OUR STAFF

Khali Blackman-Newton

Regional Program Manager

In her role as Regional Program Manager, Khali recruits coaches and builds relationships with partners in the South Bay and Sacramento. This is a full circle opportunity for Khali as she was a founding member and Team Captain of the Coaching Corps team at Sacramento State’s campus. She graduated from Sacramento State in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in Sociology. Most recently, Khali has been a proud Americorps member serving as a Family Support Specialist at The North Sacramento Family Resource Center. She is excited to be able to return and serve her home in the South Bay as well as, continue the work she started in Sacramento. In her free time Khali competes in power-lifting competitions and spends time with her family.

Ebonie Burkhart

Operations Associate

Ebonie provides operational support to her Coaching Corps colleagues. After many successful years working in human resources and recruiting in the private security, beverage and automotive industries, Ebonie wanted to help underserved youth and encourage them to be active. While she didn’t have the opportunity to play sports as a child, she sees the impact sports has on kids.

With Coaching Corps, Ebonie can be an ambassador for the organization to help further the opportunities that match youth with mentor-coaches. The organization has been a true inspiration to her in changing kids’ lives.

Raised in the Central Valley, Ebonie has made the East Bay her home for the past several years. When she’s not working, she makes paper art, jogs around Lake Merritt and practices mindfulness. She is also a proud supporter of Bay Area sports teams such as the Oakland A’s, Warriors, Sharks and Forty Niners.

Shannon Burns

Director of Regional Operations

Shannon joins the team ten years after training to become a coach with Coaching Corps back in 2007. Her formative first coaching experience propelled Shannon to dedicate her time and talents to sports-based youth development and literacy in vulnerable Bay Area communities with non-profit organizations America SCORES and Girls Leading Girls. Shannon’s specialties include community-building, fundraising, communications, program management, volunteer management, leadership training, and curriculum development. She holds her B.A. in English and Education from UC Berkeley, and her US Soccer D coaches license. When not on the field, Shannon can be found behind a book, exploring the outdoors by foot or by bike, or singing along to the latest musical.

Lauren Carey

Marketing and Communications Director

Originally from Michigan, Lauren joins the Coaching Corps team with 15 years of collegiate sports marketing experience. Most recently, she led the marketing and game entertainment department for the University of California Golden Bears. Prior to her time at Cal, Lauren worked for the University of Georgia Bulldogs, and received both her graduate and undergraduate degrees from Central Michigan University – Fire Up Chips! Sports have always played a very important part in Lauren’s life, and she is excited to help share that experience with others through her work with Coaching Corps. Lauren resides in Alameda, and loves exploring the island, and trying out new recipes and local restaurants.

Kyle Crowther

Program Technology Manager

Kyle comes to Coaching Corps with a BS in Kinesiology from San Diego State University (Go Aztecs!) and a passion for soccer. Kyle was a distinguished athlete in high school, as well as the captain of the soccer team. In the past, Kyle was a coach for the TOPSoccer program, and volunteered with Invisible Children. In his free time, Kyle loves running races with his November Project tribe, riding bikes with his AIDS/Lifecycle family, playing recreational kickball with friends, and traveling as often as possible.

Marty Farris

Director of Database and Technology

T. Martin Farris joined Coaching Corps after serving eighteen years as the IT Director for the American Civil Liberties of Northern CA. Marty is excited to mix his technology skills with his passion for sport and coaching. Marty is a graduate of U.C. Berkeley where he played on the Cal varsity soccer team from 1984-1988.  He later entered the graduate MSBA program at San Francisco State University with a concentration in business information and computing systems.  In his spare time, Marty coaches an Alameda Islanders Girls competitive soccer team and volunteer coaches with one of Coaching Corps’ partner organizations.  He also plays goalkeeper for the Alameda Old Boys in the East Bay Senior League, manages a co-ed soccer team “Hella Messi” on Friday nights, and enjoys skiing and exploring the outdoors with his family.

Courtney Hamilton

Development & Events Manager

Raised in Walnut Creek, CA, Courtney has always been involved in sports and played collegiate basketball at Chico State. After graduating, she even spent time coaching her high school’s women’s basketball program for two seasons. Prior to joining Coaching Corps, she worked in athletics at UC Berkeley for 5 years with experience from the premium sales and development departments. Courtney resides in Oakland and loves spending time with family and friends, listening to music, hiking and has an aspiring passion for travel.

Erin Hankins

Human Resources Director

After a decade in for-profit human resources, Erin is eager to implement a vision of dynamic, supportive, and positive employee experiences in the nonprofit sector.

Focused on supporting staff and helping Coaching Corps grow, Erin implements mission-oriented best practices in managing staff, career growth, training, policies and practices, competitive and transparent salaries and benefits, and ongoing recruitment of diverse Coaching Corps employees.

Working part-time, Erin firmly believes in combining and aligning personal values with the professional work one does every day. When not wearing her HR hat, Erin is a full-time mom to her two daughters, a life-long tennis player, and travels to Texas and the East Coast to visit her family and friends.

Blake Maciel

Regional Program Manager

As a regional manager, Blake recruits potential coaches and manages partner relationships. Before joining Coaching Corps, he directed a middle school athletic league in Baltimore that served multiple schools working in underserved neighborhoods. Prior, when Blake finished his service in the United States Army, he began coaching middle school basketball while completing his Business Administration degree at Towson University. It was then that he realized his passion for ensuring all children have a chance to play sports regardless of their circumstances. This realization, coupled with his belief that sports are a vehicle for character development, fuels his commitment to getting as many kids as possible on the field. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his two kids and wife, reading and running.

Robert Marcus

Director of Government and Community Engagement

Robert joins the team having over 10 years of experience in the Youth Development field working in underserved Bay Area communities. Prior to joining Coaching Corps, he worked with various community based youth services organizations and local recreation departments around the Bay Area. In these roles he has managed and coached in multiple after-school programs, NFL Flag Football programs and Jr. Warriors Basketball. He is a California School Age Consortium Member and certified trainer in the youth development field. Robert attended California State University, East Bay, graduating cum laude with a Bachelor’s of Science Degree. When not working, Robert can be found reading the latest science fiction novels or on a local golf course.

Steve Parker

Education & Training Manager

Steve, a New Jersey native, joined Coaching Corps March 2014 with 2 years of college recruitment experience and one year of international volunteering under his belt. While volunteering in Mandeville, Jamaica, he had the opportunity to coach a U-15 soccer team at St. John Bosco’s Home for Boys. His passion for quality coaching began here as he observed first-hand the impact it could have on kids. When not working, he can be found on a soccer field or volleyball court competing, or (sadly) rooting for the Buffalo Bills and New York Mets.

Monica Santos Quintana

Director of Coach Experience

A Bay Area native, Monica is passionate about addressing inequities for youth and communities of color. She brings 10 years of prior youth development experience to her role at Coaching Corps, which began in 2005. As the longest-standing staff member, she has an impressive record of creating innovative efforts within our organization, including the design of Coaching Corps, our AmeriCorps initiative, and mentor programs. She is a proud Cal alum and earned her Master’s Degree in Organization and Leadership at the University of San Francisco. When she’s not cheering on her Bay Area sports teams, you can find her running after her two young kids at a local park or shooting 3’s in a game of horse.

Suzanne Sillett

Director of Education and Quality

With over 25 years of experience in coaching and sports-based youth development, Suzanne leads Coaching Corps’ innovative national coach training program. She designs the training curriculum to ensure all coaches are trained to provide youth with the highest quality coaching experience. Suzanne integrates the latest youth development research to create new trainings that inspire coaches. She also develops approaches to engage girls, underserved kids, and youth who have experienced trauma, in sports.

Prior to Coaching Corps, Suzanne directed the sports and wellness programs at Community Bridges Beacon in San Francisco. A veteran soccer player and coach, she was a national trainer for the U.S. Soccer Foundation, coached the women’s semi-professional soccer team at Tottenham Hotspur East Bay, and coached teams at Marist College and San Francisco State University. Suzanne earned her Master of Science from San Francisco State University and received her Bachelor’s at the University of California, Davis.

Amanda Stephenson

CRM Specialist

Amanda joined Coaching Corps in March of 2019 to oversee the Development Team’s customer relationship management database. She will use her development and communications experience to build systems that help the organization meet their fundraising goals.

Prior to joining Coaching Corps, Amanda served as the Administrative and Communications Coordinator for SEEDS Community Resolution Center in Berkeley, California where she developed and implemented fundraising and communications strategies. Before that, she served as Development and Communications Coordinator at The Borneo Project where she cultivated donor engagement through events. There, she successfully managed the organization’s largest crowdfunding campaign to date, meeting its goal to produce a film series.

Amanda has a BA in Global Studies with a focus in Environmental Anthropology from Principia College. When she’s not working she enjoys exploring tide pools and visiting local botanical gardens.

Carole Wong Walker

Staff Accountant

Prior to joining Coaching Corps, Carole worked in the technology industry as an accountant. She played basketball in high school and understands how sports can help build teamwork, relationships, and boost self-esteem in youth. Carole’s accounting skills supports the company’s goals of using sports to teach kids living in low-income communities valuable life lessons. In her spare time, she loves hiking, skiing, gardening, cooking healthy food, and spending time with her young kid. She also has two lovely kitties.

Sara Zheng

Senior Accountant

Sara comes to Coaching Corps with a B.A. in Accounting and Economics from University of California, Santa Barbara. While in college, she developed a passion for community service. Sara volunteered as a VITA tax preparer in Santa Barbara to help college students and low-income families with filing tax returns. She was also an assistant coach in the CCSF Project SHINE program to assist new immigrants integrating into the community. Sara is happy that her association with Coaching Corps allows her opportunity help children receiving the benefits of playing sport. When Sara is not working, she enjoys aerobic exercise and baking.