Staff

Mario Paz has led Good Samaritan for 17 years, overseeing its successful geographic expansion to include the Bayview and Potrero neighborhoods as well as its long-standing Mission District presence.

Mario is a passionate nonprofit and public service leader who has served children, youth, families and communities for over 30 years. He has worked as an organizer, counselor, director, consultant, policy advisor and foundation program officer. A member of numerous boards of directors, he currently serves on San Francisco’s Immigrant Rights Commission, the Mission Council, the Athletic Scholars Advancement Program, and the San Francisco Interfaith Council.

Mario has received recognition and awards for his work from several communities and foundations including Grantmakers for Children, Youth and Families, and the Stanford University Haas Center for Public Service.
Together with his wife Ruth, Mario has three children: Isela, Monica and Daniel. Mario holds an MA in public administration from Cal State East Bay and a BA in Political Science from Golden Gate University.

The first-generation daughter of immigrants from Mexico who is a USC-trained Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist brings clinical expertise in evidence-based models and prior management experience to her role at Good Samaritan.

Joining in 2017 as the Director of Family Services, she spent five years overseeing services that promote positive parenting, healthy early childhood development and de-stigmatize mental health services. In her current role as Deputy Director, she oversees two-generation strategies that help immigrant families achieve their dreams.

Mary has been an equity-focused educator in the Bay Area for over thirty years. She has focused her career on teaching and leading Latinx communities in East Palo Alto, East San Jose, and East Oakland. Most recently, she helped develop a quality California State Preschool in San Leandro, CA. Mary is driven by the core values of love, community, integrity, social justice, and agency.

She believes every person deserves dignity, respect, and the agency to determine their own future. While completing her Doctorate of Education at Mills College, she studied how agency develops in underserved yet highly resourceful Latinx families and communities from the earliest ages. Mary is dedicated to creating early learning programs where students, parents, teachers, and staff can thrive and learn in joyful, empowering environments.

A Bay Area native, Ed brings an immense passion for working with youth at risk of being failed by adult-driven systems. Ed has a diverse, 16-year background in supporting and developing comprehensive school-based programs, off-site community-based programs, and summer camps. He also has experience in gang prevention and intervention, building programs and services in a juvenile detention facility, and working to support special education. Ed, an experienced, endorsed California School-Age Consortium trainer, has worked with out-of-school-time professionals nationwide.

Ed studied Community and Commercial Recreation Administration at California State University, Chico. He lives in the East Bay, a 6th grade teacher, with his wife.

Claudia Cisneros is a Mexican immigrant and feminist passionate about advocating for survivors of domestic violence, immigrants, and women of color’s rights. In Mexico, Claudia provided free legal representation to support low-income women experiencing domestic violence as a Family Lawyer and the Coordinator of the Mediation Center at the Instituto Poblano de las Mujeres for nine years.
Committed to her professional growth, Claudia continued her education in San Francisco, earning her Associate’s Degree in Women’s Studies, a Community Mental Health certificate, and a Sexual Health Educator certificate from City College of San Francisco. This led her to join the Good Samaritan as a Family Advocate/Differential Response Liaison in 2016, where she quickly advanced to become the Family Support Manager in 2017, supervising the Family Advocate Team and facilitating family-centered programs.
Stepping into her new role as the Family Services Director, Claudia is determined to make a difference. Her vision includes expanding the Good Samaritan’s partnerships and collaborations, supporting the well-being of the staff, and offering quality services for Latino immigrant families in San Francisco.

Sam immigrated from Mexico to the US as a child and has lived in San Francisco since 2010. Sam has been involved with community organizing since high school. She is passionate about advocating for immigrants’ rights and fighting against the systematic oppression towards immigrant communities in the Mission and Bayview districts. Sam initially joined Good Samaritan as an Intake and Referral Specialist in 2017. A few years later, she was promoted to Family Advocate working with newcomer families with one-on-one support, advocating for newcomer rights, building connections around community partnership, and helping families to navigate the complex system of immigrations in SF.

In 2023, Sam was promoted to Family Support Manager, and she is looking forward to supporting families in the Mission and Bayview communities by leading the Good Samaritan Family Advocate Team and to continue community partnership with Mission Education Center, Safe & Sound, Homeless Prenatal, and Mujeres Unidas y Activas. 

Ana Marina, a Salvadorian immigrant, has dedicated over twenty years to the role of a community organizer. Her work has been instrumental in advocating for social services, community outreach, and family services in the Mission and Bayview area of San Francisco for the Latinx community. From 2002 to 2011, Ana Marina focused on supporting pregnant mothers facing high-risk health problems. She conducted educational infant workshops, facilitated social service referrals, and provided emotional support by accompanying them to medical appointments.In May 2019, Ana Marina joined Good Samaritan and began working at one of Good Sam’s satellite hubs in the Bayview Area. Ana Marina is currently the Bayview Manager at El Central Bayview. El Central Bayview is a comprehensive family resource center that collaborates with Mission Neighborhood Centers (MNC) and Mission Economic Development Agency (MEDA) as partner agencies. The San Francisco Latino Parity and Equity Coalition successfully developed the center in response to the growing number of Latinos residing in Bayview.

Erika has been working in the field of youth development for nine years. She has a wide range of experience ranging from volunteerism to program management. The majority of her expertise is in working with middle school youth. Erika has worked with youth at multiple SFUSD schools, including Everett, Francisco, and Willie L. Brown Jr. Middle School.

She has served on the Beacon Bridge Committee for over two years, working to collaborate and support the more excellent network of SF Beacons by sharing best practices and providing professional development opportunities for staff.
Erika earned a BS in Public Health from San Francisco State with an emphasis in community-based non-profit work and a minor in Criminal Justice. As an English Language Learner with Spanish as her first language, Erika is passionate about working with and supporting Newcomer and Immigrant families. Erika was the second in her family to graduate from college.

She is committed to creating opportunities for and supporting underserved youth to pay forward the support that she received early on in her academic career, which she feels has led to her success.

Judy is a San Francisco native from a Chinese immigrant family. She has been working in the child development field since 2010. Judy has worked with children from kindergarten through eighth grade. While working with students, she encourages them to explore their interests and try new things. Judy enjoys watching her students grow and share her interests with them to enable them to build and grow their interests.

Manuela immigrated from Mexico to the U.S. as a child and has lived in the Mission District since 2006. Manuela came across Good Samaritan looking for interactive classes for her youngest child. As a participant at Good Samaritan, she wanted to be more involved in the community. Thus, Manuela became a Promotora. She enjoyed her role in interacting with new parents and educating them on the available resources in the Mission and Bay Area. Because she excelled as a Promotora, Manuela became an Intake Specialist in 2016.

A few years later, she was promoted to Family Advocate, working with Latinx families one-on-one to provide the necessary resources and essential basic needs. In 2021, Manuela became the Service Coordination Manager. Manuela is committed to supporting Latinx families and providing them with the resources needed for her families to strive and be successful in the Bay Area.

Angelica has dedicated the past eight years to serving her community at Good Samaritan. Born in Mexico and raised in the Mission District, Angelica deeply connects to the community she works with. Angelica graduated from San Francisco State University with a major in Child and Adolescent Development, concentrating on young children, and a minor in Special Education. Angelica enjoys dancing in her free time and holds a teaching certificate for Zumba Kids, which allows her to bring fun and energetic activities to the children she works with.

Her enthusiasm for dance and movement helps children develop motor skills and enjoy active play. She loves engaging with children through art and open-ended activities, fostering creativity and joy. Passionate about giving back, Angelica finds immense satisfaction in supporting families from her community and making a positive impact.

Lily was raised in Mexico and lived in Southern California before moving to the Bay Area many years ago. She believes every child deserves an equal education regardless of their background. That’s why I have dedicated my life to Early Childhood Education, focusing on Infant/Toddler education and care and working with children with special needs.