Our Team — Keep Oakland Beautiful

Christina Porter

Chair

Christina is an Oakland native and a super proud product of our public schools. Her passion for keeping Oakland beautiful frequently translates into working hard to maintain her yard and garden as well as the Adopt-A-Spot median she manages in Oakland's first historic district on 10th Avenue. A Silicon Valley engineer turned Customer Success leader, she's worked in the high tech industry since before the internet. You may see Christina and her husband walking the city in preparation for their 500-mile trek across Europe.

Ricquel Lewis

Treasurer

Ricquel is an Oakland native who moved out of state for school, graduated, got married, had a baby and returned to her Oakland roots. She has spent most of her career working in health communications, using storytelling to educate others on healthy behaviors that increase longevity. She has great childhood memories of hiking the many trails and creeks in Oakland and spending her summers at Dimond Park. She currently resides in East Oakland with her daughter. In her spare time, she enjoys fellowshipping with friends and family, reading, traveling and visiting Oakland parks with her mini-me.

Shine Wang

Shine is an East Bay native who has called Oakland home since 2019. She is excited to positively contribute to her city and help curate a connected community. Shine is a business professional in the life sciences industry, working at the intersection of her education. She holds a B.S. in Physiology & Neuroscience from UC San Diego and a Master of Business Administration from Boston University. In her downtime, Shine can be found dancing at concerts, playing billiards, strolling around the block with her cat, or grabbing drinks at the newest venue in her Uptown neighborhood.

Debbie Lei

Debbie is a health insurance analyst with a passion for sustainability. Debbie strives to make health insurance more transparent and equitable and carries those values to the KOB board – an Oakland community that is safe, equitable, and beautiful for all. She has contributed to cleanup efforts around her block but is excited to further her impact and reach with the KOB organization. Debbie went to UC Berkeley and has a Masters in Health Informatics and Analytics from George Washington University. She has been living in Oakland since 2018 and spends many weekends around Lake Merritt. Prior to moving back to the Bay, she spent five years in Washington D.C. working in healthcare policy. She enjoys biking, baking, hiking, nurturing her house plants, and spending time with her Vive Church community.

Matthew Iden

Matthew was born in Southern California and moved to Colorado and Tennessee with his family. He moved to the Bay Area to work at Apple Inc. in 2016 and now calls this beautiful place home. He currently lives in the Ralph Bunche neighborhood of West Oakland. As a part of the Ice House Community, he serves on the Social Committee where he plans and organizes community events. He and his husband V.J. have two small chihuahuas and enjoy cooking, baking, hosting dinner parties, caring for house plants, and biking.

Alisa Thorsen

As a Bay Area native, Alisa Thorsen employs her professional expertise in program design and strategic behavioral health planning to enhance community wellbeing. With a background in public health and grant management, she cultivates meaningful partnerships and drives impactful initiatives through communication and collaboration. Guided by her passion for addressing systemic marginalization and social determinants of health, Alisa is dedicated to crafting sustainable solutions that empower Bay Area communities. Alisa lives in Oakland with her husband, her sweet dog, and her very mean (but loved) cat. She loves to tend to her local flower farm, bring herself to the movie theaters, and share a meal with loved ones. Alisa is passionate about her community and believes a place as special as Oakland deserves ample care and nurturing.

Noreen Jesani

Noreen is an Atlanta native who made her journey to the Bay Area from Boston in 2018. She's a health communications consultant at Kaiser, with a background in public health. In her free time, you can find her drawing at a cafe, perusing a vintage market, enjoying a local show, basking at Lake Merritt - or simply in a cuddle puddle with her cats. Noreen is excited to give back to the place that has given her so much.

Theresa Wilkerson

An Oakland native, Theresa has lived in Oakland both in her childhood and most of her adult life. She’s been married for 20 years and is a proud parent of two sons, ages 19 and 15, and her dog Skeeter. They currently reside in the Temescal District. She has a deep-rooted connection to this city and has lived in many parts of Oakland, including the Lake Merritt area for many years. With a big heart for Oakland, she deeply cares about the community and have always felt a strong sense of responsibility to the city that raised her. While her son was starting his high school career at Oakland Tech, she found a way to serve the school and neighborhood simultaneously by serving the PTSA as a Board member of the beautification committee. Finding needs and serving has been a guiding light that has led her to find other opportunities to serve the needs of the community, such as volunteering annually with a non-profit called Love East Bay, which is a partnership between civic and faith-based organizations. Professionally, she has served humbly in the human resources field for over 25 years and currently works for a health technology startup called Universal Health in San Francisco. Her dedication to her community and her professional expertise has been driven by a commitment to making a difference in the lives of those around her.

Colton Wright

Colton, originally from North Carolina, relocated to the Bay Area in 2018, where he has become actively involved with local community-based organizations like Rocket Dog Rescue and the Western Service Workers Association, working to foster connection and serve his community. With a background in wealth management, Colton is passionate about helping individuals create sustainable plans for their financial future. Outside of work, he enjoys tending to his garden at Bushrod Community Garden, playing tennis at local city courts, and taking classes at Merritt College for personal enrichment. If you run into him, don’t hesitate to strike up a conversation—he’d love to chat!

Rebecca Berry

Rebecca Berry is a SoCal native with a background in education and human development. She is passionate about trauma and the brain, behavior, and relationships. While spending a decade in the Midwest, Rebecca was a previous Director of Community Engagement for Keep Indianapolis Beautiful. After making her home in Oakland with her partner and their sassy dog, Rebecca gives her time to volunteer endeavors like Fruitvale’s Neighborhood Council as Vice Chair and the California Poor People’s Campaign- Laney Chapter. Rebecca is passionate about authentic community, being in right relationships with all beings, and equitable justice. In her down time, you might not find Rebecca because she is enjoying a cozy nap. When awake, she teaches trauma-informed yoga at SoulFlow Oakland, tends to her plant kin, and runs slowly but surely in local running events! All power to the people!

Bryan Aja

Bryan directs academic operations for Mills College at Northeastern University, where he co-chairs the global university's first affinity group for Latine faculty and staff. As a college of sustainability studies continuing its second century in Oakland, Mills informs his commitment to KOB's mission of education and action. He believes that caring for a place is how we honor it and that a clean community inspires good work. Residing in Oakland since 2016, his ideal week in the city would include track night on Wednesday, pickleball on Thursday, mahjong on Saturday, street cleanup on Sunday, and walking his 60-lb mutt from Oakland Animal Services every day.

Richie Flores

Richie has called the East Bay home for nearly three years and currently works as the Public Space Manager for the Jack London Improvement District (JLID). In this role for almost two years, he leads beautification, placemaking, and community-engagement projects throughout the district, while also supporting JLID’s social media storytelling and outreach. Richie is excited to join the Keep Oakland Beautiful board and contribute to initiatives that empower communities to care for their neighborhoods. He is passionate about keeping Oakland clean, vibrant, and welcoming, and looks forward to supporting and furthering KOB’s mission in any way he can. In his free time, Richie enjoys hanging out with his two cats, discovering new coffee shops across Oakland and the Bay Area, and cheering on the San Diego Padres, the Oakland Ballers, and the Oakland Roots.

Marisa Croatt

Marisa has called Oakland home since 2020, putting down roots in the city she loves dearly. She owns a video production agency specializing in brand video content and brings that creative eye to the KOB Board. Marisa truly believes that a cleaner, greener city makes its residents healthier and more connected, something that hit close to home when KOB grants helped beautify her own neighborhood, including the Melrose Library and a beloved local garden. She's thrilled to now be part of the team making that happen. When she's not behind the camera, you can find her tending to her garden, baking, hitting up Oakland's best diners and bakeries with her husband and baby, or being lovingly bossed around by her two cats.