Senior Management

Avery Bell - Director of Corporate Relations
Natalia Flores - Director of School Age & Youth 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
Robert Osborne - Director of Finance & Contract Compliance
Michael Perez - Director of Facilities Services Operations
Judy Perlmutter - Charter Middle School Principal
Norma Silva - Charter Elementary School Principal

Avery Bell
Director of Corporate Relations
Avery Bell joined Para Los Ninos 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.

Natalia Flores
Director of School Age & Youth Services
Natalia Flores joined the Para Los Niños family in September 2006. She has spent the last six years operating after-school programs in the Los Angeles area including Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, School Based Mentoring Program and the Youth Development Department of the YWCA.

As director of school age & youth services, Flores works closely with Los Angeles Unified School District’s Beyond the Bell branch and other community partners, to provide high-quality after-school programming at Para Los Niños’ ten program locations. Flores holds a master’s degree in social and multicultural foundations in education at the California State University, Long Beach and a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in chicana/o studies from the University of California, Los Angeles.

A native of Los Angeles, Flores’ goal is to bring valuable after-school programming to as many children living in Los Angeles and surrounding areas as possible so that all children have a safe haven after school.

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.

Robert Osborne
Director of Finance & Contract Compliance
Robert Osborne brings an extensive background in accounting to his position as Director of Finance & Contract Compliance at Para Los Niños. As a sole practitioner certified public accountant, Osborne has provided comprehensive financial management services to community-based nonprofit organizations in Los Angeles for 13 years. Osborne has also worked as an auditor at Price Waterhouse, with clients such as The World Bank and National Credit Union Administration, and as the controller of a Los Angeles nonprofit organization for three years.

Osborne graduated from the University of Maryland with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, and currently serves on the board of Friends of Baldwin Hills, Inc. Osborne enjoys playing golf, traveling, and the Lakers.

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.

Norma Silva
Charter Elementary School Principal
Norma Silva joined Para Los Niños as the Charter Elementary School Principal in August 2003. Silva grew up in Northeast Los Angeles encountering many of the same challenges faced by her students today. She taught for over 10 years in East Los Angeles, was a Categorical Programs Advisor, and received her M.Ed. in Administrative Studies at UCLA’s Graduate School of Education and Information Studies. Her broad range of experience includes over twenty years of dedication to Bilingual Education in programs ranging from traditional to Two-Way Bilingual.

Seeking to learn more about innovative practices, Silva joined the Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School (UES), UCLA’s laboratory school, as director of student and family affairs and the summer school principal. At UES, Silva gained insight in best practices in teaching based on the philosophy that schools must respond to children’s individual development with a broad range of learning experiences coupled with high standards, rigor, and accountability. Together with UES teachers and researchers, Silva played an integral part in creating a comprehensive SAFE SCHOOL System that transforms a school’s culture by nurturing an environment based on community values. Silva also participated in UES’ Critical Thinking Institute, Early Literacy Institute, designed and presented in the Spanish Early Literacy Institute, and served as a guest lecturer for graduate classes in the Teacher Education Program at UCLA.

Silva’s teaching expertise, seven years experience on UES’ administrative team and her commitment to the community has prepared her for the challenges in building a school at Para Los Niños that will help children succeed.

 

 

 

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