Welcome to Youth Uprising

Rogéair D. Purnell

Rogéair D. Purnell was appointed Senior Program Officer for Youth in July 2006, having served the Foundation as Program Officer for Youth since April 2005. Prior to joining the Foundation, Rogéair was a Research Associate with MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization with offices in New York and California. At MDRC, she helped design and implement the evaluation of a major initiative to improve employment and health in low-income communities, and acted as site leader for one of six colleges participating in a national demonstration project examining ways to increase access to postsecondary education among low-income populations. Prior to joining MDRC, Rogéair was a Senior Evaluator with Philliber Research Associates, in New York and California. Rogéair holds a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University, and an M.S.W. in Interpersonal Practice, an M.A. in Social Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Psychology from University of Michigan.

Angela Blackwell

Angela Blackwell is a nationally recognized voice on racial and social equity issues. She's the founder & president of PolicyLink, a national nonprofit focused on the community building movement, including the Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts. A lawyer by training, she previously served with The Rockefeller Foundation and as a partner with Public Advocates. She's also co-author of Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground and has been published in the Op-Ed pages of several major newspapers.

Jacky Johnson

Jacky Johnson began her work in youth advocacy in high school working with the California Transplant and Donor Network, The Family Resource Network and the Oakland Youth Advisory Commission (YAC). While a member of the YAC she began advocating for the creation of a youth center in Oakland, this work led her to the planning committee for Youth UpRising. She was one of the first staff members when YU opened it’s doors in 2005, serving as the Media Relations Coordinator. Jacky is now working in the entertainment industry but still remains strongly tied to her advocacy work.

Supervisor Nate Miley

Nate is presently the Alameda County Supervisor for District 4 and the Executive Director of the Untied Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County . As Executive Director of the United Seniors of Oakland, he is responsible for managing the affairs of the organization by training and developing leadership among the elderly, which enables them to address their specific needs in regards to safety, adequate transportation, injury prevention, and other areas of concern. He and the seniors have built this viable organization for over 15 years of consistent and tenacious efforts.

As the former Councilmember of District 6 in the City of Oakland , he was the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Some of his special projects include violence suppression, harm reduction, alcohol outlets related problems and a host of other public health issues. He has initiated programs to clean up neighborhood blight, sponsored the lead abatement program, passed the first 100% smoke-free workplace legislation in the City of Oakland, sponsored legislation to stem redlining in Oakland and encourage local investment in the neighborhoods, supported community-oriented policing with the first Oakland Police Precinct and worked to reform public housing.

He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Maryland School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Franklin Marshall College . He is a single father of two children and has lived in Oakland for more than 19 years.

Laurence (Larry) E. Reid

Councilmember Laurence (Larry) E. Reid represents the interests of District 7 residents in the City of Oakland . Larry was elected in November 1996, and was sworn in to a four-year term on January 6, 1997. Larry's motto and mission is "to make a difference and improve the quality of life of those who elected me."

Larry Reid is a native of Cincinnati , Ohio where he began his career in politics. Following a distinguished tenure in the military, Larry became a political aide to the Mayor of Cincinnati.

Shortly thereafter, presidential hopeful Walter Mondale hired Larry to work on his campaign staff. During this period, Larry ventured to California where he met then Assemblymember Elihu M. Harris, which began a long and productive relationship.

Larry accepted a position as legislative aide to Assemblymember Harris, serving in the State Assembly for six years. When Assemblymember Harris put in his bid for Mayor of Oakland in 1990, Larry played a major role in the campaign. Upon Mayor Harris's election, Larry served the City of Oakland as Chief of Staff to the Mayor for the next six years.

Since his election to Council, Larry has worked tirelessly to carry out his mission. A few of his accomplishments include: re-opening the Grass Valley Fire Station that had been closed for 13 years; enacting a moratorium on the establishment of hazardous materials facilities near residential areas; selecting a Master Developer to renovate the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital; and enacting ordinances to reduce the amount of drug traffic in Oakland.

Kathryn Seabrook, Board Chair

Kathryn Seabrook is a long-time resident of Oakland , CA and a community advocate drawing on her expansive network of contacts from a career of computer science mastery as well as corporate business management acumen spanning 20 years. After completing her BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and an MBA in Management, she served as the Vice President for Bank of America for 11 years. Her transition from B of A to become Director of eGain and then VISA International as the Internet Services Director capped her corporate, technical and business management career. Kathryn is now retired and enjoys philanthropy, volunteering on various Boards and running KMS Consultants.

Olis Simmons, Executive Director

Olis Simmons has nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience in the youth leadership development, child welfare, health care and economic development fields. Ms. Simmons' rare ability to move seamless between traditionally disparate arenas allows her to create bridges and leverage resources which advance youth leadership development and community-building efforts. Most recently, Olis guided an intensive youth centered process to design and develop, Youth UpRising, a state of the art 25,000 sq. ft. youth leadership development center offering comprehensive services in East Oakland -- where she now serves as the Executive Director. In her previous position, Director of Children & Youth Services for the Alameda County Health Care Service Agency, Olis led numerous projects of national significance, including School Based Health Centers and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Her national public policy and administration experience includes work for Manpower Demonstration Resear Corporation where she provided technical assistance to various states and localities struggling with welfare reform.

Madison Gunter III

Madison Gunter III has 15 plus years of experience in the WAN networking industry (TDM, ATM, Frame Relay, and IP). His roles at Cisco have primarily been in solutions/applications engineering, technical marketing, and service provider solutions marketing manager for Integrated Access, Optical, Storage Transport, and Ethernet technologies. Madison recently expanded his professional work as a business development manager with the supplier diversity organization. Madison primarily interfaces with IT, marketing, and work place resource suppliers.

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	History The Center Staff Board of Trustees Partners Success Stories Job Listing	Rogéair D. Purnell Rogéair D. Purnell was appointed Senior Program Officer for Youth in July 2006, having served the Foundation as Program Officer for Youth since April 2005. Prior to joining the Foundation, Rogéair was a Research Associate with MDRC, a nonprofit, nonpartisan social policy research organization with offices in New York and California. At MDRC, she helped design and implement the evaluation of a major initiative to improve employment and health in low-income communities, and acted as site leader for one of six colleges participating in a national demonstration project examining ways to increase access to postsecondary education among low-income populations. Prior to joining MDRC, Rogéair was a Senior Evaluator with Philliber Research Associates, in New York and California. Rogéair holds a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University, and an M.S.W. in Interpersonal Practice, an M.A. in Social Psychology, and a Ph.D. in Social Work and Social Psychology from University of Michigan. Angela Blackwell Angela Blackwell is a nationally recognized voice on racial and social equity issues. She's the founder & president of PolicyLink, a national nonprofit focused on the community building movement, including the Gulf Coast rebuilding efforts. A lawyer by training, she previously served with The Rockefeller Foundation and as a partner with Public Advocates. She's also co-author of Searching for the Uncommon Common Ground and has been published in the Op-Ed pages of several major newspapers. Jacky Johnson Jacky Johnson began her work in youth advocacy in high school working with the California Transplant and Donor Network, The Family Resource Network and the Oakland Youth Advisory Commission (YAC). While a member of the YAC she began advocating for the creation of a youth center in Oakland, this work led her to the planning committee for Youth UpRising. She was one of the first staff members when YU opened it’s doors in 2005, serving as the Media Relations Coordinator. Jacky is now working in the entertainment industry but still remains strongly tied to her advocacy work. Supervisor Nate Miley Nate is presently the Alameda County Supervisor for District 4 and the Executive Director of the Untied Seniors of Oakland and Alameda County . As Executive Director of the United Seniors of Oakland, he is responsible for managing the affairs of the organization by training and developing leadership among the elderly, which enables them to address their specific needs in regards to safety, adequate transportation, injury prevention, and other areas of concern. He and the seniors have built this viable organization for over 15 years of consistent and tenacious efforts. As the former Councilmember of District 6 in the City of Oakland , he was the Chair of the Public Safety Committee. Some of his special projects include violence suppression, harm reduction, alcohol outlets related problems and a host of other public health issues. He has initiated programs to clean up neighborhood blight, sponsored the lead abatement program, passed the first 100% smoke-free workplace legislation in the City of Oakland, sponsored legislation to stem redlining in Oakland and encourage local investment in the neighborhoods, supported community-oriented policing with the first Oakland Police Precinct and worked to reform public housing. He received his Doctor of Jurisprudence at the University of Maryland School of Law and his Bachelor of Arts Degree at Franklin Marshall College . He is a single father of two children and has lived in Oakland for more than 19 years. Laurence (Larry) E. Reid Councilmember Laurence (Larry) E. Reid represents the interests of District 7 residents in the City of Oakland . Larry was elected in November 1996, and was sworn in to a four-year term on January 6, 1997. Larry's motto and mission is "to make a difference and improve the quality of life of those who elected me." Larry Reid is a native of Cincinnati , Ohio where he began his career in politics. Following a distinguished tenure in the military, Larry became a political aide to the Mayor of Cincinnati. Shortly thereafter, presidential hopeful Walter Mondale hired Larry to work on his campaign staff. During this period, Larry ventured to California where he met then Assemblymember Elihu M. Harris, which began a long and productive relationship. Larry accepted a position as legislative aide to Assemblymember Harris, serving in the State Assembly for six years. When Assemblymember Harris put in his bid for Mayor of Oakland in 1990, Larry played a major role in the campaign. Upon Mayor Harris's election, Larry served the City of Oakland as Chief of Staff to the Mayor for the next six years. Since his election to Council, Larry has worked tirelessly to carry out his mission. A few of his accomplishments include: re-opening the Grass Valley Fire Station that had been closed for 13 years; enacting a moratorium on the establishment of hazardous materials facilities near residential areas; selecting a Master Developer to renovate the former Oak Knoll Naval Hospital; and enacting ordinances to reduce the amount of drug traffic in Oakland. Kathryn Seabrook, Board Chair Kathryn Seabrook is a long-time resident of Oakland , CA and a community advocate drawing on her expansive network of contacts from a career of computer science mastery as well as corporate business management acumen spanning 20 years. After completing her BS in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and an MBA in Management, she served as the Vice President for Bank of America for 11 years. Her transition from B of A to become Director of eGain and then VISA International as the Internet Services Director capped her corporate, technical and business management career. Kathryn is now retired and enjoys philanthropy, volunteering on various Boards and running KMS Consultants. Olis Simmons, Executive Director Olis Simmons has nearly 20 years of public and private sector experience in the youth leadership development, child welfare, health care and economic development fields. Ms. Simmons' rare ability to move seamless between traditionally disparate arenas allows her to create bridges and leverage resources which advance youth leadership development and community-building efforts. Most recently, Olis guided an intensive youth centered process to design and develop, Youth UpRising, a state of the art 25,000 sq. ft. youth leadership development center offering comprehensive services in East Oakland -- where she now serves as the Executive Director. In her previous position, Director of Children & Youth Services for the Alameda County Health Care Service Agency, Olis led numerous projects of national significance, including School Based Health Centers and Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA). Her national public policy and administration experience includes work for Manpower Demonstration Resear Corporation where she provided technical assistance to various states and localities struggling with welfare reform. Madison Gunter III Madison Gunter III has 15 plus years of experience in the WAN networking industry (TDM, ATM, Frame Relay, and IP). His roles at Cisco have primarily been in solutions/applications engineering, technical marketing, and service provider solutions marketing manager for Integrated Access, Optical, Storage Transport, and Ethernet technologies. Madison recently expanded his professional work as a business development manager with the supplier diversity organization. Madison primarily interfaces with IT, marketing, and work place resource suppliers. [BACK TO TOP]


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