Staff
Theresa Imperial
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Languages: English, Tagalog
Theresa (she/her) grew up in the Philippines and migrated to the US in 2000, earning a BA in Politics from UC Santa Cruz.
She worked with the Manilatown Heritage Foundation as a Housing Program Assistant in 2009. She then co-founded BiSHoP together with other community members who were all inspired by Bill Sorro’s work, values, and activism.
She became BiSHoP’s first Housing Case Manager in 2011, and in 2018, she became BiSHoP’s first Executive Director upon the organization’s transition into becoming its own entity, this is still her current role. She enjoys hiking in her private time.
JosE
BarajaS
DATA MANAGER
Languages: English, Español
Jose (he/him) grew up in San Francisco’s Bayview/Hunters Point neighborhood. He is currently finishing his BA in Criminal Justice from San Francisco State University.
Before joining BiSHoP, he worked with various nonprofits focused on providing services for under-resourced teenagers throughout the Bay Area. He also worked as a SFPD Cadet for some time. He joined BiSHoP in January 2019.
Rick
Cantora
ADMINISTRATION & OPERATIONS COORDINATOR
Languages: English
Rick (he/him) grew up in the Bay Area, splitting time between El Cerrito and San Francisco. He attended City College of San Francisco before transferring on to UC Berkeley for a BA in Ethnic Studies.
Prior to joining BiSHoP, Rick worked at City College of San Francisco for close to a decade. He coordinated the Students Supporting Students peer-mentoring program and played a lead role in the creation of Tulay, CCSF’s Filipino/Filpino-American Student Retention Program.
He is an avid Golden State Warriors fan, and has been since the days of Run TMC.
Soumia Laktebi
OUTREACH & SENIOR CASE MANAGER
Languages: English, Arabic
Soumia Laktebi (she/her), a native of Morocco, was raised in a multicultural environment, fostering a deep appreciation for diverse languages and customs. Coming from a well-educated family, she was instilled with values of diligence and ambition from a young age.
Having pursued her academic journey with determination, Soumia holds a Master's degree in law from Morocco, showcasing her expertise in legal matters. Further enriching her knowledge, she completed a European MBA in strategic management, equipping her with comprehensive skills in business administration and strategy.
Committed to personal development and community service, Soumia obtained a Peer Support Certificate from SF State University, demonstrating her dedication to providing assistance and support to those in need.
Maria
Roman
BILINGUAL HOUSING SPECIALIST
Languages: English, Spanish
Maria (she/her) was born and raised in Nicaragua. She joined BiSHoP in July 2021 to help people apply for COVID-19 state rental relief.
Prior to joining the BiSHoP staff, she worked in the hospitality industry for 20 years. During that time, she was also applying for affordable housing like many SF residents.
When she was finally selected, she became a BiSHoP client and was assisted in her lease-up process. She found the lease-up process intimidating, time-consuming, and lengthy. Despite all those challenges, Maria and her family eventually moved-in to their new home.
When BiSHoP was hiring for a new staff person to join the team, she applied because she understood the painstaking process of being housed in a BMR rental, especially if English is your second language.
Maria is an empathetic and sensitive person, especially when it comes to marginalized communities. She prides herself on being both honest and friendly, as well as being someone people feel they can trust.
Julien Ball
SENIOR CASE MANAGER
Languages: English, Español, Français
Julien (he/him) grew up in a bicultural English & French household in Massachusetts, and moved to San Francisco in 2011. He earned a BA in Politics with a minor in Spanish from Oberlin College, and a Master’s in Library and Information Sciences from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Prior to joining BiSHoP, he worked as a community organizer building campaigns for promoting housing justice & police accountability, and campainging against the death penalty. He also brings case management experience from his previous jobs working on employment and training programs. He joined the BiSHoP staff in October 2018.
Angelyne Peñalosa
BILINGUAL HOUSING CASE MANAGER
Languages: English, Tagalog
Angelyne (she/her) grew up in the Philippines and migrated to the US in 2023. She earned her BA in Social Sciences (Area Studies) at the University of the Philippines - Manila.
Prior to joining BiSHoP, she interned at TAMPEI Philippines, a non-profit organization under the Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, Inc., that provides technical assistance for informal settling neighborhoods in Metro Manila.
Aside from housing advocacy, Angelyne’s research interests also include employment and assistive programs for low-income workers belonging in the informal economy. She joined BiSHoP in January 2024.
Ayaa
Subuh
BILINGUAL HOUSING CASE MANAGER
Languages: English, Arabic
Ayaa Subuh (she/her) joined BiSHoP as a Bilingual Housing Case Manager in July 2024, bringing her passion for social justice and community service;
A native San Franciscan from the Sunset District, Ayaa earned her degrees in Sociology and Social Work, as well as in Social and Behavioral Sciences from City College of San Francisco.
Prior to BiSHoP, Ayaa worked as a housing case manager at the San Francisco Sanctuary shelter, honing her skills in supporting individuals and families in need.
Her commitment to human rights activism began in childhood, participating in and organizing protests for causes close to her heart, including Palestine, Yemen, and Syria.
Outside of the office, Ayaa proudly embraces her Palestinian heritage and continues her work as a dedicated activist.
Andrew
De la cruz
DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATE
Languages: English
Andrew (he/him) was born and raised in Daly City, California, and joined the BiSHoP team in April 2024 after earning a Marketing degree from San Jose State University in 2023.
With a passion for education and social impact, Andrew has been involved in marketing and outreach with organizations such as the SJSU Marketing Association and The Westly Foundation. His interest in BiSHoP stems from his Bay Area upbringing, where he witnessed the pressing need for affordable housing.
In his free time, Andrew enjoys video editing, retro video games, poetry, and songwriting.
Fatima
Oualdali
BILINGUAL HOUSING CASE MANAGER
Languages: English, Arabic
Fatima Oualdali (she/her) is a native of Morocco with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature, and a background in Early Childhood Education. She has lived in San Francisco for the last 25 years and is also a mother to two wonderful daughters, who attend UCLA and UC Berkeley.
Fatima joined BiSHoP in June 2021 as a Bilingual-Arabic Housing Specialist to assist people apply for COVID-19 state rental relief applications. Fatima speaks 5 languages and finds joy in cross cultural communication. She finds her work in BiSHoP a rewarding and rich experience. She likes to lift spirits and assist people from vulnerable communities in finding their homes. She cherishes working with the great team at BiSHoP and building relationships with her clients. In her free time Fatima loves hiking, strolls at the beach, and singing.
Rook
Zhang
VOLUNTEER COORDINATOR
Languages: English
Originally from Illinois, Rook (they/them) moved to the Bay Area to pursue an economics degree at UC Berkeley, joining the BiSHoP team in March 2024.
With a background in economic research, Rook has also been involved in various social causes, including food justice, queer mutual aid, and abolitionist work through organizations like UC Cooperative Extension Small Farms program, Openhouse, and A.B.O. Comix.
Rook joined BiSHoP, inspired by the organization's mission to provide affordable housing and the legacy of Asian-American tenant organizing at SOMA’s I-Hotel. When not working, they enjoy exploring creative outlets like illustration, printmaking, and fiber arts.
Board
Andrea Bañas
PRESIDENT (2021-CURRENT)
MEMBER (2018-2020)
Executive Director at the Dogpatch & NW Potrero Hill Green Benefit District
Andrea Bañas is a Manila-born, almost-native San Franciscan. A product of San Francisco’s public primary and university systems, she has been working in community and economic development in the service of the under-represented and underserved.
She has worked with small business owners across the country with a focus on communities of color, women and geographically under-resourced areas to spur economic empowerment; with pioneering youth organizations to address and prevent homelessness; managed the volunteer program of a national youth workforce development organization, and with a software and systems administration company that partners with municipalities to implement projects related to the homeless response system.
She currently serves as the Executive Director at the Dogpatch & NW Potrero Hill Green Benefit District.
Jamilla Afandi
TREASURER (2021-CURRENT)
MEMBER (2020)
Designer and Urban Planner, Van Meter Williams Pollack
Jamilla is a native San Franciscan from the Hunter’s Point/Bayview district. Her undergraduate studies were in architecture and urban studies and planning.
She continued her education at the graduate level earning a dual Masters in Architecture and Urban Planning as well as the Real Estate Certificate from the University of Michigan. As a practicing architectural designer and urban planner, her experience is focused on affordable housing and civic projects such as community centers, libraries, youth, recreational, and early education centers.
She is passionate about social justice and equity. This led her to seek out BiSHOP in order to put her passion into Practice.
Amorena Simpson
SECRETARY (2018 - CURRENT)
Program Manager, Enterprise Solutions, InvestCloud
Amorena Simpson is the granddaughter of Bill Sorro, and has been involved with the Sorro family's community work in San Francisco since childhood.
She’s been on BiSHoP’s board since 2018 and brings extensive operations and management experience to the organization. After a career as a business leader and educator in the wine industry, she jumped to tech and is now based in NY as an IT Program Manager for a global financial technology firm.
Though she’s currently far from her home by the bay, she is grateful for the opportunity to continue helping BiSHoP with their important work fighting for access to affordable housing in SF. Amorena also does other volunteer work in both NY and SF with the Department of Elections and local environmental groups.
Laura Elaine Daza
MEMBER (2018 - CURRENT)
Project Manager, Mission Economic Development Agency
Laura Daza-García is a first-generation immigrant from Colombia. Laura is passionate about the intersections between climate and housing justice issues, particularly as it pertains to immigrants, refugees and biodiversity.
Her interest in housing started after graduating from high school, when she worked in the low-income communities of her home city, building emergency homes for families living in extreme poverty.
This experience sparked her interest in urban planning, equity and civic engagement. She recently graduated from UCLA’s master's in Urban and Regional Planning program with a concentration in housing and community development.
Prior to graduate school, Laura worked as a tenant counselor, organizer and advocate for the Bill Sorro Housing Program (BiSHoP) and Causa Justa :: Just Cause. As a graduate student, she held two internships as a Development Associate and Development Intern at a community land trust in South Los Angeles and at Community Corporation of Santa Monica, respectively.
Imran Hasan
MEMBER (2023-CURRENT)
Imran Hasan was born and raised in Chicago, IL. He is the child of Pakistani immigrants and graduated with a BBA in Business Administration from the University of Iowa.
He has been involved with non-profits in the past in roles such as events coordinator and fundraising leader. He currently works in Finance and lives in San Francisco. He’s passionate about improving access to affordable housing!
Janis Ruvalcaba
MEMBER (2022-CURRENT)
Asset Management Reporting Supervisor, Eden Housing
Janis is an immigrant from Mexico who has lived in the Bay Area since 2006. She is currently working in the affordable housing industry in the role of Asset Management Reporting Supervisor.
She believes everyone deserves to have access to safe and stable housing. As a member of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee at Eden Housing she is committed to support and enhance current practices, policies, and procedures within the housing industry that brings racial justice and equality for all underrepresented individuals.
At work, Janis enjoys implementing and improving processes and workflows, which have contributed to her career growth. Currently she is in the process of obtaining a Project Management Certification and enrolled in Leadership training, and holds a Notary Public commission from CA Secretary of State.
Veena
Mohan
MEMBER (2024-CURRENT)
Veena (she/they) is a Student Affairs Coordinator for the UCSF Tetrad Graduate Program, where they support graduate students in their academic journeys.
She is a Malaysian immigrant who spent most of her childhood in various Southeast Asian cities. With a Master of Public Policy and Administration and a Bachelor of Science in Sustainable Community Development from UMass Amherst, Veena brings extensive experience in research, advocacy, and community-driven change.
They have worked with various impact organizations in the U.S. and Malaysia, in roles ranging from research and administrative support to outreach and grant writing. Now residing in the SF Bay Area, she advocates for housing justice and community-led solutions, strongly believing in the power of research and storytelling to drive social change.
In her free time, Veena enjoys spending time outdoors, cooking plant-based meals, reading, and writing fiction.
Richard Daquioag
MSW- VICE PRESIDENT (2018-2020);
BOARD EMERITUS
Richard Daquioag was born and raised in San Francisco. He received his BA in English from the University of California, Berkeley and his Masters in Social Work from San Francisco State University.
In 2018, he retired as a Social Worker after 28 years of serving people with Mental Health issues, HIV, Substance Abuse and Homelessness. He was heavily involved with BiSHoP since 2009, serving as BiSHoP’s Vice President from 2018-2020.
The Bill Sorro Housing Program family was deeply saddened by Richard’s passing in 2021. Richard's lifetime commitment to many social justice issues, as well as his career in social work, are a testament to his compassion and desire to bring healing into this world. BiSHoP will miss both the insight and humor that he brought to the board and the organization as a whole.
Melody Hernandez
MEMBER (2024-CURRENT)
Melody is the founder/principal of Root Reach Rise Inc., a local firm focused on helping nonprofit organizations Root (It all starts with creating a strong foundation for your organization and rooting your working your mission), Reach (Once your organization is fully rooted, we work with you to create a roadmap to the next level), and Rise (We help your organization to rise, and lift others as you ascend).
Melody has a focus on strategic planning, organizational development, and grant work, and has raised over $35 million on behalf of nonprofit clients.
She is passionate about equitable access to resources and focuses on organizations and communities that have historically had less access to systems of power and wealth.
Her background as an educator gives her a unique perspective that she brings to her current role: Disseminating valuable information while also giving clients the tools and resources they need to propel their organizations to the next level. In addition to her work, Melody enjoys photography, painting, hiking, and spending time with her three kids, three cats, gecko, and corn snake.