Skip to content

Leadership

Board of Directors

Since 1972, SPIRITT Family Services has provided a critical range of mental and emotional health programs to children and families in Eastern Los Angeles County. Through adaptive education, case management, support, and counseling services, SPIRITT supports families in crisis stay together and learn ways to support themselves. By helping clients overcome the challenges of abuse and mental illness, SPIRITT improves thousands of lives in the community every year.

rose_marie
Rose Marie Gallegos, Esq., CFLS

President

Ms. Gallegos has served as a Board Member for SPIRITT Family Services since June 2008 and has served as SPIRITT’s Board President from 2016-2017. She is a long standing Whittier resident and enjoys participating in Community events and issues. She is a Family Law Specialist, Certified by the California State Bar, and is deeply involved in her community and various Attorney bar Associations. Ms. Gallegos is a former President of the Southeast District Bar Association and recipient to the Attorney of the Year Award. Ms. Gallegos retired as U.S. Army Reserve Officer in Military Intelligence. In November 2017, SPIRITT Family Centers honored Ms. Gallegos with the Strengthening Families Award for her continued commitment to Community Service. In her spare time Ms. Gallegos enjoys traveling & music.

henry
Henry Leong

Vice President

Mr. Leong joined SPIRITT’s Board in March 2013. Mr. Leong is the Vice President of Quon Yick Noodle Company. He was a charter member of the Food Industry Business Roundtable (FIBR) and serves on the Board of Directors. Mr. Leong is the founder of the downtown Los Angeles Chinese Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Police Department Review Board. He also served as the President of the San Gabriel Valley Chinese Cultural Association.

John Ford - Headshot
John Ford

Secretary

Mr. John Ford has been an active member of SPIRITT’s Board, serving on the Programming/Planning Committee. Mr. Ford has been an active member of the community engaged in many non-profit public benefit organizations or initiatives serving homeless veterans, families, and more. In addition to SPIRITT’s Board, Mr. Ford serves on the Board of the Hispanic Outreach Taskforce, and the Hacienda Heights Improvement Association. Professionally, Mr. Ford is the founder of a successful real estate firm where he leads his team to help their clients. Mr. Ford and his wife Jackie enjoy life with their two children sharing their passion for business and non-profit community work as a family. John’s passion to help people, fueled by his family’s immigrant story and his wife’s immigrant story, has been evident in his community involvement and his business life.

harold_w
Harold W. Schieve, CPA

Treasurer

Mr. Schieve joined SPIRITT’s Board in March 2010. Mr. Schieve received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from California State University, San Jose, and has been a Certified Public Accountant since 1991. He has held various positions in the Finance and Business field. In addition to contributing his time to SPIRITT, Mr. Schieve is an active participant in the Whittier Sunrise Rotary Club International and the California Society of Certified Public Accountants.

Members at Large

Dr. Sylvia Gonzalez - 1
Sylvia Gonzalez, MD

Board Member

Dr. Gonzalez has been a Board Member since April 2013 and served as the Board Secretary in 2015. Dr. Gonzalez is a Board Certified Pediatrician with PIH Health with prior experience in a community clinic. She earned both her Bachelor’s and Medical Degree at the University of California in Los Angeles and completed her Pediatric Residency at the Children’s Hospital in Oakland.

Jess Montes - 1
Jesus Montes

Board Member

Mr. Montes joined SPIRITT's Board in January 2021. Mr. Montes began his community involvement with Hispanic Outreach Taskforce over ten years ago, serving as a General Board Member for four years, and Executive Board Member for six years, and President for three years. He was also a Board Member for Jovenes, a Boyle Heights group that provides housing for homeless boys from 18-25 years. In addition, he is currently a Board Member of Whittier YMCA, and the Whittier Museum. His mission continues to be to bring an awareness of the Hispanic culture to the Whittier community.

Lisa Ibanez - Headshot
Lisa Ibanez, DSW

Board Member

Dr. Lisa Ibanez has been a Board member since January 2023 and is an experienced social work educator with a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of St. Thomas and a Master’s in Social Work from California State University, Long Beach. Her expertise includes integrating digital storytelling into social work field education to promote critical thinking. Currently serving as a Field Faculty/CalSWEC Consultant at California State University, Long Beach, Dr. Ibanez has developed curricula, coordinated field seminars, and presented at international conferences. She also has extensive clinical experience in family support, psychotherapy, and evidence-based practices, with her work earning recognition through awards and global presentations.

Romalis Taylor
Romalis Taylor

Board Member

Romalis Taylor joined the Board in September 2024 and brings over 30 years of experience in Mental Health, Social Services, and Management. He has been a leader in community advocacy, chairing both the Compton/East Compton Best Start Leadership Group and the African/African American Underserved Cultural Communities Group of DMH Quality Improvement. Taylor also represents Underrepresented Ethnic Populations on the Department of Mental Health System Leadership Team. His career includes non-profit leadership roles, with a focus on Family Preservation Services and behavioral health prevention. Since 2005, he has been a strong advocate for improving services for underserved children, youth, and families.

To learn more about board development visit BoardSource at https://www.boardsource.org/eweb

For more information on joining the Board of Directors or to visit one of our Family Centers, please contact Elvia Torres, Chief Executive Officer, at (562) 903-7000 or send inquires to info@spiritt.org.

Advisory Board

Gina Lopez

YMCA of Greater Whitter
Chair

Connie Preciado-Gonzalez

First 5 LA
Vice Chair

Raquel Torres-Retana, ED.D.

Pasadena City College
Ex-Oficio

Jess Montes

Hispanic Outreach Taskforce
Member

Ana Xulu

Rio Hondo College
Member

Vanessa Ivie

PIH Health
Member

Cherry Lee

Herald Christian Health Center
Member

Irene Redondo-Churchward

Former SPIRITT Executive Director
Member

Lorena Duran

University of Southern California
Member

Executive Team

Elvia-5 - cropped
Elvia Torres

Chief Executive Officer

Elvia Torres, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) joined SPIRITT in August 2002 as an Associate Clinical Director in charge of overseeing the expansion of behavior health services and community capacity projects. Ms. Torres was promoted to Executive Director in 2010 and to her current position as CEO in October 2020. As CEO, Ms. Torres oversees all of the organization’s operations and is actively engaged in building a robust network of partners and supporters that will continue to allow SPIRITT to maximize resources while providing proactive, culturally competent, and evidenced-based programs and services.

Under her leadership SPIRITT Family Centers expanded into higher disenfranchised communities and several programs earned three-year accreditations for maintaining quality standards.  Ms. Torres received her Bachelor’s degree from Santa Clara University, a Master in Counseling from California State University, Los Angeles, and a Master in Business Administration from Mount Saint Mary’s University, Los Angeles and is licensed as a Marriage and Family Therapist since 1996. With nearly 30 years of clinical and administrative experience in not-for-profit organizations, Ms. Torres has the breadth of experience necessary to guide this organization as it continues to impact the lives of more than 7,900 high-need individuals each year.

Perla-5 Cropped
Perla Pelayo

Chief Operating Officer

Perla Pelayo, Chief Operating Officer (COO) first joined the organization as the Collaborative Coordinator in November 2008 and has held numerous roles in the agency including Director of Programs, Interim Executive Director, and Associate Director before assuming the COO position in March 2021. In her current role as COO, Ms. Pelayo provides direct supervision to all four Agency Program Directors as well as direct oversight to program policies and procedures and works closely with SPIRITT’s Clinical Director, Program Directors, and Program Managers to provide consultation and direction on daily operational activities including quality clinical flow, staff productivity, referral management, and risk management.

Ms. Pelayo is responsible for program planning and aligning daily fiscal and operations to achieve contract requirements and agency strategic planning. She also works closely with SPIRITT’s CEO to implement human resources and agency-wide policies and procedures.  Ms. Pelayo holds a Master’s Degree in Social Work with an emphasis in Community Organizing, Planning and Administration, from University of Southern California and received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Social Behavior from University of California, Irvine. Ms. Pelayo has more than 20 years of experience in the field of social services, which includes both clinical practice and administrative experience, particularly working with families in the areas of mental health, child abuse prevention, drug and alcohol prevention, early intervention, and family centered services.

Department and Program Directors

  • Norma Yoguez, LMFT, MBA – Director of Community-Based Services
  • Nancy Othman, MS, LMFT – Clinical Director