior to DCFS, Hirsch Marin served as the mental health and resource specialist for the Immigrant and Refugee Children’s Project of the Center for Human Rights and Constitutional Law. She also provided individual and group therapy for La Clinica Para Los Americas in Los Angeles. Hirsch Marin’s work has also taken her out of the country to Central America and Mexico, where she worked with psychologists, women’s organizations and social workers in war-torn communities.

Lisa Hirsch Marin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Child Development and Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from California State University, Northridge. Her focus of study included providing aid to children suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Following graduation, she earned a Master of Science degree in Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles, with an emphasis in Public Child Welfare and Family Preservation. She served as a member of the DCFS Parenting Education Council and Child Trauma Council. In addition to her accomplishments in social work, she is also a Certified Mediator. Hirsch Marin lives in Silverlake with her husband and two children.

Danette S. McBride
Director of Youth Development Services
Danette S. McBride serves as the Director of Youth Development Services and oversees Para Los Niños’ Youth Development Services. With over six years of experience in managing family services and adoption programs, McBride is developing and launching Para Los Niños’ newest program to assist youth in foster care.

Prior to joining para Los Niños, McBride served as a program manager at Children Uniting Nations where she managed and developed collaborative partnerships throughout Los Angeles County to provide youth residing in foster care with mentors. She also has previous experience with Excel Family Intervention Programs, and the Dangerfield Institute for Urban Problems. 

McBride has always had a passion for learning and teaching. She holds a bachelor degree in Psychology from Tuskegee University, Alabama, and a master of social work and  public administration from the University of Southern California.

Edith Medina
Director of Human Resources
Edith Medina, Director of Human Resources, began her work with Para Los Niños in 1989. She began her professional career in the insurance industry and discovered Para Los Niños as she searched for a meaningful way to contribute to the community. Medina oversees the human resource department, and addresses issues such as recruitment, orientation, professional development, benefits, employee relations, compensation and payroll. Crediting the powerful impact of Para Los Niños, she enjoys seeing firsthand how the organization enriches the lives of its clients, as well as its employees.

A native of El Salvador, Medina was born in La Libertad and moved to Los Angeles with her family at the age of 11. She holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from the University of Phoenix and has completed coursework toward a certificate in human resources management through UCLA Extension. She is a member of Professionals in Human Resources and an active member in the community. Medina resides in North Hills with her husband and their two children.

Jorge Orozco
Director of Youth Workforce Services
Jorge Orozco joined Para Los Niños in February 2005, working in Youth Workforce Services. He began as a Program Coordinator, later became an Employer Specialist, and in May 2008, was promoted to Director of Youth Workforce Services. In this position, Orozco’s responsibilities include: overseeing daily operations, ensuring that all contractual obligations are completed in a timely and effective manner, conducting site visits to monitor contract compliance and quality of services, and serving in the Equal Opportunity Compliance Unit for Para Los Niños and Power of One. He also provides direct supervision to Youth Workforce Services staff, is responsible for all reports to government and private contracts, and monitors subcontractor activities and services to ensure quality effectiveness.

Prior to joining Para Los Niños, Orozco worked for Maravilla Foundation’s Workforce Services as a case manager/job developer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from California State University, Los Angeles and several certificates, including as a Disability Service Specialist and an Equal Opportunity Compliance Officer.

Orozco brings to Para Los Niños outstanding management skills, great enthusiasm, extensive experience in workforce development, and a vast network of employers and community partners.

Michael Perez
Director of Facilities Services Operations
Michael Perez joined Para Los Niños in 2009 as Director of Facilities Services Operations. In this role, he works to ensure that Para Los Niños properties and facilities are safe and secure, which includes oversight of the security team and enforcement of fire and safety policies and procedures.

Prior to joining Para Los Niños, Perez worked as the superintendent of facility services for the City of Irvine, where he initiated a wide range of energy-efficient materials and equipment, working with local utility providers to create more effective systems and processes. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of La Verne and is a member of the International Facility Managers Association (IFMA).

Judy Perlmutter
Charter Middle School Principal
Judy Perlmutter joined Para Los Niños as principal of its Charter Middle School after more than 20 years of teaching. Perlmutter began her career as an english and history instructor at the college level, and then moved into secondary education. She taught in the Los Angeles Unified School District at a humanities magnet middle school for many years, and participated in middle school reform initiatives with LAUSD. These included restructuring large schools into collaborative teaching teams.

Perlmutter was also a demonstration teacher at the laboratory school of the Graduate School of Education at UCLA (University Elementary School) and later its Assistant Principal. While at UCLA, Perlmutter enjoyed working as an instructor for the Teacher Education Program in its Graduate School of Education, teaching literacy methods and social studies/integrated arts methods courses.

Perlmutter’s research includes: “Documenting Student Thinking Across Multiple Art Forms,” “Dance, Mixed Media, and Social Studies: A Collaboration to Teach Critical Thinking,” and “Creating New Ecosystems for Learning: Using a Kindergarten Model for 6th Graders.”

Perlmutter holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of California, Berkeley and a graduate degree from Stanford University. She says she is proud to be a part of the Para Los Niños community and excited to develop the Para Los Niños Charter Middle School, where “teens can grow to be engaged, creative, intelligent, and successful young adults.” Perlmutter’s family includes her husband, three children, and two big, lovable dogs.

Nelson Pichardo
Director of Best Start
In December 2009, Nelson Pichardo was hired as the Director of Best Start, a pilot initiative developed and funded by First 5 LA. Click here to read more about Best Start. In this role, Pichardo is responsible for organizing and mobilizing community partners and carrying out the Best Start vision in the first pilot community in Central Los Angeles.

Pichardo bring over 10 years of experience to Para Los Niños in project and program management both in the nonprofit and government sectors. Prior to Para Los Niños, Pichardo served as the director of education for the California Association of Nonprofits. His former positions also include director of programs at The Western Justice Center Foundation, director of the Skid Row families demonstration project and crisis intervention program at Beyond Shelter, project manager for the City of Pasadena's Department of Human Services, and operations manager for The Center for the Improvement of Child Caring. Pichardo graduated with distinction with a Masters of Arts Degree in public administration from California State University Northridge where he also received his Bachelor of Arts in psychology.

 

 

 

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