Meet the Trainers

  • Patty Barahona

    They / Them

    Patty has been with YLI for nine years, starting as a Program Coordinator in Marin County before serving as the Director for the San Francisco office and the Chief People Officer and then becoming the Chief Executive Officer in 2019. Today, Patty oversees a staff of over 65 across the state of California and an annual budget of $9.1 million. Patty previously worked for Asian Communities for Reproductive Justice, New Jersey Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and as a English Language Learner Teacher across K-12 schools in Vermont. They hold an M.A. in Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages from the School for International Training and a B.A. in Women’s and Gender Studies from Rutgers University. Patty is known for their energizing and excellent facilitating and is a highly sought after trainer, having trained thousands of young people and adults on making equitable change in their communities. Patty is Board Chair of Alianza Coachella Valley and the Board Co-Chair for LYRIC, a San Francisco LGBTQQ organization.

  • Yami Rodriguez

    She / Her

    ​​Yammilette “Yami” Rodriguez graduated with a Bachelors in Business Administration, Marketing from CSU, Fresno and has her Masters Degree in Leadership and Organizational Studies from Fresno Pacific University. She has a Credential from Fuller Theological Seminary in Urban Youth work. Yami has Doctorate in Public Policy from West Chester University and her dissertation “Factors Contributing to the Success of Rising Latino Leadership in Central California.” 

    Yami has a background in the non-profit sector, policy advocacy and higher education for over 20 years. She been with Youth Leadership Institute (YLI) in the Central Valley since 2009.  She works to have youth voice at the table in community issues especially in making positive policy and social sustainable change in our communities. During Yami’s tenure as Director she expanded the youth development program work in Fresno and launched the Merced Office and Madera programming.  Some of the examples of youth-led projects include underage drinking prevention, healthier corner stores, healthy advertising and healthy eating, access to parks, access to youth jobs and youth civic engagement campaigns in Fresno, Merced and Madera County.  

    Yami and her husband Jim Rodriguez live in Fresno have two beautiful daughters in elementary school, named Lizette and Juliette.

    Yami’s specialities include Uplifting the natural talents of youth, adults and teams and managers by using the tool of CliftonStrengths as a certified coach and using her policy background to lead trainings on policy change, youth advocacy, working with decision makers, serving on boards and commissions, youth-led community change campaigns, and more.

  • Montze Garcia Bedolla

    She / Her

    Montze’s leadership and lived experiences stem from growing up in a low-income, immigrant Mexican family in Santa Ana, CA. She values community organizing, community participatory action research, health policy, and strategically working to better the livelihood of communities disproportionately affected by lack of investment and access to healthy resources. Over the past ten years, Montze has led several youth and community coalitions throughout California that address health inequities in their communities through alcohol, tobacco and other drug prevention, financial and economic justice, transportation equity, and immigrant justice. 

    As Senior Training & Consultant Manager in yli’s Training & Consulting Services (TCS) department, Montze is responsible for facilitating trainings and designing experiences to increase youth development knowledge and skills for youth and adults locally, regionally, and nationally. She is also responsible for designing and developing systems, processes, and materials to support and grow TCS revenue. She ensures that all TCS processes and outcomes align with internal program development, implementation, and evaluation. 

    Montze holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Ethnic Studies from UC Berkeley and a Master of Public Health from California State University, Long Beach. Montze is an avid runner, hiker, and reader. 

    Read the Story of My Name here!

  • Wendy Pacheco

    They / Them

    Wendy is an East Los Angeles native and has lived in the East Bay for the last 10 years. She is a graduate of UC Berkeley with a degree in Ethnic Studies and deeply believes in the power of community centered education as a tool for liberation. 

    Wendy’s advocacy is deeply rooted in her experience growing up as a low-income woman of color and is informed by her family’s direct experiences with the prison industrial complex. She values authenticity, leading with the heart, and building the capacity of youth and elders alike to participate in community change work. Since joining yli, Wendy has led both community and school based programs, participated in and led community based coalitions, and has supported staff in developing and implementing a range of programs. Wendy has expertise in policy advocacy, substance prevention with an equity lens, youth leadership development, building equitable and dynamic youth and adult teams, and is Healing Centered Engagement (HCE) certified. 

    As a Senior Trainer & Consultant, Wendy is responsible for designing and leading trainings, retreats, and workshops to empower and support youth and adult allies in developing skills and building capacity to lead community change across the state of California and nationally. She also provides technical assistance, coaching and consulting across an array of areas including meaningful youth engagement, youth and adult partnerships, and youth participatory action research.

    In her spare time, you will find Wendy playing softball, rooting for the Dodgers, or reading a book!

  • Jen Daroya

    She/Her

    Based in Manila, Philippines, Jen brings over nine years of experience in customer management and now serves as a dedicated Executive Assistant. She provides support to executives by anticipating needs, managing priorities, and delivering personalized solutions.

    Jen takes a thoughtful and adaptable approach to her work. With multitasking abilities, she leverages her intuition, judgment, and motivational techniques to become an integral support for an executive’s professional goals.

    Dedicated to continuous growth, Jen thrives on improving her skills to tackle new challenges in her career. As a proud mother of two, her children serve as her greatest inspiration, fueling her commitment to securing a bright and stable future for her family.