RYSE Board of Directors

Chair

Lishaun Francis is the Associate Director of Health Collaborations. As part of the health team, Lishaun supports Children Now’s mental health/trauma efforts. Prior to joining Children Now, Lishaun Francis was an Associate Director at the California Medical Association. She provided policy support and analysis for California physicians on the issues of Medi-Cal, Workers’ Compensation, and Health Information Technology. Lishaun spent over two years with the Legislative Analyst Office (LAO where she provided fiscal and policy analyses to the State Legislature on issues of mental health, developmental disabilities, and alcohol and drug programs. In Washington, DC Lishaun Francis worked as a Program Analyst for the U.S Department of Education, providing fiscal support on issues of higher education. Lishaun Francis received her Master’s of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Spelman College in Atlanta, GA.

Board Secretary

Sheila is committed to work in service and support of the RYSE mission to empower Richmond youth by providing them with safe spaces grounded in social justice to build power and community. She is currently General Counsel at the Partnership on AI (PAI), where she oversees the organization’s legal operations, supports the Board, and the organization’s initiatives related to the responsible and equitable development of AI systems, with a focus on how these systems impact communities of color. Prior to PAI, Sheila owned and operated a law firm in the Bay Area providing legal services to emerging growth technology and video game companies. Her areas of experience include employment law, negotiation of commercial agreements, intellectual property, data use and privacy, corporate governance, and international expansion. Sheila is also co-President and Board member of the Piedmont Anti-Racism and Diversity Committee, an organization working to dismantle structures of oppression and create an inclusive community through activism, advocacy on behalf of the community, and thought partnership with local institutions. Sheila earned her J.D. from the University of San Francisco and a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology from the University of Wisconsin at Madison, with an emphasis in evolutionary biology.

Treasurer

Sharese brings over 35+ years of banking and secondary marketing experience to RYSE and is excited to share her expertise with RYSE’s Budget and Finance Committee and the RYSE Board. Sharese is the Director of Collateral Operations of the Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco and has worked at the bank over 27 years with experience as a Senior Collateral Asset Manager conducting collateral field review audits, co-lead of business knowledge for the Office of the Diversity and Inclusion and Senior Investment Specialist of the Community Investment Department where she worked to provide grant funds to nonprofits for affordable housing projects.
In addition, Sharese is the President of the Pearl and Ivy Community Corporation where she raises funds to provide scholarships to Bay Area high school seniors. Sharese grew up in Morgan Hill, CA and worked with her father, an entrepreneur and Real Estate Broker where she gained her love of the real estate industry.
Sharese graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles and earned a BA in Political Science. She is a real Estate Broker and is currently enrolled at the Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington. Sharese lives in Oakland, is the proud mom of two daughters and enjoys gardening.

Member

DeAngelo Mack currently serves as the Director of State Policy for Public Health Advocates. He oversees state policy efforts focused on creating or changing laws centered around trauma and health disparities. He recently served as program manager of WellSpace Health’s acclaimed Sacramento Violence Intervention Program, a hospital-linked program serving the most critically injured and traumatized youth. For almost two decades, Mr. Mack has provided trauma-informed care to the underserved in marginalized neighborhoods across California. Using his knowledge and expertise as an organizer, youth pastor and playwright Mr. Mack finds creative ways to teach and empower others about the effects of generational and historical trauma. Mr. Mack sits on numerous committees locally and nationally focusing on trauma informed practices and social determinants of health, including the My Brother’s Keeper Initiative and American College of Surgeons Committee of Trauma.

Member

Sonia lives with her family in San Pablo and is humbled to serve on the RYSE board on behalf of youth leaders in her community. She is Chief of Staff to County Supervisor John Gioia and works on constituent issues and various policy areas including immigration, health, housing, and youth services in addition to working with community organizations and building coalitions around neighborhood initiatives. She grew up in Fresno involved in the political process, often spending weekends walking precincts with her father, former California State Assembly Speaker, and Lieutenant Governor Cruz Bustamante. Sonia attended Santa Monica College and transferred to UC Berkeley where she earned her BA in Sociology. After graduating college she spent 9 years in the labor movement as an organizer, political coordinator, and strategic partner in the central valley and statewide. Sonia started her career in county government when she went to work for Alameda County Supervisor Richard Valle.

Member

Shani describes herself as a student of the incredible youth advocacy and visionary leadership at RYSE. With a PhD in Health and Public Policy, a Masters in Public Health, previous work in city government, as well as a history of collaborating with organizations promoting peace and healing, Shani is extremely passionate about supporting RYSE in transforming violent systems. She is an advocate for liberation and self-determination for families in Richmond and beyond: bringing to the Board her perspective as a violence-prevention researcher with a strong background in analytic and strategic planning. She is also a whiz at Taboo!