About Us

Yolanda Duarte-White

Ms. Duarte-White has a clear understanding of the dynamic forces impacting non-profit management her 27 years of non-profit management experience led to the formation of Provision Services, an organizational development consulting firm, which was launched in 2003. Throughout a significant history of resource development, organizational planning and capacity building Ms. Duarte-White has developed major annual/capital campaigns, marketing and accreditation strategies, membership drives and performance management and organizational learning systems for national non-profit organizations; translating goals into results.

Ms. Duarte-White’s program development and evaluation experience includes issues such as advocacy, AIDS, cultural arts, conservation, health, research, workforce, social service, family strengthening, education and economic development. Ms. Duarte developed fundraising and marketing strategies to identify and reach new markets, built critical alliances through program development among worlds of philanthropy, governmental agencies and non-profit organizations. Ms. Duarte led critical internal staff development processes to build the capacity and infrastructure of major non-profit organizations.

As an executive officer and member of the management team, Ms. Duarte was responsible for program administration meeting and exceeding all contract performance requirements for major non-profit corporations with budgets exceeding $8 million dollars. The corporations consisted of two or more major divisions-contract performance was exceeded in consecutive years. As a member of the Knowledge Team and in her role as lead facilitator of Employee University, (LA City & County WorkSource Centers) and a member of the senior management team, she developed curriculum and provided instruction to build skills and staff competencies creating a forum for learning opportunities on-site and at partner sites to ensure integration and seamless service delivery and state and regional certification.

Ms. Duarte created a human service delivery system, Provision Supplies, located in Whittier, CA in 2003. Provision Supplies is certified by the State Food & Drug Branch, Department of Health Services and an authorized Medicare Services provider offering quality home healthcare products that contribute to an independent lifestyle for underserved individuals; making a difference in the quality of life of those served.

Ms. Duarte serves as founding member and officer of Casa Cultural, and Mexican American Historical Foundation, a Board Member of Alma Family Services and appointed to the following commissions and boards: Los Angeles County Commission of Historical Landmarks & Records, Industry and Huntington Park Redevelopment Dissolution Oversight Boards. She currently chairs the Maravilla Community Advisory Board; and has been an active member of the local business associations, past president of Maravilla Businesspersons’ Association and served as an officer on the Board of the ELA Chamber of Commerce for six consecutive years.

Benjamin J. Kahle

A native of Los Angeles, Benjamin has lived in many historic districts across Los Angeles. In 2013 Benjamin co-founded View Park Conservancy, which led a three year initiative to have the View Park neighborhood of Los Angeles listed on the National Register of Historic Places, which was passed in July of 2016. Comprised of nearly 1800 homes, View Park is the largest National Register historic district in the Country based on African American history, and the largest in California in terms of total property owners.

Benjamin resides in the renowned historic Doumakes House, the first historic landmark (Landmark #1), and the first home to be awarded Mills Act in all of Unincorporated Los Angeles County. Benjamin also has a deep knowledge of unincorporated Los Angeles County architecture.

Since the adoption of the Historic Preservation Ordinance on Sept 1st, 2015, Benjamin has become a leader within unincorporated LA County for residents who are interested in landmarks, historic districts and Mills Act contracts. He is regularly called to speak, assist or advise.

For his efforts, Benjamin was awarded an LA Conservancy Preservation award in 2017, as well as a commendation from the County of Los Angeles for declaring his home the County’s first historic landmark, and another commendation for his efforts in successfully declaring the View Park historic district.

Stephen J. Sass, Chairman

As a long-time volunteer in local historic preservation efforts, Stephen J. Sass has a demonstrated commitment to the protection of the rich historic resources of Los Angeles County.

He is Vice Chair of the Los Angeles County Historical Landmarks and Records Commission, representing the 3rd Supervisorial District. He is the author of several articles on historic and neighborhood preservation issues and has presented at annual conferences of such groups as the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the American Planning Association and Grantsmakers in the Arts. He has also been a consultant on exhibits at such institutions as the Japanese American National Museum and the Autry Museum.

Sass has also long been active as a lay historian of the Jewish community of Southern California. He’s served as president of the Jewish Historical Society of Southern California since 1989, and as founding president of its subsidiary, the Breed Street Shul Project, since 1999.

JHS documents and creates awareness of the history of the local Jewish community, which dates back to 1841. It collects archives, photographs and oral histories; sponsors exhibits, publications and guided tours focusing on the architectural and cultural heritage of Jewish Los Angeles and the West and works to preserve historic landmarks such as the Breed Street Shul, the last remaining synagogue in the Boyle Heights neighborhood. In reinventing Breed Street Shul as an active center for arts, culture, education and service, Steve has worked with elected officials at all levels of government and such groups as Los Angeles Conservancy, California Cultural and Historical Endowment, California Endowment, California Historical Society, California Preservation Foundation, California State Office of Historic Preservation, CRA-LA, FEMA, Getty Trust, National Trust for Historic Preservation, Save America’s Treasures, and Society of Architectural Historians.

Steve was executive producer and co-writer of “Meet Me at Brooklyn & Soto,” JHS’ award-winning documentary on East L.A.’s Jewish heritage, which aired on KCET. He chaired the Fairfax Community Mural Project, which resulted in a photo mural in the heart of the Beverly-Fairfax neighborhood highlighting L.A.’s Jewish history painted by seniors and teens.

Steve was editor of Jewish Los Angeles - A Guide, recognized by the Council of Jewish Federations as “Best Publication” and for which he personally received the Jeremiah Award, the top volunteer honor conferred by the Jewish Federation of Greater Los Angeles. In 2011, he was one of the first two recipients of KCET’s “Local Heroes” Award recognizing contributions to the Jewish community and to Los Angeles as a whole. He has served on the boards of the Jewish Federation, the Jewish Federation-Valley Alliance, the Jewish Community Relations Committee, Congregation Beth Chayim Chadashim and was on the founding board of The Jewish Journal of Greater Los Angeles.

A native Angeleno, Steve is a graduate of USC, where he majored in journalism and religion (Judaic studies), and of Loyola Law School. While at USC, he was editor-in-chief of the Daily Trojan. While in law school, he worked for KFWB and City News Service.

Professionally, Steve is Senior Vice President, Legal Affairs, for Home Box Office, Inc. He has worked in similar executive positions for Universal Studios, NBC and Comedy Central.

Carol A. Kearns

Carol Kearns’s lifelong interest in history led her to new ventures after her retirement from teaching. She is an arts and community activist, a freelance writer, and co-publisher of a small press.

As a seven-year board member of the Downey Symphonic Society, which has sponsored concerts by a professional orchestra for over sixty years, Ms. Kearns guided the committees for grant writing, publicity, and strategic planning; she also served as vice president. As a founding member of the Downey Arts Coalition (2011), Ms. Kearns served as treasurer and secretary, helping guide the production of free local music festivals, film festivals, poetry events, and live theater.

Ms. Kearns is a frequent contributor to her city’s local newspaper, The Downey Patriot. Her feature articles often explore the cultural history of the area as well as current social issues.

Ms. Kearns’s story about the 75th anniversary of the court case that ended school segregation in California (Mendez v. Westminster School District of Orange) was featured in the CTA magazine California Educator. The article included her interview with Sylvia Mendez, who was nine years old at the time of the trial, and pictures of Mendez High School students in East LA celebrating the event.

Ms. Kearns’s personal blog (CarolsMorningEcho) reflects her deep interest and commitment to Los Angeles and its history. Subjects include the Biddy Mason Memorial Park on Spring Street, Boyle Heights and the Evergreen Cemetery, Venice in the 1970s, the Los Angeles Library fire, the César Chavez National Monument, and the Tehachapi Loop and Governor John G. Downey.

Along with her husband, Ms. Kearns is an editor/publisher for Los Nietos Press. The small press takes its name from the Spanish land grant that was south and east of the downtown area, and “is dedicated to the countless generations of people whose lives and labor created the world community that today spreads over the coastal floodplain known simply as Los Angeles.” Seventeen works of various genres (poetry, memoir, fiction) have been published so far.

Ms. Kearns is currently president of the Downey Coordinating Council which is comprised of various civic groups and agencies whose representatives gather monthly to share their activities and remain updated about new developments in the community.

Ms. Kearns is a UCLA graduate with a major in History, a minor in Mathematics, and a secondary teaching credential for both subjects. She later obtained an elementary credential, and completed her Masters in Education at Cal State Fullerton with an emphasis on curriculum

Sharon Sand

Sharon Sand is an Urban Planner working on climate change adaptation, protecting biodiversity, and providing equitable access to nature, parks and greenspace. She works as Public Grants Program Manager for Trust for Public Land across California to identify and obtain public funding for conservation, public access to nature, and urban park projects in neighborhoods lacking parks. In this role she also provides feedback on state policy and grant guidelines related to funding land preservation and access to green space.

She is Chair of the Board of Altadena Heritage, which focuses on preservation of Altadena’s rich environment, architecture and culture. Before joining the Altadena Heritage board she was founding Chair of the Altadena Library Foundation and started the campaign to raise funds for the renovation of the main library designed by Boyd Georgi.

She worked in cancer genetics research for over 20 years on grant applications, project and team management, relational databases and international consortium database administration. She is author and co-author of multiple publications resulting from this work.

Sharon earned a bachelor’s in Psychology from CSULA and a master’s from UCLA in Urban and Regional Planning with a certificate in Design and Development and another as a Leader in Sustainability through the Institute of the Environment and Sustainability.

She lives in Altadena with her husband Charles in the home where they raised their two daughters.