Leadership
Meet our Senior Leadership and Board of Directors
Stacey Roth
LCSW
Chief Executive Officer
Stacey Roth has been with the Hillsides family for nearly 30 years. She brings a wealth of experience in program development and innovation, consistently placing families at the heart of her initiatives. With an unwavering commitment to enhancing behavioral health programs through a trauma-informed care approach, Stacey assumed the role of CEO in 2020 after a successful tenure as Hillsides Chief Operations Officer and Executive Vice President.
In this role, she was pivotal to nurturing and expanding all Hillsides programs, including the creation of the Behavioral Health Division, which included a centralized intake system, a professional development department, and a research and evaluation department to ensure Hillsides’ practices and approaches are measured, scalable and rooted in data.
In 2016, Stacey collaborated with other leaders to expand Hillsides through a strategic partnership with Bienvenidos, a prominent local child welfare agency, to found the Foster Care and Adoptions Program, transforming it into an indispensable service for the surrounding community.
Stacey’s leadership has been instrumental in expanding Hillsides’ footprint across various Southern California regions, including Pasadena, Baldwin Park, Downtown Los Angeles, Echo Park, Greater Los Angeles, East Los Angeles, and the San Gabriel Valley. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, she champions the transformative power of trauma-informed care, and its profound ability to reduce the length of treatment and improve outcomes for clients.
Committed to internal capacity building, Stacey led the charge to train all Hillsides’ employees in trauma-informed practices to extend the work Hillsides does with clients to internal teams. After over a decade, the organization continues to practice wellness in daily activities and interactions.
The roots of Stacey’s passion for this vital work trace back to her formative experience at the age of 17, where she worked at a sleep-away camp for children facing trauma and abuse. This transformative summer marked the discovery of her calling, inspiring a lifelong dedication to supporting these children and their families.
Stacey holds a master’s degree in social work from California State University, Los Angeles, and and a bachelor of arts degree in Psychology from George Washington University.
Gina M. Perez
Psy.D.
President and Chief Operating Officer
Dr. Gina Perez brings over 23 years of business development to Hillsides, with an expert lens related to prevention and early intervention. As President and Chief Operating Officer, Dr. Perez brings exceptional business acumen to her role, having steered research, training, finance, quality management, contracts, and compliance departments throughout her career.
Beyond her role at Hillsides, Dr. Perez has contributed significantly to mental health advocacy. For a decade, she served as co-chair of the L.A. County Department of Mental Health Advisory Committee and held the position of County-Wide Delegate for two years. Her commitment extends to various boards and committees dedicated to mental health and youth, including roles with the California Mental Health Advocates for Children and Youth and the California Alliance of Child and Family Services. Dr. Perez’s multifaceted expertise and extensive service underscore her dedication to enhancing the well-being of individuals and families in Southern California.
Driven by an unwavering passion to destigmatize mental health challenges, she tirelessly champions initiatives that prioritize understanding, empathy, and comprehensive support for those in need.
Rhiannon De Carlo
Chief Compliance Officer
Rhiannon De Carlo, with over 15 years of direct experience in Quality Assurance, serves as the Chief Compliance Officer at Hillsides. In this role, she oversees compliance regulations, develops policies and procedures to ensure adherence to contract requirements, manages and maintains contracts, and conducts analyses of contract provisions and audit trends.
Having been in the Quality Assurance field since 2007, Rhiannon transitioned to her current role after serving as a clinician. Her unique blend of clinical insight and regulatory expertise are vital to Hillsides’ ability to seamlessly operate and advance its mission and impact.
She holds a master’s in Marriage, Family and Child Counseling from the University of Southern California.
Carrie Espinoza
Chief Advancement Officer
Carrie Espinoza has been with the Hillsides family for over 25 years. She has navigated her career towards building robust relationships that advance organizational missions and cultivate unwavering donor support. Commencing her Hillsides journey in 1997 within the Community Resources Department, she excelled in fostering connections with the community and in-kind donors and creating memorable and enriching events for the children in residence. In 2004, she moved to the development department team as Assistant Director of Development where she deepened her relationships with donors while orchestrating compelling events to elevate Hillsides’ presence and raise the important funds to fill the necessary funding gaps.
In her current role as Chief Advancement Officer, Carrie orchestrates the generation of over $2 million annually, augmenting public funding for Hillsides programs. A recent triumph under her leadership is the successful completion of a $18.2 million capital campaign, enhancing the Pasadena campus as its footprint expands. She is well-respected among the donor community—overseeing major gifts, planned giving, annual support, grant management, corporate sponsorships, special events, communications, marketing, direct mail, and the fundraising component of support groups.
Carrie first developed a love for special events and fundraising after working with various schools throughout her children’s education and serving in board leadership roles, all which prepared her for her role at Hillsides. With over 30 years of experience owning and operating adult residential care facilities, she brings a wealth of expertise to her philanthropic endeavors. Her creative and strategic approach continues to shape Hillsides’ success in the nonprofit landscape.
Carrie holds a degree and certificate of achievement in nursing home administration from Pasadena City College and a Nursing Home Administrator License from the California Department of Public Health.
Correnda Perkins
LCSW
Chief Program Officer
Correnda Perkins joined the Hillsides family in 2017 and served as the Division Chief of Transition-Aged Youth Services and later as Division Chief of Community-based Services. She has since expanded her role to become the Chief Program Officer.
Correnda directs the development and implementation of Hillsides’ clinical programming across all divisions of Hillsides including community-based services, residential programs, young adult support, and foster care and adoption.
In her previous role as the Vice President of Community-Based Programs at St. Anne’s, she managed programs in the Family-Based and Mental Health Services departments. Prior to that, Correnda successfully led the Los Angeles TAY Collaborative, where she handled budgeting, reporting, presentations, and strategic planning.
Correnda is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, certified in Parent-Child Interaction Therapy and Managing and Adapting Practices. She holds a master’s in social work from San Jose State University and a bachelor’s in sociology with a minor in Spanish from the University of Redlands.
Greg P. Santilli
CPA & CIA
Chief Financial Officer
Greg P. Santilli brings extensive financial leadership experience from both the corporate and nonprofit realms. As the Chief Financial Officer, he oversees the financial aspects of Hillsides and its affiliate, Bienvenidos. His broad expertise encompasses financial reporting and analysis, financial planning, budgeting and forecasting, internal auditing, treasury management, and staff member participation in nonprofit finance, development, and strategic planning. Additionally, Greg oversees Information Technology and risk management.
After losing his only sibling brother to suicide in 2005, he became a fervent mental health advocate. This personal tragedy not only drew him to Hillsides but also serves as the poignant heartbeat that propels his compassionate commitment to the cause. He serves as an Advisory Committee Member for Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services’ Survivor After Suicide (SAS) Program, where he is a trained co-facilitator, attending monthly SAS drop-in meetings to provide hope and purpose to newer survivors of suicide loss. Greg extends his mental health and suicide prevention commitment through congressional advocacy efforts in Washington D.C., having been a board member of the Los Angeles Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Other board, treasury and chair involvements include the Los Angeles Catholic Archdiocesan Finance Council; Saint Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic Church in Santa Clarita, CA, where he led a capital campaign that resulted in the construction of the second-largest Catholic church in the Los Angeles Archdiocese; and the Santa Clarita Valley Food Pantry.
Before joining Hillsides in 2021, Greg served as the Director of Accounting and Financial Reporting for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and previously as the Chief Financial Officer for New Horizons: Serving Individuals with Special Needs.
A Certified Public Accountant in California with a Certified Internal Auditor designation, Greg received the CFO of the Year designation from the San Fernando Valley Business Journal in 2017. He holds a bachelor’s in business administration, option in accounting, from California State University, Northridge.
Iris Lopez
LMFT
Division Chief, Community-based Services
Iris Lopez, a devoted member of the Hillsides family for over 10 years, brings more than 25 years of invaluable experience to her role as Division Chief, Community-based Services. In this capacity, she oversees Hillsides’ community-based mental health services provided through Bienvenidos and Hillsides’ Family Resource Centers.
Iris initially joined Hillsides in 2008 as an outpatient therapist. In 2011, she transitioned into a managerial role and oversaw outpatient and school-based services within Hillsides’ Family Resource Centers. In 2012, as the CalWORKS Program Manager, she spearheaded the implementation of adult support services in the LA and East San Gabriel Valley regions.
Throughout her impactful tenure at Hillsides, Iris has assumed various roles focusing on family support and wraparound services. Before joining Hillsides, she served as a therapist for a community-based agency.
Iris’s commitment to helping others was ignited during her undergraduate internship, where she worked with women in domestic violence relationships. The profound experience of assisting these women and their children became the defining moment that set her on the path to a career dedicated to helping others.
She holds a Masters in Marriage Family Children Counseling from Pacific Oaks College and a bachelor’s in criminology with an option in Law Enforcement from California State University, Fresno.
Cindy Macias
LMFT
Division Chief, Bienvenidos Foster Care, Adoptions, and Permanency
Cindy Macias, a dedicated member of the Hillsides family for over 20 years, currently serves as the Division Chief of Bienvenidos Foster Care, Adoptions, and Permanency. In this pivotal role, she spearheads program operations, working closely with the Chief Program Officer to create and implement the Foster Family and Adoption Strategic Plan. With an eye on growth, sustainability, and diversity of services, she manages the development and implementation of the program’s infrastructure, ensures consistency in policies and procedures across sites and within the department, and maintains seamless adherence to state and county standards for out-of-home care.
Cindy brings a wealth of experience to her current position, having initially joined Hillsides in 2001 as a therapeutic behavioral specialist. She later transitioned into the role of marriage and family therapist intern before assuming a managerial role overseeing programs, staff, and services across the many Hillsides’ Family Resource Centers throughout Southern California.
Guided by three foundational pillars—Hope, Compassion, and Healing—Cindy embodies a profound belief in affording every individual the opportunity to heal, contribute positively, and inspire hope. Rooted in this conviction, she recognizes the transformative potential of a single person and a solitary moment as catalysts for tangible change.
Cindy holds a master’s in counseling psychology from Mount St. Mary’s College in Los Angeles and a bachelor’s in psychology from California State University, Los Angeles.
Casey Meinster
LMFT
Division Chief, Campus-based Services
Casey Meinster has devoted her professional journey to infusing hope and promise into the lives of those in need of intensive behavioral healthcare and support. Driven by personal experiences with the profound impact of suicide, Casey channels her passion into her role as the Division Chief of Campus-Based Services. In this capacity, she nurtures and oversees the Hillsides Residential Program, HillsidesCares, and the migrant children shelter program—collectively providing essential support to at-risk youth aged 6 to 17.
With over two decades of clinical and administrative expertise, Casey has navigated diverse roles in facility-based settings, spanning state hospitals in Northern California, juvenile treatment centers in Colorado, and residential treatment programs in San Diego, Altadena, and Pasadena. Casey’s commitment to transformative care and her unique blend of clinical and administrative acumen contribute significantly to the impact, sustainability and attune-nature of the Hillsides Campus-based Programs.
Casey holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Fort Lewis College and a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy from Alliant International University.
Jennifer Rui
Senior Director, Finance & Controller
Jennifer Rui joined the Hillsides family in February 2019 as the Senior Director of Finance & Controller, driven by her passion for serving children, youth, and families, with a particular focus on supporting the development and well-being of the family. In this role, she works closely with the Chief Financial Officer to oversee financial reporting and analysis, collaborates interdepartmentally to develop and manage the organization’s budget and forecasting processes, and establishes and maintains internal controls and financial processes. Jennifer’s passion extends to monitoring compliance for diversified government contracts and private contracts and grants, all of which are crucial to the sustainability and advancement of Hillsides’ mission.
With over two decades of experience in Finance and Accounting, Jennifer embarked on her non-profit journey in 2006, accumulating a wealth of expertise in various government contracts, including those from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health, Residential Program, Family Preservation Program, and the Foster Care and Adoption Program from the Department of Children and Family Services. Her expertise also encompasses contracts with the Los Angeles Homeless Authority, California Department of Education, and Head Start and Early Head Start programs.
Jennifer’s interest in this field sparked when her son was two and a half years old, as she embarked on her journey back into the workforce. During an interview with a nonprofit organization that serves teenage pregnant girls and teenage mothers, she realized the significant challenges many children and teens face within this context. Drawing from her own experiences as a mother, this became a defining moment in her career—motivating her to work for agencies that provide vital services to children and teens.
Jennifer holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Shanghai International Studies University.
Bhavna Bhakta
Director of Human Resources
Bhavna Bhakta has been a dedicated member of the Hillsides family for over a decade, amassing nearly 25 years of experience in Human Resources, including work with a global corporation and a tech startup.
As the Director of Human Resources, she oversees all human resources operations within Hillsides. Her role encompasses the development and implementation of policies, management of recruitment and retention strategies, overseeing compensation and benefits, nurturing positive employee relations, and most importantly, fostering an environment where employees thrive. At the core of Bhavna’s role lies a deep commitment to aligning the workforce with the organization’s core values and goals with a profound belief that sense of belonging is crucial for organizational thriving.
For Bhavna, her role at Hillsides transcends mere job description; it’s a heartfelt commitment rooted in shared values, a collaborative spirit, and a genuine passion, dedicated to nurturing environments that facilitate the growth and healing of children and families. When she reflects on Hillsides, she sees a steadfast commitment to excellence, a genuine passion to propelling the mission forward, and a deep appreciation for the exceptional employees who are the heart and soul of the organization.
Bhavna holds a bachelor’s in administrative studies from the University of California, Riverside. Her qualifications also include certifications as both a Society for Human Resource Management Certified Professional (SHRM-CP) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR).
Kristin Feltz
Director of Communications and Marketing
Kristin Feltz is a seasoned marketing and communications professional with a heartfelt commitment to foster transformative change that extends holistically to communities. Kristin joined the Hillsides family in 2022, stepping into the role of Director of Communications and Marketing. In this role, she compassionately steers the company’s brand through thoughtful marketing and communications initiatives including publications, internal communications, media relations, branding, advertising, social media, content marketing, and digital marketing. She is a servant leader who fosters a culture of empathy and collaboration through shared vision and mutual support.
Before joining Hillsides, Kristin held marketing leadership roles at various educational and mission-driven organizations based in Los Angeles, including First Media and Child360, of which she was integral to growing the companies’ expansion and impact. At First Media, she established the marketing department from its inception, which eventually shouldered the network’s launch and distribution to 80 million homes through the world’s largest traditional and digital TV providers; at Child360, she led the company’s successful rebrand which contributed to the expansion of business lines, generating a revenue growth of $3 million.
The driving force behind Kristin’s work stems from a profound personal ethos instilled in her at a young age—to fight for what she believes in and to serve others, with a particular emphasis on championing the well-being of children. In her role at Hillsides, Kristin passionately leverages her extensive background to advocate for the well-being of children, contributing to their healing and catalyzing a positive impact on their futures.
She has a bachelor’s degree in public relations with a dual minor in psychology and marketing from Marquette University.
