Our Staff
Founder Angie Ibarra is a San Francisco native, born to immigrant parents but raised, along with several siblings, by a single mom. With intimate understanding of the struggles of life on welfare, she has always held deep compassion for families in her community. While working professionally in the corporate sector for over 25 years, Angie volunteered her time reaching out to mothers and their children. This grew her passion to equip others to do the same, with the goal of transforming the lives of families who live in poverty. Angie has a reputation for “getting the job done,” a strength she brings to her work in Redwood City. Since launching Generations United, her work has reached over 1,000 children a year, mobilizing 500 volunteers annually. Angie's ability to engage with leaders, school administrators, community partners, churches, city officials and businesspeople has been vital in serving families increasingly under duress from threat of displacement.
Keith joins us from Vancouver, WA with a broad background in business development, leadership, and entrepreneurism. He has had a vision for over 25 years to support small businesses. We are grateful that he has brought his gift to Generations United and will lead our efforts in 2021 as we empower small businesses past the challenges of 2020.
Keith joined to partner and provide small businesses and families support in the challenging times of the pandemic.
Keith is Dad to two adult daughters and recently married our Executive Director, Angie Ibarra Miller. In his free time, Keith spends time getting to know his bride and the beautiful community we serve, plays tennis and loves to sail when he can.
Keith joined to partner and provide small businesses and families support in the challenging times of the pandemic.
Keith is Dad to two adult daughters and recently married our Executive Director, Angie Ibarra Miller. In his free time, Keith spends time getting to know his bride and the beautiful community we serve, plays tennis and loves to sail when he can.
Candice is a native of the Bay Area, growing up in Millbrae and San Bruno, and finally making her way to Redwood City where she and her husband lived with their son until the fall of 2017. Living part of her life as a high schooler in her ancestral Mexico, she developed a deep love for her heritage and language, bringing these to the Latino community she served faithfully in the Bay Area. She has volunteered and worked in various non-profit settings related to youth and families, including working on the ground with GU as well as the Mission Preparatory Charter School in San Francisco where she served as the communications director.
She loves spending time with her husband and family, traveling and exploring places she has never seen before. In fact, in September of 2017, Candice and Norman packed up and moved across the country to the Charlotte area and in 2018, they bought a home in Rock Hill, just across the border in South Carolina. In late 2019, they welcomed a baby girl to their family.
After serving for many years on the board, Candice has rejoined the GU team as Communications and Administration Manager in a remote capacity. She will travel to CA once or twice a year(and use technology outside of those visits) to stay connected with the work that still needs to be done.
She loves spending time with her husband and family, traveling and exploring places she has never seen before. In fact, in September of 2017, Candice and Norman packed up and moved across the country to the Charlotte area and in 2018, they bought a home in Rock Hill, just across the border in South Carolina. In late 2019, they welcomed a baby girl to their family.
After serving for many years on the board, Candice has rejoined the GU team as Communications and Administration Manager in a remote capacity. She will travel to CA once or twice a year(and use technology outside of those visits) to stay connected with the work that still needs to be done.
Kopo has rejoined the GU family for the summer to resume his role as a Program Associate. This is his 2nd summer working with our students as a Camp Leader and in a support capacity for our organization's needs. A native of Samoa who grew up in California, Kopo has over a decade of experience working with students, ministry organizations, and community events. He is a father of two, husband to Crystal, and a die-hard fan of the Lakers and 49ers. We are so grateful for his leadership and servant's heart as we work hard to create a spectacular summer for our families!
Julia grew up in the Midwest and moved to the Bay Area in 2016. From a young age, Julia has had an interest in working with children of all ages from many different backgrounds. She has been invested in her local churches and community since childhood and has most recently been a student and working with young children as a nanny and preschool teacher. In the Fall of 2022, Julia felt called to working with Generations United, and she is very excited to work with the team to empower children and families in Redwood City.
In her free time, Julia loves spending time with her husband and two dogs. They spend many weekends at the beach or going on adventures together. Julia also loves reading, baseball, and surfing.
In her free time, Julia loves spending time with her husband and two dogs. They spend many weekends at the beach or going on adventures together. Julia also loves reading, baseball, and surfing.
Crystal hails from San Mateo with an extensive background both in the corporate sector as well as nonprofit. As a young teenager, she launched into a lifelong career of missionary work spanning everywhere from Latin America to the Polynesian islands. She spent a number of years as a missionary and in Leadership roles with Missions organizations and working with local organizations in countries visited. As a missionary, she has traveled to 11 countries. She recently relocated to Samoa with her family and continues her work remotely. The Tapelus were previously in California on a short-term assignment with GU leading an Academic Enrichment Center and providing additional organizational support. She and her husband have two daughters and some of her favorite things to do are hiking, studying the Bible, dancing, Karaoke, learning about other cultures & languages, and swimming.
Our Board of Directors
Our chairwoman of the board, Rica Ruiz, as a real estate professional, is privy to the inflated housing market that has been the San Francisco Bay Area, and the peninsula in particular. While she serves a broad clientele with their dreams of homeownership, she grieves the lack of access for so many, particularly among immigrant, working families. Her long-term vision is for affordable housing for this community, a reality that is integral to her understanding of economic justice. Her heart for the poor comes from an intimate place. Born in the Philippines, and raised by a single mom in Contra Costa County, Rica has firsthand experience not only with financial hardship but the emotional duress of marginalization, an existence that remains largely true even to this day. Working hard her whole life, Rica paid her way through college, graduating with a degree in media at San Francisco State. Her greatest joy is being with her husband and watching her son play baseball. She also has been a volunteer with Generations United, Inc weekly for several years. This has changed her life in ways she never imagined and her heart has been moved to action.
Stanley Johnson is the father of three young adult children and married to his wife and friend of 30 years Karen Johnson. Stanley is a native of the Redwood City. He graduated from San Diego State in 1981, with a degree in business administration and an emphasis in marketing. Stanley has worked with Pepsico, and its Frito Lay brand of products, in a sales and marketing capacity and for three decades. He has also served in regional sales in a managerial capacity for ERICO International Corporation, a company that provides electrical solutions for construction projects all around the globe. Stanley has a passion for outdoor adventures, but more importantly, a heart for the vulnerable and marginalized. Over the past two decades he has served on the boards of community-based organizations, including the American Youth Soccer Organization of San Carlos, and Peninsula Covenant Community Center in Redwood City.
Benita Hopkins is known by all as an “agent of change,” a reputation she earned while serving as the director of community engagement for Love Never Fails, a nonprofit committed to aiding the trafficked population. She seeks to bring hope to children around the world who have suffered from shame and abandonment, for example, Ghana, where she has advanced efforts in violence prevention and aftercare programs for trauma victims. She was awarded “2015 Abolitionist of the Year” by the San Francisco Collaborative Against Human Trafficking, and the “Working Women’s Award” by the Dr. MLK Jr. Association of Santa Clara Valley. These distinctions reflect her competence as a cross-cultural educator and a champion for social justice in communities like the ones she serves through GU. Prior to joining the Board, Benita served faithfully as our Director of Education and led our AEC at Schaberg Library. In the Summer of 2021, she will join us in a support role to continue to put her expertise to work for our families.
Peter Morris was born and raised on the San Francisco Peninsula. He grew up as a young boy in Redwood City, and received his public education in the Redwood City’s classrooms. Fond of this experience growing up, Peter has a special heart for local schools, and the families that attend them. As he always has enjoyed, he has great love for physical fitness and outdoor activities of every kind. He also has a love of music, and now performs the trumpet with the San Jose Wind Symphony as one of its principal brass players. Peter serves as a investment advisor with Lincoln Financial, where he helps clients achieve their financial goals and plan for their retirement. Married for over 40 years, Peter and Fredda have four adult children and five grandchildren. They are active members of Peninsula Covenant Church and the Peninsula Community Center. Peter’s wife Fredda has been instrumental in developing relationships with children and families through tutoring weekly with Generations United.
Carol Patterson serves as the CEO of Shepherd’s Gate, a Bay Area nonprofit that provides safe refuge for battered and homeless women and their children. Her background in nonprofit management, finance, operations and fundraising, is extensive. She began her professional career in the software industry, where she spent 23 years in executive roles, successfully assisting with Silicon Valley startups, including a product acquisition of Oracle. With a deep personal passion to help those struggling in poverty, Carol started tutoring at-risk youth in East Palo Alto as a volunteer with City Team, a nonprofit ministry that serves the homeless, the hungry, and the addicted. As her heart grew for the work, she left the high-tech industry to serve on City Team’s executive staff. She is a graduate of California State University, East Bay, and has earned additional certificates from Santa Clara University and The Wharton School.
Dr Kylie Billingsley specializes in psycho-diagnostic testing and therapy for children and adolescents with complex developmental and diagnostic presentations through Sequoia Counseling Services in Redwood City. She works with children, teens and families with neurodevelopmental disorders such as ADHD and ASD, as well as trauma, attachment disorders and rare medical conditions. Prior to private practice she was the developmental specialist at Kaiser RWC for 8 years. She uses CBT, play therapy and family systems approaches.
Elvia Cowan is a long-time Redwood City resident. She was born and raised in Los Angeles in a family who immigrated to the US from Zacatecas, Mexico, searching for a better life. Her story is not too different from the many families of the North Fair Oaks community. With the help of many and the grace of God, Elvia put herself through school at Mount St. Mary’s University, and more recently at the Stanford Graduate School of Business in their executive education program. Elvia is a C.P.A and has been a leader in the finance organizations of notable public companies like Vaxcyte, 23andMe, Gilead Sciences, and Levi Strauss. Much of her time is spent balancing work and raising her teenage sons with her retired firefighter husband Dave. Elvia’s heart has always been in the hopes of improving the lives and hearts of people in the Silicon Valley community. Her family has been active members of the Peninsula Covenant Church and Community Center, and Dave and their boys have volunteered with Generations United.
Henry Villar was born and raised in Mexico. After graduating from the Naval Academy of Mexico as Valedictorian, he served for seven years in the Mexican Navy as an Engineer and Navy Officer. Henry moved to USA in 2000 and returned to academia earning a second B.S. and M.S. degrees in Computer Science. For more than 15 years, he has been working in the High-Tech industry in Silicon Valley. Henry has been married to his wife Holly for more than 24 years and they have an adult daughter. His family has been members of the Peninsula Covenant Church for the last decade. Henry has been an active volunteer of Generations United for the last six years, participating in the Summer Reads program and providing Taekwondo classes. Henry has a big passion for the Latino Community and believes that change starts by serving.
Steve is a community builder, pastor, justice advocate and mobilizer. He brings two decades of pastoral experience in a wide variety of roles at two churches and is currently building a network of innovative, small, missional spiritual communities. A resident of East Palo Alto, along with his wife Amy and two girls, Steve shares a passion for bringing thriving to under-resourced communities and bringing people together for the common good. Steve loves spending time with his family, baking bread, making bacon, creating music, and is obsessed with all things soccer (God's greatest gift).