Meet our Team

Dora has supported the Office of Equity as an Administrative Aide since its inception, first on a part-time basis and then full-time starting in March 2021. She currently holds the position of Racial Equity Programs Analyst and mainly focuses on the implementation of the County’s Racial Equity Action Plan.

Before joining the Office of Equity Dora worked as a Program Specialist for the General Services Department in their Energy and Sustainability Division, as an Administrative Assistant at Sonoma Clean Power, and as a Public Relations Intern for University of the Pacific’s SUCCESS TRiO program, a federally funded program serving first generation low-income students.

Dora was born and raised in Sonoma Valley. She identifies as Chicana and is the daughter of immigrants and a former foster youth. At a young age, she learned the importance of community engagement and activism. She graduated from University of the Pacific in 2017 with a bachelor's degree in business administration with a concentration in marketing and a minor in sociology. Some of her favorite activities include camping, hiking, playing volleyball and baking. Her tres leches cake is definitely a must try!

Lindsay (she/her) is a disrupter of oppressive systems and creator of new paths that are for us, by us. She is a lifelong learner and student of Black feminist, womanist, and intersectional civil rights movements, a social justice activist and advocate, evolving anti-racist practitioner and facilitator, voracious reader, a wife, mother, daughter, sister, auntie, niece, and cousin. She stands on the shoulders of her parents, grandparents, and all her elders and ancestors, who are and were brave truth-tellers.

She brings all of them and all of her authentic self into her work to shift the policies, practices, and paradigms, that created and upheld the many injustices they experienced. Her work enables her to assist county departments in taking the time to deeply and thoughtfully analyze significant policies, procedures, and programs to identify and monitor their racial equity impacts on communities, asking, who benefits and who is burdened?

Lorraine immigrated from Manila, Philippines and grew up in Phoenix, Arizona. She joined the Office of Equity in late 2023 after two decades in nonprofit healthcare. After undergrad, she served in Healthcorps-Americorps working to increase healthcare access and subsequently worked for an HIV/HCV care unit. She worked with local detention facilities, homeless services, and mobile medical units. Lorraine has worked in adolescent care, counseling patients and taught comprehensive sexual health education from kindergarten to college. In recent years, she was a clinical data expert and project manager in cancer care and earned her master's in healthcare administration. Lorraine’s experience in research, data, and direct patient care has been instrumental in her drive to change systems of oppression.

Outside of work, she trains in Brazilian jiu-jitsu and boxing. When she gets home, she enjoys watching anime, playing videogames, eating easy Trader Joe’s dinners, or reading manga and books she repeatedly borrowed and renewed at the library.

Melissa (she/ella) has served as the Director of the Sonoma County Office of Equity since September 2024. She began working for the Office, as a Program Manager, since its creation in the Summer of 2020. Melissa was born in Cali, Colombia and immigrated to the United States at 17 years old. Her experiences as an immigrant and as a woman of color shape the perspectives she brings to work each day.

She joined the Sonoma County Administrator’s Office in 2018. In her role as a Communications and Engagement Coordinator, she enhanced the County’s emergency response by ensuring the translation of all emergency communications to Spanish.

Before joining the County of Sonoma, Melissa worked as a news reporter for Telemundo and Univision in the San Francisco Bay Area and California central coast. These experiences helped her broaden her understanding of the pervasive and compounding racial inequities across the state.

Melissa graduated from New York University with a double major in Sociology and Journalism. She completed a certificate program in Diversity and Inclusion from Cornell University in 2021, and is pursuing a Master’s Degree in Industrial-Organizational Psychology at the Harvard University Extension School.

In her free time, Melissa loves spending time with her very high-maintenance dog, Frida, and her family.

Pilar Garibay has been working for the Office of Equity since October 2023. In their role as Administrative Coordinator, Pilar assists with the department’s operations and administration, and directly supports department director.

Pilar began their career with the County of Sonoma in September 2017, in the General Services - Energy and Sustainability Division. During their time there, they provided educational resources to the public on topics such as solar energy and energy-efficient home upgrades and administered the Sonoma County Green Business Program. Following this, they held administrative and human resource roles with the Department of Health and the Human Services Department before joining the Office of Equity in the fall of 2023.

They bring years of county experience and a deep understanding of county processes to their current role. Pilar is proud to have served countless hours in the Emergency Operations Center, assisting the community during critical times. Drawing on their lived experience as a Mexican immigrant, they are committed to serving the community and advocating for equity within the County of Sonoma.

Dr. Ezzet is a Californian, the youngest of three kids, mother of two amazing children, educator, academic, data geek, world traveler and an advocate for building a more fair and just society where everyone has the opportunity to thrive.

Roxanne joined the Office of Equity in 2023 as a Department Analyst after spending about 20 years as a university professor and researcher.   She earned bachelor's degrees in both Economics and Applied Mathematics from the University of California-San Diego, a master’s degree in Sociology (Applied Social Research) from San Diego State University, and a PhD in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of California-Irvine.  She taught at the University of California-Irvine, the University of Texas-Dallas, San Jose State University and Sonoma State University.  Her courses taught include Statistics, Research Methods, Program Evaluation, Inequality and Institutions, Poverty and Inequality, Housing Policy, Environmental Policy, Urban Sociology, and Sociological Theory. She has conducted research on: home hardening and defensible space activities to reduce fire hazards; migration and quality of life; the effectiveness of interventions targeting at-risk youth; cost-effectiveness of programs helping severely mentally ill homeless clients through comprehensive case management and housing vouchers; the impact of redlining on healthcare access for African Americans in Oakland; food deserts and how immigrant populations use informal community to avoid food insecurity; and how co-housing helps senior citizens age better, reduce housing costs and avoid loneliness.

Regarding community work, Roxanne served as a planning commissioner, was on a school district superintendent’s advisory board, appointed as an affordable housing task force member, was part of the welfare-to-work taskforce in San Diego County, and has been active on other local boards and commissions. She is currently on the steering committee for the Upper Mark West Firewise Community in Sonoma County.

Her areas of interest, skills, and strengths are data analysis, statistical analyses, cost-benefit studies, program evaluation, and informing policy leaders with meaningful data metrics.  She has a particular interest in affordable housing and education policies. Having a secure base is paramount for navigating the world, providing stability in childhood, and fostering positive health and mental health outcomes in children and adults. Homeownership is a key method to building wealth and breaking generational poverty. Education can also be a tool to break the cycle of poverty, provide upward mobility, and give the workforce more job opportunities and employment stability.

Rubyd [RU-BEED] is a DACA-mented immigrant from Mexico with Indigenous Otomi roots and is the oldest daughter. She joined the Office of Equity in 2021 building on her background in affordable housing and immigrant youth advocacy. Rubyd’s work involves bridging the gap between local government and underserved communities of color and other communities that have traditionally experienced marginalization from government processes and services.

Previously, Rubyd led community outreach for a major rental assistance program, ensuring residents remained housed. She also launched a resident leadership initiative to create sustainable affordable housing solutions. As a Housing Specialist with Riverside County, she helped improve living conditions for low-income farm and service workers through the Mobile Home Tenant Loan Program, which provided financing for the replacement of existing outdated mobile homes.

Additionally, during her undergraduate studies, Rubyd was instrumental in establishing the first UC-wide Undocumented Student Coalition, which successfully secured five million dollars in resources for undocumented students. She also served as a research assistant for the Harvard Undocumented Research Project.

Rubyd is committed to advancing equity and recognizes her privilege and responsibility in working alongside the community. She is eager to continue learning and growing through these interactions. Outside of her professional pursuits, Rubyd enjoys spending time in nature and thrifting.

The Office of Equity extends its deepest appreciation to Alegría De La Cruz, who served as the inaugural Director of the Office of Equity from 2020 to 2024. Prior to this role, Alegría made significant contributions as a Chief Deputy in the County Counsel's Office.

Before her tenure with the County of Sonoma, Alegría's distinguished career included roles in public service and public interest with the State of California, the Center on Race, Poverty & the Environment, and California Rural Legal Assistance. Her work has consistently reflected her Chicana identity and her steadfast commitment to public service, social justice, and equity.

Although Alegría is no longer with the Office of Equity, her pioneering leadership and visionary approach laid a robust foundation for the office’s mission. The impact of her dedication will continue to resonate within the community she served so passionately. Alegría resides in Santa Rosa with her family, their chickens, and their dog, finding joy in early morning trail runs, family beach outings, and campfires in Sonoma County’s stunning landscapes.

The Office of Equity honors Alegría De La Cruz for her remarkable contributions and for setting a high standard of excellence as the first Director of the office. Her legacy will undoubtedly inspire future leaders and continue to guide the office’s work toward achieving equity and justice.