THE BUILD HOPE LOS ANGELES TEAM
BUILD HOPE LOS ANGELES BOARD MEMBERS
Douglas Guthrie
Since 2012, Mr. Guthrie has been President and CEO of the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA). He oversees one of the largest housing authorities in the country responsible for over 11,000 public and assisted housing units and management of 58,000 Section 8 vouchers with total annual revenues of $1 billion.
Doug’s past roles include General Manager of the Los Angeles Housing Department (LAHD), President of Kimball Hill Urban Centers (KHUC), as well as President of the National Equity Fund (NEF). Under his leadership, NEF became the nation’s largest source of equity financing for low and moderate-income housing. Utilizing the low income housing tax credit, over $1.6 billion was raised from major corporations to invest in real estate limited partnerships in low-income housing developments sponsored by nonprofit CDC’s from around the country. Those investments resulted in the development of over 28,000 affordable housing units in 550 projects, with real estate assets valued in excess of $3 billion.
Margarita Lares
Margarita Lares is the Chief Programs Officer at HACLA, responsible for Oversight of Public Housing, Section 8 Housing Subsidies, and Project-Based Contract Administration. Prior to HACLA, she worked at HACoLA. Margarita has also worked in various industries including education, banking and health care.
Margarita grew up in East Los Angeles, and was the first in her family to receive a university degree. She attributes much of her success in life to having housing stability, and to the guidance she received from caring mentors. For these reasons, Margarita is fully committed to the mission and vision of HACLA and BHI. She enjoys mentoring youth and emerging professionals, while caring for her extended family. She lives by the “Si se puede” motto!
Cielo Castro
Cielo Castro is Chief of Staff at Fairplex, a public-private partnership with the County of Los Angeles and is home of the LA County Fair and more than 500 year-round events.
Cielo’s past includes Transparency Officer for the City of Los Angeles Office of City Administrative Officer, acting as executive liaison with external stakeholders and providing oversight support for the City’s $8 billion budget. She was also Deputy to LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis, where she was responsible for discretionary grant making; staff hiring, recruitment and development; and policy issues including immigration, housing and community development. Cielo served the Obama Administration as Special Assistant at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., where she advised the Assistant Secretary of Community Planning and Development on policy and political matters regarding a $50 billion grant portfolio and over 1,200 grantees.
Cielo enjoys her book club, and her role as the Los Angeles co-coordinator of Las Comadres para las Americas, and Professional Development Advisor for Latinas Promoviendo.
Marisa Hall
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
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.
BUILD HOPE LOS ANGELES EXECUTIVE STAFF
Jenny Scanlin
With over 30 years of economic and community development work, BHI President Jenny Scanlin is a community-centric and highly devoted leader.
Past positions include Assistant General Manager of Economic Development for the City of Los Angeles’ Economic and Workforce Development Department, Regional Administrator for the Community Redevelopment Agency of Los Angeles’ Downtown, Eastside, and Harbor Regions, as well as Senior Operations Officer for CRA/LA’s Successor Agency overseeing project management/compliance, disposition of all real property assets, planning and land use as well as the Public Art Program. Jenny became an expert in public real estate development, policy and finance, and broad-based economic development strategies in these capacities. With dual bachelor’s degrees from UC Berkeley in Social Work and Political Science, Jenny started her early career in social work and non-profit administration and leans on those aspects of her education and skills to artfully lead Build Hope, Inc.
When Jenny isn’t directing resources that uplift our residents and program participants, she enjoys creating immersive experiences for her family that enable them to unplug and reconnect fully. Everyday adventures keep her in tune with her passions, whether through tasty topics discussed at the dinner table or exploring new landscapes during local hikes and short getaways.
Marlene Garza
BHI Treasurer Marlene Garza has over 20 years of experience in housing and non-profit management. She has served as the Chief Administrative for HACLA, managing the agency’s financial, legal, information technology, and human resources.
Prior to that, Marlene was the Assistant General Manager for Administration for the City of Los Angeles Housing Department, where she oversaw the department’s fiscal and administrative functions, was the CEO of the Housing Rights Center, a non-profit legal services agency which investigates and litigates housing discrimination complaints, and a Diversity Training Monitor for the Office of the Civil Rights Monitor. Marlene also taught junior high bilingual math and science for LAUSD.
Marlene has a JD from the UCLA School of Law and a BA in Philosophy from UC Berkeley.
While finance, contracts and legal matters are Marlene’s stock-in-trade, hiking and travel help her unwind. A bucket-list trip to Patagonia combined the two for a journey of discovery that tested her endurance while soaking in the transformative vistas.
Tiffany Prescott
Secretary Tiffany Prescott has held positions as Executive Assistant at HACLA, Section 8 Management Clerk and Eligibility Interviewer, and later in Intergovernmental and Community Relations as an Administrative Assistant.
Tiffany received her Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton and is working on her MBA from Grand Canyon University. She is a member of the Iota Phi-Lambda Sorority Gamma Mu Chapter Sisterhood and continues to participate in their outreach and community events that seek to empower the youth and young adults through civil and social service activities, leadership, and business education.
When she isn’t guiding board operations for the team as expert governance lead, Tiffany deepens her connection to her family and hones her artistic expression through writing and illustrating children’s books. Tiffany is also active in many organizations in her community, volunteering regularly to provide hot meals to local homeless and underprivileged families.
Saskia Pallais
Saskia Pallais brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit management, education reform, and politics. Most recently, she served as the Chief Regional Officer for College Track, where she enhanced national and regional collaboration and oversaw four regions across the country. Saskia initially joined College Track in 2014 as the founding Regional Executive Director of College Track Los Angeles. In this role, she led the program’s expansion from Boyle Heights to Watts and the Crenshaw District, building the infrastructure that enabled the LA Region to support 800 high school and college students and raising over $12 million.
Before her time at College Track, Saskia spent seven years at the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, working on reforming underperforming LAUSD K-12 schools in Boyle Heights, Watts, and South LA through family engagement and strategic partnerships.
Originally from Nicaragua and raised in Miami, Saskia earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Florida and a Master’s in Theological and Gender Studies from Harvard University. In 2015, she was honored as an American Graduate Champion by PBS SoCal.
