Meet the Team | Elevate Community Center

Team Members

Sharine Xuan

Executive Director

Sharine is a California licensed attorney and the founder of Elevate Community Center. Sharine graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law, and earned a Public Interest Certification along with her law degree. In addition to her role as Executive Director of Elevate, Sharine serves as a commissioner to Santa Clara County's Re-Entry Commission, as well as the Community Correction Law Enforcement Committee (CCLEM).

Grace Bowers

Attorney

Grace is a California-based attorney who graduated from The University of Texas School of Law with honors. She began her legal career in the Bay Area practicing Corporate Law, and has since transitioned to Elevate where she works with clients across a variety of practice areas.

Thomas Kunkel

Attorney

Tom graduated from Santa Clara School of Law in May 2023 with a high-tech law certification, corporate specialization with honors. Tom works closely with clients on a breadth of legal matters including: domestic violence restraining orders, California criminal record clearance, small business concerns, child custody and housing and eviction.

Keegan Pincombe

Legal Service Specialist

Keegan graduated from Santa Clara University School of Law in June 2021. He began volunteering with Elevate in his third year of law school, and remained an active volunteer until joining the organization full-time in 2023. Keegan manages Elevate’s intake process, specializing in requests for criminal record clearance. As one of Elevate’s longest-serving employees, he also assists with onboarding and mentoring new staff.

Juan Medina

Paralegal

Juan Medina is a veteran, who graduated from UC Berkeley in 2021. He has over three years of paralegal experience in immigration, family, and civil law. His mission is to help those who are suffering from poverty, violence, and discrimination. Juan plans on going to law school next year at Santa Clara University. Last but not least, he has a four year old boxer named Tyson, who he adores.

Angelina Ly

Legal Assistant

Angelina graduated from the University of California, Riverside, with a degree in Sociology. Her passion for community activism began in high school, where she participated in nonprofit programs designed to support low-income students and make higher education more accessible. Through her experiences, Angelina has developed a strong commitment to empowering underserved communities and advocating for equal resources for all.

Ming-Cheau Lin

Communications Assistant

Ming is a writer from Cape Town, South Africa where she graduated from Vega School with a BA in Creative Brand Communications as a copywriter. She worked in advertising for seven years in food media before pursuing an independent writing career. Ming also cofounded Cape Town’s roller derby league and nonprofit, acting as its Marketing and PR Director for four years. She moved to California, took time off to focus on her daughter and joined Elevate as a communications assistant, helping out where she can with her experience in marketing and public relations. Ming is passionate about neurodiversity and social justice.

Board Members

Sharine Xuan

Interim

Board Chair

Natasha Tran

Interim

Board Secretary

Natasha Tran is a family law attorney practicing at Hoge, Fenton, Jones & Appel, Inc. Since law school, Natasha has volunteered for various legal clinics, non-profit organizations, and events that give back and assist the community, which continues to date.

Barbara Clayton

Interim

Board Treasurer

Barbara Clayton is a product leader in high tech and a licensed attorney focused on privacy and competition law. Barbara builds product solutions to navigate the complex intersection of law and technology while championing privacy rights.

Veronica Gomez

Board Member

Veronica Gomez has over 14 years experience in the social services sector, with experience working in domestic violence shelters, providing Applied Behavior Analysis therapy to children on the spectrum, and providing intensive services to children and families. She is dedicated to serving her community as department manager for a large non-profit in the San Gabriel Valley. In addition to her commitment to serving children and families in the social service sector, she loves animals and volunteers at local humane societies and animal rescues in her free time.

Ragan Henninger

Board Member

Ragan Henninger is Senior Director of Housing Initiatives at Destination Home. She’s focused on building more deeply affordable housing and other innovative solutions towards ending homelessness. Ragan is passionate about working for justice and has over 25 years of experience in affordable housing, homeless programs and public policy. Prior to joining Destination Home, Ragan was the Deputy Director of the City of San Jose’s Housing Department overseeing housing production, grants and homeless solutions. She was also the Director of Policy and Budget for San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, and worked for San Jose nonprofits HomeFirst and Next Door Solutions. She was a SVBJ 2016 Women of Influence and is a graduate of Santa Clara University.

Advisory Board

Ellen Kreitzberg

Ellen Kreitzberg is a criminal law attorney and professor at Santa Clara University School of Law. She has practiced and written extensively on criminal justice issues, especially death penalty reform.

Caroline Chen

Caroline Chen is an expert in tax law. She is a professor of tax at the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business at San Jose State University, was the Director of the Low Income Tax Clinic at Santa Clara University School of Law, and was an attorney for the Office of Chief Counsel at the Internal Revenue Service for over a decade.

Laura Wright

Laura Wright is an Associate Clinical Social Worker (ACSW) who currently works as a Therapist with Transitional Age Youth ages 16-25 at Community Solutions in Santa Clara County. She offers unique insight as a formerly justice impacted individual who has overcome many barriers and adversities and is passionate about helping others navigate the process of expungement, exemption clearance, higher education, internships and applying for licensure with the Board of Behavioral Sciences (BBS). She is working to complete her 3000 hours to become a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW).