Sharonne Navas
Sharonne Navas is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of the Equity in Education Coalition.
The first American-born child of immigrant parents from Guatemala and El Salvador, Sharonne understands, and values, the complexity of being multi-lingual and multi-cultural in America. A native of New York City, Sharonne moved to the Seattle area in 2009.
Past professions include being a community organizer with Stand for Children, Executive Director of Para Los Niños, Assistant Director of Development for NARAL Pro-Choice America, Deputy Executive Director for Ayuda, Inc., and Development Coordinator for the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
In 2010, she was appointed as Commissioner for the Washington State Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
In 2016, she was appointed to the Board of Trustees of Green River Community College.
Sharonne was an advisory member for the Thrive By Five‘s “Talk, Love, Play” initiative, a cohort member of Thrive by Five’s “Advancing Racial Equity Theory of Change in Early Learning,” a committee member of the WA State Education Opportunity Gap Oversight and Accountability Committee. Sharonne is currently a member of the advocacy caucus, community network steering committee, and sponsors group of the Road Map Project of CCER.
She also volunteers for the South King Council on Human Services and was a Board member of the League of Education Voters and is on the Steering Committee of the Southeast Seattle Education Coalition. Sharonne holds a BA in Psychology and Sociology from St. John’s University.
She spends her off-time exploring the various foods and wines of WA State with her husband Steve and their tweenie dachshunds, Manny, and Porter.
Theresa Enguerra
Talofa and Mabuhay! Theresa Enguerra is from the Pasefika Islands of Samoa, born and raised in Tutuila, Samoa. Now she currently resides on Duwamish Lands since 2009. She is of Samoan and Filipina descent. Theresa is our Office and Human Resource (HR) Manager at the EEC. She has previously worked for a Fast Food and Staffing Agency as a recruiter, training manager, and HR Generalist for the last 7 years. In her free time, Theresa loves to spend time with family, listening to music, and traveling to new places.
For any office inquiries please email Theresa.
Policy
Logan Endres
Logan Endres (he/him/his) is the Senior Policy Manager for K-12 Education at the Equity in Education Coalition, working to implement EEC’s year-round advocacy cycle as well as various education policy initiatives. Logan has an undergraduate degree in public policy and public service from Arizona State University and is currently pursuing his graduate degree in public affairs and public policy from American University.
He previously worked for the Washington State School Directors’ Association (WSSDA) co-leading advocacy work on behalf of the state’s 1,477 locally elected school board members. He also worked for U.S. Senator Patty Murray’s office and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI).
In his free time, Logan enjoys spending time in the sun with his fiancé and two cats – Pockets and Olivia Pope.
Melissa Bowen
Melissa Bowen (she/her) is a policy manager with the Equity in Education Coalition, working to implement EEC’s education policy initiatives, including equitable school finance reform, anti-racist teacher professional development, and ending the school-to-prison pipeline.
Melissa has an undergraduate degree in social psychology with an emphasis on criminal justice reform from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and a Master’s in sociology from the University of Washington.
She previously worked at the Center on Reinventing Public Education at the UW and, prior to that, as an independent researcher, legal case manager, and private
investigator. Melissa’s work on both education and criminal justice reform is driven by a deep belief in both
anti-racism and the power of education to end cycles of poverty.
In her free time, Melissa enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest with her partner and two
daughters.
Sameth Mell
Sameth Mell identifies as a 1.5 generation Khmer American who was born in the Kao I Dang refugee camp in Thailand a few years after the genocide ended in Cambodia. He is currently involved in a few grassroots organizations working towards social and economic justice. Sameth, is the Project Director for Partners in Change, a program of the EEC. Sameth has worked with youth, seniors, housing, and advocacy for policy changes. He enjoys leading team trips to Southeast Asia to bridge the diaspora to the rich cultural heritage of Cambodia.
Martin Martinez-Negrete
Martin Martinez-Negrete is a DACA recipient that has been involved in the fight for justice, dignity, and respect for BIPOC Communities since 2011. Growing up undocumented, in poverty, and living in the shadows gave him the strength to find community and fight back. Most of Martin’s work has been centralized around immigrant rights but has also been involved in economic justice, education equity, and youth development for higher education. He’s had the opportunity to work both at a local and national level and has been involved with organizations like Movimiento Estudiantil Chicanx de Aztlan, Washington Immigrant Solidarity Network, United We Dream, Equity in Education Coalition, and many others.
Reneeka Massey-Jones
Reneeka Massey-Jones is a 2018 graduate from Central Washington University with a bachelor of arts degree in English – Professional and Creative Writing. Since 2013, Reneeka has worked in customer service roles while making her way through college. She got her first experience in state work as a Student Co-op in the Migrant and Bilingual Education office at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction as a senior in high school.
Having gone to many schools and been the only or one of the few black students in her class or school as a whole, Reneeka is eager to play a role in closing the opportunity gap and working to achieve equity in all tiers of education.
For all media inquiries please email Reneeka.
Menzeba Hasati
For 7 years, Menzeba has lived in West Africa studying as a journalist, healer, and prenatal/postpartum traditionalist. She is a postpartum doula, blogger, and entrepreneur. Her techniques and philosophy surrounding motherhood are rooted in her exposure to traditional, naturopathic practices and values.
In 2015, she gave birth to her first son in Burkina Faso, West Africa among a traditional family who ushered her into motherhood with pride, support, and integrity. Her experience was filled with immeasurable guidance from women of all generations. She became fully immersed in the knowledge of diet, prenatal care, and postpartum recovery. The community provided her with an abundance of physical and emotional support that inspired her to deliver this knowledge to women in need of assistance surrounding motherhood, natural remedies, and overall wellness.
The resonance of such useful and practical advice on her journey led her to create a platform showcasing the journals of her first-hand experiences. Shortly after returning to the states, she launched her blog (www.mamazeba.com) honoring her newfound perspective on life as a communal mother. The resonance of such useful and practical advice on her journey led her to create a platform showcasing the journals of her first-hand experiences. Shortly after returning to the states, she launched her blog (www.mamazeba.com) honoring her newfound perspective on life as a communal mother.
Menzeba’s passion lies in understanding women’s issues as they evolve and reshape the individual, the community, and global civilizations. She has organized, led, and participated in dozens of workshops, and public speaking events surrounding traditional healing and the journey of womanhood as a leader in the non-profit organization, The Earth Center of Maanu, Inc. She is a published editor and an advocate for cultural preservation. She has assisted dozens of women and children throughout all stages of their growth and development. Menzeba is a proud mother of two and an entrepreneur. After participating in one of FOCS’s 8-week sessions, she knew that the organization aligned with her values and personal vision. FOCS has offered tremendous support and introduced her to sisterhood during a time she needed it most. When she is not busy homeschooling her children, she is working on her natural body care line or working on her blog. She currently lives in Renton, WA.
Andrea Carrillo
Andrea (Dre) Carrillo is the Projects Manager of Equity in Education Coalition.
She is the daughter of immigrants and understands the many barriers in place to obtain the “American Dream”. She was born and raised in Moses Lake, WA. She obtained an associate’s degree in Early Childhood Education in 2023. She started her journey in early learning after witnessing firsthand how language access causes barriers for many parents. Being a parent herself, she knows how important Early Childhood Development is for families and more so for those whose dominant language isn’t English. Her personal lived experiences in public education with immigrant parents and grandparents has made this an easy path to choose.
Andrea previously worked in family social services for a little over ten years servicing clients in her county and trying to aid in ending generational poverty. In that time she heard many stories of issues arising within the education system and parents not knowing who to speak to about their concerns. She hopes to bridge that gap for many families in Washington state.
She is involved with the Early Learning Advisory Council, Early Learning Action Alliance, and Washington Communities for Children. Currently, she volunteers with the Kiwanis Club of Moses Lake and Comunidades Sin Fronteras Washington.
In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her extended family and taking trips with her daughter.
Jocelyn Granados Mejia
Jocelyn Granados Mejia (she/Ella) was born in Ixmiquilpan, Hidalgo, Mexico, and migrated to the United States at the age of six. She currently resides in a very small town named Vista Hermosa on the outskirts of Walla Walla.
She has first-hand experienced the many injustices that occur when navigating spaces not built for low-income, undocumented and BIPOC folks. Thus, she found not only an interest but a necessity to advocate for immigrant rights. With this passion for advocacy and the empowerment of her intersectionality of identities, she wants to ensure everyone is treated with dignity and has equitable access to all opportunities.
She recently graduated with three degrees in Pre-Law Political Science, Psychology, and Spanish from Washington State University and was named one of the top Ten Seniors in her Class of 2022. This award was given due to her efforts to bridge the gap between underrepresented communities and higher education and creating programming to ensure students stay and graduate from their institutions.
In her leisure time, she enjoys reading, crafting, eating anything with 3+ spices (and spice), and spending time with her family.
