Who We Are

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Brenda Tafoya has been actively engaged in affordable housing and community development for over 15 years and brings over 20 years of experience in the non-profit sector.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of California, Riverside.

Her experience encompasses work with community land trusts, asset and property management, and providing resident and social services for tax credit, HUD programs, and Section 202 properties for the elderly, families, and veterans.

Through her efforts to ensure housing retention and advocate for tenants, she has determined that community input is essential for creating the best affordable housing through social housing initiatives.

Additionally, she is a mother, a radio host, and a DJ at KQBH-LA 101.5 FM community radio station in Boyle Heights, where she interviews bands, DJs, comedians, and local artists.

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP & OPEN SPACE

Chayo is an indigenous mother of three from the Binizáa (Zapotec) peoples. She stewards a collective of BIPOC homeschoolers and unschoolers rooted in land stewardship and reconnecting with the land as a way of learning and healing.

As Director of Open Space at El Sereno CLT she activates open spaces to support children, families, and the community at large.

HOUSING STEWARD

Isaac is a first-generation Chinese American who immigrated from Taiwan to the San Francisco Bay Area where he grew up, though he now lives in Los Angeles. His connection to El Sereno began with community talking circle at Eastside Cafe, and workshops at the El Sereno Community Garden.

Isaac's journey to community land trusts and housing justice was given a boost with training in the humanities. Isaac studied Political Science and Economics at University of California San Diego, and Law at Loyola. Thereafter, he worked as a school teacher before moving into small business management and consultancy while volunteering on various service committees and with environmental and social service nonprofits.

Although the Bay Area land of the Oholone and Miwok remains a spiritual home, Isaac enjoys learning to travel throughout this land and seeing it from the indigenous perspective. He also studies baking and ancestrally-informed diets for health.

ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES & REAL ESTATE ADVISOR

Jordan was born and raised in the City of Orange to immigrant parents, his father from Zacatecas, Mexico and his mother from Vancouver, Canada. He graduated from California State University, Fullerton (Go Titans!)

Jordan started his career as a consultant for RSG, Inc. and Harris & Associates where he helped cities and counties across the state overcome challenges related to affordable housing, community development, real estate, and fiscal health. He then joined the City of Pico Rivera as an Economic Development Analyst.

He was introduced to the CLT world when he became THRIVE Santa Ana’s first full-time Executive Director. In his first year with the organization, Jordan grew the organization’s staff, led the first democratic board election where 3 new directors were elected, organized a board retreat and strategic visioning session, and implemented various systems to improve the organization’s financial health and sustainability.

Jordan currently lives in Torreon, Coahuila, Mexico where he plans to open his own business. He loves coffee, anime, ceramics, walking, traveling, and spending time with his wife, 2 dogs (great dane & blue heeler), and cat.

PROPERTY MANAGER

Alex is a property manager, facilitator, artist, and mother rooted in community-centered leadership and collective care. Born on Acjachemen lands in Anaheim, Orange County. They are of Yaqui, Tarahumara, Chichimeca/Otomi, Spaniard and North African lineages. Alex brings a culturally grounded and equity-driven lens to their work in housing and land conservation.

With experience in property management and social justice, Alex approaches housing as both a practical responsibility and a community-building opportunity. They prioritize clear communication, tenant relations, and systems that promote safety, dignity, and long-term sustainability. Their facilitation background strengthens their ability to navigate complex dynamics, resolve conflict, and create environments where residents feel respected and heard.

Since 2013, Alex has worked with herbs and ancestral healing traditions through Mexicayotl tradition as part of their personal recovery journey. A third-generation matriarchal lineage of seamstresses, Alex is also a writer and multidisciplinary artist whose work centers justice, care, and collective growth. They bring creativity, organization, and a strong ethic of responsibility to all property management roles — balancing operational efficiency with compassion and community engagement.

OPERATIONS MANAGER

Teotl Veliz is an Indigenous Chicano documentarian, writer, and community arts organizer from the South Bay of California. He is the founder of Great Nations Pictures, a film collective dedicated to bringing ancestral and community-rooted stories to the screen.

Veliz grew up immersed in his family’s storytelling traditions and the vibrant cultural life of Los Angeles. His career started when he won the California State Championship for National History Day, later representing the state nationally for his historical documentary The Tragedy of Terminal Island, which went on to win multiple awards and screen at the San Pedro International Film Festival. During this time, he also hosted a radio show on 101.5 FM in Boyle Heights, where he interviewed community voices including acclaimed author Luis J. Rodriguez and discussed issues affecting the Chicano community of East Los Angeles.

Veliz studied History of Art and Visual Culture at the University of California, Santa Cruz, where he worked with the American Indian Resource Center supporting Native student advocacy, programming, and initiatives addressing Indigenous issues on campus. His academic work focuses on Indigenous art histories and their relationship to contemporary storytelling.

Professionally, Veliz works at the intersection of arts education, cultural organizing, and media production. He currently serves as Program Coordinator at the Boyle Heights Arts Conservatory supporting operations where he was promoted from Teaching Artist and now helps manage youth arts programming, vendor coordination, event logistics, and programs serving young creatives in East Los Angeles.

In 2024, Veliz also worked with the Monterey County Department of Emergency Management as an Eligibility Specialist following the Pajaro River floods. In this role, he interviewed and assisted displaced residents and farmworker families in Pajaro and Watsonville, helping them document losses and secure emergency financial assistance and social services after devastating flooding displaced large portions of the agricultural community.

Veliz’s media work includes being selected as a Screenwriting Fellow with the Native American Media Alliance, where he developed and pitched an original television pilot while working alongside industry mentors. Earlier in his career he interned with Shondaland at ABC Television, learning production and development from professionals working on shows including Grey's Anatomy, Bridgerton, and Station 19.

Across his work in film and community organizing, Veliz focuses on expanding Indigenous and Latino representation in media while strengthening storytelling traditions rooted in land, culture, and collective memory. He is currently developing Red West, an Indigenous comedy-western television pilot, while continuing to organize arts programming and cultural initiatives that uplift community voices across Los Angeles.ion goes here

LAND STEWARD CONSULTANT

Jonathan was born in East LA and with family roots from Compostela Nayarit, Mexico

He has always had an interest in Nature, and has been working with the land for the last 15 years in a variety of settings, from working in plant nurseries, landscaping, to being part of community gardens, land tending, and growing crops.

He is a father of 2, a homeschooling parent, and a business Owner.