Staff
Anne Ehresman—Executive Director
anne@projectcornerstone.org — 408-351-6424
Anne joined Project Cornerstone in January, 2008, bringing 20 years of non-profit leadership that includes fighting childhood hunger, preventing child abuse and developing housing and programs to help low-income families achieve self-sufficiency. Anne was previously Senior Vice President of InnVision the Way Home, overseeing programs serving 15,000 homeless and low-income families and individuals throughout Santa Clara and San Mateo counties. Anne is a member of the YUSA Family Strengthening Expert Panel and in 2011 received an award from the Santa Clara County Human Relations Commission. Anne holds a Master’s in Social Welfare from University of California at Berkeley and Bachelor’s degree from Brown University. Anne is an avid reader, loves spending time with her family and is an active volunteer in her children’s schools.
Ziem is an educational leader with over 20 years experience in the public school system. Her journey from classroom teacher to Educational Services coordinator, assistant principal, and principal allowed her to manage teams, programs, and policies with a focus on building strong relationships with all stakeholders and produce data-driven results. Her administrative highlights include leading staff through COI (Cycle of Inquiry), working with Special Education students, and implementing PBIS (Positive Behavioral Interventions & Supports). In 2011, Ziem discovered another way to empower youth while volunteering for Project Cornerstone in her two children's classrooms. Since then, she has remained actively involved with various aspects of Project Cornerstone, including volunteering as a co-chair/trainer/reader for the ABC (Asset Building Champions) program and coordinating Take It Personally parent workshops for her children's community. Ziem holds a Master of Arts in Education (Administration and Supervision) from San Jose State University, a K-12 Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with a minor in Music from University of California at Santa Cruz. Ziem was born in Viet Nam and raised in Iowa and California. She loves to cook while exploring ethnic cuisine, take yoga classes, sing, and spend time with her family.
Lori Maitski first became involved with Project Cornerstone as a parent facilitator for Taking Asset Building Personally (now known as Take It Personally) study groups in 2002, and joined our staff in 2004. She works with adult volunteers in the Asset Building Champions (ABC) and FUNvisor programs and is a facilitator for Take It Personally study groups. Lori’s prior experience includes teaching a bilingual kindergarten/first grade classroom and more than ten years of active volunteerism in her children’s schools. Lori enjoys helping other parents learn more about the asset approach to parenting, keeping track of her two adult children and spending time with her husband.
Brenda manages the Los Dichos program and our ever-growing work in supporting the Spanish-speaking community. She facilitates Take It Personally parent groups and conducts presentations in Spanish and English. Brenda holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from San Jose State University and a double bachelor's degree in Behavioral Science and Psychology from San Jose State University. She is passionate about serving the Silicon Valley Communities and being a positive role model for youth. Brenda has prior experience in the non-profit sector and working with the Latino population, as an after school program coordinator for the Cesar Chavez Foundation.
Mary's professional career began with an extensive background in high tech sales and marketing, but when she began to volunteer in elementary, middle, and high schools, she found her passion in mentorship with youth in health, fitness and educational access in the nonprofit world. Inspired by the potential to be unleashed via partnerships between youth and their adult and peer mentors, Crum believes strongly in the developmental asset model. Mary joined Project Cornerstone in 2013 and her primary responsibilities are focused on the Expect Respect anti-bullying workshops. In these workshops, Mary helps students understand how to identify and address bullying, and work together to create a supportive environment on their campus. She also is a Take It Personally facilitator. Mary earned her BA and Master of Public Administration degrees from Texas A&M University.
Kelly first became involved with Project Cornerstone as a member of the first parent study group in 2003. In 2006, Kelly joined the School Partnerships team at as a facilitator for Expect Respect. In 2014, she transitioned to the role of School Support Specialist where she works with elementary and middle schools to support the ABC program and the Middle School program. Additionally she is a Take It Personally(TIP) facilitator and trains and supports TIP volunteers.
Elizabeth Franco - Director of Development and Communications
elizabeth@projectcornerstone.org — 408-351-6425
For the last several years, Elizabeth has worked to establish Project Cornerstone at her children's school, working with the ABC program, Expect Respect and the middle school book clubs program. She has a passion for building strong communities and worked for over a decade with at-risk children and families as both an educator and a social worker. She has worked in elementary schools in East Los Angeles and San Jose, where she first began partnering with Project Cornerstone. Elizabeth has a Master's degree in Social Work from San Jose State University and a Bachelor's degree in history from Loyola Marymount University. In her position with Project Cornerstone she works to secure continued funding for our programs and to maintain communications with our community.
Michelle Onishi—Director of Administration
michelle@projectcornerstone.org — 408-351-6482
Michelle joined Project Cornerstone after serving as the ABC lead volunteer at her children's elementary school for five years. With a degree in business administration and twelve years of experience in database management and customer support, her skills help keep Project Cornerstone's countywide programs running smoothly. In her free time, Michelle tutors elementary school students in a math enrichment program and enjoys spending time with her husband and two teenage sons.
