EPA CAN DO!

Mr. Jones has extensive experience in housing as a professional and a volunteer.  He is one of the founders of EPA CAN DO, serving on the board for a total of nine years.  In addition, he served on the board of OICW, a local job-training program serving East Palo Alto.  Prior to this reunification with EPA CAN DO, Mr. Jones was Project Developer for Eden Housing, Inc. for five years and was the recipient of a fellowship from the Non-profit Housing Association of Northern California to spend eighteen months learning the technical aspect of affordable housing development.  This training, combined with his previous work as an independent real estate agent for Coldwell Banker, Century 21 and Adger Realty has equipped him with the practice experience of buying and selling real estate, development of new constructed of single family homes as well as multi-family apartments.  His tenure with Eden housing has prepared Mr. Jones for his new leadership role with EPA CAN DO. Mr. Jones all so help the City of East Palo Alto develop it’s below market rate housing program and for five year managed it. Mr. Jones has created EPA CAN DO Community Homeownership Preservation Program. The goal of this program is to help existing homeowners stay in their home through foreclosure intervention counseling and by providing foreclosure prevention educational workshops. Mr. Jones currently sets on East Palo Alto Senior Center, Inc. and Community Legal Services of East Palo Alto Board of Directors. Mr. Jones also participate in many community and civic events and activities that work to improve the community.

Mr. Webster has served on numerous community organizations in many capacities since January 1989 on behalf of the community and the city of East Palo Alto.  He is currently President of the East Palo Alto council of Tenants Education Fund, he is currently Senior Member of the East Palo Alto rent Stabilization Board, and is the founder and Executive Director of the Global Freedom Arts Education Association commonly known as FreedomArts. In 2002, he along with community activist Elisabeth Jackson, he spearheaded the creation of Community Legal Services in EPA, Inc., which has provided free legal services too thousands of low and moderate income residents of San Mateo County, Santa Clara County and Alameda County.  In addition to his many commitments, Mr. Webster typically attends from 1 to 4 meetings daily, 6 days a week, and from 1992 to 2001 he was the Editor of the East Palo Alto Community Bulletin Board the principle source information about events in East Palo Alto that appeared as a weekly feature in the Palo Alto Weekly.  His tireless efforts to make a difference in the community are to be recognized and commended.

Ms. Rosales’s is currently employed at Stanford University School of Medicine for over 20 years in various Departments.  Currently she is in the Division of Critical Care Medicine supporting the Academic Affairs of 16 faculty members.  

Ms. Rosales is mother of three adult children and grandmother raising her family in the City of East Palo Alto for 28 years.  In the past, Belinda has been strongly active in the community with a deep concern for the social and economic needs of East Palo Alto.  Throughout the years, she has served on several boards, held an elected position on the East Palo Alto Sanitary District; served on the advisory committee for ROMIC Environmental Technologies Corporation, worked with the City of East Palo Alto General Plan Advisory Committee, was Vice Chair of the City of East Palo Alto Financial Services Incentive Program, and was Commissioner of the City of East Palo Alto Public Works & Transportation Committee.

Currently, she has opted to only remain on two Boards; Chair of EPA CANDO and on the East Palo Alto Senior Center.

Mr. Ragan worked in the communications industry as a member of the US Armed Forces, U.S. government contractor employee, and a California State commercial for 19 years. Mr. Ragan graduated from William Jessup University in May of 2006 with BS degrees in Bible and Theology as well as Management and Ethics.  After graduating Mr. Ragan embarked on a career change, pursuing his passion for the outdoors and also serving Christ through sports ministry of Abundant Life Christian Fellowship (ALCF) his home church since 1995. La Rue completed his formal training as a Biblical Counselor through ALCF’s Institute of Biblical Studies, in which he served for two years and now is the Financial Stewardship Ministry of the church.

In one of the chief ways in which Mr. Ragan is working on these days is to develop a para-church ministry, Raven Works Field Sports Ministry that will create healthy outdoor/field sports opportunities for learning, recreation, and cultivating Godly relationships. Mr. Ragan is also skilled in craftsman trades of carpentry, woodworking, plumbing, landscaping and many other handyman type activities. Mr. Ragan joined EPA CAN DO in May of 2008 is currently in the Board of Directors.

 Jeffrey M. Carroll was born and raised in Rochester, New York.  After high school, Mr. Carroll accepted an academic scholarship to attend Morehouse College (majoring in Mathematics and Religion) and later graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia with a baccalaureate degree in Biology.  Following graduation, Mr. Carroll served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps in Virginia, Florida, Texas, and California.  Mr. Carroll directed a nonprofit agency in San Diego that provided scholarships to students in economically-devastated, crime-ridden Southeast San Diego.  In New York, Mr. Carroll ensured that migrant farm-workers received employment training and housing services, while also monitoring local, state, and federal funding opportunities.  In Houston, Texas, Mr. Carroll worked with the Mayor’s Anti-Gang Task Force to provide enrichment services to 300 African-American and Hispanic inner-city youths, securing federal funding for the program through the Department of Health & Human Services.  Mr. Carroll served as the first director of the Boys & Girls Club in East Palo Alto, and also worked with the EPA Police Department, coordinating its Juvenile Diversion program.  Mr. Carroll worked as a Development Assistant for the Ravenswood Family Health Clinic prior to moving to Houston, Texas.  Mr. Carroll served as a member of the African-American Leadership Summit, One East Palo Alto, the Coalition for Quality Education, and the EPA Youth Consortium.  Mr. Carroll has two sons, Jordan (21) and Matthew (14).

Gregory Meyer is a lifelong Peninsula resident currently residing in San Mateo with his wife and his dog. Since 1979 Mr. Meyer has been in banking and has served in a variety of positions including Operations Manager (4 yrs), Branch Manager (15 yrs) and Community Relations Director/Manager (5 yrs). In 2007, after 17 years with Citibank, Mr. Meyer took over the Community Relations Manager position with Meriwest Credit Union where he is tasked with creating opportunities in public relations, community development and financial education. He has been involved in a variety of housing programs and served on several boards of directors and housing advisory boards. He is currently a member of the Housing Leadership Council of San Mateo County’s board, a member of the Central County Occupation Center’s (Santa Clara County) advisory board, Santa Clara County CalWorks Advisory Committee, and serves as President of the board of directors for HIP Housing Development Corporation in San Mateo. 

Mr. Miessi has resided in East Palo Alto intermittently since 1982.  He became an East Palo Alto homeowner in 1998.  He obtained a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University in 1982.  Currently, he is an Associate with Structural Integrity Associates, an engineering consulting firm based in San Jose, California.   Mr. Miessi also specializes in the fields of design, stress analysis and fracture mechanics.  His goal is to see EPA CAN DO grow as a community based organization that will continue to enhance the life of all East Palo Alto and Eastern Menlo Park residents.  Mr. Miessi is currently also serving on the Board of Director of One East Palo Alto.

Clarene N. Watts became a licensed real estate agent in 1962 and received her real estate broker license in 1969.  She studied real estate financing, appraisal and escrow at the College of San Mateo and she studied psychology and creative writing at Foothill College.

Mrs. Watts’ experience in real estate encompasses the areas of sales and rehabilitation and purchase loan processing for low-income families.  She is currently the Broker of Record, Mortgage Loan Originator and the Board of Director’s Assistant Secretary for East Palo Alto Community Alliance Neighborhood Development Organization.  Mrs. Watts was the Managing Broker at Crocker Realty in East Palo Alto from 1970 to 1972.  She was loan officer for the San Mateo County Housing Rehabilitation Program from 1975 to 1977 where she was responsible for processing rehab loans for low-income families.  She worked for the City of Menlo Park as a Rehab specialist from 1977 to 1984 where she was responsible for the outreach to the community and from 1984 to 1998 processed rehab purchase loans for low-income families until she retired.  Mrs. Watts worked at Merritt McBride Realty, Fox and Carskadon Realtors and Caldwell Banker as a real estate broker.

Mrs. Watts, a Palo Alto resident for 32 years, has exemplified lifelong commitment to education, civic and social justice.  She has been active in community work since 1965. She is a charter member of The Mothers for Equal education, a non-profit organization founded in 1966 to secure better education for Black students in East Palo Alto.  She is an active member of Faith Missionary Baptist Church in East Palo Alto where she serves as the chairperson of the Scholarship Committee.