Jon was the owner of Caffery Electric Inc. and First Priority Mortgage, Inc. He owned both businesses from 1985 to 2007. After the mortgage industry fell into disarray, Jon reinvented himself. He began consulting work for College of the Desert, which blossomed into a new career. He then moved his family to Hawaii and worked for the University of Hawaii as a grants administrator. Jon returned to the Coachella Valley in 2014 and joined the College of the Desert as a regional grants director.

Jon earned a B.S. degree in business administration from Colorado Christian University, a master’s degree in adult education from Auburn University and recently completed a doctorate degree for education leadership and management at Capella University.

Senait is the executive director of OC Goes Solar (OCGS), a 501(c)3 community-based organization. OCGS focuses on reducing barriers and increasing access to renewable energy to all homeowners in Orange County, especially in underserved communities. Senait is a founding member of the organization and was instrumental in assisting over 350 homeowners to go solar through the organization’s solarize group discount program. She is a trained solar professional with seven years of consulting experience both in solar and energy efficiency. She is also the vice chair of the Green Ribbon Environmental Committee for the City of Irvine and was part of the team that drafted the “Irvine Achieves Resolution,” which is the city’s declaration of a climate emergency. She also serves on the Citizen Advisory Committee for the newly formed Orange County Power Authority, a community choice aggregator (CCA). A lifelong environmental/climate justice advocate, she is an active member of the Climate Reality Project OC and a member of Orange County Environmental Justice. Senait has a B.A. degree in urban & regional planning from the University of California, Irvine and is also a trained product/industrial designer. 

Janie Hodge is an Afro-American woman of senior age and a native of Los Angeles. Her professional background since 2006 includes founding and operating a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation located in Lancaster, Calif. They are a family-oriented organization that provides soft skills, job training, job placement and referrals to those in need, including those experiencing homelessness, formerly incarcerated or suffering with substance abuse or mental health. Their mission is to enable people of all walks of life to be as healthy and active as possible by assisting them to maintain the highest quality of purpose, improving the quality of their lives. Their value statement is a “Hand out for a hand up is the key that unlocks the door to success.”

Wshana Moss leads The Niles Foundation's strategic planning and has entrepreneurial, philanthropic and creative skills that support the mission of building a better LA for our residents. She strives to use her gifts and talents to make a positive impact globally.

Wshana has had the pleasure of working with SOMAH as a CBO and leading JTO outreach initiatives since November of 2021. She has experience with direct JTO outreach at various workforce development related events, such as college campuses, career fairs and workshops, as well as canvassing and utilizing creative outlets like creating commercials, webinars and videos to engage the community and to share the benefits of the SOMAH Program. These experiences have also allowed her to see the needs of students and job seekers and to gain feedback from them. 

In addition, Wshana has multiple years of experience consulting businesses and empowering them to reach their full potential in achieving success towards their end goals. She is a graduate of the University of Missouri-Columbia with a B.S. degree in business administration, marketing. She is excited to work with SOMAH in this new capacity.  

Wes Olson has over 30 years’ experience in the construction field. He has held his California State General Contractors (B) license since 1998 and has been self-employed since 2000. He started his construction profession after high school as a laborer in Grand Rapids, Michigan. He has worked as a carpenter, plumber, electrician and solar installer since the early 1980s. He returned to school and received his degree in construction technology at Ventura College and in turn acquired his contractor’s license. He currently works as an instructor with the Center for Employment Training in Oxnard, Calif., teaching the Green Building Construction skills class. He also volunteers with his students with GRID and Habitat for Humanity, having helped build over 16 homes.

Wanda Rogers is Principal Owner of Construction Service Workers Founded in April of 2009, as the only African American Woman to own a Construction Staffing Agency in the country. Her new endeavor SoCal Pre-Apprenticeship Program is a collaboration with San Diego City College, this is the first collaboration working to assist individuals with job readiness in the transportation arena, she is one of the few Women Minority Owned Underutilized Disadvantage Business Enterprises in the State of California.

CSW saw a need for job creation to help add value to the economy. Our Mission is to provide excellent customer service to your business, and in doing so, we will provide your company with fully trained workers to assist you in meeting the goals and deadlines of your clients Project Projection dates. CSW is presently certified as an 8a firm and DBE in 20 States, California, Texas, Mississippi, and Hawaii. Wanda is very active in the community; my goal is to provide job opportunities to many people in the community, and those same job opportunities to people around the country.

Mitchell Smith, Ed.D., is a lifelong educator whose career started over 30 years ago as executive director of a nonprofit youth program that gave inner-city youth a chance to succeed academically by placing them in environments more conducive for learning. He provided leadership, guidance and motivation to hundreds of students during his tenure. 

Born and raised in New York City, Smith understands the challenges that urban areas face and gives insight to the teaching methodologies that must be in place for students of all ages to succeed. He graduated from the University of Massachusetts, receiving degrees in educational leadership. Smith has led numerous workshops and training seminars in the areas of workforce education, self-awareness and gang violence prevention. He continues to do motivational speaking engagements to incarcerated and formerly incarcerated youth and adults. For a number of years, Smith was in a corporate career as an educational consultant/sales strategist. McGraw Hill, Pearson Group and Host Learning are several companies that utilized his skills and talents to provide quality educational solutions to its clients. 

Highlighted in Money Magazine in May 2010, Smith made a career change and began to work within the solar industry challenging and training inner city displaced workers to pursue careers in the solar industry. While independently consulting with community-based organizations to develop curriculum and instruction for workforce development, he trained staff and students in solar design and installation. He continues to provide curriculum for workforce development and incorporates harm reduction strategies for youth and adult populations. Smith believes that training and mentoring young men and women effectively to succeed in the workplace should be at the forefront of every discussion concerning our viable future. Currently, he is senior technical training director for Young Community Developers, Inc., a nonprofit organization inspiring and empowering residents in Southeast San Francisco through job readiness training and employment counseling. There he manages curriculum and instruction for their staff and customers.

 

Jeff is the president of Elements of Earth and Energy.  He is an active General Building (B), Electrical (C-10) and Solar (C-46) contractor licensed by the California State License Board. He is a certified NABCEP PV System Inspector and PV Installation Professional, former registered NABCEP PV Associate Instructor (2019) and volunteer team leader for GRID Alternatives (since 2011).

Since 2016, Jeff has been working for affordable housing developers ensuring the projects become certified as zero net energy (DOE); WaterSense, EnergyStar and Indoor airPLUS (EPA); and LEED Platinum (GBC).  He is a former mentor and trainer for the SCE Energy Upgrade California program, (2012-16). 

Jeff has an innate passion to help provide all California residents with clean air, water, power and fresh, healthy food. He strives to protect public health and safety, improve the financial stability of small businesses in underserved communities, foster local economies through workforce development, promote the healthy living of our communities and positively impact social change. Born and raised in Southern California, he earned his bachelor of arts degree in business economics at UCLA in 1994.  He resides with his wife in Humboldt County, Northern California. 

Mrs. Hattie Wyatt (she/her) is the Site Director for Potrero Hill Neighborhood Job Center at Young Community Developers (YCD). She graduated from Cal State University with a B.S. in criminal justice and a certification in nonprofit management. She was also recently accepted into the University of San Francisco MBA program. 

Hattie has worked with youth and families in the nonprofit sector for the past 20 years. YCD believes that every individual should have the right to sustainable and generational economic mobility. They provide workforce services and referrals for housing, youth services, and special initiatives. She is inspired to do the work because she is driven by a deep passion to serve the community she was raised in – the same community she has had the pleasure to provide direct services for the past 20 years. 

When asked about her motivation, Hattie said: “My why is my family. Because of my mother, I’m rooted in doing good for others in spite of how challenging things might be.” She believes that all nonprofit workers deserve to be paid a living wage and has worked her entire career advocating for more equitable wages in the workforce industry. She believes that being part of the solar industry enables both individuals and their families to thrive, ultimately unlocking the potential to uplift entire communities to create sustainable resources for years to come.