Matt Haines is the Communications Manager for the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA). Before joining the team at MECCA, Matt served as a Communications Specialist for the Orange County Board of Supervisors, District 1, where he specialized in social media, digital communications, community relations and outreach, and a broad range of writing. The years he spent in government inspired Matt to continue to pursue a career of service, leading him to join MECCA and its mission to serve the diverse communities of Orange County. Matt is a passionate communicator who holds a BA in Communication Studies from California State University Long Beach and a MA in Professional Communications from California State University Fullerton. For fun, Matt likes to spend his free time outdoors, primarily hiking and camping.

Yara Ayache is the Operations and Finance Manager for the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA). Prior to joining MECCA, Yara served as the Director of Operations for the Syrian Community Network in San Diego where she ran and developed programs that empowered Syrian refugee women by providing them with the skills necessary to overcome the barriers to employment. Previously, Yara served as a First Year AmeriCorps Member with City Year Los Angeles where she tutored and mentored 10th grade students who were at-risk of dropping out. Yara’s passion and commitment to empowering others began in the Middle East where she grew up and received an education centered around service, which then led her to completing her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from New York University (NYU) before stepping into her career in non-profits.

Iman holds a bachelor’s in Public Health and a minor in Public Administration from California State University, Fullerton. She is currently pursuing a master’s in Business Administration from University of the People. Before joining the MECCA team, Iman was a Training Assistant Intern at the Child Guidance Center and a Mental Health Worker at the Children’s Bureau. She attends several mental health and wellness trainings provided in the community.

She enjoys volunteering her time at West Coast Islamic Society. Iman is committed and passionate about enhancing and improving the quality of life for underserved multicultural communities.

Hufsa (pronounced Huff-suh) Ahmad, MSW, is a Program & Development Manager at the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA). Her life is dedicated to helping individuals with mental health diagnoses find the treatment and support they need in order to thrive. She has served in the mental health field for 8 years as a social worker, advocate, educator, peer mentor, supervisor, Mental Health Services Act Steering Committee member, and Dayle McIntosh Center for the Disabled board member. She has also delivered over 100 presentations and speeches on mental health all over the U.S., including 2 TEDx talks.

She dedicates her life to helping other individuals with mental health diagnoses find treatment, recovery, and peace, as well as change the world’s view of mental health. Her goal to is to end the stigma of mental health and her signature phrase is, “STIGMA SMASH!”

OC Weekly and LA Times featured Hufsa for her efforts. She won the Mental Health Association Hope & Courage Award, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Next Step Award, and many other accolades. She has a Master of Social Work from CSU Long Beach and received a B.S. in Chemistry from Harvey Mudd College.

Hugo Fuentes is the Program Director of the Early Intervention Services for Older Adults Program for the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA). Prior to joining MECCA, Hugo managed the City of Glendale’s Home Delivered Meals program, which aims to assuage the nutritional needs of the city’s at-risk homebound seniors. Previously, he managed outreach for The Salvation Army’s Supportive Services for Veteran Families program and also facilitated resources for older adults residing at the organization’s multiple low-income senior-living facilities. Throughout his professional career, Hugo has worked with organizations whose purpose has been to eliminate barriers that promote economic, housing, and health disparities amongst the most vulnerable members of our society. Hugo holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Gerontology from the University of Southern California.

Rhiannon Doscher is the Director of Communications and Development for the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA.) Prior to joining the MECCA Team, Rhiannon served as the Development Associate at Pathways of Hope, Orange County where she specialized in finding the funding and resources necessary to serve the needs of Orange County’s most vulnerable residents. Her dedication to the helping profession began over 14 years ago with her work among at-risk youth at The Boys & Girls Clubs. Over the span of 10 years Rhiannon held many positions within the Club including: Direct Care, Administration, and Fund Development. Rhiannon’s non-profit expertise and personal experiences serve as the foundation for the passion and commitment that she brings to work each day. Rhiannon is fascinated and enamored by connecting with people and learning their stories. Her most considerable strength is her interpersonal skills and natural ability to connect with people from all different walks of life. When she is not working, Rhiannon enjoys spending her time with loved ones while outdoors, at the local rivers and lakes, and of course, the beautiful California coastline.

Cindy graduated from CSU Long Beach with her Master’s in Public Health. While in school, she previously interned with OC MECCA and helped with various programs and attended outreach events. In the past, she has interned at Susan G. Komen for the Cure and Vietnamese American Cancer Foundation, both non-profit organizations that aim to help individuals and families dealing with cancer and to improve their quality of life. Due to her grandfather’s lung and cancer diagnoses in the past, Cindy’s passion is to help those in underserved communities get the help and education needed in order to reduce health disparities. Her hobbies include making arts and crafts, trying new coffee/tea shops, and traveling.

Dr. Gallardo is a Professor of Psychology and Director of Aliento, The Center for Latina/o Communities at Pepperdine University.  He is a licensed clinical psychologist and maintains an independent/consultation practice at the Neurobehavioral Clinical and Counseling Center where he conducts therapy, forensic/legal psychological, and neuropsychological screening assessments, and consults with organizations and universities on developing culturally responsive systems. He teaches courses on multicultural and social justice, advocacy, and professional practice issues.

Dr. Gallardo’s areas of scholarship and research interests include understanding the psychotherapy process when working with ethnocultural communities, particularly Latinx communities and in understanding the processes by which individuals develop cultural awareness and humility.  Dr. Gallardo has published refereed journal articles, books, and book chapters in the areas of multicultural psychology, Latinx psychology, ethics and evidence-based practices, cultural humility, and racial colorblindness.  He is currently a Series Editor for Cognella Academic Press’ Advances in Culture, Race, and Ethnicity book series.  Dr. Gallardo also regularly discusses issues relevant to understanding how we can develop stronger relationships with one another on his Cultural Humility podcast.

Dr. Gallardo is currently Director of Research and Evaluation for the Multiethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA), a non-profit organization dedicated to serving monolingual Arab, Farsi, Korean, Vietnamese, Cambodian and Spanish speaking communities.  Dr. Gallardo served a 6-year Governor appointed licensed member of the California Board of Psychology.  Dr. Gallardo is currently serving a 5-year appointment on the Clergy Misconduct Oversight Board for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles.  Dr. Gallardo is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association.

Shelly graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a degree in Psychology. While in school she interned at the Lakeview Senior Center supporting the community by referring and linking them to community resources. In addition to her work with older adults, Shelly also worked with families and their children who experience developmental disabilities, holding a position at Autism, Prevention, and Resources (AIR) in Laguna Hills. During her time working with families, Shelly was trained in providing family training, report writing, and individualizing behavioral plans. Through her experience, Shelly’s passion for serving underserved communities and reducing the stigma of mental health became clear, which lead her to begin working with MECCA as a program coordinator.

Yesenia Velez Ochoa is the Director of Operations and Programs Administration for the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA).  Prior to joining MECCA, Yesenia served as the executive director for Oak View Renewal Partnership where she led key community initiatives focusing on long-term community impact and sustainability through collaborative efforts.  Other positions have included Director of Community Development for Orange County United Way and Program Officer for the Merage Foundation for the American Dream where she developed programs engaging non-profits, public and private agencies for the economic empowerment of minority groups.   She is currently the immediate past chair for the Orange County Community Housing Corporation’s Board of Directors where she has volunteered 15 years. Throughout her career Yesenia has served on various committees and advisory boards dedicated to creating access and awareness of services for the underserved such as the St. Joseph Health Community Benefits and the Community for Innovation, Leadership, Entrepreneurship, and Opportunities (CIELO).  Yesenia graduated from Claremont Graduate University with Master’s in Education and California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelor’s in Human Services.

Iliana Soto Welty is the Executive Director of the Multi-Ethnic Collaborative of Community Agencies (MECCA) which is a collective impact organization that works to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities in order to improve the health, wellbeing and quality of life of ethnic communities in Orange County. Iliana has worked in the areas of inter-ethnic relations,  intercultural communication and worked with schools, cities, hospitals, universities, nonprofits and police departments on diversity initiatives for over 25 years. Her passion is building the capacity of underserved communities to have a voice and create meaningful systems changes. She advocates to improve the access, quality and equity of mental health services through collaborative efforts at the county and state levels.  She has expertise in place based initiatives, community building, and community strategic planning.  Iliana enjoys creative writing, adventures with her two daughters and likes to spend time outdoors hiking, biking, off-roading and glamping.