Bessy Hoffman has worked in the education industry for over twenty-seven years. Starting in Los Angeles and later moving to Atascadero, she has specialized in bilingual and special education in both school districts. Bessy has received the Golden Oak award, which is the PTA’s highest honor for excellence in working with and providing for the welfare of children in our local community.

Bessy’s constant drive for the welfare and success of all the families that she works with also led to her being named Santa Rosa Academic Academy’s Employee of the Year in 2013. With her exceptional experience in community resources and social services, Bessy constantly strives to provide a secure future for all local and bilingual families. Bessy is also a Parent Educator and Coach and supports parents and caregivers across the Central Coast.

Maria joined The Link in 2021. She has 14 years of experience as a bilingual preschool instructor with a background in physiology. Maria was born and raised in Guatemala and moved to Washington to teach and serve as a paraeducator. She also owned a bilingual preschool and volunteered for the ECAP program in Washington helping families with transportation and interpretation.

Marilu joined The Link in 2021 as part of the First 5 Partnership for Resilient Families project. She serves families with children ages 0 – 5 in Northern San Luis Obispo County.

Mayra is a graduate of University of California Santa Cruz. She worked with the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo as a Family Service Advocate and as a Home Base educator. Mayra is passionate about serving the community and is a wonderful addition to The Link team.

Karla Najera serves as a family advocate for the Atascadero Unified School District Elementary Schools. Karla was part of the Center for Family Strengthening Promotores Collaborative and served as the North County lead Promotor. She is trained in mental health interpretation and is a crisis support responder for victims of sexual assault and abuse. Karla is experienced in social media marketing and is passionate about achieving positive child and family outcomes through high-quality engagement, respect for diverse cultures, and valuing family strengths. Karla enjoys nature, hiking, kayaking, and camping with her family.

Oscar Perdomo has recently graduated from California State University Monterey Bay with a degree in psychology. He also has experience working at Laguna and Los Osos Middle Schools as a Social Emotional Behavioral Aide (SEB). Oscar will be working with The Link Family Resource Center as a Bilingual Family Advocate helping connect families with programs and services at our schools on the coast. Oscar was born in San Luis Obispo and is passionate about facilitating community well being in any way possible.

Brenda joined The Link in 2021. Previously she worked for People’s Self-Help Housing as a Property Manager in the 5 Cities area and as a preschool teacher assistant for Community Action Partnership SLO County in 2016. Her passion for helping people get connected with community resources and navigate the school system inspired her career pivot. Brenda is bilingual and fluent in English and Spanish. She also currently serves as a parent leader English Learner Advisory Committee (ELAC) President in Grover Beach.

Carrie Collins serves as the Family Advocate Services Director for the Link Family Resource Center. For the past 8 years, Carrie was a Training and Consulting Specialist with Strategies 2.0 at Children’s Bureau. She provided training and consultation throughout the state to assist organizations and individuals in their work with family strengthening and prevention of child abuse and neglect. Carrie received her Masters Degree in Organizational Leadership from Ashford University, and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management from the University of Phoenix. Her background includes over 20 years in the Head Start and Migrant Head Start program in Parent Involvement and Leadership, and Staff Career Development and Training. She served two years in AmeriCorps providing pesticide safety training to farm workers throughout the state of Utah. Carrie and her husband share the joy of being parents to 4 grown children, and grandparents to 3 grandsons and 2 granddaughters!

Since 2001, Lisa Fraser has distinguished herself through her vision to create and grow nine major programs, each designed to strengthen families and stop the cycle of child abuse. She serves as Board President of Alpha Pregnancy and Parenting Support and is a preeminent leader in SLO County’s human service field. Lisa played an integral role in the establishment of Martha’s Place, an assessment center for at-risk children.

While her legacy has had a tremendous impact on our SLO County community, Lisa’s talents and her commitment to families are recognized on a regional and state level. She provided coordination for the Coastal Tri-Counties Child Abuse Prevention Coalition, established the Regional Child Death Review Team for Santa Barbara, Ventura, and San Luis Obispo counties and served on the California State Child Death Review Council. Lisa also participated in developing the California Family Support Standards, part of an ongoing initiative to define and promote quality in the field of family strengthening.

Lisa earned a B.S. Degree and a Single-Subject Teaching Credential at Cal Poly. She has also earned professional certifications including California Standards for Family Strengthening and Support certification, California Mandated Reporter of Suspected Child Abuse certification, non-Profit Development Officer Program certification, and a certificate in Facilitative Leadership-Interaction Institute for Social Change.

Lisa loves the “community spirit” of the Central Coast where she and Larry, her husband of 31 years, have raised two children, Brooke, and Dylan. She is an avid tennis player and active in social organizations and the arts.

Heather Leger is the Program Data Specialist for the Link Family Resource Center. She graduated from Cal Poly with a B.S. in Business Management, and has experience working in higher education administration.

Isabel (Criss) joined The Link in January 2021 and serves families from Flamson Middle School (Paso Robles) and Lillian Larsen Middle School (San Miguel). She got her Accounting Degree in Mexico, but she found her real passion in the Education area, she was a Teacher in Mexico with experience in Kindergarten and Elementary Students. She saw that there was a way to help the little ones and their families. In 2005, she migrated to Paso Robles where she joined the Migrant Education Program, Region 18, where her duties included: outreach, recruitment, coordination of health and support services, and parent engagement activities. Cris is bilingual in English and Spanish.