PACT's Mission:
To provide opportunity for economically disadvantaged kids who are plagued by violence and substance abuse in their homes and communities, through economical empowerment and by improving their educational skills, values, and self-esteem.
Stated simply, PACT exists to provide mentored work, learning, fun and play to empower at-risk 10-15 year old kids.
Why PACT is unique: Our Work Ethics (WE) program has not only been the vehicle of delivering one-on-one adult mentored work education to at-risk kids in Los Angeles. It has also been the major source of PACT's revenue for most of it's 15-year history.
PACT is innovative, and its history has proved that its programs WORK both in preventing kids from dropping out of school and from joining gangs.
L.A. city attorney Trutanich meets with PACT kids
PACT's Current Mentoring Programs
Through PACT's Work Ethics Program, 10-15 year old kids learn responsibility and the rewards and satisfaction of work: earned income, recreation, and education. They earn money. They build self-esteem. They meet, present themselves and interact with a wide spectrum of adults in their homes. This adult-mentored work-like experience is the key element of PACT's Work Ethics education. While enjoying the benefits of the program, PACT youth travel to safe, upper-income neighborhoods and see how income can positively impact quality of life. Since they visit people at home, they see for themselves the diversity of neighborhoods and family life in Los Angeles County.
Of the over 1,000 kids who have participated in PACT's Work Ethics Program, only four that we know of landed in Juvenile Hall. That's over a 90% prevention record, one that any youth organization can be proud of.
PACTs LEEP Program (Lifetime Education Empowerment Program)was launched in the first semester of the 2008-2009 school year, beginning with groups of ten seventh grade middle school students. After a 3-hour "structure of intellect" assessment at PACT's Learning Room, a 144 page workbook is derived for each student from his initial assessment by the SOI center in Oregon, and-with the help of adult and high school mentors-each worked to complete their personal workbook over a 10-week period of after school sessions.
Made forever conscious and aware of their own individual learning and thinking abilities through the mentoring program sessions and the follow-up 3-hour assessment, students achieved better grades, better test scores, and greater self confidence about their learning abilities and their strongest "intellects."
On July 27, 2006, the California State Legislature cited and commended PACT's gang prevention work with at risk youth.
"Resolved by Assembly Member Ted W. Leiu and Senator Debra Bowen That Positive Alternative Choices Today be commended on its twelfth anniversary of service to at-risk youth in the Westside and Southbay communities, and extend best wishes for continued success in the future."
Strong Recognition for PACT's Programs
The unique combination of a structured, mentored, one-on-one work-like experience with the at-risk child development elements of PACT - and the fact that it's programs have actually supported PACT for years - is behind our letters of encouragement from Bill and Hillary Clinton (1998), Gov. Pete Wilson (1998), Gov. Gray Davis (2000), Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger(2004), Councilman and now Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (2004), Mayor Richard Riordan (1999) and Mayor James Hahn (2002), Senator Dianne Feinstein, Councilmen Rosendahl and Parks, Supervisor Yaroslavsky plus Donald Kennedy, Stanford University President(1986-1998).
The PACT Organization
Positive Alternative Choices Today (PACT)
A 5O1(c)3 non-profit public benefit corporation
chartered July 25, 1994
IRS permanent exemption status granted
November 16, 1999
Fed ID # 95-4487565
State # C-1748103
LAPD Charity Registration # W1291
12421 Venice Boulevard, Suite 7
Los Angeles, CA 90066 (Westside)
Phone: 310-313-4119
Fax: 310-313-2899
Email: mentors@pactla.org
Registered with:
Guidestar, Better Business Bureau, Rainbow Directory
PACT's Staff
CHAIRMAN/CEO |
William R. Ewald |
|---|---|
Project Manager |
Sybil Miller |
Work Ethics Manager |
James Garrick |
Resource Development |
Cindy Amoyal |
| Andre Berryman | |
| Jim Garrick | |
| Seth King | |
| Yakaub Lagandoye | |
| Art Reliford | |
| Rossi Sciabbarrasi |
William R. Ewald, PACT's Chairman and CEO, merited recognition in, "Who's Who in the World", "Who's Who in Finance and Industry", and "Who's Who in California" in the 1990's.
A graduate of Brown University, with postgraduate study at the University of Michigan, Cornell and Harvard, Mr. Ewald worked for major architects and planners and then in policy roles in city, state and federal government before establishing his strategic development consultancy office in Washington, D.C. in 1963.
Among others he has led projects funded by the Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Brothers Fund, National Science Foundation, U.S. Public Health Service, HEW, Commerce, NASA, American Institute of Architects, American Institute of Planners, Lawrence, Nelson and Winthrop Rockefeller, Interior, Urban Renewal Administration, New York State, Arkansas, Puerto Rico, General Electric and Weyerhaeuser.
Board of Directors
| William R. Ewald |
Chairman, Strategic Development Consultant |
| Sibyl Buchanan |
Community Affairs Director
Playa Vista Ms. Buchanan has worked for Playa Vista since 1991, serving as the key contact for the local community. As Community Affairs Director, her responsibilities lie in the area of public relations with residents and business and government representatives. Ms. Buchanan is also actively involved with a large number of community, service and business groups, representing such diverse organizations as the Los Angeles Police Department, the Boys and Girls Club and the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks. She also oversees the Playa Vista Educational Trust, a community-wide school adoption program that offers student scholarships and campus wide educational opportunities; and serves on the board of Playa Vista Job Opportunities and Business Services (PVJOBS), which provides job placement opportunities for disadvantaged youth and adults. She lives with her husband in Playa del Rey, Calif. |
| Robert Feist |
Ravenswork, Inc. Founder/ Owner, Sound Producer
Venice Robert Feist is the owner and senior mixer of Ravenswork Studios, one of the top audio post-production houses in the country. He grew up in Colorado, and moved to Los Angeles in 1977 to pursue a career in the recording industry. Mr. Feist eventually recorded albums for such artists as Stevie Nicks, Belinda Carlisle, Natalie Cole and Anita Baker. In 1991, he joined the founding staff at Margarita Mix, where he began working exclusively on television commercials. Four years later, he joined POP Sound and, in 1996, launched his own company. His clients have included Nike, Toyota, Microsoft, Sprint and Yahoo. In addition to his commercial work, he has frequently lent his talents to producing PSAs and children's programming. Mr. Feist is married and lives and works in Venice, Calif. |
| Douglas E. Willmore |
Financial Consultant
Santa Monica |
| Ivan Huber |
Professor Emeritus of Biology
Westchester Ivan Huber is Professor Emeritus of Biology at Fairleigh Dickinson University in Madison, New Jersey. He earned his doctorate in entomology at the University of Kansas, where his special research interest was in the study of cockroaches. His teaching interests included genetics and zoology, and he is the author of numerous papers. Dr. Huber also edited a book in two volumes on cockroach models for biomedical research and served as advisor on cockroaches for the motion picture, "Joe's Apartment." In his retirement, he tutors students in biology and also edits papers in various fields. |
| Harvey D. Kushner |
President, Kushner Management Planning Corporation
Palos Verdes After working for more than 30 years in developing and managing high-technology companies, Mr. Kushner formed Kushner Management Planning Corporation to consult in strategic and operations planning, acquisitions and mergers, corporate, management and technology development. He has served on and chaired the boards of many public interest organizations dealing with education and technology, as well as prominent university advisory boards including The Johns Hopkins University and the University of Maryland. Mr. Kushner is Executive Director of the Rose Kushner Breast Cancer Advisory Center, and has served as a member of the American Cancer Society's subcommittee on Breast Cancer Detection and Control. He resides with his wife in Palos Verdes, Calif. |
| Claudia T. Marroquin |
Marketing Owner, CTM Services, Executive Director, Rolling Hills Foundation
Los Angeles A native of Peru, Ms. Marroquin has worked with international clients in every business category. In 1995, she launched her own nonprofit consulting firm, CTM Service, which guides nonprofits in marketing, public relations and business development. She has become a strong director/leader for several non-profits in the USA and Latin America, and is currently the CEO of a non-profit in the South Bay providing education aid for youth in need. Ms. Marroquin is also a private etiquette teacher, teaching children and youth in the USA, Middle East and Latin-America and wrote the 2006 book "Etiquette with Babet" to teach students about proper etiquette. Ms. Marroquin lives in West Hollywood, Calif. |
| Alfonso Morales |
Secretary/ Treasurer Scientist/ Engineer,
Boeing Co., El Segundo A native of Southern California, Mr. Morales has worked for The Boeing Company for several years as an electronic engineer. Prior to that, he worked for the Xerox Corporation in design and engineering. After completing his bachelor's degree in electronic engineering, he continued his education, earning a teaching credential from California State University Long Beach, where he currently teaches part-time. Mr. Morales is currently pursuing an MBA in business law and serves on industry advisory boards for three local universities. He is involved in many community organizations and coaches a Little League team. Mr. Morales has been PACT's Secretary/Treasurer for more than four years. He lives in El Segundo, Calif., with his wife and two young children |
| Santiago Padilla | Telecine Assistant, Riot Postproductions Former PACT Apprentice, Venice A motivated young man who has been working in postproduction in Los Angeles for almost 8 years, Mr. Padilla grew up in a family of nine children in the projects. A true American success story, he began working at the age of 12 at PACT, where he learned the true value of work ethics and responsibility. He has been able to help his family financially, and hopes to give back to the community as he continues down the path to a successful career in the film industry. Mr. Padilla lives in West Los Angeles, Calif. |
| Administrative Support | |
| Robert Himrod | Legal Counsel |
| Howard Levine | CPA |
| Louise French | Quickbooks/Payroll/Taxes |
| NIAC | Liability Insurance |
| Sue's Secretarial | Word Processing |
| Gordon Smith | Web Wrangler |
PACT Leadership Council Now Forming
PACT Board members and staff, over three months this Spring (2009), were briefed on the need and benefits of a dynamic ad hoc strategic development committee by the nationally recognized non profit consultant Marshall Howard
Assembly of PACT's new Leadership Council is now underway. As accepted, members who have pledged 30-40 hours for one year will be listed here.
PACT seeks outstanding individuals concerned about the limbo lives of too many 10-15 year olds, leaders to power effective ways to make a difference for at risk kids.
We invite Los Angeles persons who are experienced in business, marketing, government, education, health, communications, law, accounting, the arts and charity.
ALL are crucial to contribute their talent, time and connections.
Number One
Carmen Trutanich, newly elected Los Angeles City Attorney, lead off member of PACT's Leadership Council, exemplifies the caliber of caring person we mean. Twice while running his upset campaign, NOW City Attorney Trutanich met in Mar Vista, at PACT, with our kids, and he received them in his City Hall office July 6, his first week at work.
First Rate, Concerned Person Nominations are invited by all who read this.
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