Nila is a San Francisco native that was once one of the young women that CYWD/YWFC aims to reach. Her mother was a heroin dealer and addict and her father struggled with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) from the Vietnam war. With the odds against her and no structure or support at home, she turned to the streets and connected with other youth who struggled with the same dysfunction. After her encounters with the law and being incarcerated in the juvenile justice system, she eventually found the right path when she had her daughter at the age of 18. From that moment, she focused on making a better life for herself and her daughter and success followed. Today, she is the Chief of Staff for the Transbay Joint Powers Authority which oversees the Transbay Program, a $6 billion visionary transportation and housing project that transforms downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay Area’s regional transportation system by creating a “Grand Central Station of the West”. She is an expert in strategizing and financing multi-sector public works projects and public-private partnerships. After solidifying the success of her children and her career, she has used every opportunity to show other young women that they can overcome obstacles and there are positive possibilities regardless of where they come from or their past experiences.
