Staff and Board

Judith Vega

Yalonda Sindé

Yalonda Sindé was a founding board member of CCEJ for the first three years of our formation and served as the Executive Director for ten years. Yalonda has been an organizer on issues of low-income housing, welfare reform, children's health, environmental justice and economic justice for the past thirteen years. Her skilled leadership has helped CCEJ emerge as a major force in the local, regional and national environmental justice movement.

Yalonda has earned a BA in Political Science and a Masters Degree in Non-Profit Leadership from Seattle University.

Yalonda is a talented facilitator, organizational development expert, community educator and outreach specialists. She is an effective event coordinator, co-coordinating hundreds of workshops, trainings and events on a variety of community issues, speaking to thousands of people.

Yalonda is the recipient of numerous awards such as:

• The Distinguished Service Award, UW Warren G Magnuson Health Sciences Center and UW Medical Ctr., 2007
• American Friends Service Committee Leadership Award, 2006
• Leadership for a Changing World Award Nominee, 2003
• Environmental Education Association of Washington President’s Award 2002-2003
• The Samuel B. McKinney Award for Peace and Racial Justice, 2002
• El Centro De La Raza Leadership Award, 2002
• The Washington Health Foundation Award for Community Health Leadership, 2002
• The Bon Marche's 1998 "Follow the Leader” Award
• Seattle Post-Intelligencer Letter to the Editor of the Month Award, 1998
• Regents Minority Scholarship recipient, 1992

Yalonda has gained notoriety for her articles, speeches and leadership ability in bringing together diverse constituents to address environmental justice, economic and social justice issues.  She is now the owner of a consulting business called Yalonda Sinde Consulting: www. ysindeconsulting.com.

Kate Villarreal

Kate Villarreal has been a lead organizer with CCEJ since 2004. She coordinates CCEJ’s base building efforts in low income communities and communities of color and is instrumental in our community outreach efforts. She received a scholarship to attend Macalester College in S. Paul, MN where she earned a BA in History with a Spanish Minor. After college, Kate moved to Seattle and worked for two years as an Americorp volunteer for Earthcorps where she gained experience in environmental education, developing elementary school curriculum and working with youth on environmental projects. She has also been main coordinator of CCEJ’s Yesler Terrace campaign where she has brought together coalition and community members to develop and implement strategies, arranges interpreting and events and managed overall operations of the campaign. Due to Kate’s hard work, the Seattle Housing Authority has initiated a more collaborative process for involving community members in their Yesler Terrace redevelopment planning process. Her leadership is key in maintaining CCEJ’s legacy of community organizing in Seattle. She is the recipient of the Tyree Scott “No Separate Peace” Award and the EarthCorp Outstanding Alumni Award.

Melissa Carnay

Melisssa Carnay affectionately called “Mel”, was the Administrative Coordinator at CCEJ from summer 2006 through July 2008. She started as a volunteer, providing CCEJ with much needed help around the office. Mel graduated from Seattle University in June 2006 with a BA in Ecological Studies.
She is passionate about the issue of Environmental Justice and brings excellent office management skills to CCEJ. Originally from San Jose, California, Mel has spent time studying abroad in Brazil and is semi-fluent in Portugese. She has been instrumental in streamlining CCEJ’s office functions helping us coordinate volunteers, coordinating events and ensuring that CCEJ maximizes very limited resources. We were very fortunate to have Mel onboard.