Meet Our Team
Beth Medina,
CEO/Program Director, Board Member
Her background includes her more than 20 years of experience in non-profit, education and mental health fields, including extensive experience developing and launching new programs and designing curriculum for community-based organizations.
Beth holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Paralegal degree from Roosevelt University, a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the California Graduate Institute and completed her Doctoral work in Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Beth Medina
CEO/Program Director, Board Member
Jill Collins,
Senior Program Coordinator
Jill serves as Senior Program Coordinator at The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF). She works with travel arrangements and compiling training materials and data for post-training reports. She also maintains QuickBooks, monthly budget updates and financial reports.
Prior to working at TIJF, Jill worked for a stock brokerage firm in San Francisco as a software trainer. She instructed employees on Microsoft Office and line-of-business applications, both in a classroom setting and one-on-one. She also created course manuals and quick reference guides. A few buyouts and mergers later she found herself managing software trainers across the country for Bank of America. Fourteen years later Jill left Bank of America to start a family. Between then and now they moved to Denver, San Diego, Australia and back to San Diego with Jill doing part-time bookkeeping along the way.
Now at The Innocent Justice Foundation, Jill enjoys being able to use all of her skills toward such an important cause.
Jill Collins
Program Manager
Michele Sippel,
Program Coordinator
Michele serves as the Program Coordinator at The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF) where she works in collaboration with the Program Manager to support in coordinating implementation of the SHIFT program.
Prior to working at TIJF, Michele worked in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. Her passion for working with and inspiring others led her to make health and wellness a priority and to a degree in Nutrition and Health Coaching. Growing up in a law enforcement family and working with TIJF has inspired her to continue her education to become a victim advocate/assistance counselor.
Michele lives in San Diego, CA with her husband and four rescue animals.
Michele Sippel
Program Coordinator
Jenna McKay,
Program Coordinator
Jenna McKay serves as a Program Coordinator with The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF) to support the HART (Helping Advocates Rebound from Trauma) Program. With a background in Anthropology, her interest is in human behavior and research in the areas of non-profit and the private sector. Much of her experience involvesProgram Support and Project Management within diverse contexts.
Jenna started her career as an Archaeologist in Seattle, Washington, graduating from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. As an Archaeologist, part of her responsibility was coordinating and working on small scale projects and excavations for a team of Archaeologists, while working for a Seattle based Cultural Resource Management firm. During this time, she also enjoyed volunteering at a local non-profit curation facility and helping to educate the public about the benefits of preserving and learning from local cultural materials around the city. After moving to Southern California from Seattle, Jenna worked for a non-profit catering to children with special needs, where she facilitated many of their existing programs, helped to run daily operations, and also organized their annual silent auctions.
Shortly before joining the TIJF team, she was co-owner of a product photography company where she planned and organized photo shoots for local small businesses. This position allowed a combination of Project Management and Anthropology, helping toresearch, brand, and market her client’s products through creative imagery. Photography has always been her hobby and she still enjoys photographing friends and for local business owners in her spare time.
Jenna McKay
Program Coordinator
Beth Medina,
CEO/Program Director, Board Member
Her background includes her more than 20 years of experience in non-profit, education and mental health fields, including extensive experience developing and launching new programs and designing curriculum for community-based organizations.
Beth holds a BA from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, a Paralegal degree from Roosevelt University, a Master's degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from the California Graduate Institute and completed her Doctoral work in Psychology at The Chicago School of Professional Psychology.
Beth Medina
CEO/Program Director, Board Member
Jill Collins,
Senior Program Coordinator
Jill serves as Senior Program Coordinator at The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF). She works with travel arrangements and compiling training materials and data for post-training reports. She also maintains QuickBooks, monthly budget updates and financial reports.
Prior to working at TIJF, Jill worked for a stock brokerage firm in San Francisco as a software trainer. She instructed employees on Microsoft Office and line-of-business applications, both in a classroom setting and one-on-one. She also created course manuals and quick reference guides. A few buyouts and mergers later she found herself managing software trainers across the country for Bank of America. Fourteen years later Jill left Bank of America to start a family. Between then and now they moved to Denver, San Diego, Australia and back to San Diego with Jill doing part-time bookkeeping along the way.
Now at The Innocent Justice Foundation, Jill enjoys being able to use all of her skills toward such an important cause.
Jill Collins
Program Manager
Michele Sippel,
Program Coordinator
Michele serves as the Program Coordinator at The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF) where she works in collaboration with the Program Manager to support in coordinating implementation of the SHIFT program.
Prior to working at TIJF, Michele worked in the hospitality industry for over 25 years. Her passion for working with and inspiring others led her to make health and wellness a priority and to a degree in Nutrition and Health Coaching. Growing up in a law enforcement family and working with TIJF has inspired her to continue her education to become a victim advocate/assistance counselor.
Michele lives in San Diego, CA with her husband and four rescue animals.
Michele Sippel
Program Coordinator
Jenna McKay,
Program Coordinator
Jenna McKay serves as a Program Coordinator with The Innocent Justice Foundation (TIJF) to support the HART (Helping Advocates Rebound from Trauma) Program. With a background in Anthropology, her interest is in human behavior and research in the areas of non-profit and the private sector. Much of her experience involvesProgram Support and Project Management within diverse contexts.
Jenna started her career as an Archaeologist in Seattle, Washington, graduating from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Anthropology and a minor in Spanish. As an Archaeologist, part of her responsibility was coordinating and working on small scale projects and excavations for a team of Archaeologists, while working for a Seattle based Cultural Resource Management firm. During this time, she also enjoyed volunteering at a local non-profit curation facility and helping to educate the public about the benefits of preserving and learning from local cultural materials around the city. After moving to Southern California from Seattle, Jenna worked for a non-profit catering to children with special needs, where she facilitated many of their existing programs, helped to run daily operations, and also organized their annual silent auctions.
Shortly before joining the TIJF team, she was co-owner of a product photography company where she planned and organized photo shoots for local small businesses. This position allowed a combination of Project Management and Anthropology, helping toresearch, brand, and market her client’s products through creative imagery. Photography has always been her hobby and she still enjoys photographing friends and for local business owners in her spare time.
Jenna McKay
Program Coordinator
Board Members
Katie C Alexander,
President
Katie C. Alexander, OTD, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and clinician-researcher. For over 20 years, she has specialized in community and school-based intervention for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and served as the founding program director for the Model Asperger Program at The Ivymount School. Her research and clinical interests are in developing virtual learning programs as well as research-and strengths-based interventions and supports that improve the daily lives of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Dr. Alexander also works to disseminate evidence-based practices and improve interprofessional collaboration.
Katie C Alexander
President
Christy Lundy,
Secretary and Treasurer
Christy Lundy is an owner of the Pinamonti Lundy Group, a real estate team located in North County San Diego, and North County Fitness & Performance, a strength and conditioning gym in Vista, CA. Before finding her love of real estate and fitness, Christy worked at the YMCA for 12 years, primarily in Youth & Family Programs, and as an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles. She lives with her husband, 3 children, and dogs in Oceanside, CA.
Christy Lundy
Secretary and Treasurer
Ray Valenzuela,
Board Member
Ray Valenzuela is a retired firefighter with 35 years of experience. Ray began his fire service career in 1978 as a firefighter and worked his way through the ranks retiring as a Battalion Chief. During his career, his assignments included field operations, law enforcement and administration.
After retirement, Ray continued on to a second career and is a real estate salesperson in San Diego County.
Ray Valenzuela
Board Member
Stacey Levinson,
Board Member
Stacey Levinson has been helping Californians create lasting estate plans and successfully navigate family law matters for over 15 years. As the lead attorney at the Law Office of Stacey V. Levinson, she has curated a welcoming and supportive environment that empowers clients to find meaningful solutions that work in real life. Her practice includes Trusts, Wills, and Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements that uniquely represent each client’s values. Stacey counsels engaged couples on the legal and financial effect of marriage, and she counsels clients considering divorce to expand their understanding of the law and take control of the process.
In addition to her daily practice, Stacey extensively volunteers with local programs and provides crucialeducation about Wills & Trusts in California. Stacey works with community heroes to create free or low-cost estate planning documents and basic family law counseling. Her quarterly community workshops provide essential information on Wills & Trusts. She believes that knowledge of the law is power and should be equally shared.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Stacey, her husband, daughter, and dog are proud members of Bills Mafia. Stacey graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a degree in Sociology & Statistics, before attending California Western School of Law in 2004. She loves her work, family, and the San Diego weather, and she is honored to be a Board Member.
Stacey Levinson
Board Member
Katie C Alexander,
President
Katie C. Alexander, OTD, MS, OTR/L is an occupational therapist and clinician-researcher. For over 20 years, she has specialized in community and school-based intervention for individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and served as the founding program director for the Model Asperger Program at The Ivymount School. Her research and clinical interests are in developing virtual learning programs as well as research-and strengths-based interventions and supports that improve the daily lives of individuals with neurodevelopmental disabilities and their families. Dr. Alexander also works to disseminate evidence-based practices and improve interprofessional collaboration.
Katie C Alexander
President
Christy Lundy,
Secretary and Treasurer
Christy Lundy is an owner of the Pinamonti Lundy Group, a real estate team located in North County San Diego, and North County Fitness & Performance, a strength and conditioning gym in Vista, CA. Before finding her love of real estate and fitness, Christy worked at the YMCA for 12 years, primarily in Youth & Family Programs, and as an elementary school teacher in Los Angeles. She lives with her husband, 3 children, and dogs in Oceanside, CA.
Christy Lundy
Secretary and Treasurer
Ray Valenzuela,
Board Member
Ray Valenzuela is a retired firefighter with 35 years of experience. Ray began his fire service career in 1978 as a firefighter and worked his way through the ranks retiring as a Battalion Chief. During his career, his assignments included field operations, law enforcement and administration.
After retirement, Ray continued on to a second career and is a real estate salesperson in San Diego County.
Ray Valenzuela
Board Member
Stacey Levinson,
Board Member
Stacey Levinson has been helping Californians create lasting estate plans and successfully navigate family law matters for over 15 years. As the lead attorney at the Law Office of Stacey V. Levinson, she has curated a welcoming and supportive environment that empowers clients to find meaningful solutions that work in real life. Her practice includes Trusts, Wills, and Prenuptial & Postnuptial Agreements that uniquely represent each client’s values. Stacey counsels engaged couples on the legal and financial effect of marriage, and she counsels clients considering divorce to expand their understanding of the law and take control of the process.
In addition to her daily practice, Stacey extensively volunteers with local programs and provides crucialeducation about Wills & Trusts in California. Stacey works with community heroes to create free or low-cost estate planning documents and basic family law counseling. Her quarterly community workshops provide essential information on Wills & Trusts. She believes that knowledge of the law is power and should be equally shared.
Originally from Buffalo, New York, Stacey, her husband, daughter, and dog are proud members of Bills Mafia. Stacey graduated with honors from the University of Arizona with a degree in Sociology & Statistics, before attending California Western School of Law in 2004. She loves her work, family, and the San Diego weather, and she is honored to be a Board Member.
Stacey Levinson
Board Member
