Associate Executive Director and Project Director
- I have spent many years working with youth and communities through direct service programs. This inspires me to promote the success and viability of substance abuse prevention.
- I believe all youth, families, and communities have the right to healthy environments and that youth are essential to creating healthy communities for themselves and others.
- My personal experience has motivated me to support and showcase the successful benefits of substance abuse prevention activities for youth, families, and communities.
Show Select RolesErika is delightful to work with, efficient, knowledgeable and kind.”
— County Prevention Coordinator
Select Roles:
- Associate Executive Director at CARS
Assists with management of CARS’ remote and onsite staff; leads agency’s human resources department; contributes to long-term visioning and organizational development; supports staff professional development; represents CARS at state and national forums; provides expertise at an organizational level on substance use disorder prevention and workforce development
- Project Manager, Community Prevention Initiative (CPI), funded by California Department of Health Care Services
Responsible for overall project leadership, management, and successful completion of scope of work; actively collaborates with DHCS and county prevention agency staff; facilitates statewide prevention workgroups and planning sessions; provides visioning and leadership on long-term project planning and service delivery; represents CPI at state and national substance use disorder forums; oversees CPI staff and consultants
- Project Manager, National Mentoring Resource Center (NMRC), funded by Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention/MENTOR
Coordinates delivery of training and technical assistance services to mentoring organizations in California and nationally; collaborates with other state mentoring partnerships; provide expertise on mentoring and youth development
Learn More About Erika:
California Certified Prevention Specialist, International Certified Prevention Specialist (CCPS, ICPS)
MS, Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice Concentration, California State University, Sacramento
Select Areas of Expertise:
- Substance use disorder prevention
- Strategic Prevention Framework
- Workforce development and professionalization
- Mentoring
- Coalition development and collaboration
- Evidence-based practice
Select Past Roles:
- Project Manager, Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Technical Assistance Project, CARS
- Technical Assistance Provider, U.S. Department of Education Mentoring Resource Center, CARS
- Project Director, People Reaching Out (PRO) – Drug-Free Communities coalition grantee