Executive Management Team
St. Joseph Center’s work is overseen by a dedicated Executive Management Team that consists of President & CEO, Dr. Ryan J. Smith; Chief Financial Officer, Camille Gonzales; Chief Programs Officer, Laurie Craft, MPA; VP of Community Initiatives & Strategic Partnerships, Keith Anyon; Chief Development Officer, Sharyn Church; VP of External Affairs and Communications, Joi Richardson and Senior Director of People and Culture, Dr. Josette Sprott.
St. Joseph Center additional Leadership Team that consists of Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Operations, Ginneh Horsford; Assistant Vice President of Programs, Maia Eaglin; Assistant Vice President of Programs, Senait Johnson; Assistant Vice President of Programs, Mandy Sommers and AVP and Senior Advisor, Compliance, Tzenni Bah B. Garcia. Senior Director, Social Innovation & Workforce Development Senior Director Sharon Plunkett.
President & CEO,
Dr. Ryan J. Smith
Dr. Ryan J. Smith is the President and CEO of St. Joseph Center in Los Angeles, CA, and serves as an Affordable Housing Commissioner for the City of Los Angeles. For nearly 50 years, St. Joseph Center has been a leader in supporting working poor families and unhoused individuals across Los Angeles County. As one of LA County’s largest service providers, St. Joseph Center’s mission is to empower families, as well as homeless men, women, and children of all ages, with the resources and tools to become productive, stable, and self-sufficient members of the community.
Prior to joining St. Joseph Center, Dr. Smith served as Chief Strategy Officer at Community Coalition, an organization dedicated to transforming the social and economic conditions of South Los Angeles and beyond. In this role, Dr. Smith led the organization’s strategic initiatives and power-building efforts, including the successful Make LA Whole anti-poverty campaign, which secured over $200 million in city funding for high-need communities. He also served as the executive lead for the South Central Youth Empowered Through Action (SCYEA) program.
Before his work at Community Coalition, Dr. Smith was Interim CEO and Chief External Officer for LA Unified’s Partnership for Los Angeles Schools, supporting 15,000 students and their families in Watts, Boyle Heights, and South LA. There, he played a pivotal role in development, communications, policy and advocacy, as well as family and community engagement efforts. He also founded the award-winning Parent College program, which has empowered more than 10,000 youth and families in underserved communities by educating them about their rights, roles, and responsibilities.
Earlier in his career, Dr. Smith was Executive Director of The Education Trust-West and Vice President of Strategic Advocacy for The Education Trust, a national education civil rights organization focused on closing opportunity gaps. He pioneered a community initiative that provided financial and other resources to support grassroots advocacy efforts.
Dr. Smith holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Doctorate of Education from UCLA. He is a recipient of the National Annie E. Casey Children and Family Fellowship and the Coro Fellowship in Public Affairs. He serves on multiple boards, including Covenant House California, which supports youth experiencing homelessness statewide, and the Sobrato Early Academic Learning Initiative. His commitment to civic engagement was recently recognized when he received UCLA’s inaugural Excellence in Civic Engagement Award.
Chief Financial Officer,
Camille Gonzalez
Camille Gonzalez joins St. Joseph Center as Chief Financial Officer, bringing more than 30 years of expertise in accounting. For eight years as CFO at Para Los Niños, Camille oversaw remarkable organizational growth, doubling the group’s annual revenue from $26 million to over $52 million. She has extensive experience with city, state, and federal contracts, including those with LAHSA, the Department of Mental Health, and the Department of Children and Family Services.
Camille’s career is marked by her dedication to supporting Los Angeles nonprofits and public good organizations. During her eight-year tenure as CFO for KCET, she successfully navigated complex financial transitions, such as KCET’s departure from PBS and KCAL Channel 9 to Viacom. Her passion for community service was ignited during this time, inspired by a segment highlighting the pressing need for leadership in underserved communities.
Chief Programs Officer,
Laurie Craft, MPA
Laurie Craft joins St. Joseph Center as the new Chief Programs Officer. Laurie Craft is a passionate human services leader who has spent the past 15 years dedicated to preventing and ending homelessness in Los Angeles. Laurie previously served as the Chief Programs Officer at Hope the Mission, where she grew the agency’s program department from a handful of volunteers to over 450 employees and managed an operational budget of $52 million. She was responsible for 30 programs, including access centers, interim housing for individuals, families, and transitional-age youth, multidisciplinary outreach teams, housing services, and mental health and drug and alcohol recovery programs.
She also played a vital role in establishing a learning and development department that supported staff through ongoing training and coaching. Laurie is a former co-chair of the SPA 2 Homeless Coalition. She has received multiple honors, including Woman of the Year for the 18th Senatorial District for her commitment to professional and civic leadership and dedication to communities impacted by homelessness and income inequality.
Laurie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Chapman University and a Master of Public Administration from Grand Canyon University. She is thrilled to be a part of the incredible team at St. Joseph Center and is eager to contribute to the agency’s efforts to meet the needs of our most vulnerable and underserved neighbors.
Chief Development Officer,
Sharyn Church
Sharyn Church joins us as the Chief Development Officer, bringing over 20 years of invaluable experience in nonprofit, development, and business management. Most recently, Sharyn served as the Managing Director of Arabella Advisors Southern California, a renowned national philanthropic consulting firm. There, she guided high-impact nonprofits and individuals in strategy, advocacy, and impact investing, particularly focusing on cultivating networks of women and racial justice donors across Southern California.
Sharyn has been pivotal in fundraising and growing several prominent Los Angeles-based nonprofits, including the acclaimed Inner-City Arts. Under her leadership, the renowned arts center underwent significant transformation, earning the prestigious Rudy Bruner Award for Urban Excellence. She has managed development teams and held leadership positions. A Los Angeles native, Sharyn holds a master’s degree in art history and museum studies and a bachelor’s degree in accounting from the University of Southern California, alongside completing the Executive Education Program at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. Her passion for racial and gender equity is evident in her volunteer and board work focused on economic mobility.
VP of Community Initiatives & Strategic Partnerships,
Keith Anyon
Keith Anyon has served in leadership and Executive roles in the nonprofit sector for over 17 years. Prior to joining St. Joseph Center, he served as Director of Administration at Didi Hirsch Community Mental Health for several years.
Since joining St. Joseph Center in 2016, he has led efforts to diversify the agency’s workforce significantly, opening opportunities by receiving degree qualifications from certain positions; partnering with community-based organizations to seek candidates with lived experience with homelessness, mental health, substance use and/or justice involvement; participating in workforce development programs to widen pools of qualified candidates to enter the homeless services sector; and expanding the agency’s portfolio of internship programs, with multiple disciplines and with an emphasis on engaging colleges and universities with a significant population of first-generation college students.
VP of External Affairs and Communications,
Joi Richardson
Joi Richardson joins St. Joseph Center as the new Vice President of External Affairs and Communications. Joi brings a wealth of experience in government and external affairs. She has recently served as District Director for Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager Dove (at the time State Senator) in one of California’s most diverse regions, encompassing Culver City, Mar Vista, Century City, and South Los Angeles. Joi’s leadership was instrumental in the passage of Senate Bill 679, establishing the Los Angeles County Affordable Housing Solutions Agency.
Joi’s career also includes significant roles with State Senators Steve Bradford and Lola Smallwood Cuevas, where she managed constituent services and communications. A native of Los Angeles and a Leimert Park resident, Joi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Applied Mathematics from Prairie View A&M University and a Master of Arts degree in Kinesiology from San Jose State University.
Senior Director of People and Culture,
Dr. Josette Sprott
Dr. Josette Sprott is a dynamic leader with over 25 years of accomplished experience in human resources across diverse industries, with expertise in strategic talent management, organizational effectiveness, and transformative change leadership. Currently, she serves as the Senior Director of People and Culture/Head of HR at St. Joseph Center, where she drives talent strategy to align with the organization’s mission of empowering and uplifting the community.
Before joining St. Joseph Center, Dr. Sprott held several high-profile HR leadership positions, notably as Vice President of HR at NBCUniversal. In this role, she was essential in driving talent development, optimizing performance management, and launching innovative initiatives that significantly advanced the employee experience. Her leadership journey also includes impactful roles at WarnerMedia and Nespresso, where she successfully built and guided HR teams, crafted robust talent strategies, and fostered inclusive organizational cultures.
A recognized expert in complex employee relations, leadership coaching, and team development, Dr. Sprott seamlessly blends deep HR knowledge with a commitment to equity and organizational growth. She holds a Doctorate in Organizational Change and Leadership from USC’s Rossier School of Education, an MBA from Baruch College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree from Queens College. Dr. Sprott is dedicated to empowering individuals and organizations to excel through strategic people practices and inclusive leadership.
Leadership Team
Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Operations,
Ginneh Horsford
Ginneh Horsford, originally from Trinidad and Tobago and a military child, brings over 14 years of experience as an integral Operations and Human Services leader. She attended medical school at West LA College and obtained a nursing degree while working in nursing homes with the elderly. Ginneh’s extensive overseas travels gave her a unique perspective on seeing and serving diverse communities.
Since joining St. Joseph Center in 2017, Ginneh has played a vital role within the agency, serving as a Program Manager in Operations and Executive Administrative Assistant for Finance and Human Resources. Now serving as Director of Operations and Deputy Chief of Staff, her compelling compassion and sharp intuition stem from over seven years of experience working in the medical field. Ginneh’s diverse background, including her nursing degree and experiences traveling the world, make her a valuable asset to St. Joseph Center to help underserved and vulnerable communities who need it most.
Assistant Vice President of Programs,
Maia Eaglin
Maia Eaglin has served in several leadership roles at St. Joseph Center for over a decade. Maia Eaglin came to St Joseph Center in 2013 with a background in child and family well being and a focus on the over representation of marginalized youth in the child welfare system. Over the past 11 years with St. Joseph Center, Maia helped to build what is now known as the Coordinated Entry System for Families, and established best practices for interventions across the continuum of care for all populations. Maia has fostered and supported stable teams by employing positive rapport and encouraging horizontal leadership.
Assistant Vice President of Programs,
Senait Johnson
Senait Johnson has served in various leadership roles at St. Joseph Center for nearly a decade. Senait Johnson is a dedicated leader who is passionate about empowering people to invest in their personal development, self-care, and independence for long term stability. Senait’s commitment to homeless services and her ability to adapt to evolving changes has allowed her to consistently deliver impactful results for programs and funders. Her hands-on experience and strategic mindset have enabled her to contribute positively while fostering a collaborative and high-performance work environment. She has worked with Integrated Management Health Team (FSP),SPA 5 Access Center, Housing Navigation SPA 5,6 &7, Monetary Advisory Program (MAP), Countywide Benefits Entitlement Service Team (CBEST), Coordinated Entry System (CES) , SPA 5 Problem Solving for Individuals, Heath Liaison, PSH Matching , IH-HN-TLS Matching and TLS Employment Services.
Senait holds a bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Minor in Psychology from Cal State Dominguez Hills: Go Toros! Her skill set includes Strategic Planning, Change Management, Leadership, Contract Management, Critical Thinking, Conflict Resolution and Effective Communication.
Assistant Vice President of Programs,
Mandy Sommers
Mandy Sommers has served in various leadership roles at St. Joseph Center for nearly a decade. Mandy Sommers is a licensed Marriage Family Therapist whose career has been focused in nonprofit agencies for over 17 years. Prior to coming to St. Joseph Center, she worked at The Help Group and Didi Hirsch. Mandy has served in different roles: Therapist, School-Based Coordinator, Training Coordinator, Intake Coordinator, Adult Program Manager for Department of Mental Health, and Clinical Supervisor.
Since joining St. Joseph Center in 2016, Mandy has held numerous roles leading to her current position including Director of Full Service Partnership (FSP), Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF), and Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH), Director of Quality Assurance and Clinical Services and Sr. Director of Mental Health. Mandy is dedicated to bringing a clinical lens to all programs across St. Joseph Center and in helping bring a trauma informed care approach when supporting our clients.
Not only is Mandy dedicated to the best clinical care for our clients, but she is also committed to serving the St. Joseph Center staff. She has helped lead the Social Committee the past 8 years and has been focused on building and maintaining staff morale. She sees staff satisfaction just as important as client satisfaction.
AVP and Senior Advisor, Compliance,
Tzenni Bah B. Garcia
Tzenni Bah B. Garcia brings over 20 years of experience in social service organizations, focusing on diverse programs such as cultural preservation in urban Native communities, workforce development, and homeless services. In her current role, she assists the Chief Financial Officer in managing finance, budgeting, grant management, and compliance activities for the agency.
Tzenni Bah is an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation and grew up on her tribal homelands in Arizona before moving to Los Angeles to complete her post-secondary education at the University of Southern California. While living away from her tribal community, she enjoys working with agencies that advocate for the protection of underserved, vulnerable populations to create a positive change in society.
Senior Director, Social Innovation & Workforce Development,
Sharon Plunkett
For the better part of a decade Sharon Plunkett has served as leader of SJC’s workforce development initiatives, designing and implementing programs that empower individuals to achieve economic mobility. Sharon oversees Employment and Workforce Development programs providing life-changing opportunities, skills and resources to those marginalized by an inequitable economic system that is failing so many people in our communities. She also oversees a suite of food services designed to mitigate food insecurity, and promote nutrition and health.
With a background in Computer Science and Software Engineering, Sharon brings over 20 years of experience in technology, business, and finance to drive social innovation. Her leadership focuses on creating breakthrough solutions for underserved communities. Sharon champions workforce development as the essential culmination of St. Joseph Center’s continuum of care, offering a sustainable pathway out of poverty for those striving to transform their lives.