About Us

Su Casa is a healing sanctuary where victims can find their voice, develop inner strength, and become self-directed agents of change in their own lives.

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Our Story

For over 40 years Su Casa has protected families from domestic violence. The agency was founded in 1979 by Petra Medelez, a survivor, who out of her own home took crisis calls and housed victims and their children. Petra’s vision was to fill her community with peaceful homes. In order to truly realize her vision, Su Casa expanded its services to include not only immediate shelter from danger but also case management and counseling (to residents and to victims still living with their batterer), shelter-based certified childhood education, community awareness training, and transitional housing. Su Casa remains dedicated to Petra’s belief that every individual has the right to live free from violence or the threat of violence.

Inherent in this belief is the agency’s commitment to the values of diversity and empowerment. Su Casa values each individual and embraces the ethnic and cultural diversity prevalent in Southern California. All direct service staff are bilingual (Spanish/English) and cultural competence is emphasized in staff training and practiced throughout all service modalities. Management continues to improve our programs and educate our staff to better serve the growing numbers of victims seeking our help. The value placed on empowerment drives the agency’s ever-expanding range of services that are victim-centered. Services are practical, therapeutic, and educational.

The addition of the transitional shelter in 1996 is a direct response to the awareness that 30 days is not enough time for women to put the pieces of their lives back together in order to become self-sufficient and stable. This expansion is supported by research, showing that women who enter transitional shelters are far less likely to return to violent situations. The extended time enables families to bridge the gap between crisis and independent living. In addition, our continued efforts to enhance and expand outreach and counseling services to victims in the community who are not yet ready to take the step of leaving their batterer further exemplify the agency’s commitment to meet women where they are and help them achieve self-sufficiency on their own terms.

Baylee’s Story On Overcoming Domestic Violence

This video is an advocacy piece against domestic violence. It was made by Chris Baltierra for his journalism class at California State Long Beach. Please take a look this message directly from Baylee, a domestic violence survivor

Board of Directors

Melanie Merians

Board Chair

Melanie Merians – Board Chair

Melanie’s career has been dedicated to uplifting and empowering underserved youth. I currently serve as CEO of Assistance League of Los Angeles, a 102-year old agency that helps 22,000 children/year.

Melanie is the CEO of the Assistance League of Los Angeles where she established all operations, including development, membership, branding, internal & external communications, PR & community outreach. She planned and successfully executed the 3-year strategic plan culminating in centennial celebrations, restructured the service enterprise, purchase, remodel, move – new office and oversee 45 staff, 400+ members, 5 service programs, 8 auxiliaries.

She has also worked with Covenant House California, Girl Scouts of Greater Los Angeles, and the Foundation to Support United Nations.

Melanie is a native New Yorker, and moved to Los Angeles in1990 where she lives today with her husband, Will Guston, and their dog, Jack.

Debbie Vince

Vice Chair

Debbie Vince – Vice Chair
Debbie Vince joined the Su Casa Board of Directors in 2016. She is a Director of Sales for New York Life. Debbie joined New York Life in 2009, and has more than 20 years of experience in financial services, including 17 years in the retirement plan industry. Prior to joining New York Life, she was a Senior Vice President with National Retirement Partners (NRP) and worked as a Retirement Plan Consultant at 401k Advisors and helped launch RPAG. Debbie received a BS in Business Management from the University of Redlands. She maintains FINRA Series 6, 7, and 63 registrations and holds life and health licenses in all states.

Cutberto Morales

Secretary

Cutberto Morales – Secretary

Cutberto is the Vice President of Information Technology at Mental Health America of Los Angeles. He leads all IT initiatives including cybersecurity, cloud computing, and telecommunications. He has over 20 years of IT experience, including roles in nonprofit organizations, the healthcare industry, as well as academic institutions. Utilizing his teaching experience, he helped the State of California found their first 100% online, community college.

Cutberto received his MBA from Pepperdine University, and his BS in Management Information Systems from California State University, Long Beach. He enjoys hiking, spending time with his nieces and nephew, and trying new restaurants.

Tania Whiteleather

Treasurer

Tania Whiteleather – Treasurer

Tania L. Whiteleather has been a member of the Su Casa Board of Directors for over a decade. Tania is a civil rights attorney who has practiced largely in the field of disability rights, representing students in administrative hearings and federal and Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals cases since 1989. She is a member of the Rotary Club of Lakewood and serves on the boards of the Weingart-Lakewood YMCA and the Lakewood Regional Medical Center.

Ginette Hawkins

Director

Ginette Hawkins – Director

Ginette Hawkins is Corporate Vice President, Chief Risk Executive at SCAN Group and SCAN Health Plan. She is responsible for leading SCAN’s enterprise-wide compliance program initiatives, which include: developing training and educational resources that encourage ethical conduct and compliance with regulatory requirements; maintaining the effectiveness of SCAN’s Compliance Program and Code of Conduct; and regularly reporting information about compliance-related topics to SCAN’s Board of Directors.

Prior to her current role, Ginette previously served as SCAN’s Director of Regulatory Affairs and as Manager of Home and Community Based Services within SCAN’s Department of Healthcare Services. Before joining SCAN in 2006, she was the Program Director of an adult day care center that served older adults and persons with disabilities.

Ginette holds a Master’s of Social Work from the University of Southern California and a Bachelor’s of Social Work from California State University, Long Beach.

Henry Charoen

Director

Henry Charoen – Director

Henry has 20 years of healthcare experience at organizations such as LA Care Health Plan and United Health Group.
Henry also has 10 years of IT experience plus 10 years in consulting at firms such as
PricewaterhouseCoopers and Accenture. As past Mayor of the City of La Palma, Henry has
expertise in building strong partnerships with other elected officials on local, state, and national
levels. He currently serves as a Board Member for the Centralia School District and has been
teaching project management for 18 years at University of California, Irvine.
Henry is a collaborative servant leader with a proven track record of driving growth and
profitability, building successful teams, and creating innovative solutions. He is also an excellent
communicator, with a talent for inspiring and engaging employees, partners, and strategic
partners.

He earned his M.B.A. from the University of California, Irvine and his B.S. in Industrial and Systems
Engineering from the University of Southern California

Jeannette Brown

Director

Jeannette Brown – Director

Jeannette serves as the Director of Public Policy for CalNonprofits, the leading advocacy voice for California’s nonprofit sector, representing an alliance of more than 10,000 diverse nonprofit organizations statewide. In leading CalNonprofits’ advocacy efforts, Jeannette identifies, develops, and champions key policy issues, and proactively addresses critical challenges within the nonprofit sector.

Her previous work includes pivotal roles at statewide and regional associations focusing on legislation, ballot measures, and funding proposals in support of affordable housing development, homelessness solutions, and homeownership access. As part of numerous coalition-driven campaigns, she helped secure billions of dollars in funding for affordable housing programs statewide.

She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature from the University of California, Irvine, and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy/Administration from California State University, Northridge.

Sean A. O’Brien

Director

Sean A. O’Brien – Director

Sean has 38 years of experience litigating in federal and state courts, as well as private arbitrations. He has extensive experience in defending employers and management against federal and state law claims for wrongful termination, discrimination, retaliation and harassment, also specializing in defending employers and companies against class and representative actions pertaining to federal and state wage-and-hour laws.

He is one of the leading authorities in the state on trade secrets and unfair competition law. Since 1996, he has been the author of the chapter on “California Trade Secrets and Unfair Competition” in the CEB Treatise “Advising California Employers and Employees.”

He has raised three very successful adult daughters with his wife and high school sweetheart in Orange County. His wife, Lee, has worked for 40 years as a pediatric ICU nurse, and currently works as a supervisor nurse at Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC). Outside the office, he and his wife enjoy the beach and riding their e-bikes.

Tonya Burns

Director

Tonya Burns – Director

Tonya was born in Los Angeles. She received her BA in Social Science from the University of California Irvine and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Chicago. Her passion is to uplift, support, and tirelessly work on behalf of vulnerable children and families.

As such, she started her career as a social worker in the child welfare system. For the past 25 years she has been a senior manager and/or executive director of several nonprofit agencies focused on children’s mental health, early care and education and homelessness assistance. Recently, she was the executive director of Children Today, a nonprofit in Long Beach serving children and families experiencing homelessness. While there, she was appointed to the mayor’s task force on homelessness. Tonya has also served on numerous city and state-wide committees/task forces which advocate on behalf of children and families.

For the past 3 years, Tonya has worked with the CEO of Crystal Stairs Inc. to create a support infrastructure to sustain and retain early care and education professionals in South Los Angeles. Tonya is currently the Board Chair of the African American Alumni Council of UCI, a nonprofit organization that provides scholarships to students enrolled at UCI.

She currently resides in Long Beach with her husband Terry. She enjoys spending time with her family, trying out the latest restaurants, reading, and traveling.

Sunil Ramchandani

Director

Sunil Ramchandani – Director

Sunil is a financial management executive with 20 years of progressive experience in finance, sales, distribution and operations management with both publicly traded and PE-backed organizations. He possesses a unique combination of experience that allows for an appreciation for impacts of decision-making across all functional areas. A strong leader with effective communication and interpersonal skills, who has a proven ability to build and manage teams.

With an extensive career in executive management, Sunil has an impressive background of leading profitability in organizations, including financial services, retail and consumer products, E-commerce, digital marketing, web analytics, business transformation, manufacturing production and corporate strategy.

Sunil has earned a Bachelor of Engineering from the University of Mumbai, and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Pune, India.

Martin Elliott

Director

Martin Elliott – Director

Martin Elliott is Chief Financial Officer of Go Rentals, a luxury car rental service in the RedBird Capital Partners portfolio. He is responsible for the company’s enterprise-wide finance function, including accounting, treasury, and financial reporting.

Before joining Go Rentals, Martin served as CFO of Spanx, a Blackstone portfolio company, where he led exit readiness, implemented KPI-driven financial planning, and drove cost optimization initiatives that delivered industry-leading margins. Prior to Spanx, Martin was CFO of MGA Entertainment, where he guided global finance, M&A, and ERP implementation, while reducing operating expenses and improving gross margins.

Earlier in his career, Martin held senior finance and strategic planning roles at Mattel, The Walt Disney Company, and private equity-backed National Mobile Television. His experience spans IPO preparation, debt financing, cross-functional transformation, and building high-performing teams.

Martin holds an MBA from Loyola Marymount University and a BA from the University of Western Ontario. He is a Certified Management Accountant (CMA).

Leadership Team

Alberto Uribe

Executive Director

Alberto has more than 30 years of experience working in positions of increasing authority at non-profit and government agencies in Houston, Miami, Detroit and Los Angeles.

A fluent communicator in English and Spanish, Alberto was raised in Laredo, Texas and he earned his B.A. and M.A in Political Science from St. Mary’s University in San Antonio.

Susan Stel

Associate Executive Director

Susan D. Stel’s previous position was Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC). Ms. Stel was named CFO of the Year in 2012 by the Los Angeles Business Journal for outstanding performance in the role of corporate financial steward and exceptional financial leadership in a Non-Profit Organization. A native of California, Ms. Stel was born in Alhambra, and currently resides in Covina. She holds a B.S. in Accounting, summa cum laude from the University of La Verne, and has an active CPA license, is a member of the AICPA, and currently serves as a director on eight nonprofit Boards and an investment committee for a hospital.

Kimberly Brooke

Director of Finance

Kimberly (Kim) joined our team as Director of Finance in early 2023, bringing over 30 years of experience in finance and development. With a degree in Economics from the University of Missouri, Kim initially pursued a career in finance but discovered her true passion for making a difference in the nonprofit sector.

Kim has held various positions, including financial manager, development director, and associate director. She possesses a diverse skill set in nonprofit management, encompassing budgeting, fundraising, grant writing, and accounting. Kim is a passionate advocate for social justice, committed to using her skills and experience to help nonprofits make a difference in the world.

When not working, Kim enjoys spending time with her family and friends, hiking, and camping. She is also an avid reader and enjoys learning about different cultures and perspectives.

Melisa Dugas

Program Director

Melisa Dugas has over 15 years of experience in providing critical direct services to trauma survivors and leading treatment teams. With a Master’s degree in Social Work from Boston University, she has effectively directed several domestic violence crisis shelters in Los Angeles County. Melisa has successfully worked within crisis centers, taskforces, and response teams; while enthusiastically collaborating with law enforcement agencies, mental health professionals, and non-profit services providers. She is currently an appointed chair of the San Fernando Valley Domestic Violence Task Force and serves on the Board of Directors of the Northridge Hospital Foundation. Melisa is passionate about empowering people and connecting difference makers for a better world.

On her down time Melisa enjoys being with her family, traveling, and boating.

Elizabeth Sahagun

Emergency Shelter Program Manager

Elizabeth oversees Su Casa’s domestic violence 22-bed emergency shelter and 24/7 crisis hotline. In this role, Elizabeth supervises all residential case management and counselor advocates. She has over 10 years of Domestic Violence experience and has always held a strong commitment to promoting healthy communities through a Trauma Informed Lens. Working in the domestic violence field, her strengths are building teams and structuring compassionate program services. She has worked closely with key stakeholders such as law enforcement, mental health and other dv service providers. On her free time, Elizabeth enjoys spending time with her family and traveling

Maria Mendez

Outreach Manager

Maria joined our team in 2022 as the Outreach Manager. She received her Bachelor’s of Science in Public Health & Psychology from the University of California, San Diego. Maria’s community health background ranges from serving different regions in Southern California to different villages out in Thailand. She is very passionate about health and promoting holistic wellness to all. Outside of work, Maria enjoys an active lifestyle filled with hiking and traveling.

Jennifer Herrera

Administrative Coordinator

Jennifer joined our team in May 2020.She received her bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Whittier College. She has 10 years of experience in the nonprofit sector. In her free time, she likes to travel, spend time with her husband and hunt for new items to add to her collections.

Adrian del Castillo

Network Administrator

Adrian joined our team as the Network Administrator for Su Casa in 2016. He was born and raised in Long Beach and received his BS in Business Information Systems from CSU Dominguez Hills. Adrian brings over 10 years’ experience in systems and network administration from the health care industry. He is very passionate about IT systems and providing solutions that allow businesses to grow and work more efficiently through the use of IT. On his off time, he enjoys spending time with his family, working on cars, and playing golf.