Our Staff

The Center is fortunate to have a talented and diverse staff made up of seven part time individuals whose working hours are the equivalent to four full time employees.

 

 

Kristen M. Georges, Executive Director
kgeorges@sthelenafamilycenter.org
Kristen has extensive experience working with educational nonprofits and was most recently the Executive Director of the Foundation for Autistic Childhood Education and Support in Redwood Shores. Prior to that she ran the Development Department at Eastside College Preparatory School in East Palo Alto and was the Development Director for New Schools Venture Fund. She began her career administering the Genentech Foundation for Biomedical Sciences. Kristen made the transition from biotechnology to the nonprofit community to support causes she is passionate about.

 

Norma Ferriz, Site and Operations Manager
nferriz@sthelenafamilycenter.org
Norma is the liaison with the Center’s partners and manages our day to day operations.
Norma holds a Masters in Public Administration with a concentration in non-profit organizations management.  She brings fifteen years of experience in the non-profit environment including serving as Executive Director for Pronatura Veracruz, a Mexican non-profit.  As a Mexican national, she is proficient in Spanish and English and her experience navigating between the Latin and Anglo cultures is a valuable asset for the Center.  Best of all, Norma’s joy for life brings very positive energy to the Center.

Joanna Romo, Education Program Manager
jromo@sthelenafamilycenter.org
Joanna is in charge of the education programs that we offer at the Center for preschool children (Active Minds and Raising a Reader), for youth (CLARO and Mariposa) and for adults (parenting workshops).
Joanna has been working as a Spanish Teacher at Lake County International Charter School in Lake County. She moved to Calistoga two years ago from Southern California where she had been working for the Santa Barbara School District for ten years as an associate preschool teacher, bilingual instructional aide and special education assistant. Born and educated in Chile, she is proficient in Spanish and English, and is proud to be bilingual and bicultural. She is presently finishing her M.A. in Socio-Cultural Education at Sonoma State University and hopes to connect her research with the Centers’ educational programs to better serve families and their children.

Cristina Aviña, Family Services Coordinator
info@sthelenafamilycenter.org
Cristina is the welcoming face of the Center, she provides guided referals and orients clients according to their needs.She also supports clients needing counseling, emergency funds, and other specific needs.
Cristina was born in Michoacán, Mexico. At the age of 12 years old her parents brought her to Calistoga; where she was raised. She is bilingual and bicultural. Cristina comes from a family of 10, as a result of that it was hard for her parents to support them financially; she started to work at the age of 13 years old. At the same time she attended Calistoga Jr/Sr High School, where she graduated on 2002. She has 13 years of experience working in different jobs where she has learned to work together with the community. Right now she is a single mother of a 3 year old, Antonio, which is the one that gives her strength to pursue her goals.

Guadalupe (Lupe) Cachu, Program Coordinator
gcachu@sthelenafamilycenter.org
Lupe is responsible for our VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program and Money Smart classes. She is also in charge of our annual Dia de los Muertos event and other outreach initiatives. 
Guadalupe graduated from Sonoma State University with a Bacheolors of Arts degree in Sociology. She is currently finishing her full-time term of service with AmeriCorps giving 1700 hours of service work to the community of Calistoga. First generation to received a college degree she is motivated in pursuing her studies by obtaining a masters in Family Theraphy. Being that her passion is working with children and families.


Sara Cakebread, Grant writer
scakebread@comcast.org
Sara seeks out, proposes and manages grants from our generous donors.
Prior to becoming part of the St. Helena Family Center, Sara spent 20 years in the marketing communications field, first in the corporate world and then as owner of Telegraph Communications, a local firm serving the hospitality and healthcare industries. A consummate volunteer, Sara was named 2008 Citizen of the Year by the St. Helena Chamber of Commerce for her civic involvement. She is passionate about the work she is doing for the Center and firmly believes we can change the world one family at a time.

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St. Helena Family Center
1440 Spring St. St. Helena, CA 94574
info@sthelenafamilycenter.org office (707) 963-1919 fax (707) 963-2153