Oakland
The Power of Play
Bring Play To Your City
Recent News
Quisqueya Rodriguez
Quisqueya Rodriguez, East Bay Executive Director, graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Human Development. She has served youth and their families for the last eight years through the YMCA, most recently as the Youth and Teen Program Director at the Downtown Berkeley YMCA in Berkeley, California. Her primary focus throughout her career with youth has been the healthy development of youth in their communities.
In Richmond, kids getting lesson in play
The sound of laughing children playing tag or hide-and-seek isn't often heard on the streets of Richmond's notorious Iron Triangle. Gunshots are too common, producing an unexpected casualty: Some kids have forgotten how to play.
Teaching Leadership Through Coaching
Some Bay Area inner city schools are trying to increase the amount of physical activity that students are exposed to. The program is called Sports4Kids and kids are not only healthier, but some are also learning what it takes to lead.
Oakland Staff
Quisqueya Rodriguez
Quisqueya Rodriguez, East Bay Executive Director, graduated from UC Davis with a degree in Human Development. She has served youth and their families for the last eight years through the YMCA, most recently as the Youth and Teen Program Director at the Downtown Berkeley YMCA in Berkeley, California. Her primary focus throughout her career with youth has been the healthy development of youth in their communities.
Jackie Hemann
Jackie Hemann, Program Director, is in her ninth year with Playworks. She spent four years working as a site coordinator at Sobrante Park and Lafayette Elementary schools and two years working at Westlake Middle School. As a program director, Jackie likes visiting schools and seeing how students are impacted by Playworks programming.
Bryant Hicks
Bryant Hicks, Program Manager, started at Playworks in 2002 as a program coordinator at Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland. Since then Bryant was our recruiter and is now a Program Manager. Bryant has taken the Playworks mission to heart and spreads the message wherever he goes. He enjoys basketball and long walks on the beach and believes he is the inventor of the slogan "HAVE FUN."
Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly, Program Manager, is a proud native of the Electric City, Scranton, PA. Before serving the West Contra Costa school district as a Program Manager, Joe spent two years in East Oakland as a site coordinator. Joe believes that it's only a matter of time before the children we teach become politicians who restructure all laws around Ro-Sham-Bo.
Jonathan Portero-Brown
Jonathan Portero-Brown, Commissioner, was previously a program coordinator for three years at Acorn Woodland Elementary School in Oakland. As commissioner, he is responsible for coordinating all Playworks leagues. He is passionate about working with the leagues to provide kids with a fun, safe opportunity to experience different sports.
John Thomas Quinn III
John Thomas Quinn III, Program Manager, was a program coordinator in Alameda, CA before moving into the Program Manager position. John is a strong advocate for the Playworks mission and ideology and in 2006 was part of a team of five Playworks employees that traveled to Capetown, South Africa for three weeks to spread the idea of empowering children through play.
Hector Salazar
Hector Salazar, Program Manager, began as a site coordinator in Oakland before taking on the Program Manager position first in the Silicon Valley and now in Oakland. Hector loves the way Playworks allows for students to express themselves in such a variety of activities, and in his spare time likes to express himself in his own variety of outlets as a father, coach, community activist and DJ.
Ben Stein
Ben Stein, Program Manager, is originally from Johnstown, PA and enjoyed serving as a program coordinator for two years at San Francisco's Hillcrest Elementary School. Ben loves that he gets the chance to contribute to the kids in the Oakland community, and is grateful to be a part of Playworks.
Ben Stein
Ben Stein, Program Manager, is originally from Johnstown, PA and enjoyed serving as a program coordinator for two years at San Francisco's Hillcrest Elementary School. Ben loves that he gets the chance to contribute to the kids in the Oakland community, and is grateful to be a part of Playworks.
Hector Salazar
Hector Salazar, Program Manager, began as a site coordinator in Oakland before taking on the Program Manager position first in the Silicon Valley and now in Oakland. Hector loves the way Playworks allows for students to express themselves in such a variety of activities, and in his spare time likes to express himself in his own variety of outlets as a father, coach, community activist and DJ.
Jonathan Portero-Brown
Jonathan Portero-Brown, Commissioner, was previously a program coordinator for three years at Acorn Woodland Elementary School in Oakland. As commissioner, he is responsible for coordinating all Playworks leagues. He is passionate about working with the leagues to provide kids with a fun, safe opportunity to experience different sports.
Joe Kelly
Joe Kelly, Program Manager, is a proud native of the Electric City, Scranton, PA. Before serving the West Contra Costa school district as a Program Manager, Joe spent two years in East Oakland as a site coordinator. Joe believes that it's only a matter of time before the children we teach become politicians who restructure all laws around Ro-Sham-Bo.
Bryant Hicks
Bryant Hicks, Program Manager, started at Playworks in 2002 as a program coordinator at Longfellow Elementary School in Oakland. Since then Bryant was our recruiter and is now a Program Manager. Bryant has taken the Playworks mission to heart and spreads the message wherever he goes. He enjoys basketball and long walks on the beach and believes he is the inventor of the slogan "HAVE FUN."
