About Us - LeadSafe Communities

		Lead Safe Communities is managed by a core group of unpaid volunteers with considerable expertise in health and housing issues related to lead hazards and childhood lead poisoning. These volunteers, listed below, make overall policy decisions regarding general primary prevention activities and strategies for the organization. (NOTE: Members listed alphabetically. Organizations listed for ID purposes only.) 1. Sonia Bailey Public Health Institute, Policy Analyst Bailey has over twenty years experience in legislative and regulatory analysis and advocacy, with six years experience in childhood lead poisoning prevention activities as a contract employee for the California Department of Health Services . Bailey's expertise includes project management, grant reporting and oversight, development of outreach and educations materials, and collaborative partnerships with community based organizations and government agencies. top of page 2. Chidi Egbuonu Project Real, Grant Coordinator Egbuonu has managed lead hazard reduction grants in Contra Costa County for over eight years, successfully coordinating hundreds of thousands of dollars in federal grant funds, meeting grant deliverables/deadlines, while negotiating abatement activities between contractors and residents. Egbuonu has extensive experience successfully managing lead-based paint activities in low-income, at-risk neighborhoods. top of page 3. Kathleen Gura HomeSafe Environmental Inc, Training Provider Gura is a California accredited training provider, qualified to instruct individuals to conduct lead hazard evaluation (inspection, risk assessment, clearance) and abatement/interim control activities. Gura is an expert in training curriculum for lead safe work practices, and has taught classes to over 2,000 individuals since 1996. She is also a DHS-certified lead inspector/assessor and project monitor. top of page 4. Alan Johanns City of San Diego Environmental Protection Division, Project Manager Johanns has extensive experience managing federal and state grants for lead-based paint activities, and has implemented a model pilot project in San Diego to train property owners to identify and remediate lead hazards in housing. Alan is author of San Diego's lead ordinance, one of the most comprehensive primary prevention statutes in the country. top of page 5. Dennis Jordan Alameda County Lead Poisoning Prevention Program, Environmental Services Manager Jordan is a DHS-certified inspector assessor who performs environmental investigations in the homes of children identified with lead poisoning. Jordan is an expert on childhood lead poisoning prevention housing-related strategies, and manages ACCLPPP's enforcement and compliance program, which includes training local enforcement agencies to identify lead hazards. top of page 6. Drew Lerer City of Berkeley, Principal Environmental Inspector Lerer is a certified lead inspector with over ten years experience conducting environmental sampling and is a Principal Environmental Inspector for the city of Berkeley with expertise in substandard housing issues in low income at-risk neighborhoods. Lerer's expertise includes lead hazard identification, hazardous waste issues, and public communication. top of page 7. Linda Mariscal Marin County Public Health Department, Public Health Nurse Linda Mariscal is a Public Health Nurse who provides childhood lead poisoning prevention services to low-income, minority families throughout the county. Mariscal's extensive experience includes successful grant applications and oversight, and providing health services to predominately Spanish-speaking clients at community clinics. top of page 8. Janise Moore CA Legislative Advisory Commission, Grants Coordinator Moore has over twenty years experience in accounting, financial services, and lead-based paint activities. Moore has an established career in real estate and housing issues, public policy, legislative advocacy, and grants management. top of page 9. Maurice Pantoja LA County Environmental Health Lead Program, Chief Pantoja has over 20 years experience in the environmental health filed, and currently manages Los Angeles County's Lead Program, one of the most comprehensice programs in the country. Pantoja is an expert on lead safe housing initiatives and building collaborative relationships with code enforcement officers, building officials, community-based organizations, and local health departments. top of page 10. Josh Pino City of Sacramento, Principal Building Inspector Pino is an expert on substandard housing issues and how to compel property owners to remeditate lead hazards, and is a member of the Board of Directors for the California Association of Code Enforcement. Pino has authored a Sacramento lead ordinance which specifies that lead hazards are a substandard housing condition and has authored a book on code enforcement. top of page 11. Ramona Smith Imani Consulting, Senor Grants Coordinator Smith has over twenty years experience in public policy issues related to health care, with eight years experience in childhood lead poisoning prevention activities as a contract employee to the California Department of Health Services. Smith's expertise includes grant management and oversight, project-based fiscal accounting management, public policy development, and human resources-related activities. top of page 12. Greg Speigel Western Center for Law and Poverty, Attorney Spiegel is the primary author of "The Lead Guide: A Community Resource for Lead Poisoning Prevention in California," a comprehensive resource guide used to address lead hazards in housing. Spiegel has successfully lobbied the elected officials to identify lead hazards as a condition of substandard housing in state housing law. top of page 13. Sorbor Twegbe Institute for Community Education and Empowerment, Director Twegbe manages a community-based organization that serves low-income, predominately African American and Latino/Hispanic communities in the San Francisco Bay Area and provides pro-bono environmental sampling, education and outreach activities, and advocates on behalf of clients for health and housing benefits from government agencies. top of page 14. Glenn Waggoner Moreno Valley, Senior Code Compliance Officer Waggoner is an expert on substandard housing issues and how to compel property owners to remeditate lead hazards. As the Senior Code Compliance Officer with the City of Moreno Valley, Waggoner advocates enforcement of lead hazards in at-risk communities. top of page