Board of Directors

Mary Ann Maggiore
President & Executive Director
Co-founder of Five 4 Five

Mary Ann Maggiore has been actively involved in educational issues for over 20 years. Mary Ann is the former Mayor of Fairfax, CA and the founding Director of Girl Scouts Save the Bay, now serving 55,000 girls. She was also the founding Director of Dominican University's Service Learning Department.

Mary Ann received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Swarthmore College outside of Philadelphia, where she worked with teens for many years. Mary Ann became even more interested in inner city youth while studying for the ministry at Starr King School for Unitarian Ministry at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley.
Rev. Maggiore has counseled young people both in the Northern California area and in Los Angeles. The mother of two former teenagers, Mary Ann has done extensive studies on school-to-career models.

Gina Brownstein
Vice President & Education Director
Co-Founder of Five 4 Five

Gina Brownstein has been working with youth in Marin City and South Central Los Angeles for over ten years. A photographer and a sculptor who works in clay, Gina graduated with honors in both Art and Community Service from Scripps College in 1990. She has since then also become an art teacher, heading up photography and visual art departments in public high schools. Awarded California's highest art prize for teens when she was a high school student, Gina has since helped ten of her students to achieve the same goal. A brilliant and inspiring mentor, Gina has guided many of her students to succeed in college and go on to successful careers in business, technology, education and art. Gina is the originator of the Five 4 Five project, Shoot! Photo Essays to End Violence by California Youth. This documentary art exhibition and book have reached thousands of young people and their families in both Northern and Southern California. Shoot! has been featured in the Los Angeles Times, Marin Independent Journal, and many other news media. Gina continues to receive acclaim for her own art as well. Named as "a young artists to watch out for" Gina's photography was recently featured on MSNBC TV. Gina is fluent in Spanish.
Gina recently was honored with the Scripps College for Women's highest alumnae prize.

Jeanine Alexander
Board Member & Development Advisor

Jeanine Alexander is a business woman, philanthropist and President of The Howley Management Group. She has over twenty five years helping companies streamline operations, increase sales, improve customer experience and energize in house innovation to improve the bottom line. Ms. Alexander, a graduate of UC Berkeley, was the first in her family to achieve a college degree.

Rogelio Castro
Treasurer

Rogelio Castro is both a prize-winning runner and soccer coach. He is one of the original athletes of the citywide “Students Run LA” marathon team that originated at Roosevelt High School in East LA. As well as advising Five 4 Five on financial matters, Rogelio serves as a special bridge to at-risk males in our program.

Hope Fastman, MA
Board Member

A Special Education teacher for 25 years, Hope Fastman is a graduate of Penn State and George Washington University. She is also a long-time advocate of youth; she has worked on projects in both the East and West Coast.