Office staff bios
AMBROSIA PHOUMMATHEP-WINSPEAR, Executive DIRECTOR
Ambrosia Phoummathep-Winspear attended Cal State East Bay and majored in Finance with a minor in Criminal Justice. She is the third generation in her family to work in finances and has over a decade of financial and operational experience. She previously served as the Director of Finance & Operations for Project Avary for 8 years before stepping into the role of Executive Director. Ambrosia first found out about Project Avary when her partner was sentenced to county jail. Since then, she's found a home within the organization and has dedicated her life to continuing to help impact the lives of children with incarcerated parents. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family and young son, going out to eat, trying out new recipes, and traveling.
Amy DeLeon, DIRECTOR OF Development & Communications
Amy DeLeon has a degree in Marketing, and throughout her professional career has developed her strength for sharing rich stories and fostering unity. She brings these skills to her position at Project Avary, passionately endeavoring to connect people to the heart serving youth with incarcerated parents. As the Director of Fund Development & Communications, Amy spearheads the communications efforts and works diligently to raise critical funds for the organization. Her motivation stems from the inspiring resilience, vibrant personalities, and deep community bonds of the Avary youth. In her spare time, Amy loves to spend time outdoors with her husband and young son, listen to podcasts and audiobooks, go for long hikes, practice yoga, and plan her next great adventure.
Danielle brook, Head of finance and Operations
Danielle Brook has a long history of supporting at-risk and foster youth and is passionate about restorative justice. She grew up in a home full of foster children and has dedicated over a decade of her life trying to make their lives better long-term. Danielle grew up as a child of a previously incarcerated parent and has a close friend that is currently incarcerated. She uses this personal experience to fuel her work for Project Avary. In her role, she passionately introduces the work of the organization to communities across the U.S. so that children with a parent in prison are able to have support that wasn't accessible to her when she was younger. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys powerlifting, listening to podcasts, gardening, reading, and spending time with her spouse and two rescue dogs.
Ahtziri Rivera, Office Manager
Ahtziri became a part of Avary by volunteering for Summer Camp when she was 16 years old. Seeing her peers be so open about their struggles encouraged her to share her own experience of having her parents incarcerated. Since then she knew she wanted to give back to her community and help break the cycles of incarceration. She currently attends Sacramento State and is pursuing a Criminal Justice degree where she wishes to use it to continue to help underserved youth in the Criminal Justice System. When she’s not working away in the office, Ahtziri enjoys cuddling with her dog, Mylo, spending time with her loved ones and looking for cool Airbnbs where she can spend her time off.
Kellene vanbrackle, program director
Kellene VanBrackle found her calling to serve children back in 2006 when she started working with foster youth at residential treatment centers. After reading Michelle Alexander’s The New Jim Crow, she became increasingly focused on criminal justice reform and how incarceration disproportionately impacts Black and Brown communities. As Program Director for Project Avary, she passionately blends her love for working with and forming deep relationships with the children & families and her dedication to stewarding social justice. When she’s not adventuring outside with the Avary community, she enjoys zooming around San Francisco on her e-bike with her husband (aka “Chef Will”) and kiddo, and taking advantage of all the city has to offer. She is also an avid baker and sweet treat connoisseur and is constantly perfecting her chocolate chip cookie recipe.
Claudia Muñoz, Program Director
Claudia Muñoz has extensive experience working directly with youth and families. She worked as a Child Support Specialist for the Department of Child Support for 16 years. Growing up, Claudia spent a lot of time in prison visiting rooms and writing letters as a close family member was incarcerated for several years. Claudia discovered Project Avary after her daughter’s father was sentenced to 2 decades in prison. Her daughter, Aliana, is now a Junior Leader with Project Avary. These life experiences have fueled Claudia’s passion for advocating on behalf of children with an incarcerated loved one. During her free time, Claudia enjoys listening to podcasts, trying new restaurants and cafes in San Francisco, supporting small POC-owned businesses, and Sunday dinners with her family.
Teresa Collins, Director of program developmenT & Training
Teresa is delighted to transition from seasonal counselor into her role as Project Avary’s Director of Program Development & Training. Prior to joining Project Avary full time, Teresa spent the past ten years teaching at local Title 1 schools. Her experience in the classroom has equipped her with the skills to develop engaging and impactful curriculum. Through her work, she is committed to creating programs that foster growth, learning, and resilience in the children we serve. Driven by a deep belief in the healing power of community and nature, she is thrilled to be part of an organization that prioritizes both. Her previous work has fueled her desire to support children facing adversities, providing them with the resources and support they need to thrive. When she’s not at work, she can be found exploring the Bay Area’s natural beauty, hiking with her dogs, or seeking out the best tacos in town.
Shaun Warren, Program Manager
Shaun is an Educator, Hip-Hop Artist, Sound Healing Flute Player, and Father. He was born and raised in Renton, WA, received his Bachelor's degree in Finance from Hampton University, and has been living in the Bay Area since 2012. Shaun has 10 years of professional work experience at large tech companies including Google and Roku. After spending 10 years working in tech, he decided to pursue more heart-centered work. Since then, he has been a substitute teacher, he's facilitated social emotional learning workshops, and has been a camp counselor for Project Avary. All of this has led to his current role as Program Manager for Project Avary. He enjoys spending his free time with his fiancé and their 3 kids. Whether it be hiking, camping, traveling, playing basketball, practicing Kajukenbo, or simply watching anime at home, Shaun loves to involve and expose his kids to the life he enjoys to live so much.
Julio Sandoval, Program Coordinator
Julio Sandoval embarked on his professional journey as an elementary school computer science teacher in Los Angeles, nurturing young minds with the fundamentals of coding. In 2019, he made a remarkable shift from the classroom to the great outdoors, joining Outward Bound Adventures to introduce BIPOC youth from underserved communities to the wonders of the natural world. With rigorous training and certifications, Julio now leads young adventurers into the backcountry, passionately embracing this experience. He derives deep comfort, resilience, and profound mental health benefits from nature, and he's dedicated to sharing these benefits to support the healing of Project Avary youth. During his leisure time, Julio is an avid explorer, whether on foot, bike, or in a car, as he delves into the history of cities and towns, learns about Indigenous cultures, and identifies local flora and fauna.
Kele Nitoto, Program coordinator
Kele Nitoto is a second generation African-American percussionist and singer. Born and raised in the Oakland Dance Culture, Kele Has studied with Masters of many styles, becoming proficient in West-African, Congolese, Afro-Cuban, Afro-Peruvian, and Afro-Haitian traditional musics. Over the last 25 years, Kele has performed throughout the country in dance companies, bands, and teaching workshops and classes, summer camps, spiritual and workplace retreats, and for countless ceremonies and celebrations. Kele has worked with Project Avary for over 22 years. He has been a counselor, drum teacher, song leader, games master, and camp director. Currently he is the Program Coordinator and Senior Community Leader for Project Avary -- curating games, music and fun, and providing support to all Avary programs. In his spare time, Kele enjoys reading comics and watching movies and TV.
Ollie Kalei, Program Coordinator
Ollie found Project Avary shortly after a life changing experience working with incarcerated people during undergrad and feeling called to dedicate himself to serving those impacted by our unjust carceral system. He joined Project Avary’s Online Group Mentoring Program in 2021 and has since taken on various leadership positions, now training other Lead Counselors to build community via Zoom with youth from all over the country. His administrative experience in previous roles helped him transition to full-time work with Avary, where he enrolls new youth to our services and provides organization-wide support. He is a child of two formerly incarcerated parents, and he is deeply grateful to Avary for helping him transform what was once a source of shame into a shared bond with a beautiful community. In his spare time you can find him watching reality TV with friends, studying hellenistic astrology, and endlessly taking pictures of his three cats.
Eli Fox, Outreach Manager
Eli has extensive experience in leadership development for youth, using the outdoors as a key learning environment. Influenced by his own experience with parental incarceration, he recognizes the critical role that youth-focused programs have played in his life. At Project Avary, he oversees outreach and partnerships to support youth development. Eli is a first-generation college graduate with a Bachelor's in Environmental Communication and Human Dimensions of Natural Resources from Colorado State University and a certificate in Nonprofit Management from Harvard. A passionate outdoorsman, he enjoys fishing, hunting, and running in his free time (usually using that time to listen to historical podcasts).
Natasha Blakely-Berteloot, training & engagement specialist
Natasha Blakely-Berteloot obtained a degree in Education with a minor in Counseling. For over a decade she worked as the Executive Program Director for an after school Drawing Program for youth throughout the Central Valley. As an Art Instructor, she developed and facilitated classes to help students improve their patience, attention to detail, boost confidence and increase self-esteem. Natasha grew up in a single-parent home and experienced firsthand the effects of having an incarcerated parent. As a child, she was strongly impacted by community and enrichment programs for underserved youth, and from a young age made it a goal to give back to young ones in her community. Today Natasha is ever grateful to have the privilege of being a part of the Project Avary Community as a Training and Engagement Specialist. In her free time, she enjoys working out, traveling, creating art, concerts, and cooking vegan meals.
Megan Nordin, Development & Communications Coordinator
Megan Nordin gained exposure to the criminal justice system from a very young age, as the daughter of a Public Defender. She completed a degree in Urban Studies with a deep rooted interest in public policy reform and advocacy. Her career journey led her in many directions within a range of disciplines and she came to Project Avary with a strong passion for the work from many perspectives. Megan's commitment to the Avary mission fuels her drive to garnish support for the organization and grow the impact. In her free time, Megan enjoys diving deep into conversation, trying every food that exists, creating, exploring and snuggling with her son.