Inaugural Tulare County Homeless Summit (10.25.17)

Inaugural Tulare County Homeless Summit (10.25.17)

This half-day summit brought together local experts as well as representatives from state and national best practices. Each presenter's presentation is available for download below.

Homeless Summit 2017 - Agenda Pamphlet 10.25.17
Homeless Summit 2017 - Agenda Pamphlet 10.25.17

This document is the event agenda with brief speaker profiles.

Joe Colletti, PhD - Keynote
Joe Colletti, PhD - Keynote

Dr. Joe Colletti, Executive Director of the Hub for Urban Initiatives and Adjunct Professor of Urban Studies at Fuller Theological Seminary, has worked for over 20 years with cities and counties developing and implementing local jurisdictional plans and programs, including continuum of care program applications and community assessments, to prevent and end homelessness. He developed Chefs Center, a kitchen incubator that has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs become owners of food-based businesses. He and his wife live in Pasadena. Learn more: www.joe-colletti.com.

Ryan Stillwater - Visalia Rescue Mission - Panel 1
Ryan Stillwater - Visalia Rescue Mission - Panel 1

Ryan Stillwater, Director of Development at the Visalia Rescue Mission, is a Visalia native and obtained his BA in Christian Ministries at Fresno Pacific University. Ryan is a member of Visalia County Center Rotary and serves on various local boards and committees. Ryan and his wife Amy have three children.

Machael Smith - Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance - Panel 1
Machael Smith - Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance - Panel 1

Machael Smith, the Executive Director of the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance, has provided leadership on several strategic initiatives such as the local 10-year Plan to End Homelessness, coordinated entry system, annual point-in-time counts, and system performance measurements. When not working, she spends time gardening, reading, paddleboarding, and hiking with her husband and three children.

Robert Bendorf & Chaya Galicia - Yuba County (14 Forward) - Panel 2
Robert Bendorf & Chaya Galicia - Yuba County (14 Forward) - Panel 2

Chaya Galicia, Homeless Project Manager with Yuba County Health & Human Services, has worked on creating homelessness solutions, including homelessness programming, for over 16 years. She serves as the  president of the Sutter Yuba Homeless Consortium/ Continuum of Care and assisted in the creation and implementation of the innovative homeless shelter 14 Forward and the Sutter Yuba Coordinated Entry system.

Robert Bendorf, County Administrator for Yuba County, has served on numerous state task forces and boards, including AB 109, Court Transfers, County – Court Mediations, CSAC – League of Cities Task Force on Homelessness, the Governor’s No Place Like Home Advisory Committee, and the CSAC Finance Corporation. He also serves on many community organization boards, including youth sports, Kiwanis, and the Active 20-30 club.

William Cole & Rhiannon Samuel - St Martins HopeWorks - Panel 2
William Cole & Rhiannon Samuel - St Martins HopeWorks - Panel 2

Rhiannon Samuel, Director of Communications for the City of Albuquerque’s Mayor, Richard Berry, was raised with a deep passion for serving her community. Her efforts to promote the “There’s a Better Way” program for the homeless has resulted in the adoption of the program by 20 cities around the county. An Albuquerque native, Rhiannon graduated from the University of New Mexico.

William Cole, the “superstar driver” for the St. Martin’s HopeWorks “There’s a Better Way” employment program for the homeless, serves as a role model and connection point for program participants. Mr. Cole’s achievements include being named St. Martin’s HopeWorks 2016 Employee of the Year and receiving the 2017 Good Samaritan award by Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry.

Margarita Lares - Housing Authority of Los Angeles - Panel 2
Margarita Lares - Housing Authority of Los Angeles - Panel 2

Margarita Lares, Director of the Housing Authority of the County of Los Angeles’ Assisted Housing Division, directs a variety of housing programs for approximately 26,000 low-income households. Under her leadership, the Authority has greatly improved scores against federal standards and has developed many innovative homelessness strategies, including a Homeless Incentive Program providing landlord incentives. 


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