BOARD & STAFF
As a non-profit membership organization run by an elected Board of Directors and managed by an Organizational Director and staff members, our model adopts the classic tri-partite division, which ensures greater democratic involvement of regular people over a professionalized board.
As a result of our January 2024 Annual Board Election, we have filled all 12 seat Board of Directors, which represents 1/3 residents of BACLT-owned properties, 1/3 general community members, and 1/3 public representatives who are experts in topics essential to our work. BACLT is proud to be led by a diverse leadership team including a majority of women and people of diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Lessee Representatives
+ Paula Saenghoi, Lessee Representative
My name is Paula Saenghoi, I'm a Bay Area native and I am a resident at Solano Ave in Berkeley and have lived here since June 2023 with my teenage children. As a BACLT board member I will ensure that our resident and Co-op needs are represented, addressed, and will contribute to the organization's overall governance as a democratic organization.
+ Dustin Tranberg, Lessee Representative
Dustin Tranberg is an IT professional who first experienced cooperative living in the Berkeley student co-ops. For more than two decades he has been an active resident of Brown Shingle, a self-managed housing collective in South Berkeley. He serves on Brown Shingles' maintenance and rules committees, and operates as its liaison to BACLT.
+ Michael Wharton, Lessee Representative
Michael Wharton was previously a Business Agent for Public Employees Union, Local One. He has been connected to faith-based community organizing in south Alameda County and was for some time the co-chair of the social justice committee at St. Leander Catholic Church in San Leandro. Michael helped form a local organizing committee at this intersection and has extensive experience working on housing issues in San Leandro.
+ April King, Lessee Representative
Bio coming soon.
General Representatives
+ Aja Fasah, General Representative
Aja Fasah is a resident, Generation's Cultural Strategist, Impact Producer for 'The North Pole Show' Season Two, on the creative team for PBS POV series creator Marc weiss' new project, as well as sits on the advisory committee for Climate Justice Alliance. Most of all Fasah is very passionate about the environment, zero waste and loves working with artists as well as with frontline communities. Current 2019 YBCA 100 honoree for their work with Climate Woke alongside Greta Thunberg and Shonda Rhimes.
+ Bernadette Okereke, General Representative & Vice President
Bernadette Okereke is an Independent Contractor and long time Bay Area resident who is committed to justice, equity and access. She has decades of experience advocating for and providing needed resources including food, basic hygiene products, healthcare access, housing and education to the historically underserved. Bernadette is especially passionate about bridging the gap for the disabled, elderly, unhoused, and BIPOC in our community. As such, she plans to amplify the voices and concerns of everyone involved in the BACLT community to ensure that its principles, mission and vision are embodied, as it expands and evolves.
+ Beth Youhn, General Representative
Beth Youhn, Executive Director of Tradeswomen Inc., began her career over 25 years ago as a crane and heavy equipment operator with Operating Engineers Local 3 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Since her retirement from construction in 1999, Beth has worked extensively to promote construction careers to women and men, including positions with Laney Community College and the City and Port of Oakland, where she developed a local hire recruiting program to place women and minorities on the Port’s $1.2 billion expansion and other major public works projects.
+ Mary Lucas McDonald, President & General Representative
Mary Lucas McDonald is a founder of the BACLT Hibiscus Commons project, a model for affordable elder housing cooperatives, which will help seniors of all incomes to retire comfortably and affordably in community. Mary served on the steering committee for United in Action, the community organization that developed the 2020 Vision to close the achievement gap in Berkeley schools. She volunteered for Ashby Village which helps seniors live independently. Mary is an avid dragon boater and recently began their work in the club's non-profit board of directors as the outreach director.
Public Representatives
+ Jasmine Sozi, Public Representative
Jasmine Sozi is dedicated to working alongside organizations striving to address systemic issues and allocate resources to people in need. As the Project Manager of the Community Economic Justice Clinic (CEJ) at the East Bay Community Law Center (EBCLC), Jasmine passionately advocates for the preservation of affordable housing, community ownership of the land, land stewardship, and directing resources to organizations actively involved in furthering these causes, such as community land trusts and cooperatives.
+ Kori Saika Chen, Public Representative & Treasurer
Kori Saika Chen is the Co-Owner of Alkali Rye - Oakland's Beverage Shop, a retail small business that sells delicious drinks and aims to promote Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Women, LGTBQ+, and progressive artisans. He was born in Berkeley, raised in Oakland, and of the firm belief that housing is a human right.
+ Michael Chao, Public Representative
Michael Chao serves as the Director of California Real Estate Development for Self-Help Federal Credit Union, a non-profit CDFI based in Oakland. Michael's professional background has been primarily centered around affordable housing and comunity development work. Michael was raised in the area, and is a resident of Oakland.
+ Stephen Barton, Public Representative
Stephen Barton retired from the City of Berkeley after serving as Housing Director, Deputy Director of the Rent Stabilization Board and as a housing planner. He has a Ph.D. in City and Regional Planning from the University of California, Berkeley and is the author of numerous articles on housing policy and economics. He received an Affordable Housing Leadership award from the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California in 2006 and a National Planning Award from the American Planning Association in 1997.
Alternate Lessee Representatives
+ Marcia Caine Edelen, Alternate Lessee Representative
Marcia Caine Edelen volunteered in the BACLT office, then joined their Board in 2014. She grew up and raised her family in West Berkeley. At the Consumers Co-op of Berkeley, she was an employee-member later elected to the CCB Board. Marcia also served on the Board of the West Berkeley Fund for Community Progress. In 2015, she and her daughter became resident/members of Brown Shingle Mutual Housing, a resident-managed project of the BACLT. She continues as an active "Resident Member" of the BACLT Board.
+ Wei Li King, Alternate Lessee Representative
Wei li king - 金唯理 (they/he), currently leads operations and IT for East Bay Meditation Center in Downtown Oakland. They have 7 years of experience in software product management and in transition towards bio-rematriation work. wei li is currently a BACLT property resident and believes that communal living is fertile soil for generosity and collective liberation.
+ Vacant Seat, Alternate Lessee Representative
This seat is reserved for a lessee representative and is currently vacant.
+ Vacant Seat, Alternate Lessee Representative
This seat is reserved for a lessee representative and is currently vacant.
Staff
+ Tracy Parent, Organizational Director
Tracy Parent joined BACLT as its Organizational Director in March 2022. She brings more than 20 years' experience with land trusts and housing co-ops. Tracy previously served on the Board of the San Francisco Community Land Trust, and as its Organizational Director, from 2006 to 2016. Having lived in a Housing Collective in San Francisco in the 90's, she has provided education and technical assistance to numerous Co-ops and Collectives. In her spare time, Tracy enjoys traveling to anywhere near or far, including Istanbul, Turkey where her extended family lives.
+ Rick Lewis, Project Manager
Rick Lewis is a founding member of BACLT and served as Executive Director for 11 years. He has over 30 years of experience in housing and economic development, specializing in the development and support of housing cooperatives. He has over twenty years experience as a carpenter and general contractor. He has served on numerous boards, including the Berkeley Housing Advisory Commission and the San Francisco Community Land Trust board. He co-founded the housing co-op he lives in 36 years ago.
+ Amy Warren, Stewardship Manager
Bio coming soon
+ Yuri Sadiki-Torres, Program Manager
Yuri was born and raised in the Bronx, NYC and currently resides in Oakland. She is a third generation Community Organizer with a BA in Public Policy/ History at Mills College and is the Goddaughter of Yuri Kochiyama. Before joining BACLT, Yuri was the Director of Policy/ Community Engagement for the Mayor Thao’s administration. She has also organized with organizations in Oakland and New York City including Faith in Action East Bay, Northern California Land Trust, Malcolm X Grassroots Movement, and created the first Youth Roundtable at the Community Service Society of New York. Throughout Yuri's 13 years of community organizing experience; she has organized around housing policies, economic equity, community safety, and environmental justice. Yuri enjoys traveling, hiking, and baking.