A Diverse Leadership Leads to Better Results

The ECS staff, who are the heart and soul of our organization, are led by a group of individuals chosen for their qualifications, experience across nonprofit and industry, and most importantly, commitment to housing first. Along with diversity of knowledge, experience, and expertise, ECS is determined to continue to recruit leadership as diverse as our staff and those we serve.

We are actively recruiting for several leadership positions. If you are passionate about our mission, apply to join our team here.

Rick Aguilar, CPA

Senior Controller

Rick joined ECS in 2017, having worked in the real estate development and property management fields for over eight years. His experience spans both non-profit (Satellite Affordable Housing Associates) and privately held entities (Martin Building Company). Prior to these positions, he was engaged in the practice of public accounting and financial consulting services for several years in California and Texas. Rick is a licensed Certified Public Accountant and a graduate of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.

Outside of his professional life, Rick is an avid runner. When not at ECS, he can usually be found on the streets of San Francisco running in the cold and fog, especially in and around Golden Gate Park. Rick has completed 35 half-marathons and competed in various races of lesser distances.

Ceedral Armstrong

Director of Interim Housing

Ceedral is a Certified Substance Use Disorder Counselor and Mental Health Rehabilitation Specialist with over twenty years of experience. She has a proven record of generating and building successful relationships, managing projects and designing organizational strategies in the counseling domain and beyond. Most recently, Ceedral was Compliance Director at HealthRIGHT 360, where she worked in compliance with the agency, state, and federal requirements, assisted with internal audit and monitoring activities and provided direct supervision to the Regional Compliance Coordinators. Also with HealthRIGHT 360, Ceedral was Program Director at Walden House, providing direct supervision and training for staff and interns, as well as ensuring informed and culturally sensitive services were delivered to all participants. Prior to this role, Ceedral worked for seven years at the Progress Foundation as Program Director, managing all operations of the facility, working closely with the team to ensure quality assurance, implementing policies and standards, and ensuring documentation met Medi-Cal certification standards.

Ceedral holds a bachelor’s degree in General Studies with minors in psychology, sociology, and gender studies from the University of Mississippi. She is a graduate student at Walden University, undertaking her master’s degree in Healthcare Administration. She is tracked to complete the program in June 2022.

Ceedral was born and raised in Mississippi and has lived in California since Dec 2000. Ceedral loves spending time with her family and friends, reading, and traveling.

Jan-Marie Bannon

Director of Strategic Initiatives

Jan-Marie came to ECS in 2018 with more than 20 years of project management experience in both the private and non-profit sectors. She has project-managed the development of corporate strategic plans and worked closely with change management consultants to implement trainings and integrate improved systems and processes.

Jan-Marie believes that society should be judged by how it treats its most vulnerable citizens. She is honored to work with an organization dedicated to partnering with vulnerable community members to provide access to housing and tailored services. Jan-Marie has spent many years volunteering with diverse communities at such organizations as La Casa de las Madres, W.O.M.A.N, Inc., Open Hand, St. Anthonys and Shanti Project, and currently volunteers with Zen Hospice.

When not at work, she can be found hiking, communing with nature and reading about seemingly ordinary individuals who are doing extraordinary things to change the world. Jan-Marie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a Minor in Sociology from San Francisco State University.

Shelly Brown

Associate Director of Housing Services

Shelly Brown is originally from upstate New York. Shelly has lived in the bay area since 1989. Shelly came to ECS with over 20+ years of experience working in perinatal services, women services, co-ed residential substance abuse counseling and other marginalized populations. Shelly began working with ECS in 2008 as an Assistant Support Services Manager. Since 2011 she has been the Support Services Manager working with previously homeless families at Canon Barcus Community House. In 2014 she also became the Support Services Manager 1180 4th St. Working with families in ending generational homelessness is her passion.

Maggie Burkle

Associate Director of Behavioral Health

Maggie Burkle, LMFT, is a 2011 graduate of CIIS in the Drama Therapy Program and has worked at ECS for 11 years, both in Behavioral Health and the Housing Department. As a mental and behavioral health professional and a white, cis-gender, queer woman, she consciously centers an anti-racist, anti-oppression deconstruction of psychology and therapeutic practices. Maggie also provides workshops for Staff and consumers on Gender Expression – to explore the ways everyone is experiencing gender so that ECS programs can be a safer place for transgender, agender, non-binary, and gender-nonconforming people.

Maggie is a trained actor, director, choreographer, and all-around ham. She loves to collage, craft, and deconstruct pop culture from an anti-oppression lens.

Chris Callandrillo

Chief Program Officer

Chris has over 20 years of experience in the administration of programs and services for people experiencing homelessness, including families and children, single adults, seniors, transitional age youth, and those affected by HIV/AIDS. Chris joined ECS as Chief Operating Officer in 2018 and transitioned to the role of Chief Program Officer in early 2022. Prior to his tenure at ECS, Chris worked with Catholic Charities of San Francisco for 14 years and in program leadership at the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) for 6 years. Chris holds a BA in English from UC Berkeley, as well as an MA in Education from Stanford University.

In his spare time, Chris kayaks, spends time with his dog and enjoys the beautiful sunsets at local beaches in San Francisco.

Nang Cao

Deputy Director of Housing Stability

Nang joins ECS with more than 12 years of management experience in the non-profit sector and with two decades of clinical experience. Most recently, Nang served as the Senior Director of Health and Wellness, Santa Clara County, with Abode Services where he oversaw six permanent supportive housing sites, a mental health outreach team, an intensive case management team serving veterans, and a behavioral healthcare program. At Abode Services, he provided leadership to clinical teams in Santa Clara County, including Project Welcome Home, Second Street Studios, Renascent Place, and Eagle Park.

Prior to this role, Nang was the Senior Director of Intensive Behavioral Health at East Bay Agency for Children (EBAC). He is also an accomplished clinical supervisor who has trained hundreds of social workers over the past 16 years. Nang holds a master’s degree in Social Work from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master of Public Administration degree from San Jose State University. He has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 2000.

The role of Deputy Director of Housing Stability and Partnerships is a newly created position, which will serve as a systems-focused and solutions-oriented role, responsible for overseeing ECS’ growing portfolio of innovative housing solutions and implementing its ambitious strategic plan. Nang is working directly with Adult Coordinated Entry, Housing Stabilization and Partnerships (Scattered Site Housing), and Housing Services.

Elisa Bozmarova

Associate Director of Development & Communications

Elisa Bozmarova comes to ECS with in-depth communications and development expertise gained through nearly seven years of experience in Bay Area nonprofits. Previously, she worked with the Evelyn and Walter Haas, Jr. Fund, Grace Cathedral, and First Presbyterian Church of Berkeley.

As a storyteller by nature, stories of ordinary people who are often ignored by society - and their potential to achieve extraordinary things - fuel Elisa's passion.

She holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction from Goucher College and BA in English from UC Berkeley.

Mauricio Cordova Flores

Chief Operating Officer

Mauricio comes to ECS with over 25 years of operational leadership in the non-profit and for-profit sectors. In his immediate past role as the Chief Operating Officer at Loaves and Fishes Family Kitchen in San Jose, California, Mauricio was responsible for operations, facilities, budgeting, contracts, and meal programs that distribute over 1.8 million prepared meals to the community in the South Bay. Prior to his role at Loaves, Mauricio held major leadership positions in operations and sales in the private sector. Mauricio holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from California State University, East Bay, and certificates in Nonprofit Organizational Management from the University of the Pacific.

Charles Deffarges

Director of Housing Policy

Charles comes to ECS with a deep background in community organizing, program design and local government. Born and raised in San Francisco, Charles believes that programs and policy need to serve the most marginalized among us, something he brought to previous roles with the City of San Francisco and as a member of the SF HOT Team. Charles holds a Masters in Public Policy and a BA in Urban Environmental Policy.

Michelle Diaz

Senior Director of Human Resources

Michelle is an accomplished HR professional with 19 years of extensive experience in all aspects of Human Resources. She joined ECS coming from the security industry, where she held similar positions of Regional Labor Relations Manager, Regional Director of Human Resources, and Divisional Director of Recruitment.

Scott Ecker

Senior Director of Housing Services

Scott has been with ECS since 2001, and managed the Support Services teams at several of our housing sites before becoming the Director of Housing Services. Scott holds a BA in psychology and an MS in clinical psychology, and offers over 20 years of experience working in the community mental health and supportive housing fields.

Noé Gutierrez

Director of Human Resources

Noé has worked in non-profit HR management for 20 years all in the East Bay. His passion is working with community-based social service focused nonprofits. Noé has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from San Francisco State University and is dually certified as a Senior HR Professional through SHRM and HRCI.

A fan of music and culture, Noe sees an average of 5-8 live music events each year.

Travis Hamilton

Associate Director of Housing Services

Travis Hamilton is grateful to have worked in various roles with several non-profits for over 20 years. He has been part of the start-up of several permanent supportive housing sites throughout San Francisco. He has an undergraduate degree in Integral Studies from the California Institute of Integral Studies and studied Organizational Psychology at John F Kennedy University.

Travis lives in the East Bay. He enjoys working on home projects, and his 4 doggies keep his hands full.

Monica Harlow

Deputy Director of Services

Monica joins ECS with over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector. Most recently, Monica served as the Director of Human Resources and Administration at Habitat for Humanity Greater San Francisco. In addition to her years in administration, she has run a family shelter for Hamilton Families and was Director of Support Services at Tenderloin Housing Clinic.

The role of Deputy Director of Services is a newly created position responsible for overseeing ECS’ portfolio of programs and services in Interim Housing, Healthy Aging, Workforce Development and Social Enterprise, and Behavioral Health. Monica holds a BA in Psychology from State University of New York at Albay, an MA in Organization Development from Sonoma State University, and is currently working on a Master of Arts degree in Integral Counseling Psychology at California Institute of Integral Studies.

Michael Hersher

Director of Impact and Analytics

Michael brings expertise in evaluation and analytics from across the social and private sectors to ECS. Michael’s approach to analytics is informed by his past work on emergency shelter planning and incident dispatch at the American Red Cross and industrial analytics at Kespry. He is skilled at fostering a culture of data-driven decision-making across an organization and has built analytics functions and teams within both new and established organizations. Michael holds an AB in Biochemistry from Harvard College.

A new father, most of Michael’s time outside of work is dedicated to raising his newborn. Michael is also a backpacker and wildlife & nature photographer.

Justin Hurd

Associate Director of Human Resources

Coming soon.

Natalie Hopner

Associate Director of Workforce Development

Natalie brings over 15 years of experience in nonprofit administration and workforce development to her work in ECS’s vision to equip individuals with the tools for success no matter their station in life. In her career, Natalie has gained experience in a diverse set of essential roles including in executive support, administrative, operations, compliance, program management, hospitality and healthcare, adult education, English language development, job readiness, fundraising, and public relations areas. She also served as an Interim Executive Director. She began her tenure at ECS in January of 2019 as Workforce Development Manager.

Natalie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Environmental Studies and Anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and a Certificate of English Language Teaching to Adults (CELTA). She also serves as the President of the Board for the Conspiracy of Beards, a nonprofit arts organization.

Born in Switzerland, Natalie has also lived in the UK and Spain. She is fluent in Spanish and English and conversational in French.

Beyond professional life and language, Natalie’s talents extend to, among other things, music. She plays the piano, sings with a female range vocal ensemble, and has own rock-funk-prog band where she does keys and vocals.

David Kim

Senior Director of Asset Management

David Kim, or “DK,” has 21 years of experience in affordable housing and homeless services. David studied Social Work at San Francisco State University and began his career at the Hamilton Family Center. He transitioned into property management housing with several Bay Area affordable housing developers and into asset management for a private investment firm for workforce housing.

A sportsman and a nature-aficionado, DK transitioned into mountaineering after competing in the 2018 Ironman in Barcelona, Spain. His future goals are to bike and hike through South Korea, splitboard Mt Denali, and climb up El Capitan.

Eric Larra

Chief Financial Officer

Eric joined ECS in September 2014. Eric is a seasoned financial professional with over 25 years of experience including accounting and auditing, financial management and analysis, business planning and consulting. His previous employers include KPMG, Levi Strauss & Co, the Sierra Club, and Northern California Presbyterian Homes and Services.

Grant Lautz

Assistant Controller

Bio coming soon.

Tiffany Luong

Senior Director of Finance and Planning

Tiffany comes to ECS from On Lok, where she was Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for four years. Previously, she held a similar position at the Jewish Senior Living Group in San Francisco. Tiffany holds an MBA in Finance from California State Fullerton and a BS in Finance from San Diego State University.

In her free time, Tiffany enjoys cooking for her family and friends.

Ryan Lim

Director of Housing Stability and Partnerships

Ryan has over 18 years’ experience in the human services field, primarily in managing large residential treatment programs for adults with co-occurring mental health and substance use disorders. Ryan has worked in a variety of settings, from locked psychiatric units to permanent supportive housing for people living with HIV, and is a certified drug and alcohol counselor.

A longtime resident of San Francisco, Ryan loves his city and believes in serving his neighbors.

John Ouertani

Director of Operations

John Ouertani has more than two decades of experience in the human services field, much of that with managing ECS’s crisis shelters, piloting of San Francisco’s low-threshold, service-rich Navigation Centers and Adult Coordinate Entry Access Points for homeless adults’ pathways out of homelessness. John was an integral part of ECS’ and the city’s homelessness response during the early days of the COVID pandemic, having led ECS teams to launch 8 different Shelter in Place (SIP) hotel sites.

John is a proud fan of Bay Area sports teams, including the San Francisco Giants, San Francisco 49ers, and the Golden State Warriors. He plays basketball and enjoys music and walks in the city. John also likes to cook and possesses exceptional culinary skills.

Jason Pruett

Director of Social Enterprise

Jason has over 8 years of experience working in not-for-profit workforce development and food-related social enterprises in Chicago, IL. He has worked directly with the recruiting and training of agency participants, fostering relationships with prospective employers, developing/revising food-service training curriculum, promoting the organization through public speaking engagements, implementing budgeting and revenue goals for the social enterprise along with cooking and serving meals to agency participants and the public.

Rodrick Smith

Associate Director of Adult Coordinated Entry

Bio coming soon.

Dena Stein

Senior Director of Development

Dena is a skilled development professional with more than fifteen years of experience in nonprofit management and faith-based fundraising. Before joining Episcopal Community Services of San Francisco, she served as a major gifts officer at the Jewish Community Federation and Endowment Fund of San Francisco.

Dena holds a master’s degree in nonprofit management from Hebrew Union College and is an alumna of the University of Connecticut. She is also a 21/64 certified philanthropic advisor and is passionate about supporting donors in transformative and impactful giving. She is deeply inspired by ECS’s mission to support homeless and very low income individuals with dignity and respect and is excited about aiding in this critical work.

Beth Stokes

Executive Director

Beth has over 20 years of experience in housing and homeless services, with her work beginning at the Coalition on Homelessness. Previously, she served as the Western Region Managing Director for the Corporation for Supportive Housing (CSH), based in Los Angeles, Director of Programs for the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and Executive Director of Hamilton Families. She is currently a member of the Oakland Homeless Commission and on the Board of Directors of the Amity Foundation. Beth received her MSW in Social Welfare, Administration and Planning from San Francisco State University.

Beth values a balanced approach to mental and physical wellbeing. She enjoys taking advantage of the beauty of living in the bay area, exploring and cycling through local landscapes and seascapes with her partner and friends.

Liz Tarzon

Director of Healthy Aging

Liz has 2 decades of experience working with seniors with a wide range of needs and economic backgrounds, including her time here at ECS since 2018. She holds an MA in Gerontology and has enjoyed a variety of roles in areas of case management, programming, staff training, and administration. Her work has given her great exposure in finding solutions to the difficulties seniors face including cognitive issues, affordable housing, diminishing mobility and end-of-life care.

Kristin Ullom

Clinical Associate Director of Housing Services

Kristin has been with ECS since 2012, when she started as a clinical intern and rose through the ranks quickly to managing several of the Support Services teams at our various housing sites before becoming the Clinical Associate Director of Housing Services. Kristin holds a BA in General Studies and an MA in Counseling Psychology. She brings over 10 years of experience working in community mental health.

In her spare time, Kristin likes to cook, hike and spend time with family and friends. She is also a sports enthusiast and a lover of animals, the earth, art, books, and coffee!