John E. Silva, MD - President
Dr. John Silva has been a Family Physician for 38 years, spending 30 of those at Natividad Medical Center. He chose this path because he believes in the importance of family influence on health. “I just did not want to specialize; instead, I wished to be general,” he said.
His interest in community health deepened through Partners For Peace, where he saw how family interactions could significantly impact health. “Seeing the whole family there... changed my perspective about family health,” he noted. Dr. Silva joined the board development committee in 2016 and aims to take on a leadership role soon.
Originally from Providence, Rhode Island, he moved to Santa Rosa in 1983 for medical training and has lived in Salinas since 1987 with his wife, Natalie, and their three children. Inspired by Building Healthy Communities, he realized that many health issues extend beyond the clinic. “The issues our patients were dealing with were more than what could be treated in the exam room,” he explained.
His involvement with Partners For Peace has grown, especially in programs like Strengthening Families and Step-Up Mentoring. He finds joy in attending community sessions, stating, “This is better than anything I could offer in the office. This is impactful.”
In his free time, Dr. Silva enjoys baseball and hiking with his family and dogs. He hopes to disconnect from technology and immerse himself in nature. As a former catcher, he aims to improve his fundraising skills for Partners For Peace, recognizing the need for financial support: “Programs are expensive to run, and I would like to get better at asking people for money.”
Albert Sanchez - Vice President
Finding himself living in Salinas and with a teenage son, Albert Sanchez did not think twice when asked to join the board of directors for Partners for Peace. It has been almost two years since he decided to support such organization in raising funds to make a difference in Monterey County. This was his opportunity to get involved in his local community.
Sanchez is part of the fund development committee and enjoys promoting Partners For Peace (P4P) to raise funds for programming to continue. “There are just a lot of good programs that P4P offers that resonate with me and my family,” he said.
Albert was born in Salinas where he currently resides with his wife Melissa and 15-year-old Xavier. He works as an operations manager for a utility company. His goal is to help change the dynamic towards peace in his hometown for a better future for the new generations.
Albert said that the best part about being involved with P4P is being able to see all the positive changes that the program is able to make in the lives of youth and families.
“Just seeing the impact that they are making here in the community and the changes that are happening is inspiring,” he said.
For the future, one of his goals is to continue to support Partners For Peace. He wants to raise funds and keep the organization growing so it can reach more people. He wants P4P to reach every city in Monterey County.
In his free time, Albert enjoys snowboarding, mountain bike riding, camping and other outdoor activities. He has been snowboarding for the last 20 years. Snowboarding is how he and son Xavier bond.
Albert’s dream vacation would be a month-long European tour visiting multiple countries. One thing that people would never guess about him is that he once attended a Justin Beaver concert. He is no longer embarrassed to share that fact.
Judge Vanessa W. Vallarta - Secretary
It was in 2015 that Judge of the Monterey County Superior Court, the Honorable Vanessa W. Vallarta joined the Board of Directors for Partners For Peace (P4P). She is deeply involved as Vice President of the Board, and Development Committee Chair.
Her passion for real change in families is what led her to have a significant role with Partners for Peace. “I have seen the profound changes in parents and youth who go through the Strengthening Families and other programs in our courtrooms,” she said. “The work with families is deep, healing, and transformative.”
Judge Vallarta brings an array of skills, knowledge, and talents to the board. Besides being trilingual (German, Spanish, English), she has deep connectivity and love for Salinas and broader Monterey County community.
Before becoming a Judge, she was City Attorney, City of Salinas; and Executive Director for the Center for Community Advocacy. She graduated with a BA at Princeton University and earned her JD at Stanford Law School.
Judge Vallarta was born in Mexico City, Mexico and currently resides in Salinas, CA. She has two grown children ages 22 and 26.
Susan Courtney - Treasurer
Susan joined the board in late 2022, and quickly took on the role of treasurer making her a part of the executive board for P4P.
“I enjoy working with the other board members,” she said. “I’m very thankful for this amazing opportunity.”
Susan was born and raised in Los Angeles, CA. Before moving to Monterey County, she lived in Orange County for more than 14 years. She obtained her accounting degree from CSU Northridge and spent most of her career in public accounting as a CPA. Currently, she is the Assurance Director with Clifton Larson Allen (CLA) in Salinas, where she specializes in managing and directing financial statements audits and reviews for CLA, specifically for clients in the agriculture industry and for Employee Benefit Plans. At CLA, Susan was recommended to take over the board member position at P4P.
“I have an extensive background with helping various charities, and one day, after hearing Leticia Molinero talk about the organization, I instantly fell in love,” she said. With her background of volunteering with youth and her desire to contribute for the better, Susan felt she was a perfect fit for P4P. “Now, I can use some of my financial experience to help P4P,” she added.
Susan sees great enthusiasm from all the staff and believes that P4P is a growing organization that will continue to help many people in the community.
“I hope I can be resourceful to P4P by assisting them with the budgeting process and understanding funds and other financial necessities,” she said. “I can assist them (P4P) in all aspects of the financial field - I would be more than happy to do that.”
Susan said P4P is an impactful program and wishes to see it grow with more opportunities for all families. She believes the staff and facilitators are dedicated individuals that make the program successful.
In November 2022, Susan proudly graduated from 2022 Acknowledge - Class XIV, an in-depth study of all aspects of the agriculture industry throughout Monterey County. She currently lives in Monterey County and loves to travel, horseback, beach walks, and read.
Dana Edgull - Board Member
The longer I am in this work, the more I understand and value the importance of family,” says Dana Edgull, a board member for Partners For Peace. With over six years of experience, she became President of the Board this year and is passionate about youth initiatives, particularly the Step-Up Mentoring program that guides young people toward new opportunities.
Dana moved to Salinas at eight and graduated from Salinas High School before earning a psychology degree from UC Santa Barbara. Reflecting on her 25 years with Partners For Peace, she notes that it coincides with her 25-year career at Monterey County Behavioral Health, where she began as a psychiatric social worker. There, she focused on family preservation to help keep families together.
After becoming a mother to Trevor, now 22, she transitioned to working with children in the foster care system, which led her to Partners For Peace. Her team implemented grants for safe schools, aimed at preventing bullying and providing therapeutic programs. Two years ago, she became Prevention Manager, overseeing maternal mental health and suicide prevention programs.
“Parents need help and support; Partners For Peace provides the tools for better relationships,” she emphasizes, commending Executive Director Vicki Law for her dedication to ensuring the program runs smoothly.
With the pandemic complicating social connections, Dana hopes programs like Partners For Peace will help families and youth navigate challenges safely. In her free time, she enjoys reading, hiking, and visiting wineries, and she looks forward to celebrating 25 years of marriage to Robert in Hawaii in 2021.
David Jenkins - Board Member
David Jenkins is an active board member at Partners For Peace, currently chairing the Fund Development Committee to raise funds for program expansion. With over 20 years as a Financial Advisor at Ameriprise Financial Services, he brings valuable expertise to the organization’s fundraising efforts. “I definitely have a dream that this organization expands throughout Monterey County and touches many more lives,” he shared. “The best part is knowing I'm part of an organization that creates positive outcomes.”
Originally from Pennsylvania, David moved to Monterey County in 1991 to join the Army and study Arabic. He and his wife, Devone, settled in Salinas and have one son, Nicholas. David became involved with Partners For Peace in 2009 as president of his Rotary Club, motivated by the gang violence in Salinas. He collaborated with other clubs to support a project, ultimately choosing Partners For Peace for its focus on fostering healthy family environments.
Since then, he has passionately supported the organization, contributing to fundraising efforts and planning its 25th Anniversary celebration on May 25, 2021. “As a parent, I’ve made my share of mistakes and realized this program is not just for at-risk youth. There’s no guidebook to parenting like this program offers,” he noted. In his spare time, David enjoys exercising, weightlifting, and writing.
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Fernanda E. Ocana - Board Member
At just two years old, Fernanda Ocana moved from Michoacán, Mexico, to East Salinas with her parents. She graduated from Alisal High School and has attended Hartnell College and Monterey Peninsula College. Currently, she works for the City of Salinas, implementing the Community Leadership Academy and Youth Leadership Academy to enhance civic engagement and leadership skills among residents.
Fernanda became a board member for Partners For Peace (P4P) two years ago, leveraging her skills in logistics, social media, and marketing to benefit the organization. Previously, she supported various initiatives with the City of Salinas, including the Community Alliance for Safety and Peace (CASP) and co-founding The Epicenter. “I admire what they do here to help parents and youth,” she said. “Partners For Peace is breaking generational gaps and helping families learn to communicate better.”
In her spare time, Fernanda enjoys hiking, biking, going to the beach, and reading. She also hopes to travel in the near future.
Tony Amezcua - Board Member
Tony Amezcua is a new board member for Partners For Peace (P4P). Amezcua uses his experience in community engagement, having previously worked with P4P during his 14-year tenure while at the Greenfield Union School District. Throughout his career, he has seen the benefits of P4P programs like Strengthening Families and the value of tailoring services to the needs of Monterey County's people. Amezcua is passionate about supporting underserved families and ensuring that resources reach all areas of the county, particularly the southern districts.
“My passion has always been to help families who don’t know the direction or have a vision of where they need to go,” said Amezcua. “I want to support and guide them in that direction.”
Amezcua plans to use his community connections to contribute to P4P's mission by advocating for program expansion and scaling to meet the county's growing needs. As a board member, he will use this opportunity to support and learn from the other board members, furthering P4P's goals. In February 2024, he was appointed Director of Bright Futures Monterey County at Hartnell College Foundation, where he continues to work on systemic change in education and community assistance.
Tony attended Hartnell College and obtained his AA in Liberal Arts. He then transferred to Humboldt State University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies and Elementary Education. He also received his master's in counseling at UMass Global. Spending time with his family is important to Tony; he enjoys camping, fishing, sports, and spending quality time locally at parks and the beach.
Sam Cunningham - Board Member
Sam Cunningham joined the board of directors for Partners For Peace over a year ago, serving on the executive board and marketing committee. “I knew of Partners For Peace through the work that I do with youth in the community,” he shared, noting that Executive Director Vicki Law invited him to add diversity to the board.
Originally from Los Angeles, Sam now lives in Seaside with his wife, Marian, and their blended family of four. He works as a re-entry coordinator for Barrios Unidos, helping individuals transition from prison back into society. He’s also involved with the mentoring program I Am My Brother’s Keeper, supporting young boys lacking positive role models.
Sam’s commitment to helping others is deeply personal. “At 21, I was sentenced to 25 years to life for murder,” he recalled. “I only served 30 years due to good conduct.” While incarcerated, he began counseling fellow inmates, igniting his passion for helping youth avoid a similar fate. “With me, that's where I find my healing… I’ve dedicated my life so no young man or girl has to experience 30 years in prison like I did.”
He aims to share his story to deter youth from crime. “Helping people is my passion,” he said, expressing admiration for the work of Partners For Peace. He sees firsthand the positive effects of their programs, particularly parenting classes. “Parents often don’t realize the damage their actions can do,” he explained, emphasizing the importance of communication and time spent with children.
Living by Mahatma Gandhi's words, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others,” Sam is a big softy who often cries at joyful news. In his free time, he enjoys playing basketball with youth and dreams of a vacation in Hawaii, seeking a peaceful escape with no technology. “I love water and waterfalls,” he said, envisioning a perfect getaway unplugged from the world.
