Scholarships

Regina has over 17 years of experience in affordable housing and community development, including 15 years of structuring financing for affordable housing. Prior to joining SV@Home as its Executive Director, Regina was Director of Housing Development for First Community Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer based in the City of San José. Regina is a respected community leader with deep relationships across a broad array of South Bay stakeholders. Regina’s current leadership includes service on the Board of Directors for Merritt Community Capital, the Board of Directors for Richmond Land, and as a Commissioner on the City of San José Community Stabilization and Opportunity Pathways Fund Commission. Regina was recognized in 2023 by the Nonprofit Housing Association of Northern California with their Rising Star award, in 2023 by the San Jose Spotlight as one of the 15 most influential Black leaders in Silicon Valley, and in 2019 by the Silicon Valley Business Journal with their 40 under 40 award.

As the first Executive Director of the Behavioral Health Contractors’ Association (BHCA), Elisa Koff-Ginsborg leverages her national policy and local organizing experience, extensive professional training and deep passion to create a strong safety net to support people affected by mental illness and substance use so that they have the same opportunities to fully participate in life as others in our community. With more than 25 years of non-profit and government experience that encompass policy analysis, advocacy, organizing, nonprofit management and direct service as a social worker, Elisa works collaboratively with nonprofit and government leaders.

Previously, Elisa served as Interim Director of the Interfaith Council on Economics and Justice and Associate Director of Community Education at Working Partnerships USA. She has a BA from Syracuse University, an MA from the Eagleton Institute at Rutgers University and an MSW from Catholic University of America.

More info to come.

With over fifteen years of experience in health policy and federal, state, and local safety net programs, Vaughn joined the AACI team in 2021 as the Director of Advocacy, where he is responsible for leading efforts to engage with elected officials and policymakers in support AACI’s various health, behavioral health, and wellness programs. Vaughn is also responsible for working with regional coalitions, organizational partners, and members of the community on efforts related to healthcare delivery, health equity, racial equity, social justice, and civic engagement. Prior to joining AACI, Vaughn served as Associate Director of Health Policy at Working Partnerships USA. Vaughn received both his bachelor’s degree in political science and his Master of Public Health with a focus on health policy and management from the University of California, Berkeley.

Zulma Maciel has more than 25 years of experience in public administration, specializing in public policy development and grantmaking. In July 2015, she was appointed as the first Director of the Office of Immigrant Affairs, and in 2020, she became the inaugural Director of the Office of Racial Equity for the City of San José, CA.

Known for her ability to foster genuine community partnerships and deliver results, Zulma has played a key role in institutionalizing equity values within the organization, working towards the creation of a thriving community and just world.

In her spare time, Zulma volunteers on nonprofit boards and enjoys Pilates, hiking, and walking her dog, Goku. She is binational (Mexico and U.S.), bilingual, and bicultural.

More info to come.

Huy Tran has dedicated his career to social justice and human rights. His first organizing role was to mobilize SJSU students against budget cuts before he joined the Labor Movement as an organizer for UNITE HERE to mobilize immigrant and refugee hotel workers in Mississippi, Washington D.C., and Santa Clara County. After graduating from SCU Law in 2012, he co-founded Justice at Work Law Group, which is based on social justice and worker’s rights. He practiced law for over a decade before he was appointed to serve as SIREN’s Interim ED in May 2023 and became permanent on May 1, 2024.

Kylie is an experienced advocate who has always had a passion for nonprofit work. After getting her start as an outreach case manager for people who are homeless, she realized that the power for true and lasting change lies in the world of advocacy and policy. This led her to build a new advocacy program at West Valley Community Services. She took a break from policy to get a Master’s in Human Rights from Columbia University in New York City, focusing on homelessness and mass incarceration. Outside of work, Kylie is deeply involved with many community groups and nonprofits. In her free time, she does the flying trapeze, reads, hikes, and spends time in the apartment she shares with her partner Rob and their cat Mr. Sunshine.

Gianella is a South Bay native born and raised in Sunnyvale, CA. She is a proponent of socioeconomic equality and affordable housing development and earned her B.S. in Political Science and Communication from Santa Clara University. She began her nonprofit career as a Communication Intern for The Harvest Fund, managing their blog and writing stories on successfully utilizing agriculture to support female farmers in Zambia. Before joining SVCN, Gianella worked as a Marketing and Research Assistant for the Miller Center for Social Entrepreneurship upholding values of global citizenship and economic empowerment. She also had the opportunity to intern for Senator Dianne Feinstein's staff in San Francisco researching legislation on affordable housing and immigration. In her free time, Gianella enjoys attending concerts of her favorite artists, spending quality time with family and friends, and exercising at her local CrossFit gym.