Our Staff
Christy Applegate
Financial Manager
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Christy Applegate has worked with nonprofit organizations for 15 years including the San Francisco Jewish Film Festival, American Society on Aging, and Big Brothers Big Sisters. Currently, she is a consultant with GroundSpark focusing on financial and database management. Her first position at GroundSpark was office manager way back in October of 1998. Christy is currently attending graduate school in pursuit of an MBA with the eventual goal of being a licensed CPA. In between studying and working she plays board games, reads comic books, and watches Buffy the Vampire Slayer.
"I've always enjoyed doing the background, administrative work for people
that make good things happen. GroundSpark impresses me with the vast amount and
scope of work that gets done with limited staff and resources. Top that with
our success rate in opening minds to issues of social justice, and I am thrilled
to be part of the team!"
Debra Chasnoff
Executive Director and Senior Producer
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Debra Chasnoff is an Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker whose work has fueled progressive social-change movements in many fields. She is a the executive director at GroundSpark and co-creator of The Respect For All Project, a program that produces media and training resources to help prevent prejudice among young people.
Her films in The Respect For All Project include:
Let's Get Real (2003; director/producer), a powerful documentary about
young teens' experiences with name-calling and bullying in which youth
speak up about racial tensions, anti-gay taunting, sexual harassment and
much more; That's a Family! (2000; director/producer), which looks at
family diversity from a kids' perspective, and was screened at the White
House and been embraced by scores of national children's advocacy, education
and civil-rights organizations; and It's Elementary -Talking About Gay
Issues in School (1996; director/producer), which was hailed as "a model of intelligent directing" by
International Documentary and has served as a catalyst for schools all
over the world to become more proactive in addressing anti-gay prejudice
in the classroom.
Debra's other film credits include the Oscar-winning
Deadly Deception - General Electric, Nuclear Weapons & Our Environment (1991; director/producer), a crucial component of a successful international grassroots campaign to pressure GE out of the nuclear-weapons industry; Homes & Hands
- Community Land Trusts in Action (1998; co-director), which is used extensively
to inspire local communities to explore new models of creating permanently
affordable housing; Wired for What? (1999; director/producer), part of
the PBS series Digital Divide about the push to computerize education;
Choosing Children (1984; director/producer), which explored the once seemingly
impossible idea that lesbians and gay men could become parents; and, One
Wedding and a Revolution (2004:Director/Co-producer), which captures the
frantic days leading up to the bold political decision of San Francisco
mayor Gavin Newsom to start issuing marriage licenses to gay and lesbian
couples.
Debra serves on the national advisory board for Frameline, the San Francisco International Lesbian and Gay Film Festival, and Jewish Voices for Peace. She is a graduate of Wellesley College, lives in San Francisco, and is a mother of two.
Sue Chen
Staff Producer
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Sue has been with GroundSpark since May 2004. As Staff Producer, she works on all aspects of film production and post-production. She holds a B.A in Media Studies and Studio Art from Oberlin College and has worked in film and video for 10 years. Previously, Sue produced documentaries for the George Lucas Educational Foundation about innovative teaching and learning in schools across the country. Outside of GroundSpark she is producing a documentary about young candidates and elected officials who are making waves in the political arena. She lives in Oakland and skateboards with her husband Kevin.
"Producing for GroundSpark is rewarding because of the work we do with audiences
above and beyond watching the films. It's powerful to see our impact in communities
where real change is taking place as a result of our outreach together with our
films. The intersection of art and activism that so many people talk about actually
happens here."
Cristy Chung
Community Programs Manager
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Cristy Chung began working with GroundSpark as a facilitator in September 2003; and joined the staff full-time in September 2007. Cristy provides ongoing management and coordination of The Respect For All Project community based programs and outreach initiatives. With twenty years of experience working in the nonprofit sector she has worked extensively in the fields of diversity education, safe schools planning, cross-cultural service delivery, domestic violence intervention and prevention and creating supportive programs for lesbian/gay headed families.
"As a parent I am passionate about the need for hate-free, welcoming learning
environments for our children. The Respect For All Project gives educators, families
and the communities they live in an opportunity to ensure all children feel safe
and supported."
Amy Scharf
Director of Educational Programs
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Amy Scharf joined GroundSpark in April 2008. As our new Director of Educational Programs, she oversees the day-to-day work and the visionary expansion of GroundSpark’s core program, the Respect for All Project. Amy previously served as Program Director for California Tomorrow where she led a statewide training program on diversity and equity for afterschool programs and spearheaded efforts to inform local and state afterschool policy initiatives. Amy directed a three-year national study on equity issues in the afterschool field and is co-author of Pursuing the Promise: Addressing Equity, Access and Diversity in Afterschool and Youth Programs and Our Roots, Our Future: Affirming Culture and Language in Afterschool and Youth Programs. She holds a PhD in Social and Cultural Studies in Education from the University of California at Berkeley and is an experienced trainer, teacher and policy analyst.
Maritza Schäfer
Director of Communications and Marketing
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Maritza Schäfer joined GroundSpark in March of 2008 as Director of Communications and Marketing, and is responsible for getting our message out and promoting GroundSpark’s work nationally. Prior to coming to GroundSpark, Maritza was Communications Manager at Tides Foundation where she developed and implemented communications and outreach strategies to position Tides as a leader in progressive philanthropy. Maritza has also worked as a researcher in public opinion and marketing and as a video producer of documentaries and educational programs. She received a BFA in Film, Photography and Visual Arts from Ithaca College and a MS in Communication from Cornell University. With over a decade of experience in the communications field, Maritza’s expertise includes public opinion, issue visibility, traditional and new media, online communications, market research and social network analysis.
Adore Davidson Rodriguez
Development and Administrative Manager
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Adore Davidson Rodriguez, currently the Development and Administrative Manager at GroundSpark, has been working with the organization since September 2004. Adore manages the organization's development needs, serves as liaison to the board, oversees human resources and operations, and facilitates staff meetings and organizational planning. Adore holds a Master's degree in Social Justice in Intercultural Relations from the School for International Training in Brattleboro, Vermont. In her free time, Adore can be found at Ruby's Clay Studio, a community pottery studio in San Francisco.
"I initially became interested in GroundSpark because of its dedication
to creating sustainable social change through documentary films that address
social inequities, raise awareness and help to open hearts and minds. After three
years of working with the committed, passionate and amazing staff, board, colleagues
and supporters that make up the GroundSpark community, I feel even more dedicated
to this work."
Alana Esquivel
Office Manager
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Alana Esquivel joined the GroundSpark team after
uprooting from Santa Cruz, California in September 2007. In her role
as Office Manager she oversees the many day-to-day operations of the
busy office and works with the Financial Manager handling billing and
expenses for the organization. With a B.A. in Film and Digital Media,
years of administrative experience, a history of volunteer work in areas
of diversity, and a love for organizing (literally) Alana felt this position
would be a great match for her. She has not been proven wrong.
"It had been a personal goal of mine to work for an organization that does something
I truly believe in. GroundSpark is made up of a dedicated staff that creates
an astonishing amount of work which in turn, moves the world forward in a positive
way."
Ryan Schwartz
National Outreach and Media Relations Manager
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Ryan Schwartz began as the national organizer for The
Respect For All Project in February 2007. He started working in the safe
schools movement when he was in high school and founded a coalition of
gay-straight alliances in Houston, Texas. He holds a BA in Cultural Anthropology
from Stanford University, where he studied international humanitarian
and human rights movements. Part of his fellowship work at Stanford included
researching for a South African NGO ensuring democratic governance and
beginning an award-winning weekly community radio program for a Namibian
LGBT organization. As the national organizer, Ryan helps gain visibility
for the program by conducting outreach, planning events, creating program
materials, and coordinating the National Coalition workshops and partnerships.
Outside of work, Ryan happily fathers a mystery mutt named Swala.
"I am continually impressed by our small and unique GroundSpark staff, whose
talent and passion are helping to create a new generation of youth that truly
embrace difference and are equipped with the skills and language to confront
prejudice when they see it."
Helen S. Cohen, former co-director and co-founder of The Respect
For All Project, is now an independent producer. To contact Helen S.
Cohen, e-mail helen@openstudioproductions.com.