CFR 2.0 – Meet the Team
Please join us in welcoming CFR's newest team members!
Notice anything different? A new logo perhaps, or perhaps you’ve found your way to our new website? As you’ve likely heard, the past few months were full of exciting transitions and changes for Community Financial Resources (CFR). Beyond launching a new website, we have been working with funders and partners to expand our COVID-19 Emergency Response Program. In April, we gave CFR’s Founder and Executive Director of 17 years, Lauren Leimbach, a proper (and socially distant) send-off as she transitioned to the organization’s Board. In May, we welcomed Parisa Esmaili as she stepped into the role of Executive Director. All the while, our team has been significantly expanding; please join us in welcoming CFR’s newest team members!
Ann is an experienced nonprofit leader with a background in strategic planning and growing programs within the education, college access, and youth development sectors. Prior to joining CFR, Ann spent nearly nine years at First Graduate, a San Francisco nonprofit supporting students to become the first in their families to graduate from college. During her tenure there, she was instrumental in growing the organization’s capacity to serve more youth, while developing long-standing strategic partnerships with families, partners, and funders. Ann also has extensive experience in the direct social service and education sectors through her work in schools, grassroots organizations, and large nationwide nonprofits.
Ann joined the CFR team in early 2020 and serves as the National Director of Partners & Programs. She is thrilled to be part of the talented and passionate CFR team and looks forward to her future work with the staff and board. Ann’s previous experiences providing financial advising to low-income students and families as they navigated the complex education financial aid process, combined with her commitment as an advocate for equity, guide her work at CFR. During her first three months with CFR, Ann has enjoyed meeting CFR’s partners across the nation, and learning about the impact each partner is having within their local community. As part of CFR’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ann has collaborated with colleagues to design systems that allow for the disbursement of emergency cash assistance and is working closely with partners to ensure the emergency assistance gets to individuals and families quickly and safely.
In her free time, Ann serves as a Board Member on the Development Committee for Oasis Legal Services, a nonprofit that provides immigration services to LGBT individuals. She also volunteers as an open water swim coach with Water World Swim. Ann lives in the Bay Area with her partner.
Ann has a Bachelors Degree from Bradley University and a Masters of Social Work from the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Anthony joins CFR with previous experience in the public sector as well as the financial industry. He has volunteered with Centro Legal De La Raza’s employment and housing clinics and is a staunch advocate of the working class and the financially marginalized. In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his dog Bourbon.
Anthony was excited to join the CFR team in March as a Product Operations Associate. In this role, he assists in monitoring products and implementation of associated programs and applications. He also helps with CFR’s partners and product users with direct service.
Anthony holds a Masters of Public Administration from California State University at East Bay, where he also earned a Bachelors’s Degree in International Studies.
Claire comes to CFR with a diverse background within non-governmental organizations and family foundations and a passion for addressing issues concerning the environment, human rights, and economic justice. Most recently, Claire was working in institutional giving for the Environmental Defense Fund and has held positions in administration, development, and communications working for similar NGOs. In 2018, Claire had the pleasure of serving as a Youth Representative for RSHM NGO at the United Nations, where she performed a variety of tasks within the civil society network to influence global policy on behalf of marginalized communities. In her free time, she volunteers with UNICEF UNITE and the United Nations Association of the USA, hikes, and practices yoga.
Claire gladly joined the CFR team as a Development and Evaluations Associate in April; she is assisting the team in all things relating to development and communications and also acts as CFR’s administrative manager. She is thrilled to advance her skills within an organization dedicated to creating a more just financial marketplace.
Claire has a Bachelors Degree in International Studies from Marymount Manhattan College.
