Staff
Kym Luqman,
Executive Director
510-625-0316 ext.101
kym@rtoakland.org
Kym Luqman has been the Executive Director of Rebuilding
Together Oakland since January 2008 and is fulfilling her dream to
lead a community-based organization serving the people of Oakland,
her adopted hometown. Prior to joining Rebuilding Together Oakland,
Kym worked in the telecommunications and information technology
field as a Business Development Manager.
Kym has an MBA from the University of San Francisco, received
her undergraduate degree in Marketing from San Francisco State
University and holds a Certificate in Non-Profit Management from
California State University - East Bay. A native New Yorker,
she misses the fall colors of autumn, but loves the tapestry of
people and culture that Oakland and the greater Bay Area
provide.
"When I'm not working on behalf of Rebuilding Together Oakland,
I enjoy watching my daughter play lots of club and varsity soccer
and basketball games and volunteering to help and support Oakland
students."
Rachel Matthews,
Program Director
510-625-0316 ext.100
rachel@rtoakland.org
A 20-year veteran of the now-defunct music industry, Rachel
remains true to her Oakland roots in her role as Cajoler-in-Chief.
Eight years (and counting) with RTO seems like a drop in the
proverbial bucket of life for this dyed-in-the-wool Taur-babe. Her
free time is spent walking in the woods.
"Year after year, RTO volunteers defy all expectations in terms
of their commitment, reliability, capabilities and sense of humor
-- especially with respect to the shirts we insist they wear with
pride."
Alice Matthews,
Program Associate
510-625-0316 ext.102
alice@rtoakland.org
Alice Matthews lived in the Bay Area until she moved with her
husband and children to Niger in West Africa in 1991. There
they lived in a village and her husband worked in rural
development, helping Nigerien farmers with subsistence
farming. Alice home schooled her children, enjoyed being part
of village life, and kept the books for the project. In 2006,
while in the US waiting for a new assignment, she worked as program
assistant at RTO and enjoyed herself until she moved to
Kenya. In Kenya she took classes towards a degree in social
work at the Daystar University, where her husband taught.
Alice enjoyed using her gift of hospitality with the many students
at the university.
"When I realized I was moving back to the Bay Area I found out
that Rachel had an opening for my old position, and I jumped at the
opportunity to once again join the team at RTO helping low-income
seniors and disabled throughout Oakland. It's great to serve
the community!"
John
Bongivanni
Safe-At-Home Volunteer & IT Coordinator
johnb@rtoakland.org
AmeriCorps Members
Nicholas
Lukehart
Community Engagement & Outreach
510-625-0316 ext.104
nic@rtoakland.org
Nic is a recent transplant to the Bay Area and is ecstatic to be
doing a second year of service with AmeriCorps. He served
previously with the City Year of Greater Philadelphia on their
Civic Engagement team, and he is excited to further his passion for
community building and development in a new environment. He
completed his undergraduate studies at Temple University in May
2011, where he majored in Political Science and minored in
Anthropology. When he is not actively engaged in volunteering,
service and activism he enjoys riding his bike, taking pictures,
cooking and reading about ancient Rome.
"Rebuilding Together provides an excellent resource for
community members and a powerful experience for volunteers,
providing an avenue for dialogue surrounding the issue of housing
inequality and lays the foundation for further discourse and
action."
Si post fata venit gloria non propero (If glory comes
after death, I am not in a hurry).
James W. Richmond
Home Safety & Repair Coordinator
510-625-0316 ext.106
james@rtoakland.org
James is excited to start his first year as an AmeriCorps member
working with Rebuilding Together. Originally born in Los Angeles,
he has lived the last fourteen years in San Francisco and considers
the Bay Area his heartland.
His passion is environmental policy and seeing the process of
transforming theory into practice. Having worked in
CleanPowerSF and Oakland Public Works Agency, he is excited to
continue serving the city of Oakland. When not immersed in
home rehabilitation he enjoys yoga, gardening, and reading white
papers.
"Our work is not charity, but an act of devotion that our
community commits to, to help itself and each other for Oakland,
and the greater Bay Area, part of our identity is rooted in leaving
no one behind but pulling together always."
F=MA