Our Leadership & BoardAt the heart of CUE’s impact is a visionary leadership team dedicated to equity, healing, and opportunity. These changemakers guide our work with purpose, cultural humility, and a deep commitment to the communities we serve.
Our Board of Directors brings together a dynamic mix of lived experience, professional expertise, and strategic insight. From seasoned leaders to rising innovators, they help shape our direction, challenge our thinking, and ensure we remain rooted in our mission: to uplift system-impacted youth and families through resilience, creativity, and opportunity. Together, our leadership drives CUE forward, boldly, collaboratively, and with unwavering belief in the power of transformation. |
Board MembersMyles Burton | Chayla Gibson | Wendi Rhodes
Samantha Berrios | Camren Lee Reina Robinson, Chair Shelly Smith, Vice Chair Tracy Gordon, Secretary Sherise Williams, Assistant Secretary Lashayna Deloach, Treasurer |
Advisory Visionaries
Guiding the Vision. Powering the Mission.
Our C-Suite team brings leadership, insight, and heart to the Center for Urban Excellence. These visionary change-makers help shape strategy, deepen impact, and ensure CUE stays aligned with its mission to empower youth and young adults.
Our C-Suite team brings leadership, insight, and heart to the Center for Urban Excellence. These visionary change-makers help shape strategy, deepen impact, and ensure CUE stays aligned with its mission to empower youth and young adults.
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Reina Robinson, Founder & Chief Executive OfficerReina is the Founder and CEO of the Center for Urban Excellence, a certified resilience and mental wellness practitioner, author, and advocate for underrepresented groups. With a focus on digital media literacy, spectrum thinking, and social and economic opportunity development, Reina's work embodies a commitment to fostering hope, healing, and antifragility. She earned her B.A. in Ethnic Studies, Black Studies, and a minor in Genders and Sexualities in Communities of Color, followed by a Master of Arts degree in Communication from California State University, East Bay. Utilizing Afrofuturism, art, and education, Reina shares her experiences to empower and uplift communities.
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Anisa Smith, Chief Workforce OfficerAnisa Smith is the Chief Workforce Officer of the Center for Urban Excellence. Ms. Smith earned a B.S in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University in 2010. Over the past 10 years, she has worked as a Workforce Development professional serving youth with barriers. Anisa relocated from Charlotte, NC to the Bay Area in 2022 and is excited to use her knowledge and expertise to provide services and create change for Bay Area Youth and Young Adults.
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Mariah Castro, Chief Operating OfficerMariah Castro, MS, is the Chief Operating Officer of the Center for Urban Excellence. For the past 6 years, she has dedicated her career to serving youth with barriers in being college and career ready. She also volunteers her time at the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office, in facilitating restorative justice circles to reduce and repair harm in the community. Mariah graduated San Jose State University in 2017 with a B.A in Psychology with a Minor in Global Studies and went on to complete a Master of Science in Educational Leadership from California State University, East Bay in 2020. You can find Mariah spending her free time at the gym or at home with her two fur babies reading a good book.
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Yvonne Beals, Chief Education OfficerYvonne Beals, MPA, is the Chief Education Officer at the Center of Urban Excellence, brings over 20 years of experience in public policy and community building. A former Council Member/Mayor of the City of Pittsburg, she is a certified trauma practitioner dedicated to advocating for the educational needs and school stability of youth in foster care throughout the Bay Area. Yvonne's public service extends to various non-profit agencies, focusing on developing public policy and increasing community awareness for disadvantaged and underrepresented populations. Holding a B.S. in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento, and a master's degree in public administration with a focus on Public Policy from California State University, Hayward, Yvonne Beals continues to be a driving force in creating positive change and ensuring accessible educational opportunities for all in the Bay Area.
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Dionne Carter, Chief of Public Health & SafetyDionne Carter is the Chief of Public Health and Safety at the Center for Urban Excellence. A native of East Oakland, Dionne is a Public Health and Safety professional, Womanist Theologian, and multidisciplinary Artist. She holds a Master of Public Health from San Jose State University and a Divinity degree from the PSR/Graduate Theological Union. Dionne is currently a doctoral candidate researching the lived experiences of Black mothers in the Bay Area who have lost children to gun violence. She brings over a decade of experience in community violence intervention, homelessness prevention, and capacity building for grassroots, nonprofit, and faith-based organizations. Dionne is passionate about advancing culturally grounded, trauma-informed practices that promote healing, wellness, and resilience across the Bay Area.
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