Our team is committed to understanding your community’s needs and supporting your efforts to build a more socially just and equitable world. We blend our education and expertise with decades of experience working directly in communities to inform, inspire, and enhance our work.

Dr. Marcia Taborga is a licensed clinical psychologist with master’s and doctoral degrees in clinical psychology from Arizona State University. She has over 25 years of top-notch research, clinical practice, and on-the-ground experience. Marcia was born to immigrant parents and is the older sister to a brother with severe Down’s Syndrome and schizophrenia. Her personal experience and professional training give her a unique, empathic perspective and the ability to quickly find real-world solutions.

Marcia has led multisite, system-level evaluations for clients such as the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority, and the National Center for Youth Law. She is a published author and has specialty clinical training in trauma, infant and early childhood mental health, and school-based mental health. Marcia loves people, especially her family and friends, and also nature, which she’ll happily explore alone or with friends.

Christine Bae is a licensed clinical social worker and Chief Program Officer at Sycamores in Los Angeles County. She received her master’s degrees in public health and social work from San Diego State University and her bachelor’s degree in psychobiology at the University of California, Los Angeles. She was also a California Awards for Performance Excellence (CAPE) examiner and a Coro Health Leadership Fellow.

Christine leads agencies through change and challenges to optimal service delivery and favorable growth. She is an advocate of antibias antiracism (ABAR) work; knowledgeable about health equity, population health, and evaluation; and passionate about health and human service systems working to integrate the frame of resilience, wellness, and trauma-informed care for underserved, disenfranchised, and impoverished communities.

Amanda Tarin earned a master’s degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton. She is an experienced mixed methods researcher who enjoys coding, data analysis, and exploring innovative technology solutions to solve data challenges. Her research interests focus on advocating for minority populations using data to improve programs and raise equity for diverse groups. Besides her research and working, Amanda enjoys spending time with her pets and exploring national parks.

Annette Evans provides administrative support for Seedling. She has over 30 years of experience working as an office coordinator. Annette enjoys the challenges and rewards that come with the daily operations of managing an office. In her free time, she gives back to her community by volunteering with local nonprofits and spends time with her children.

Joe Albert Garcia, PhD, is a professor of human services at California State University, Fullerton. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from UC Berkeley and his master’s, C Phil, and PhD from UCLA in clinical psychology with a minor in statistics. He teaches in the areas of research methods for the social sciences, counseling theories, child abuse prevention, specialized treatment delivery to the Latiné community, civil dialogues, and the development of empathy and self-reflection through small group processes.

Grace is a mixed-methods researcher and evaluator with a decade of experience in public health. She has worked with various social impact organizations, leading projects in New York City, Central African Republic, Liberia, Uganda, and Baltimore, among other places. She holds a Masters of Science in Public Health from Johns Hopkins, with a concentration in Social and Behavioral Interventions. At Seedling, Grace manages various projects and loves finding opportunities to bring her passion for visual art into the work through data visualization and design.

She is currently living out of a camper van that she converted herself and enjoys spending time out in nature and sitting around a campfire with friends.

Elena M. Reilly is an educator with over 20 years of experience leading, advising, and evaluating child, adolescent, and youth-centered social change. For over 14 years, Elena led teams delivering education, child protection, health, and livelihoods programs in the United States, Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia.

Elena has conducted qualitative research on learning, safety, gender, parenting, and well-being in 8 countries. Elena holds a bachelor’s degree in anthropology from Dartmouth College and a master’s in education from Harvard University Graduate School of Education. She enjoys gardening and watching hummingbirds.

Joshua Penman, MA, has 20 years of experience at the intersection of environmental and social justice, technology, and evaluation. His evaluation work ranges from behavioral health and education to workforce development and public media, for clients that range from small community-based organizations to NASA.

Before evaluation, Josh led national and international projects in public health and media, management consulting, and intercultural competency development. He holds a master’s degree in evaluation and organizational psychology from Claremont Graduate University.

Sardis Susana Rodriguez, EdD, holds a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in educational leadership from California State University, Fullerton. She has over 13 years of experience in the public and nonprofit sectors working towards improved community outcomes. Sardis leads multidisciplinary teams in monitoring and evaluating educational and public health projects and has published research projects centered on equity and inclusion in early childhood education. For 7 years, she has provided program analysis and data-driven solutions for the Los Angeles County Office of Education in the Head Start and Early Learning division. Sardis has a passion for her Mexican/Guatemalan roots and her ever-growing household of pets.