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Welcome New Co-EDs Jessica & Jessenia!

Join us in welcoming our newest Co-Executive Directors Jessenia Reyes and Jessica Black! Together with CFJ’s current Co-Executive Director Mauro Sifuentes, Jessenia and Jessica will lead the organization as we expand our youth leadership model and transform schools across the state. 

“As the board of CFJ, we recognize the complexities of being a statewide youth power-building organization and the need for responsive and adaptive leadership solutions. This trio will bring executive expertise across our three strands of work: youth organizing, policy advocacy, and systems transformation, as well as local executive leadership in each of our regions. We are thrilled they have decided to join us and are eager to see where CFJ will go under their leadership.” – Geoffrey Winder, Board Co-Chair for Californians for Justice.  

Our new executive trio represents our organizational commitment to a shared leadership model and commitment to transforming systems! We have created these new positions with a mind on sustainability for Black, brown, Indigenous, immigrant, women, queer, and trans leaders, who deserve a support system and sense of belonging. Our three-person executive team represents expertise from across the full spectrum of transformative work in public education: organizing and campaigns, civic engagement, policy and partnerships, as well as capacity building. Each of our Co-EDs are also lifelong learners, and are eager to step into responsibilities that are new for them as well and to help spread the workload of a statewide organization doing systems change work across the full spectrum. 

Meet Jessica Black: Co-Executive Director of Organizing & Narrative

Jessica Black will serve as Co-Executive Director of Organizing and Narrative, leading our organizing, base building, civic engagement, and narrative work. A native of Minnesota, Jessica has decades of experience organizing community members and leading social justice advocacy efforts. Most recently she was the Black Sanctuary Director at Black Organizing Project (BOP) in Oakland, CA. While at BOP, Jessica led the BOSS campaign to eliminate the Oakland Unified School District’s police department, resulting in a historic win for students and families in 2020. Since then Jessica has continued base-building across communities and organizing for an end to the school-to-prison pipeline. 

“My leadership style is deeply rooted in transformational leadership principles. I believe in actively listening, asking questions to inspire curiosity, being solution-oriented, building relationships, making decisions, taking risks creatively, and championing the collective power and strengths of the team.” – Jessica Black, Co-Executive Director

Meet Jessenia Reyes: Co-Executive Director of Policy & Partnerships

Jessenia brings a deep passion for addressing systemic challenges and values collaboration with the community to transform the education system. Prior to joining CFJ she served as the Director of the Educational Equity team at Catalyst California (formerly known as Advancement Project California) and worked in after-school programs within high-need middle schools to provide comprehensive direct services.

Jessenia also previously served as a board member for Californians for Justice for six years, a role she attributes to helping shape and strengthen her commitment to Black and Brown students and families across the state.

“I am deeply humbled and honored to join the Californians for Justice family and look forward to contributing to our shared mission to drive positive change for students within the education system and create a more just and equitable future for all. As a proud Latina and first-generation student from a Guatemalan family, I am excited to lead this organization, focusing on youth in collaboration with Mauro and Jessica.” – Jessenia Reyes, Co-Executive Director 

Looking to the Future of CFJ

We’re thrilled to have Jessica and Jessenia join Mauro Sifuentes to complete our trio of Co-EDs! Mauro will continue holding people and operations, finance, and internal and external capacity building. All together the three will collaborate to create alignment and shared vision across the organization as we deepen the legacy role CFJ has held in our movements for racial and educational justice across the state.

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More Great News:

Californians for Justice is pleased to announce we’ve recently welcomed two more additions to our organizational leadership:

• Senior Development Director Sy Blake Washington 
  • Brings more than 15 years of experience in fundraising and has a passion for working with nonprofit organizations. Past clients include GLIDE Foundation, Giffords, Equal Opportunity Schools and The Ecology Center of Berkeley. 

• Policy Director Nazeehah Khan 
  • Has nearly a decade of policy experience and has worked for the California Department for Social Services, Washington State Senate, Council for American-Islamic Relations, and U.S. Department of State.