Staff

Jorge Valencia began his tenure as the Point Foundation’s Executive Director and CEO in January 2007. He brings to Point a wealth of experience in managing and growing nonprofit organizations, a proven ability to design and manage the infrastructure of expanding organizations, and extensive experience with, and sensitivity to, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ+) youth issues. Jorge served as President and Executive Director of The Trevor Project from 2001 — 2006. The Trevor Project is a nationwide nonprofit organization established to promote acceptance of gay and questioning teenagers and to aid in suicide prevention by operating the nation’s first round-the-clock toll-free suicide prevention helpline aimed at LGBT youth. Under Jorge’s guidance, The Trevor Project increased its operational budget by 800% and its foundation-based grant funds by 900%. He created and managed its major donor program and expanded its volunteer pool to more than 500. Jorge’s leadership contributed to Trevor’s growth as a nationally recognized youth service organization, and he continues to serve on the Trevor Project’s Leadership Council. Jorge gained his operational, administrative, and management experience at a range of nonprofit, corporate, and governmental enterprises. Before working at The Trevor Project, Jorge directed the Corporate Communications division at Pueblo Corporation, a marketing firm located in Los Angeles. Some of his clients included Ford Motor Company, DirecTV, Food 4 Less, and Sprint PCS. From 1996 – 1999, Jorge was Director of Communications at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), an organization that conducts leadership seminars for promising youth. At HOBY, Jorge directed all public relations activities, as well as the production and implementation of organizational public relations for the non-profit organization comprised of four regions, 5,000 volunteers, and over 14,000 annual participants. From 1993–1996, Jorge served as the Director of External Affairs for the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), an appointment in the Clinton Administration. While at the SBA, Jorge represented the Administration and SBA interests at numerous speaking engagements, conferences, and media interviews conducted in English, Spanish, and Portuguese. Jorge also worked in the Office of Public Liaison for the Presidential Inaugural Committee from 1992–1993 for the incoming Clinton Administration. Prior to that, Jorge served as Director of Public Relations and Marketing at Power Productions International, where he was responsible for creating and negotiating contracts with LA Gear, Reebok International, and City of Hope. Jorge earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Brigham Young University in 1989. As an openly gay man who grew up in a Mormon Latino family in Texas, Jorge brings with him a keen personal awareness of many of the issues of rejection and marginalization faced by many LGBTQ+ youth, including Point Scholars. As a past board member of Affirmation, Jorge has helped other LGBTQ+ Mormons and their families live productive lives consistent with their faith and heritage. Jorge’s diversity of life experience includes extensive travel abroad and within the United States. Jorge is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and is a talented and accomplished public speaker. He has served as a member of the Clear Channel Local Advisory Board, as well as The Palette Fund Advisory Board. Jorge has a passion for helping LGBTQ+ youth and an ability to communicate that interest and passion effectively to both the LGBTQ+ community and the general public.
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Scott came to Point Foundation with over 20 years of not-for-profit accounting experience. Beginning his accounting career at the L.A. Gay & Lesbian Center, Scott gained hands-on skills performing and/or supervising every position within the finance department as the Center’s budget grew from $5 million to over $25 million. Besides managing the day-to-day financial activities of the center, the finance department managed the financial reporting and compliance for 50+ government grants, the annual audit and audits by our funding sources. Most recently Scott was the Director of Finance at Liberty Hill Foundation, where as a member of the management team he worked closely with the Executive Team and the Treasurer of the Board developing financial budgets and reports that tied the numbers to the organization’s mission. Graduating from Eastern Washington University with a Bachelor of Arts in business administration, emphasis on professional accounting, Scott went on to receive his Juris Doctorate from Marshall-Wythe School of Law at the College of William and Mary. Scott moved to Los Angeles in 1985 where he resides with his partner, Robert, and their dog.
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Wendy Gauvry serves as Chief People Officer at Point Foundation, where she leads all aspects of human resources and organizational development. She plays a key role in shaping our inclusive, high-performing culture and aligning people strategies that advance Point’s mission.

Before joining Point, Wendy served as Chief People Officer at Volumetric Building Companies and held several leadership roles at Rivian, including Senior Director of Enterprise Learning & Development. She also spent nearly seven years at Amazon, where she served as a senior HR leader for new business launches and built programs focused on talent, leadership, and organizational development. Throughout her career, Wendy has been an active ally and advocate for the LGBTQ+ community, participating in and supporting employee resource groups.

Wendy holds an M.A. in Human Communication Studies from California State University, Fullerton, and a B.A. in Speech Communication from Point Loma Nazarene University. She currently resides in Riverside, California.

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Tina has an impressive background in program leadership, having served most recently as the Deputy Director of Workforce Program at California Volunteers Fund where she was responsible for leading and overseeing the development of a workforce development program serving more than 500 fellows. Prior to that role, Tina served as Vice President of Site Support for College Track where she managed multiple sites across the country, driving student engagement and college matriculation, and achieving remarkable growth in student metrics. Her strategic vision and operational expertise have consistently delivered strong results, underscored by her ability to innovate and implement effective programs in a variety of settings. 
 
Tina grew up and currently resides in Los Angeles. She received her Ed.M. from UCLA and her Bachelor of Arts from Pomona College. Her commitment to excellence, integrity, and collaboration aligns perfectly with our organizational values.
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Kevin Kim Wright serves as Chief of Staff at Point Foundation where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization's strategy and provides leadership across Point’s various departments. Before assuming this position, he held roles as the Chief Growth Officer and Chief Program Officer at Urban Arts, where he spearheaded the implementation of a comprehensive, multi-year strategic plan, that propelled the organization to new heights on a national scale through groundbreaking partnerships with industry giants such as Microsoft, AT&T, Unity, and NBCUniversal. Prior to Urban Arts, Kevin worked in leadership roles at the historic Riverside Church in New York City and Georgetown University. He holds degrees from Indiana Wesleyan University and Duke University. Kevin currently resides in Los Angeles.

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Alejandro has recently graduated from the University of California, Merced with a Bachelor’s in Political Science. During his time as an undergraduate, his studies focused on congressional politics and social activism. While spending a semester studying in Washington D.C. as part of the UCDC program, he interned with the non-profit Justice Policy Institute. There, he worked on developing research-based policy proposals aimed at the promotion of justice reform within the Maryland-D.C. area. In his final year at UC Merced, Alejandro wrote a thesis that examined the factors behind the passage of legislation regarding LGBTQ+ equality within state legislatures. Through this project, he was able to see firsthand the cultural and procedural roadblocks that threaten the safety and livelihoods of LGBTQ+ people across the country. He hopes to contribute to the removal of those roadblocks by working with the Point Foundation to ensure LGBTQ+ and ally students are provided the support needed to succeed. In his free time, Alejandro enjoys walking his three dogs, studying American history, and collecting comic books.
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Bill Devers (he/him) joined Point Foundation in 2022 and brings over a decade of experience in the fields of fundraising, project management, donor engagement, event production, and stewardship to his role as Senior Director of Development. Most recently, Bill served as the Director of Development, Events and Engagement at Safe Horizon, the nation’s largest victim services agency, where he generated support for the agency through special events and campaigns. Outcomes included the conception and execution of the organization’s signature gala, peer-to-peer endeavors, and corporate and individual fundraising activities. Though he received his BA in English and Communication from Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey, Bill is incredibly interested in anthropology and paleontology and spends much of his free time reading up on the newest scientific discoveries.
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Melissa de Szendeffy comes to the Point Foundation after serving in the Americorp VISTA Program both in Portland Oregon and Los Angeles, most recently serving as a National Development Coordinator VISTA with a non-profit called Reading Partners, a group dedicated to literacy intervention and literacy justice. Melissa managed their Story Bank archive of testimonies from other Americorp service members, teachers, and students on top of other document retrieval projects to boost accessibility for Reading Partner employees. Melissa has dedicated a part of their early career to education advocacy, serving as a student changemaker at Central Washington University during their undergrad they would coach and educate incoming students on university financial literacy and college counseling. This work continued into their first VISTA contract with the East Metro STEAM Partnership in Portland Oregon, where the mission was to make STEAM education accessible to the most diverse neighborhood in the city. Melissa aided in this mission by establishing the blueprint for a student conference that would create scholarship opportunities and helped plan paid training programs for educators on the disparity in STEAM education. Born and raised in Southwest Washington, Melissa currently lives in Los Angeles. They’ve earned a Bachelor of Arts in History with a minor in Museum Studies Anthropology from Central Washington University and is currently pursuing their Masters in Public History from the University of North Alabama. Melissa spends her free time exploring LA’s food culture with their partner, studying and writing, and traveling to new places.
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Charlie Smith (he/they) arrives to Point Foundation by way of Chicago, where he developed a background in comedy, production and LGBTQ+ activism. It was in Chicago where they co-founded and co-produced Dreamboat, the first and only LGBTQ+ show at one of Chicago’s most renowned comedy theaters. Through his work with this show, along with performing at all of the Chicago comedic mainstays, he honed his passion in advocating for gay rights and creating safe spaces and communities for impacted individuals. Originally from Houston, Texas they graduated from Baylor University with degrees in Finance and Economics along with a minor in Biology. In his free time, he loves to travel, attend concerts, comedy shows and sporting events as well as spend time in nature with his partner, family and friends.
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Darrin Wilstead joined Point Foundation (Point) in 2007 and brings more than two decades of experience in program oversight, development, and volunteer engagement to his role as Director of Executive Affairs & Board Relations. 

Prior to joining Point, Darrin served as the Director of Development & International Programs at Hugh O’Brian Youth Leadership (HOBY), an organization dedicated to providing leadership development programs for high school sophomores. 

Earlier in his career, he worked as an instructor at America West Airlines at LAX for nine years, where he trained an average of 130 employees each month. 

Originally from Mesa, Arizona, Darrin moved to Los Angeles after completing a two-year mission for the LDS Church in Seoul, Korea. He currently resides in Los Angeles with his husband and their dog, Toby.

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Grant Stream-Gonzalez began his career in higher education by serving as a United States Teaching Assistant at a pedagogical college in Vienna, Austria. Upon returning to the U.S., he moved to Washington, D.C. where he worked on federally sponsored experiential learning and international education programs at Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Institute of International Education (IIE). At IIE, Grant contributed to outreach, recruitment, and selection efforts for the Fulbright Program and the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program. Grant holds a Bachelor’s in Rhetoric with a minor in LGBT Studies from the University of California at Berkeley and a Master’s of Education Policy and Analysis with a concentration in Higher Education from the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Grant currently lives in Chicago’s Andersonville. He loves spending time in coffee shops, traveling by train, and distance running.
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Jamie joins Point Foundation as the Database Manager with over a decade of donor database management in various non-profit organizations along the west coast. While living in Portland, Oregon she worked for the Oregon Food Bank and Legacy Health Foundation honing her development and donor stewardship skills. In her spare time, she co-founded the Not Enough! Queer Music and Arts Festival, a community-based event showcasing new and collaborative projects annually. After five years of success, the Not Enough! Festival went on to be adopted in other cities, including New Orleans in the US, Winnipeg and Edmonton in Canada. Jamie is a California native but this will be her first time living in Los Angeles. She looks forward to exploring all the city offers and getting to know L.A.’s rich queer community.
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Jose Flores serves as Director of Scholar Programs at Point Foundation, where he leads scholar-centered programming and operations to advance equitable educational pathways in alignment with Point’s mission. Prior to joining Point, Jose served as an Impact Manager at Deloitte, in partnership with Google, where he helped launch and scale Google’s Code Next program. Previously, he spent nearly a decade at College Track, where he led student life programming, college access and completion programming, and site operations, supporting hundreds of first-generation students across multiple sites. Across roles, Jose brings a strong track record of values-driven leadership, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to equity and student development.

Jose holds a B.A. in Latin American Latino Studies and Politics from the University of California, Santa Cruz.

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Prior to joining the Point Foundation Jane Rennert (she/her) served as the Director of Development for the Gender & Family Project for the Ackerman Institute for the Family (GFP). There, Jane oversaw all aspects of fundraising and development while also working closely with the program team to develop initiatives to meet the needs of TGNCNB young people and their families. Jane came to this work through her experience as a parent to a transgender child and through her connection the GFP, particularly Jean Malpas GFP’s visionary founder. Prior to assuming her role at GFP Jane served on the advisory council and helped launch the successful annual gala A Night of A Thousand Genders. Jane has also launched several small businesses in Brooklyn, worked as a special events planner and consultant, been a full-time parent, and served as an editor at the James Beard Foundation. All of these experiences give Jane a broad worldview and a wide range of skills and insight that inform her work to help empower LGBTQ+ young people to be their best and most authentic selves. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her amazing family.
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Nicole Rizzuto (she/her) comes to the Point Foundation after serving in nonprofit and higher education roles for a decade. Most recently, Nicole served as Program Manager at the Center for Holocaust, Human Rights & Genocide Education. She has also worked as a museum curator, community college and university professor, and Assistant Director of Residence Life. Born and raised in New Jersey, Nicole currently lives on the South Side of Chicago and teaches at Saint Xavier University. Nicole completed her undergraduate studies in history at Saint Elizabeth University and a completed her PhD in History and Culture at Drew University, where she wrote her dissertation on Dead Lesbian Syndrome. Nicole spends her free time fighting food insecurity and environmental injustice in her neighborhood, hanging out on Lake Michigan, and going to as many White Sox games as possible.

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Simone Grice started at Point Foundation in 2023 after three and a half years as a Program and Development Associate at the My Stuff Bags Foundation serving children who have experienced abuse, neglect, abandonment, and/or homelessness. At My Stuff Bags, Simone cultivated and implemented new fundraising strategies, managed major grant portfolios, and maintained excellent relationships with donors and volunteers. Additionally, Simone serves as the digital content creator for mental health clinics and practitioners that provide services to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ patients. Originally from the Bay Area, Simone studied Organizational Communication at California State University Channel Islands in Camarillo, and now resides in Los Angeles, CA. In her free time, Simone enjoys spending time in nature, listening to music, reading thriller novels, and being in the company of her loved ones.
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Susan Linn Ferris joined Point Foundation in 2017 and is an accomplished nonprofit leader with decades of experience advancing operational excellence, financial stewardship, and mission-driven growth. She previously served as Director of Internal Affairs at Outfest, a leading nonprofit arts organization, and managed the acclaimed Los Angeles bookstore A Different Light. Known for building resilient organizational foundations, Susan brings a systems-focused mindset and a passion for enabling meaningful work to thrive. She holds a B.A. in Sociology with minors in English and Minority Studies from the University of California, Davis, and lives in the San Fernando Valley with her wife, their daughter, four rescue cats, and a spirited Shiba Inu.

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