ALF Insights Faculty
LEAD FACULTY
Jenny Niklaus, MA, LMFT
Jenny began her career at Community Solutions with women and children who were victims of violence, continuing that work for a decade, first with the YWCA of Santa Clara County and then Support Network for Battered Women. After having a tremendous impact in the field of ending violence against women and children, Jenny joined the leadership staff at Sacred Heart Community Service and Catholic Charities. This work eventually led to her becoming the CEO of HomeFirst where she led the agency for a total of six years.
Jenny is currently the primary facilitator for impact groups on race equity, housing, climate change and philanthropy. She is also overseeing the organization’s community facilitation offerings. Jenny is a proud member of Class XXIV.
FACULTY
Shiloh Ballard
Shiloh Andrade Ballard is the Executive Director of Silicon Valley Bicycle Coalition, an organization that works to improve the community and environment through the everyday use of the bicycle. She has spent 20 plus years in the nonprofit sector working for labor, environmentalists, and business, a diverse set of sectors that have helped to hone her ability to understand many perspectives. Prior to joining SVBC, Shiloh oversaw the housing, land use, and transportation policy portfolio for Silicon Valley Leadership Group, a high-tech business trade association. What Shiloh enjoys most is playing any type of role that brings folks together to accomplish good collectively. When not living life joyfully by bike, Shiloh expresses her love through food for people who deserve to be nourished and pampered.
FACULTY
Demone Carter
Demone Carter is an award-winning Hip Hop artist, creative catalyst, and non-profit administrator who works to foster equity across race and class in San Jose. Currently he is the Director of Community Engagement for Sacred Heart Community Service where he leads the effort to engage volunteers and change the narrative about poverty in Silicon Valley.
From 2014 to 2019 Demone was the Program Manager for the School of Arts and Culture’s Multicultural Arts Leadership Institute (MALI). In this role he was tasked with leading a cohort-based arts leadership program for arts professionals of color deeply engaged in Silicon Valley’s arts, culture, and entertainment sectors. Demone is a member of Class XXXVI.
FACULTY
Megan Fluke
Passionate and dedicated, Megan Fluke has spent
over 20 years contributing to environmental
advocacy and nonprofit leadership, leaving an
indelible mark on the communities she serves.
Megan believes everyone's ability to overcome
seemingly impossible obstacles and create
positive change. She saw this first hand in the
campaign to protect Coyote Valley in San Jose,
and she played a pivotal role in the effort, resulting
in policy changes and the acquisition of 7,400
acres of open space and farmland.
During her decade-long tenure as the Executive
Director of Green Foothills, Megan facilitated the
organization’s strategic planning process,
designed systems for strategic plan
implementation, and documented the theory of
change for both the organization and the
individual advocacy and community building
programs.
FACULTY
Akemi Flynn
Akemi has over 25 years experience working for equity and multi-cultural community building in Silicon Valley. Most recently, she served as Executive Director of PACT: People Acting in Community Together, a multi-faith, multi-racial organization leading grassroots community organizing for racial and economic justice. Akemi is excited to bring her experience and relationships working with leaders from the non-profit, philanthropic, public policy, corporate, business, faith and cultural communities to serve as ALF’s Network Weaver. She is a member of Class XXVII, wife of another ALF Senior Fellow, and mother of two young adults.
FACULTY
Lisa Gauthier
Lisa Gauthier was elected to the East Palo Alto City Council in 2012 and is currently serving as Council Member. She previously held the positions of Vice Mayor in 2014 and 2018 and Mayor in 2015 and 2019. She is a graduate of Emerge, a leadership program for democratic women, and a Regional Area Director for BWOPA (Black Women Organized for Political Action).
In 2019, she earned her bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus in general management from Thomas Edison University in New Jersey. She is the proud mother of three young adults, a longtime resident of East Palo Alto, and an active community volunteer. Lisa is a member of Class XXXVII.
FACULTY
Darcie Green
Darcie Green is a lifelong resident of San Jose and brings with her 20 years of community activism and public policy experience. Darcie is the Executive Director of Latinas Contra Cancer which exists to create just and equitable access to health and healthcare for the Latino community around issues of cancer. Darcie is a nationally certified Patient Advocate. Prior to entering the nonprofit and healthcare sectors, Darcie worked as a field representative in the CA State Legislature where she helped to address many public policy issues affecting the residents of San Jose, with a particular emphasis on access to health and quality public education. Darcie is a member of Class XXVIII.
FACULTY
Christie Hardwick
Christie has over 30 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies, non-profit organizations and grass root-organizing efforts. She holds a Masters degree in Organizational Development, is an American Leadership Forum Senior Fellow and a minister with International Centers for Spiritual living with a focus on leadership development. She spent five years as an executive member of the Women’s Leadership Board for the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University, and was past president of the National Board of Directors for GLSEN (Gay, Lesbian, & Straight Education Network). Christie has held executive positions in Change Management, Human Resources and Organizational Efficiency for technology companies. Christie is a proud member of Class XIV.
FACULTY
Jason C. Reynolds
Pastor Jason has received multiple awards and recognition for his leadership from a variety of organizations, such as the California Legislature Assembly and the African American Community Service Agency.
Pastor Jason earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, and a Master of Arts in Divinity from McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago. He has also received a certificate from the Executive Education program at Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, and in 2018 became a Senior Fellow of American Leadership Forum Silicon Valley, Class XXXIII.
FACULTY
Suzanne St. John-Crane
Suzanne joined American Leadership Forum in March of 2016, having been through both Classic Class XXV and the inaugural Urbanism Class XXXIV. St. John-Crane has worked in community media for the last twenty-four years, having served as the founding executive director for two community television stations in the Bay Area including CreaTV San Jose. St. John-Crane was named one of Silicon Valley’s 100 Women of Influence in 2012 by the Business Journal and currently serves as Board Chair of ALF National. She has served on the boards of Rotary San Jose, the Silicon Valley Organization, National Alliance for Community Media and is the Chair Emeritus for HomeFirst.