Display:
Betty Banh
Staff Accountant
Betty is responsible for accounts payable, accounts receivable and other accounting functions. Before joining Community Vision in February 2015, I worked at First Place for Youth, a nonprofit organization which is to help foster kids build the skills they need to make a successful transition to self-sufficiency and responsible adulthood. Prior to First Place for youth, she worked as a bookkeeper/general accountant at Port Seafood, Inc.
Matias Bernal
Vice President of Development
Matias Bernal is a seasoned nonprofit leader and advocate with over 15 years of experience advancing social justice, immigrant rights, and community‑driven development across California. A proud queer Latino and undocumented immigrant, Matias has worked across sectors to build power and opportunity for historically excluded communities—including immigrants, LGBTQ+ communities, farmworkers, and rural residents.
He holds a Ph.D. in Organizational Psychology from UC Irvine, an M.A. in Psychology and M.S. in Criminology from Fresno State University, and four bachelor’s degrees in Criminology/Victimology, Spanish Literature, English Literature, and Political Science, also from Fresno State University.
Rooted in California’s Central Valley, Matias brings a systems‑thinking lens and a deep commitment to regional equity. He continues to mentor emerging leaders of color while advocating for lasting change at both community and structural levels.
Leslie Payne
Vice President of Program Strategy
Leslie brings more than two decades of experience advancing social change. Most recently, she served as an Initiative Director at the James Irvine Foundation, where she focused on access to quality jobs for people impacted by systemic inequities. During her tenure, she also focused on critical issues including housing affordability, equitable small business, civic engagement, and the arts.
Leslie’s professional background also includes work in financial services technology, community organizing, and philanthropic advising. She holds a bachelor’s degree from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Georgetown University. Based in Oakland, Leslie is driven by a deep commitment to creating inclusive, community-centered solutions that drive lasting impact.
Maria Castro Noboa
Human Resources Manager
Maria brings a decade of experience working in San Francisco’s nonprofit sector, with a focus on serving underrepresented and vulnerable communities. As an immigrant from Ecuador who moved to San Francisco in her late childhood, her commitment to service and community empowerment has shaped both her professional and educational journey. She earned a Master of Social Work from the University of Southern California in 2016 and recently obtained her SHRM-CP certification in 2025.
Maria has worked primarily at the intersection of program management and people operations and now focuses exclusively on building inclusive, people-centered workplaces. At Community Vision, she oversees day-to-day HR functions, including compliance, benefits administration, talent management, and training and development. A natural process and systems thinker, Maria is passionate about creating organizational structures that foster sustainability, equity, and impact.
Outside of work, Maria enjoys spending time with her husband Manny and their dog, Mila, diving into a good book, or enjoying her mom’s home-cooked Ecuadorian meals.
Margarita Mitas
Loan Closing Administrator/Paralegal
Margarita brings over two decades of leadership experience in the financial services industry to her role at Community Vision, with deep expertise in commercial and construction lending, loan operations, and legal analysis. Throughout her career, she has built and led high-performing teams, streamlined operational processes for efficiency, and successfully negotiated and closed complex transactions that support small businesses, real estate projects, and underserved markets. Her transition to community development finance reflects a purposeful shift to focus more directly on using financial tools to advance economic equity and social impact.
Prior to joining Community Vision, Margarita held leadership roles at major financial institutions. Her passion for community empowerment drives her work to expand access to capital in historically marginalized communities. Outside of her professional work, Margarita remains a dedicated civic leader in her hometown of Richmond, California. She serves as President of the Richmond-Marina Bay Neighborhood Council, is an active member of the Richmond Neighborhood Coordinating Council, and engages in mentorship, volunteerism, and nonprofit collaboration.
Margarita earned her Bachelor of Arts degree and a Paralegal Certificate from St. Mary’s College in Moraga, California.
Amy Johnson
Community Real Estate Consultant
Amy has over 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, centering community empowerment and ownership as a driving force in her work. She has worked across a range of sectors, including community-owned media, worker cooperatives, community land trusts, affordable housing, arts and culture, and progressive electoral campaigns.
A licensed real estate agent, she specializes in helping clients explore alternative models of ownership, including co-buying, co-housing, and housing cooperatives. Her passion lies in community organizing to ensure that the people and organizations who shape and sustain vibrant neighborhoods can afford to live, work, and thrive in the places they love.
Originally from the East Coast, Amy has called Oakland home for more than 15 years, where she is raising her family. She holds a BA in Communications from La Salle University and an MPA in Sustainable Management from Presidio Graduate School, with a concentration in economic development through community ownership.
