Our Board
Laura Moreno
FMCoC Chair
Division Chief, Department of Social Services (DSS), County of Fresno
Laura Moreno has been a participating member of the FMCoC since its inception and was elected Chair of the Fresno Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC) in early 2020. In the past she has served as the Secretary and as a Regional Representative on behalf of the County of Fresno. She has provided leadership on several strategic initiatives aimed at reducing and eliminating homelessness during her tenure.
Laura is the Division Chief for the Department of Social Services in the Program Development and Grants Division of Administration. Her division includes administrative support for eligibility programs including CalWORKs, CalFresh, General Relief as well as Homeless Services with such programs as the Housing Disability and Advocacy Program, Home Safe, Emergency Solutions Grant and the Homeless Housing, Assistance and Prevention Program. Laura has over 20 years of experience working with the County’s homeless programs and has developed and implemented many of those programs.
Prior to working for the County, she was a Program Manager with the Central California AIDS Foundation in the Education and Prevention Division. She is a lifelong resident of the Central Valley and calls Kingsburg home.
Katie Wilbur
Vice Chair
Executive Director, RH Community Builders
Ms. Wilbur has worked in social services for more than 10 years, including time working with foster youth, severely mentally ill adults, and homeless services. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014 with a master’s in social work and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2016. Katie has experience in program development, administration, and evaluation. In 2019, Ms. Wilbur joined RH Community Builders at its inception and has guided the operation from 10 employees to more than 300 employees in the last 5 years.
Sara Mirhadi
FMCoC Secretary
Chief Programs Officer, Poverello House
Sara Mirhadi has worked at the Poverello House since December 2013 and has been a member of the FMCoC since 2014. Currently, Sara is the Chief Programs Officer for Poverello House. As Chief Programs Office, she oversees all programs at Poverello House, such as street outreach, emergency shelters, street navigation, Map Point, and Men’s Residential Rehabilitation Program. She also researches and writes grants for the Poverello House. Before working at the Poverello House, Sara worked for the Workforce Investment Board, the City of Fresno, State Senator Jim Costa, and the National Park Service. Although she was born in Flushing Queens, New York City, she has lived most of her life in Fresno, California. She is a Fresno State graduate with a Juris Doctorate from San Joaquin College of Law. Sara is married with one daughter. Sara loves to travel with her family to locations all over the world. She also loves celebrity gossip and bad reality television.
Misty Gattie-Blanco
FMCoC Treasurer
Sanctuary and Supportive Services Director, Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission
Misty Gattie-Blanco, Sanctuary and Support Services Director, has been employed by Fresno EOC since 2010. She has over 20 years of experience working with foster youth, homeless and probation youth/young adults, and chronically homeless adults/families. Ms. Gattie-Blanco is responsible for all Sanctuary operations, development, contractual and budgetary compliance, and oversight of service delivery and facilitation of evaluative measures for Sanctuary and Support Services homeless services, LGBTQ+ project, and Central Valley Against Human Trafficking. Ms. Gattie-Blanco currently serves as the Regional Representative on the state-wide Board of Directors for California Coalition for Youth (CCY). Currently, she serves as the Treasurer for the Fresno-Madera Continuum of Care (FMCoC).
Miguel Perez
FMCoC Member at Large
Program Manager Regional Housing Strategy, Anthem Blue Cross
Ms. Wilbur has worked in social services for more than 10 years, including time working with foster youth, severely mentally ill adults, and homeless services. She graduated from the University of Southern California in 2014 with a master’s in social work and became a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in 2016. Katie has experience in program development, administration, and evaluation. In 2019, Ms. Wilbur joined RH Community Builders at its inception and has guided the operation from 10 employees to more than 300 employees in the last 5 years.
Sonee Brown
FMCoC Regional Representative for Madera
Administrative Services Officer, County of Madera
Sonee Brown is an Administrative Services Officer for the County of Madera with over 10 years of experience in public service. She has been employed at the County of Madera since July 2013, working at the Department of Behavioral Health Services and the Department of Social Services. Her experience includes self-sufficiency programs, Child Welfare, Fiscal, mental health and SUD services, and Housing and Homelessness programs. Her current role is the Housing Coordinator for the County of Madera. She graduated from Fresno State with a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration- Finance.
Philip Skei
FMCoC Regional Representative
Assistant Director, Planning & Development Department, City of Fresno
Phil Skei serves as Assistant Director for the City of Fresno’s Planning & Development Department where he oversees Affordable Housing Development and Homeless Response. For the past 15 years,
Phil has been engaged in community revitalization work through previous roles at the City of Fresno and Fresno Housing Authority, as well as through his role as Co-Pastor of On Ramps Covenant Church in downtown Fresno. Over Phil’s career, he has successfully organized multiple neighborhood associations, founded a Community Development Corporation and other community-based organizations that continue to facilitate housing development, respond to community needs, and shape policy. Phil has significant experience working for Government (he has worked for three Mayors), but also possesses vast field experience, including personally renovating over a dozen homes, one of which received the Mayor’s Historic Preservation Award. Central to all of Phil’s work is his family’s decision to live in downtown Fresno where his neighborhood serves as a daily representation of the communities Phil serves. Phil received his Bachelor of Science degree from CSU Fresno, and his Master of Divinity degree from Fresno Pacific Biblical Seminary (Fresno, CA). Phil and Rici have been married for 21 years and are the proud parents of two beautiful daughters, Kadence (17) and Kaylin (15).
Claudia Cazares
FMCoC Regional Representative
Affordable Housing Program Manager, City of Clovis
Claudia Cázares, is a local Community Development professional, a Trustee on the Fresno Unified School Board, and most importantly wife of a very supportive husband, and mom of three beautiful children. A native Californian, Ms. Cazares is also a proud graduate of UC Berkeley’s Haas School of Business. Currently, she serves as the Affordable Housing Programs Manager for the City of Clovis, managing all of the City’s affordable housing grants, and community development funded activities. Previously, she worked in the City’s Engineering Division, helping to administer federal and state infrastructure programs. She has also served as the City of Fresno’s Housing and Community Development Division Manager, has worked in private housing development delivering over 1,000 homes through entitlement, and worked for both the City and the County of Fresno in community development activities for under-served communities. Apart from being an overly passionate baseball mom, Claudia also likes to pick up a good book, or bake on her leisure time.
Amina Flores-Becker
FMCoC Reginal Representative
Deputy Chief Administrative Officer, County of Fresno
Amina serves as the Deputy CAO for the County of Fresno where she oversees the health and human services departments as well as the County’s response to homelessness. With over 16 years of experience in public service, Amina has built a diverse career serving the public in various capacities. Her expertise spans parks and recreations, behavioral health, public works and public policy planning—each role reinforcing her commitment to improving the quality of life for Fresno County residents. Amina is passionate about delivering effective public services and works tirelessly to ensure that communities receive the resources and support they need. Amina is a Fresno State graduate where she obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Recreation Administration and a Master’s Degree in Public Administration.
Alex Sanchez
FMCoC Lived Experience Advisory Board Chair
Health Care Navigator
Alex Sanchez (he/él) is a Mexican-American community advocate who grew up in rural Fresno county. He is currently serving as the Chair of FMCoC’s Lived Experience Advisory Board. The LEAB strives to ensure that people who have previously or are currently experiencing homelessness are in the room when policy that will affect them are being made. Alex has been working in housing justice and reform for almost a decade within marginalized communities. He came to begin this work as a way to fight for survival when enduring violence and discrimination while experiencing homelessness. His advocacy work also includes educating and advocating for: equitable access to health care, anti-discrimination practices, reproductive health education, gender-affirming services health care, and mental health access. As a program coordinator, Alex worked with young Latinx men in the LGBTQ+ creating safe spaces to discuss the intersectional identities and experiences of being a young brown GBTQ+ person in such a conservative part of California. He has previously served as the chair of Trans-E-Motion that works with the transgender, nonbinary, and gender expansive communities of the Central Valley. This work was largely focused on offering peer support, low barrier rental relief, and resources for gender affirming care to the community. Alex currently works with people experiencing homelessness and offering street medicine services as well as building the gap to wrap around social services.
