MEET OUR TEAM
Aaron Williams, Sr.
Credible Messenger, Organizer
Aaron is a Credible Messenger/Organizer with the Safe Return Project, guiding and mentoring individuals through the Richard Boyd Fellowship. His commitment extends to fostering Violence Prevention within the fellowship and mentoring youth across Contra Costa County. Having overcome the challenges of unemployment and housing insecurity following his incarceration, Aaron brings firsthand insight and empathy to his work.
Antoine Watt
Credible Messenger, Organizer
Antoine's journey with the Collective Impact Institution began in 2020. His dedication led him to become a Richard Boyd Fellow in 2021, and he also earned a certificate from the "Alive and Free" training program. Antoine currently facilitates the Richard Boyd Fellowship, mentoring those formerly incarcerated, and leads Violence Prevention workshops for Collective Impact. Additionally, he actively engages in community outreach and base-building initiatives to uplift individuals directly and indirectly impacted by the criminal justice system, fostering empowerment and solidarity within the community.
Jorge Castillo
Organizing & Training Director
As the Organizing and Training Director of the Safe Return Project, Jorge will guide policy efforts and lead staff development, including training and supervision. He will work to develop and implement campaigns that achieve tangible results for our communities. Jorge will support outreach to local organizing committees, conduct research, strategic planning, and lead community action meetings at the local and county-wide levels.
Adey Teshager
Community & Civic Engagement Organizer
Adey advocates for policies, leads campaigns, organizes community actions, facilitates Safe Return’s workshops, conducts participatory action research, builds a grassroots base of people on a political, social, and economic level, and guides her community members to resources.
Carlos Fernandez
Community Organizer
Carlos Fernandez is a Jr. Organizer and Credible Messenger mentor with the Safe Return Project. Carlos was raised in Richmond, spent most of his teenage life in juvenile hall, and now advocates for the decarceration and healing of young people impacted by the criminal legal system.
Katrina Swenson
Communications Manager
Katrina Swenson brings over a decade of invaluable experience to the Safe Return Project, where she works to elevate the organization's mission through strategic communications, social media outreach, and the development and management of a cutting-edge website. With more than a decade of expertise in the nonprofit sector, Katrina has showcased her commitment to advocacy and her dedication to leveraging digital platforms for social good. Her diverse background as a Project and Communications Coordinator highlights her proficiency in social media marketing, design, analytics, and program coordination, all driven by her unwavering passion for driving positive change.
Precious Marshall
Program Coordinator
As our Program Coordinator, Precious fulfills an essential support role to the Program Manager. When she’s not assisting with planning and coordinating our programs and activities, she’s supporting organizing staff with assignments, schedules, marketing and communications needs, organizing, coordinating, and facilitating community outreach.
Alex Navarro
Operations Manager
Alex joined the Safe Return Project in August 2022 as the Operations Manager. Her role is a vital part of the management team. The Operations Manager will oversee high-level HR duties, such as attracting talent and setting training standards and hiring procedures. They will also analyze and improve organizational processes and work to improve quality, productivity, and efficiency. Alex works closely with the Executive Director, Development Director, and staff to oversee administrative operations, including finance, human resources, legal, general administration, and management systems.
Chala Bonner
Program Manager
Chala started her journey with the Safe Return Project as a grassroots organizer in 2018, focusing on advocating for ending mass incarceration and racial disparities in the criminal legal system. Today, she is the Program Manager moving the organization's programs forward.
Marvin Galdamez
Program Coordinator, Navigator
Marvin Assists with planning and coordinating programs, facilitates workshops, gives presentations on Safe Return Project (SRP) programs to potential allies and participants, attends outreach events for SRP to recruit participants for programs, and helps participants navigate programs and their activities. He also does community outreach and presentations on SRP programs.
Pedro Bernal
Credible Messenger, Navigator, Organizer
Pedro works closely with youth, mentoring, developing, and building relationships through one-to-one interactions. He is involved in our weekly Young Latinx Men's Support Group Program, joins SRP team members at outreach events, and assists participants in navigating programs, where each day, he takes away something new and gains a new perspective by hearing and learning how everything, large or small, impacts people's lives. In the future, Pedro hopes to continue to help at-risk youths and help eliminate police brutality and profiling in his community.