Our Board
Dana Brown
Chair
Dana Brown is the ACEs Science Statewide Facilitator, Learn4Life Organizational Liaison, ACEs Connection, and Executive Director, Youth Voice A social entrepreneur, Dana founded a character development program at Tierrasanta Elementary in San Diego, CA; co-founded OurSOLES (Our Students of Leadership ~ Empowerment ~ Service), founded Youth Leadership TICS (Trauma-Informed Community Schools) and Youth Leadership with McGill School of Success. Dana is a Commissioner on the City of San Diego Commission on Gang Prevention & Intervention and Chair of the Youth Committee., co-chair of the San Diego Trauma-Informed Guide Team , on the Advisory Council of the University of San Diego’s Character Development Center, the steering committee of the Clinton Health Matters Initiative, Strong Families, Thriving Communities, and the leadership team of the Southern California Warrior Spirit with Indigenous communities. An author, Hidden Treasures, Ms. Brown has received many awards over the years, including, the Joy McAllister Advocacy Award from Mental Health America in 2014, President Obama’s USA Volunteer Presidential Award in 2013 (with San Diego Compassion Project), and the City of San Diego’s Human Relations Commission Award in 2009.
Bridget Gordon
Interim Treasurer
Bridget Gordon is the Co-Chair of the Integration Advisory Board for LA County Health Departments (Health Agency). The Integration Advisory Board (IAB) advises Los Angeles County’s Board of Supervisors on the Health Departments integration of three departments, Public Health, Mental Health and Health Services. Bridget founded the Bridget B Foundation in 2004, a charitable organization dedicated to creating awareness & resources on reproductive healthcare issues for women with focus on providing practical support for women living with HIV/AIDS, and currently serves as its Executive Director. She is a member of the Los Angeles County Commission on HIV and of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment. Bridget previously served as a Board Member, Community Advisory, Maternal Child & Adolescent Center, Los Angeles County. Recognition of her work includes an Honoree for the IMPACT Champions of Change, Washington, DC, 2012. She has a degree in Engineering from the University of Washington and worked for many years in the tech industry as an engineer, manager and consultant. Bridget and her daughter reside in Los Angeles.
Linda Keston
Chair Emeritus
Linda Keston has been an elementary school teacher, school counselor, school psychologist and is a licensed marriage family therapist. Linda has worked with single parent families and two career parent families. She also worked as a mentor and tutor at the teen parenting program established by the founder of Echo Parenting & Education, Ruth Beaglehole, before the inception of the agency. When Echo was formed, Linda was privileged to be a part of its founding and its development.
Ghen Laraya Long
Secretary
Ghen Laraya Long is an experienced international technology and entertainment attorney. She specializes in transactional contracts for the creation, production, and distribution of traditional media content over new media platforms. Her most recent project was permissions on Nell Scovell’s memoir Just The Funny Parts. She has a roster of technotainment clients ranging from producers, directors, writers, musicians, and actors as well as startups for whom she provides advice and production attorney services. Prior to being VP of Business and Legal Affairs for Mandalay Digital Group Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiary Digital Turbine Inc., she was the Assistant General Counsel and Director of Mobile Partnerships for CBS Corporation, International Corporate Counsel for Amp’d Mobile, and Business and Legal Affairs Counsel for Tokyopop! Inc. She has served on the boards of Women in Film and Greenlight Women and is an active member of the Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. She is qualified to practice law in Ontario, Canada and California and is a polyglot.
Carol Melville
Chair Emeritus
Carol Melville is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker who worked as Regional Director for South Bay Jewish Family Service Mental Health Center providing counseling and psychotherapy to underserved populations. In her role with Jewish Family Service, she developed community programs, supervised student interns, and administered an on-going professional development program for staff members. She has also worked as a private practice clinician specializing in working with adults with eating disorders, addiction and depression. Carol has also worked as a volunteer mentor for Walk with Sally and completed the Manhattan Beach Leadership program (May 2020). She resides in Manhattan Beach and is the mother of a college-age daughter.