THE BUILD HOPE LOS ANGELES TEAM

Cielo Castro serves as the Chief Impact Officer at California Community Foundation, promoting collaboration and advocacy efforts across the non-profit, public and private sectors to address community challenges. Prior to joining CCF, Castro served in various leadership roles at Fairplex, a 500-acre campus and home of the LA County Fair. She helped lead the organization through a complete reimagining of its role as a public-private partnership dedicated to community benefit. Castro has worked at almost every level of government and has facilitated public-private partnerships to help make government more effective and to ensure that services and resources reach marginalized populations. Castro has held roles with both the City and County of Los Angeles, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development under the Obama Administration. She started her career working with local elected officials through roles at the National League of Cities and National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials (NALEO) Educational Fund, which grounded her commitment to civic engagement. Castro received a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration from Boston University and a Master of Public Administration from the Harvard Kennedy School. She is an appointed commissioner to the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles and currently serves as Chair of its Board, providing oversight to all public housing developments across the City.  

Marisa Hall is an accomplished leader in the biopharmaceutical industry with over two decades of experience. With influential roles at renowned Fortune 500 companies, she has established herself as a seasoned professional. She currently serves as a Senior Healthcare Account Executive at Eisai, Inc., leveraging her expertise in healthcare disparities and community engagement to contribute invaluable insights to the company’s success. Marisa is dedicated to addressing healthcare disparities and ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare. She advocates for underrepresented communities, striving to eliminate barriers and ensure that everyone receives the care they deserve. Beyond her professional achievements, Marisa is deeply committed to advocating for the welfare of women and children in her community. She passionately champions causes related to education, housing, financial literacy, and healthcare. Marisa actively engages with her community by organizing events and programs that empower children through education, creativity, and personal growth. Through organizing empowering events and collaborating with local organizations, she actively engages with her community to create sustainable solutions and amplify the voices of the underrepresented. In her personal time, Marisa enjoys the arts, traveling, and cherishing moments with her family. Her commitment to making a positive difference serves as an inspiration to others, driving her to create a better future for all by addressing healthcare disparities and fostering community engagement.

Steve Zimmer is the Stategic Partnerships Administrator for the Community Schools Initiative at the Los Angeles County Office of Education. Before joining LACOE, Steve served as Deputy Superintendent for Student Support Services at the California Department of Education where he led California’s community schools implementation as well as school-based mental health programs and college and career development departments for the State. A 30-year veteran public school teacher and counselor, Steve has previously served as the President of the Los Angeles Board of Education and the Senior Education Advisor to Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti.  Steve is also an adjunct faculty member at California State University, Los Angeles and Occidental College.

Unanimously appointed by the HACLA Board of Commission, Lourdes Castro Ramirez leads the second-largest public housing authority in the nation, serving over 200,000 individuals. As President and CEO, Castro Ramirez is strengthening the agency’s collaborative commitment to people, place and pathways by expanding affordable housing, creating greater access, investing in people and building strong communities. Before joining HACLA, Lourdes served as Chief Housing and Homelessness Solutions Officer for Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass. In this role, she led the Mayor’s comprehensive citywide priorities focused on preventing and reducing street homelessness, fast-tracking affordable housing production, forging partnerships that lead to increased housing and service coordination, and developing unified regional solutions by working closely with city, county, state, and federal partners. She continues to serve as housing advisor to Mayor Bass. Previously, she was the Secretary of the California Business, Consumer Services and Housing Agency under Governor Gavin Newsom. She led 12 entities, including 40 boards and bureaus, responsible for preserving and expanding affordable housing, advancing statewide efforts to prevent and end homelessness, protecting consumers, and safeguarding California’s civil rights. Castro Ramírez has held other prominent positions, including her appointment by former President Barack Obama to lead the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Public and Indian Housing, her leadership as President and CEO of the San Antonio Housing Authority, as a Director at HACLA, where she oversaw rental assistance and resident development programs, and as President of the University Health System Foundation in San Antonio. Castro Ramírez earned her Master of Arts in Urban Planning and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Chicano Studies at UCLA.

John serves as the Chief Community Affairs Officer for the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). In this role, he leads efforts to ensure that HACLA’s policies and major initiatives are effectively and compassionately introduced to HACLA’s public housing communities, while cultivating meaningful relationships with residents and community stakeholders. Prior to his promotion, John served in various key capacities at HACLA, including Director of Community Engagement and External Affairs, Director of Resident Relations, Director of Planning and Policy, and Intergovernmental Relations. John earned his Bachelor’s degree from Seattle University and received his Master’s Degree from California State University Dominguez Hills. John also completed the University of Southern California’s Ross Minority Real Estate Development Certificate Program. In addition to his professional role, John serves as the Pastor of Rose of Sharon Missionary Baptist Church in South Los Angeles.