Click on a name to read bio
Board of Directors
Kent Glenzer, President
Kent Glenzer joined the board of Gathering for Women in the Fall of 2018. Kent is an Associate Professor at Middlebury Institute of International Studies. He holds a PhD from Emory University, an MA in Communication from Cornell University and BA in Journalism, from Northwestern University. He’s been teaching at the Institute since 2011. Kent has extensive work and research experience in sub-Saharan Africa, having spent 28 years prior to coming to the Institute with international NGOs such as Oxfam America, CARE, PATH, and also with Peace Corps. His work, teaching, and research focuses on the intersections of culture, organizational behavior, monitoring and evaluation, decision making, and strategy. He specializes in understanding how power dynamics, identity politics, and structural exclusion influence organizations, public policy, philanthropy, and the relationships between public, private, and nonprofit actors. He’s passionate about transforming higher education so as to better prepare young professionals to work on complex, wicked problems. This requires us to rethink and reinvent relationships between public, private, and nonprofit enterprises to connect disciplinary silos and expertise in new ways, and adopt transformative andragogical approaches in our programs. What the world doesn’t need is more competent, obedient, rule-following technocrats. What it does need is feral professionals who can transform systems and reconfigure long-standing relationships of power.
Amy Sands, Vice President
Amy is retired from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (formerly the Monterey Institute of International Studies), where she served as the Executive Director for Research Centers and Initiatives, and prior to that, as Provost of MIIS for eight years. She had also served for three years as the Dean of the Graduate School of International Policy Studies at MIIS, and seven years as Deputy Director of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies. From August 1994 to June 1996, she was Assistant Director of the Intelligence, Verification, and Information Management Bureau at the U.S. Arms Control and Disarmament Agency (ACDA). She is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and has served on the Secretary of State’s International Security Advisory Board and the Argonne National Laboratory’s National Security Advisory Board.
Nicole Irigoyen, Secretary
Bio pending.
Laura McMahon, Treasurer
Laura brings over 20 years of experience in nonprofit accounting and financial management to Gathering for Women. A seasoned finance professional, Laura has dedicated her career to ensuring fiscal responsibility and transparency within organizations that make a meaningful impact in our communities.
With a passion for helping underprivileged populations, Laura has consistently leveraged her expertise to support mission-driven initiatives that address societal inequities. Her work includes overseeing complex budgets, streamlining financial operations, and implementing sustainable practices to maximize resources for those in need.
In addition to her professional achievements, Laura is deeply committed to mentoring within the nonprofit sector, further underscoring her dedication to creating lasting change. As a member of Gathering for Women’s board, Laura contributes strategic financial insights and a steadfast commitment to advancing the organization’s mission to provide homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula supportive resources and a caring community.
Ashley Cameron
Photo and Bio to come.
Carol Greenwald
Carol is a social worker with over 38 years of experience in public social services. She held positions from line case worker to senior administrative manager, providing protective services to vulnerable adults and children. After retiring from public service, Carol worked as a consultant and trainer for a national foundation promoting safe communities and safe families, providing technical assistance to government agencies across the United States. In 2014 Carol launched a program providing comprehensive services to homeless women on the Monterey Peninsula. This effort grew into Gathering for Women – Monterey. Carol holds a master’s degree in social work and a master’s degree in pastoral studies.
Chad Harris, MD
Bio to come.
Cora Hoover
Bio to come.
Abdel Seck
Abdel Seck joined the Gathering for Women board with extensive experience leading initiatives that fight injustice and promote peace. Most recently, Abdel co-founded the Jews, Christians, and Muslims United (JCMU) with the mission to promote social justice, while developing tolerance, unity and peace among these communities. He co-founded Community One World Enterprise (COWE), a marketing and commercial diplomacy consulting firm through which he leads the effort to turn the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) into a Free Trade Agreement between the United States and eligible African countries. Prior to that, Abdel was a Managing Partner and V.P. for Africa at Abundant Biofuels Corporation, the first Californian firm to develop renewable energy from Jatropha Curcas. He is an owner and operator of multiple businesses on Monterey’s Old Fisherman’s Wharf, and the sitting President of the Islamic Society of Monterey County. Abdel holds a B.A. in International Relations, and a Master’s in International Policy Studies with a focus on Trade, Investment, and Development from Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey (MIIS). He is an expert in U.S./China trade relations. His lifetime commitment is to support disadvantaged women battling breast cancer in his native Senegal: “this is a personal vow,” he says, as he lost his beloved mother to breast cancer.
Jason Warburg
Jason Warburg joined the board of Gathering for Women in July 2022. He is a writer and communications consultant who was the executive director of communications at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies for more than 10 years. Prior to moving to Monterey in 2009, Jason served in senior communications roles for a national non-profit in the higher education arena, as well as for public officials including Lt. Governor Leo McCarthy, Rep. Mel Levine, and State Senator Gary K. Hart. Jason holds an MS in foreign service from Georgetown University and a BA in political science from UC Davis. He completed Leadership Monterey Peninsula in 2012, served on the communications committee for Rancho Cielo’s 2014-16 capital campaign, and has been a volunteer consultant for Gathering for Women since 2019.
Meet Our Staff
The staff of Gathering for Women represent a diverse and professional team that serves our mission through commitment, dedication and expertise.
Click on a name to read their bio.
Staci Alziebler-Perkins, Executive Director
Staci Alziebler-Perkins returned to California after 20+ years working in New York City nonprofits where she was a passionate advocate for gender equity, social justice, and environmental stewardship. She brings an in-depth knowledge of the intersectionality of poverty, racism, and gender inequity. She excels in building strong partnerships and coalitions, and managing organizations experiencing change and growth. She holds an MBA from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies and a BA in Political Science from the University of California, Santa Barbara. As an ardent women and girls’ rights supporter, Staci has advocated for women’s rights at the local, national, and international level both personally and professionally as the President of the Zonta Club on New York City and as a Zonta International United Nations Committee member. She brings her commitment to women to Gathering for Women – Monterey and the wider homeless service provider network.
Anjanette Love, Program Facilitator
Anjanette Love has lived in Monterey County for over 40 years. After working in the corporate world for 15 years, mostly in banking, she changed her employment focus to work with vulnerable populations. Anjanette began her new career as a Workforce Specialist, working with at-risk youth in Monterey County through a region-wide nonprofit organization. After that nonprofit closed its doors in Monterey County, Anjanette worked helping senior citizens and the physically impaired access public transit. Anjanette has a real understanding of the needs of our women guests, and her kind demeanor and knowledge of local resources has made her an effective case manager and program facilitator.
Lisa Senkel, Case Manager & Housing Navigator
Lisa relocated to the Monterey Peninsula 25 years ago from Ann Arbor, Michigan. She received her B.A. from Blackburn College in Psychology and Political Science. She has extensive experience working with individuals experiencing homelessness, trauma, mental illness, developmental and intellectual disabilities, and substance use disorders in both social services and educational environments. She has one year of graduate work completed in Educational Leadership but has decided to change her field of study to Trauma Psychology. Lisa enjoys research into innovative approaches to address homelessness, trauma recovery and the development of resilience and social-emotional intelligence in various settings. Her personal interests include meditation, mindfulness, consciousness studies and spending time with her two young adult sons living in Monterey.
Shavea Salafai, Case Manager & Housing Navigator (CDNB)
My journey is rooted in service, resilience, and a deep passion for helping others. I spent four years serving in the United States Marine Corps, where I learned discipline, accountability, and what it truly means to show up for people, no matter the circumstances. That experience shaped who I am today and continues to guide how I move through both my personal and professional life.
After my time in the military, I felt called to continue serving in a different way, by supporting individuals and families in my community. I now work as a Housing Navigator and Case Manager at Gathering for Women, helping women connect to safe, stable housing and essential resources. Every day, I have the opportunity to walk alongside women during some of the most challenging moments of their lives, and that’s something I don’t take lightly. I lead with empathy, patience, and a genuine desire to make a difference.
At the same time, I’ve been committed to growing and investing in myself. I am currently pursuing my Bachelor’s degree in Collaborative Human Health Services with a concentration in Social Work, and I will graduate on May 16, 2026. This journey hasn’t always been easy, but it’s been purposeful. Everything I’m learning strengthens my ability to advocate, support, and create meaningful change.
I value authenticity, connection, and growth. Whether in uniform, in the field, or in the classroom, my mission has always remained the same: to serve, to uplift, and to help others build a better path forward. This is more than just a career for me; it’s personal and my purpose.
Tina Brenner, Food Service Manager
Please allow us to introduce you to Caterina Brenner, aka Tina, our Food Service Manager. As a Food Service Manager, Tina’s many duties include Chef, Meal and Menu Planning, and the Staffing Supervision of volunteer work loads. Originally from San Mateo, it was at 11 years old that Tina discovered that she possessed a very unique gift for cooking and cooked her first meal for her family. Like many other 1st Generation families, there was not a lot of monetary wealth; however, there was a sense of helping others through the sharing of food, especially for the less fortunate. Tina spent her time as a stay-at-home mother, a Kindergarten Teacher’s Aide and a fundraising volunteer for Homeless Women & Children for the Peninsula League. Through her sense of community service, she was able to network and plan events to reach new fundraising records at that time. In 2009, Tina and her husband moved from San Mateo to Carmel, and Tina read about a very young nonprofit “Gathering for Women” in a newspaper article. After attending an orientation meeting, she volunteered as a dishwasher, quickly moving to the next level of Kitchen Food Preparation, and now becoming the Main Chef in her role as the Food Service Manager.
Courtney Collins, Food Service Assistant Manager
Courtney Collins is GFW’s Food Service Assistant. She has an 11-year old daughter and has been married for nine years. Interestingly, she died the same day that she was born due to the umbilical cord tearing from her during delivery. Here she is 41 years later, obviously with a purpose in this world. She has always wanted to work in the kitchen as a Chef and has attempted to do so many times. However, since joining Gathering For Women in January of this year, she feels as though she may have found her place. She enjoys cooking and – of course – eating. In this organization, she gets to do both while giving back to those in need and helping women. She has been in one or more of these women’s positions in her life, either needing assistance, or having nowhere to stay and living in motels. She is humbled daily knowing she has been where many of these women are and could easily be there again. She loves that she is able to help even if only with a warm meal to start off the day. She looks forward to where her life will lead both professionally and personally from here. As life showed her the day of her birth, she does, in fact, have a purpose in this world, and she will do her best to fulfill whatever it may be.
Ivy English, Volunteer Coordinator
Our Volunteer Coordinator is Ivy English. She has lived many places but calls Atlanta, GA her home. Ivy gained her BA in Applied Linguistics at Georgia State University. She served as a Peace Corps volunteer as a Community and Youth Development Specialist in Armenia before being evacuated due to the pandemic. Once returning to America, Ivy drove from coast to coast to serve as an AmeriCorps fellow in the Volunteer Infrastructure Project at United Way Monterey County. Ivy fell in love with volunteer coordination and renewed her contract for a second year serving in the AmeriCorps at The Village Project, Inc. She is currently a graduate student at Future Generations University studying for her Master’s degree in Community Development. She enjoys petting stray cats, brewing kombucha, crocheting, and perfecting her terrible dad jokes in her spare time..
Jeanette Burke, Development Associate
Jeanette “Jet” Burke grew up in the Chicago suburb of Libertyville, IL. She earned her BA in International Studies and Peace and Justice Studies from Manhattan University in New York. She also concentrated in Central and Eastern European Studies and minored in Women and Gender Studies. After graduating, Jet worked in senior living where she discovered her passion for working with vulnerable populations. This inspired her to pursue her master’s degree, leading her to Monterey where she is studying at the Middlebury Institute of International Studies. Jet started interning at GFW in May 2023 and has enjoyed working here ever since. She was promoted to Development Associate in March 2025 and is excited to continue working with her community. In her spare time, Jet enjoys reading, birding, cooking, hiking, and traveling.
Kathy DeMers, Guest Services Assistant
Kathy was raised on a small farm in the foothills outside of Fresno. It was here she gained her first experience with hard work and helping those in need, as the property was used to rescue animals too large for the SPCA, as well as growing oranges. She moved to Monterey in 2004 to attend college at CSU Monterey Bay. She earned a BA in Visual and Public Art, with a concentration in mural painting. Here she learned how art can benefit a wider audience through murals and museums- the audience being the public. She acquired experience working with people and what they would like to see in art. She also was volunteering at the Monterey Peninsula rape crisis center as a counselor. Kathy has worked a wide range of jobs throughout her time on the Monterey Peninsula; more recently, she took time from paid work for stay-at-home parenting and to earn a certificate in medical coding. Kathy is passionate about social justice and helping people navigate through difficult periods in their lives; she loves having meaningful work in her life. In her spare time she still paints abstract art, French polishes classical guitars, loves to cook healthy meals, and cares for her family.
Claire Bresnahan, Guest Services Assistant
Bio pending
Diane Pahler, Major Gifts Officer
Diane Pahler brings more than 25 years of experience in business development and strategic leadership, now focused on strengthening sustainable partnerships in Monterey County. Throughout her career, she has built trusted relationships and helped organizations grow with clarity and purpose. She now applies that experience to cultivating long-term support that advances stability and opportunity for women in need.
Originally from the East Coast and having lived most of her life in California, Diane recently relocated to the Monterey Peninsula and is deeply committed to the community she now calls home. She believes homelessness is not a distant issue; life events can dramatically alter anyone’s stability. In a region known for its beauty and quality of life, hardship can remain hidden in plain sight. Diane believes families, businesses, and civic leaders can step forward with compassion and coordination to restore dignity and opportunity.
Diane holds a Bachelor of Science in Health Science from CSU Chico and is trained in Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction and Mindful Self-Compassion. She believes meaningful change requires both thoughtful strategy and human understanding.
In Memoriam
Board Member Christine Haska passed away on July 26, 2017 at home with her family by her side. Christine was an original board member whose vast experience and thoughtful guidance were critical to the successful growth of our organization. Her keen insight and gentle elegance will be truly missed. We all have fond memories of Christine to hold in our hearts. “…..I’ve really had a great life and have enjoyed participating in every part of it… I’ve had blessings and opportunities that most people don’t have, and I’ve been keenly aware of those every step of the way. And the people who have crossed my path — amazing people….”
Christine July 15, 2017 email to Board President