Languages: English, Korean

Esther serves as the Director of Community Innovation, Evaluation, and Learning (CIEL)​, supporting evidenced-based and data-driven work across Front and Centered programs. She brings experience developing community-directed research tools and facilitating community–governmental–academic partnerships.

Languages: English, Spanish

Melina oversees Front and Centered administrative and operations functions while providing project support. Melina comes to Front and Centered with operations experience in nonprofit community health, where she pursued her commitment to addressing health disparities, especially among some of our most vulnerable communities. She is excited to continue her work to engage frontline communities in addressing environmental injustice.

Languages: English, Spanish

Meet Guillermo, a dedicated member of the policy team at Front and Centered, working to advance the coalition’s legislative priorities. With a passion for education and advocacy, Guillermo has spent the past seven years collaborating with multiple statewide coalitions and organizations to lobby for causes rooted in social and racial justice. As the lobbyist representing Front and Centered, Guillermo plays a pivotal role in educating lawmakers in Olympia about the urgent need to address climate change and invest in the well-being of those most affected by its impacts. Outside of the legislative world, Guillermo finds joy in going to concerts, playing tennis, and rooting for the OL Reign, FC Ballard, and Manchester United.

Languages: English, Korean (conversational), Japanese (conversational)

James is a communications strategist and marine ecologist dedicated to supporting community priorities through storytelling that challenges dominant narratives and advances the perspectives of those on the frontlines of environmental change. His past work in the San Francisco Bay Area earned media coverage in The Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle, San Francisco Examiner, and KQED News. James holds a master’s degree in marine affairs and a graduate certificate in climate science, and he is a board member of the Prism Foundation, which supports folks at the intersection of the Asian Pacific Islander and 2SLGBTQIA+ communities.

Languages: English, Spanish

Isabel is a biologist supporting community education efforts at Front and Centered. She has supported various community-driven projects, incorporating ethnobiology and community-based participatory research methods. Isabel has also collaborated with a wide range of organizations in the design and management of STEM outreach programs and independent projects, incorporating community and culturally responsive models. After completing her environmental science doctoral degree, Isabel worked on institutional change within higher education institutions. In her free time, she loves cooking, listening to music, and playing board games.

Languages: English

Jamie’s focus areas are transportation, land use, community resilience, and other planning work related to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve climate resilience. She has a background in environmental science and the intersections of environmental policy with Tribal, land use, and administrative law. Her past experience includes working with frontline communities on developing climate justice advocacy campaigns and policies related to toxics remediation, flooding resilience, and air quality.

Languages: English, Khmer, Spanish (basic)

Deeply rooted in the Pacific Northwest, Leah is an environmental public health practitioner committed to uplifting and forwarding frontline community leadership, expertise, vision, and excellence in achieving environmental justice and health equity for all. A lifelong daydreamer and systems thinker, she brings experience working within and at the intersections of community, government, and academia to advance a Just Transition. Outside of her work with Front and Centered, Leah sits on the City of Seattle Green New Deal Oversight Board and enjoys running, making art, and learning/sharing cool nature facts with anyone who will listen.

Languages: Brahui, Urdu, Pashto, English

Aqsa is a climate justice and environmental policy professional with experience advancing energy justice, community-centered adaptation, and international climate policy. She has worked on policy and advocacy that prioritize equity and justice for communities most impacted by environmental harms, both in the United States and across South Asia. As Climate and Clean Energy Policy Lead at Front and Centered, she leads efforts to ensure that our energy systems and climate solutions deliver real and tangible benefits to frontline communities and tackle structural inequities in environmental decision-making.

Languages: English, Spanish (conversational)

Christina is an ecological economist and interdisciplinary environmental researcher focused on environmental justice and systems-level policy change. They have spent years studying wetlands, agroecosystems, and researching the socioeconomic impacts of environmental hazards, ecosystem services, and natural resource management. Her approach connects scientific and economic insights with real-world policy and community priorities, exploring how environmental, economic, and governance systems interact across issues like pollution, water management, climate impacts, and sustainable agriculture. She brings an analytical, justice-centered perspective to bridging policy and community voices, helping ensure that complex environmental decisions are clear, actionable, and meaningful in practice.

Languages: English

Ruby is a transformational business leader. She is an entrepreneur and strategist known for advocating for socially responsible business and community organizations. Her career has afforded relationships that have brought millions of much needed philanthropic support to the arts, education, STEM, social services, and advancing philanthropy. From an early age growing up with parents who led civil rights in her community, she honed her skills as an activist, organizer and leader for racial justice. She enjoys advising emerging entrepreneurs and nonprofit leaders to unlock the keys to building a better world with racial equity and social justice always front and center. Her love of artists in live performance, jazz, a great book, golf and her active family fill her days.

Languages: English, Mandarin Chinese (conversational)

Sharon is a results-oriented executive board member and non-profit sector strategist committed to transforming our democratic systems and policies to center the voices of highly impacted communities. She has expertise in organizational development, policy, campaign development and equity strategies, and is a tested programs and teams leader trained in the tech sector.

Languages: English

Rich is one of the founding members of the Front and Centered coalition and recently served a nine-year term as the Executive Director of One America. He brings deep expertise in statewide and national organizing and community innovation. Rich is deeply influenced by the civil rights movement and liberation theology. His work has focused on the intersection of policy, politics, and organizing across a broad spectrum of issues impacting low-income communities and communities of color, including jobs and income support policy, immigration policy, infrastructure investment, and environmental justice.

Languages: English, understands a little Tagalog/Filipino

Jasmine is a community-centered storyteller working at the intersection of storytelling and social change. With her Master’s degree in Social Change and Bachelor’s in Biology (emphasis: Ecology, Behavior, and Evolution; Psychology minor), she leverages her expertise to take direct action in environmental and climate justice. As a multi-hyphenate, Jasmine wears many hats like writer-activist, journalist, communications consultant, small business owner, certified dog groomer/trainer, facilitator, moderator, and podcast producer, and more. She is also a mother of three who hopes the contributions she makes will support the long arc of social justice that her children and their generation will inherit and continue.

Languages: English

Kat is writer and copyeditor who weaves science, policy, and justice into compelling content. Working at the intersection of water-related environmental and climate justice issues, Kat aims to support frontline communities build capacity and self-advocate for a joyful future in the face of climate impacts. As a chronic extrovert, Kat has directed summer camp programs with the YMCA, organized mutual aid groups, and worked as the editor-in-chief of their graduate school’s long-form blog. You might find Kat hosting craft nights for friends, sailing (or dreaming about sailing), biking, or doing ecological restoration at their local green space.