Abby Costello
CHULA VISTA COMMUNITY LIAISON INTERN
Abby Deckert
YOUTH V. OIL INTERN
Alessandra Dangio'
YOUTH4CLIMATE COLLEGE INTERN
Annette Fritzsche
HR & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Jaidacyn Madrigal
MARKETING AND FUNDRAISING COORDINATOR
Lexi Rueff
CHULA VISTA YOUTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Masada Disenhouse
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Paloma Cuautenango
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Sydney Chan
YOUTH4CLIMATE INTERN
Xavier Holmes
YOUTH PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Chula Vista
Abby Costello
Chula Vista Community Liaison Intern
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Chula Vista, CA
Abby, the Chula Vista Community Liaison Intern, is a current junior at Hilltop High School. She has worked with SD350 as a public speaker, planner, and social media representative. Living in Chula Vista her whole life, Abby believes that the community deserves more education and representation in the climate justice movement. Through this internship, Abby hopes to extend awareness and opportunities for climate activism to her community, and to serve as a voice and representative for Chula Vista youth.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Santee
Abby Deckert
Youth v. Oil Intern
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Santee
Abby leads the Youth vs. Oil campaign, working to stop oil fracking in California through rallying, advocacy, and meeting with local elected officials. Abby is currently a junior at Santana High School where she runs the Climate Action Club aiming to educate their community on the climate crisis. Abby co-led the 2023 Youth4Climate Earth Day Campaign, helping high schools across San Diego County to organize impactful Earth Day events. She is very passionate about connecting students through activism and believes it is vital that as youth we fight for our future against the climate crisis.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Alessandra “Alli” Dangio’
Youth4Climate College Intern
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Alli works to build and support the High School Climate Action Education Project. She creates lesson plans, educational activities and action opportunities for teachers and students in high schools located in environmental justice communities. She is a first-year at San Diego Miramar College, where she is studying Anthropology and Environmental Policy and Economics. She views climate change as the biggest threat to global justice and equity, and hopes to combat its negative effects through uplifting and centering the voices of historically marginalized people, who for too long have been on the frontline of environmental issues.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Monument, CO
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Monument, CO
Annette loves working and thinking strategically when it comes to community, relationships, and impact. She serves as the HR and Operations Coordinator at SD350. In addition to her work here, she also works at a foundation that supports community youth music organizations throughout the US. Annette’s previous work includes program management at local arts nonprofits and as a public school teacher. She volunteers as a CASA for foster youth, loves hiking up or skiing down mountains, and is crazy about her young nieces.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Everett, WA
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Everett, WA
Jaidacyn is passionate about building community and engaging supporters. She graduated from UC Sacramento with a degree in Hospitality & Tourism Management, and a minor in Environmental Studies. Prior to working with SanDiego350, Jaidacyn raised funds, planned events, and designed marketing content as the Development Coordinator for an environmental nonprofit in Seattle, Washington. She cares deeply about environmental education. She gives presentations to high school classes, creates informative videos on social media, and reads the environmental children’s book she wrote to young students.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Louisville, KY
Lexi has been an enthusiastic part of Youth4Climate since 2020. She coordinates our youth program in three Chula Vista schools where she mentors youth, coordinates programming, and works to understand the interests and skills of youth and get them engaged in the movement. Lexi graduated from Indiana University in 2017, where she majored in Spanish and Comparative Literature. She’s currently in a Sustainability Leadership masters program at Claremont Lincoln University. Lexi is passionate about the ocean and plastic pollution and is proud to be part of the youth-led climate movement!
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: New York City
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: New York City
Masada co-founded SanDiego350 in 2011. Masada is passionate about empowering people to organize, advocate, and build bold, intersectional grassroots campaigns and political power. Prior to SanDiego350, Masada worked for 350.org where she managed staff and programs to support the growth and development of the over 150 local 350 affiliates in 350’s U.S. network.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Barrio Logan
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Barrio Logan
Paloma is passionate about supporting volunteer efforts and developing our current and future leaders. Before working with SanDiego350, Paloma delivered DEI training for adults and youth community organizers, and worked on public policy and health efforts in San Diego and Santa Cruz. She received her Bachelors of Arts in Community Studies and Fine Arts at the University of California, Santa Cruz.
Pronouns: She/They
Hometown: San Diego
Sydney Chan
Youth4Climate Intern
Pronouns: She/They
Hometown: San Diego
Sydney is the Youth4Climate intern and a junior at Canyon Crest Academy. As a young person involved in the movement, they aim to urge their peers to finding their voices and taking action. During her time as the Youth4Climate intern, she’ll onboard members and plan events & actions. By channeling community power into organization, they hope to create an impact within climate activism and its further intersections.
Pronouns: They/Them
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Pronouns: They/Them
Hometown: Cleveland, OH
Xavier leads SD350’s Youth4Climate Program to help develop the future leaders of the climate crisis. They are passionate about building efficacy and meaningful connections within marginalized communities. Additionally, they have many years of experience coordinating volunteers to help serve the d/Deaf and Disabled communities in Pittsburgh. As a young climate activist at the University of Pittsburgh, they worked with grassroots organizations to pressure the university to divest from fossil fuels, and conducted research to highlight the consequences of the school’s environmentally racist practices within Black communities. They are excited to support SD350’s mission to foster a safe and inclusive environment for youth from all walks of life, ultimately making the effort to save our planet more accessible for everyone.
Anita Martinez
BOARD SECRETARY
Bill Wellhouse
BOARD TREASURER
Jim Miller
BOARD MEMBER
Joshua Piedra
BOARD MEMBER
Joyce Lane
BOARD PRESIDENT
Keala Minna-Choe
BOARD MEMBER
Max Lebovitz
BOARD MEMBER
Rebecca Rojas
BOARD MEMBER
Toshi Ishihara
BOARD MEMBER
Tyyne Parakhen
BOARD MEMBER
Masada Disenhouse
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - EX OFFICIO BOARD MEMBER
Pronouns: She/her
Hometown: San Diego
Anita Martinez
Board Secretary
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Anita joined the Board in 2022 and became the Board Secretary in June 2023. She is a member of SD350’s JEDI team and she has helped create Climate Justice workshops. Her work with SD350 is driven by a passion for environmental justice and for taking necessary action to mitigate climate change now and for future generations. Environmental justice is at the heart of her work. Anita retired from Grossmont College where she worked in the Career Technical Education & Workforce Development division. She was also co-chair of the Professional Development Committee. Anita also serves as VP of the American Federation of Teachers Retiree Chapter.
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown:
Bill Wellhouse
Board Treasurer
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown:
Bill joined the Board in 2019 after serving on SanDiego350’s Steering Committee and doing a lot of the work to keep the organization running smoothly, including budget, insurance, our policy manual, and supporting our teams. Before he retired, Bill directed two charter schools and gained a great deal of experience with non-profit issues.
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: San Diego
Jim Miller
Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: San Diego
Jim joined the Board in 2019. He is a native San Diegan and holds an MFA in fiction from SDSU and a Ph.D. in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. Miller is the co-author of the local history Under the Perfect Sun: The San Diego Tourists Never See as well as the author of the novels Drift, Flash, Last Days in Ocean Beach, and other works. He teaches at San Diego City College and is a Vice President of the American Federation of Teachers, Local 1931 and Chair of the SD Labor, Environmental, and Community Coalition.
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: City Heights, San Diego
Joshua Piedra
Board Vice President
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: City Heights, San Diego
Joshua joined the Board in 2021 and became the Board Vice President in June 2023. From a young age, growing up in an immigrant working-class family, Joshua learned the importance of community. His lived experiences have shaped his values of empathy, compassion, and justice. Personally, he is committed to empowering his community as a grassroots organizer and advocate for public policy that centers on social and racial equity. Professionally, he was recently hired as a political organizer supporting working families throughout San Diego and Imperial Counties.
Pronouns: She/her
Hometown: San Diego
Joyce Lane
Board President
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Joyce joined the Board in 2018. She served as a team leader on the Public Policy Team for more than four years. She has been a member of several other non-profit boards in San Diego and is passionate in her concern for the planet and doing what she can to make the world a better place.
Pronouns:She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Keala Minna-Choe
Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: San Diego
Keala joined the board in 2022. As a youth, she believes that helping fight our current climate crisis is the best way to help preserve her future. Keala is active in SanDiego350’s Youth4Climate program and helps to lead the Youth v. Oil team, which is working to phase out fossil fuels and advocate for a just transition to renewable energy. Keala is currently a high school student at Canyon Crest Academy.
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Los Angeles
Max Lebovitz
Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Los Angeles
Max joined the board in 2021 after serving as the Monthly Meeting Coordinator since joining SanDiego350 in 2018. His focus is on helping bring awareness to important climate-related issues through education, outreach, and event organization. For his professional career, Max runs marketing for a local sports technology company.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Los Angeles
Rebecca Rojas
Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Los Angeles
Rebecca joined the Board in 2019. She started volunteering with SD350 in 2012 because she wanted to be part of building a social movement that would fight for climate justice. By day she works as an attorney advocating for the rights of seamen injured onboard vessels and victims who have been seriously injured in accidents.
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Isesaki, Japan
Toshi Ishihara
Board Member
Pronouns: He/Him
Hometown: Isesaki, Japan
Toshi joined the Board in 2019. Since 2018, he has been volunteering for transportation and climate justice as a member of the Public Policy Team. Before he retired, he held multiple managerial positions responsible for technology and organizational development.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: Tampere, Finland
pronounced too-nay
Tyyne Parakhen
Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her/Hers
Hometown:
Tyyne joined the Board in 2023, having served as Co-Chair of the Food and Soil Team at SanDiego350 since late 2021. After welcoming her first child in 2020, Tyyne felt compelled to take action on climate change in order to work towards a livable future for current and future generations. Professionally, she works in nonprofit development and fundraising, specializing in donor data management and analytics.
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: New York City
Masada Disenhouse
Executive Director – Ex Officio Board Member
Pronouns: She/Her
Hometown: New York City
Masada is a founding member of SanDiego350. She has organized San Diego’s largest climate mobilizations and is passionate about empowering people to organize, advocate, campaign and build grassroots political power together. Prior to SanDiego350, Masada worked for 350.org where she managed staff and programs to support the growth and development of the over 150 local 350 affiliates in 350’s U.S. network.
