Backbone Staff
The Backbone staff serve as network weavers to help cultivate Partner alignment, enable data-informed, peer-to-peer accountability, facilitate collaborative action, and steward advocacy for sustainable, systemic change. Backbone staff work to connect multiple entities into a seamless network of student support. We are process experts trained in results-based accountability, continuous improvement, complex systems change, equity, research, business operations, project management, communications, data strategy, human-centered design and group process facilitation.
Ana Bell
Director of Future Ready Initiative
Ana has a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Masters of Science in Counseling Psychology. One of Ana’s biggest passions is to provide equality, equity, and support to oppressed and misrepresented populations. As an immigrant who moved to the United States when she was 4 years old, Ana has simultaneously observed and experienced some of the disparities that exist within the systems and institutions she has been a part of. From the individuals she has met, and through her own personal experience, she has become dedicated and motivated to eliminate the barriers and challenges that marginalized populations face.
Ana can be reached at ana@marinpromisepartnership.org
Ann Mathieson
Founder/Outgoing CEO
Ann Mathieson is the founding Executive Director of the Marin Promise Partnership. Ann is passionate about educational equity, innovation and community. She also serves on the Bay Area Board of Peer Health Exchange and is a Steering Council Member of New Schools Venture Fund. She was formerly a trustee and Board Chair of the Marin Community Foundation and was elected twice to the Kentfield School Board where she served as President. She was a co-founder and President of the Bay Area “I Have a Dream” Foundation, a college access program for underserved students. Ann worked for 15 years as a marketing executive, first at Hallmark Cards and then with Collagen Corporation. Ann has a BS from Indiana University and an MBA from Stanford University.
Ann can be reached at ann@marinpromisepartnership.org
Brandon Johnson
Director of Educators of Color Initiative
Brandon Johnson is a Marin County native who comes to Marin Promise Partnership to continue his lifelong pursuit of educational equity in his community. He is a facilitator for multiple initiatives including the San Rafael Success Network, the Marin Educators for Equity Initiative(MEEI), the San Rafael High School CTE Educator Pathway, along with helping to manage Community Schools work involving San Rafael City Schools. His past roles within the community have included being an organizer and activist, student mentor, as well as a former school board candidate and advocate of addressing systemic issues and removing barriers that impact marginalized students. Brandon prioritizes youth voice to guide his work and seeks to embody anti-racism in his everyday life. Brandon spends most of his off time either connecting with nature or coaching local youth basketball.
Brandon can be reached at brandon@marinpromisepartnership.org
Cameron Hunter
Senior Director of Strategy and Operations
Driven by a deep commitment to cross-sector collaboration, Cameron’s leadership experience in consulting, data analysis, and project management spans nonprofits, governmental organizations, and social enterprises. Prior to joining Marin Promise Partnership, Cameron worked with Schaffer & Combs, a social-sector management consulting firm based in San Francisco, specializing in strategic planning and impact evaluation. There, following his service as a Coro Fellow in Pittsburgh, PA, Cameron supported clientele in multi-stakeholder environments to develop and apply strategic frameworks within the environmental sustainability and fashion industries. Cameron’s commitment to educational equity spans back to his early days; his first-ever job was serving as the Children’s Librarian in his small town of Bedford, New York. On the weekend, you’ll likely catch him at an outdoor bluegrass concert, watching the latest David Simon series, or playing pub trivia. Cameron holds a B.A. in History from Dartmouth College.
Cameron can be reached at cameron@marinpromisepartnership.org
Daphne Cummings
director of early learning & literacy initiative
Coming soon!
Elizabeth COOPER
Senior Director of Impact and Accountability
Elizabeth Cooper is the Director of College & Career for Marin Promise Partnership. She is a graduate of the Tamalpais Union High School District and University of California, Berkeley. She feels a deep commitment to serving her community by working toward educational equity and has been working for Marin Promise Partnership since 2017. She had formerly worked in school administration, athletics and as a college & career specialist and has worked in many Marin County schools including Archie Williams, Tamalpais High School, Marin Academy, and San Domenico. She facilitates the Future Ready Initiative: College, Career & Beyond and oversees the implementation and scaling of Success Networks, site-based collective impact groups, across Marin County. She was a College of Marin and transfer student herself which inspired her to work toward making college and career pathways more accessible to all and holds a B.A. in English Literature from UC Berkeley. She is also a youth volleyball coach, science fiction fan, and loves helping students with college application essays.
Elizabeth can be reached at elizabeth@marinpromisepartnership.org
Kim Tillman
Manager of Partnership Operations
Kim is a deeply curious person with a passion for hands-on experience, having worked across sectors spanning from nonprofit youth organizations to film & TV production. If you live in Marin, there’s a possibility that Kim has painted your house, bagged your groceries, performed at your favorite local venue or lectured at your university. She believes with her whole heart that we have a responsibility to young people to create safe and enriching environments for them to grow and thrive. If they’re on this planet, they're in our care; and we’ve got a lot of work to do. For that, Kim is glad to be here and happy to help.
Kim can be reached at kim@marinpromisepartnership.org
Maria Gramajo
Manager of collaborative action
Maria Gramajo is the Manager of Collaborative Action at Marin Promise Partnership. A proud alumna of the San Rafael City School District, Maria's journey reflects her commitment to educational equity and her drive to make a difference in the lives of her community members. Prior to joining Marin Promise Partnership, Maria was a Family Advocate at Venetia Valley TK-8 School and the Director of Family and Community Engagement at Next Generation Scholars. On the weekends, Maria enjoys playing board games with friends, and hiking in Marin. Maria graduated with a B.A. in American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies from American University.
Maria can be reached at maria@marinpromisepartnership.org
Mariangela Morales
Communications Manager
Mariangela is a storyteller with the ability to foster inclusive and engaged communities. She joins our team after working with some of our partner organizations such as College of Marin, Aim High, and Next Generation Scholars. She graduated from Tufts University with a B.A in Political Science. As a first-generation Latina, Mariangela embodies a deep commitment to uplifting marginalized voices. Growing up in Marin County, she witnessed firsthand the educational inequities prevalent within our school systems. Her professional journey is driven by the belief that education is empowerment and a tool that everyone should have equitable access to. In her free time, you can find Mariangela playing soccer and spending quality time with her dog, Lucky.
Mariangela can be reached at mariangela@marinpromisepartnership.org
Michael Looft
Director of Technology
Michael has over 20 years of leadership experience spanning the nonprofit, for-profit, and government sectors. He is passionate about leveraging his substantial background in software and data analysis, capacity building, and partnership development to create educational equity for everyone. Most recently, he spent five years at the crowdfunding organizations Kiva and Lendahand, including serving at the board level. He has also spent time in the classroom teaching computer literacy to adult immigrant populations, at a low-income community center and to residents at a shelter for battered women. Michael holds an A.S. from De Anza Community College, B.S. from San Francisco State University, and graduate degrees from St. John’s College and Harvard. In his spare time he enjoys volunteering as a construction crew leader at Habitat for Humanity and spending time with his son.
Michael can be reached at michael@marinpromisepartnership.org
Richard Raya
Chief Executive Officer
Prior to joining Marin Promise Partnership, Richard spent six years at the Mission Economic Development Agency in San Francisco, where he was Director of Mission Promise Neighborhood (MPN) and then Chief Strategy Officer. Richard helped MPN become one of the only Promise Neighborhoods in the country to replace its federal funding with a mix of philanthropic, city, and state funding. He used MPN’s successful cradle-to-career approach to help drive systems change across the city of San Francisco, moving from a Promise Neighborhood to a Promise City. The Promise City initiative aligned best practices from MPN with the Mayor’s COVID recovery plan, creating holistic solutions in the city’s hardest hit neighborhoods.
Rommel Carrera
Director of Family Engagement Initiative
Rommel Carrera is a dedicated advocate for family and community engagement, with a passion for promoting strong connections between families, schools, and communities. With over 15 years of international and local experience, Rommel has honed his skills in fostering meaningful relationships and empowering families to become active participants in their children's education and well-being.
Through his international experience, Rommel has had the opportunity to work with diverse communities and cultures, gaining valuable insights into different approaches to family and community engagement around different spaces. Whether collaborating with families in remote villages, cities or urban centers, Rommel understands the importance of cultural sensitivity and inclusive practices in building trust and rapport.
In his local engagements, Rommel has worked closely with schools, non-profit organizations, and community groups to develop and implement effective family and community engagement initiatives. Through workshops, seminars, and one-on-one consultations, he has provided families with the tools and resources they need to support their children's academic success and socio-emotional development.
Through his advocacy efforts, he strives to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and ensure that all families have access to the support and resources they need to thrive and with a strong commitment to equity and social justice, Rommel continues to work tirelessly to bridge the gap between home and school, recognizing that when families are engaged partners in education, students excel both inside and outside the classroom.
Rommel can be reached at rommel@marinpromisepartnership.org
Sarah Seitchik Sebastian
Chief of Staff
Sarah joins Marin Promise Partnership after years of community engagement and collective impact in Sonoma County as a coFounder of TIDE ( Team for Inclusivity, Diversity & Equity in Education). Sarah graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a degree in Community Studies and Education. After her post graduate work organizing groups, events and art education in Habana, Cuba, Sarah returned to California and continued her experience in outdoor education and non profit development. Sarah concurrently began a successful decades long Real Estate career. Sarah is dedicated to co-creating an expansive vision of community cultural wealth models as well as repaying the debt owed to communities who have been marginalized through educational equity. Sarah is a first-generation daughter of an Argentine immigrant and a Jewish father. Sarah is the mother of 3 beautiful children who are biracial & white, nonbinary, neurodiverse and brilliant. Sarah’s privilege gives her access to successfully navigate the white bodied supremacist, capitalist, patriarchal systems and she understands the responsibility of leveraging her privilege to do harm reduction work and make space for reconstruction. Sarah is profoundly humbled daily by the incredible discomfort and joy found in the practice of anti racist equity work and she fills her cup by swimming, climbing and sharing meals with friends, family and community. Sarah is bilingual in Spanish and English.
Sarah can be reached at sarah@marinpromisepartnership.org
Shelley Hamilton
Senior Director of Collaborative Infrastructure
Shelley Hamilton brings 30+ years of both practical nonprofit management and consulting expertise to her work designing and facilitating collaboration, communications, and special projects at Marin Promise Partnership. She is a visual thinker and loves to use her graphic communication tools to tell stories that build bridges across people, institutions and sectors. Prior to working for the Partnership, Shelley was CEO of MarinSpace and a strategic planning consultant in a wide variety of fields including social purpose real estate, information technology, civic engagement, cross cultural education, and environmental sustainability. Shelley has worked with United Ways, the Marin Community Foundation, Fort Mason Center, The Thoreau Center for Sustainability, Performing Stars of Marin, and the Aging Action Initiative. Shelley has been an Affiliate Researcher with the Institute for the Future, a founding board member of the national Nonprofit Centers Network, a town Planning Commissioner and a School Board President. She has a B.A. in Cultural Anthropology from the University of California at Santa Cruz and an M.A. in Organizational Design from Fielding Graduate University.
My current role focuses on community-based infrastructure, adaptive leadership coaching/training, and cross-milestone project management. I have also served the Partnership as an Action Team Facilitator and as the Director of Research and Communication.
In addition to visual facilitation, Shelley’s adaptive leadership approach weaves together her background in complexity science, systems thinking, Results-based Accountability (RBA) and cultural anthropology. She is the daughter of 4 social justice warriors - a union organizer, a preschool director, and arts educator, and a Mexican-American college professor. She is committed to living her values of compassion, equity, integrity and justice in all aspects of her life. When she’s not working to support collaborative equity and social justice movements, you’ll find her in the mountains, sailing or paddling in the ocean, crocheting or traveling with her family to visit relatives in Mexico.
Shelley can be reached at shelley@marinpromisepartnership.org
