Natalie was born in King City, CA and raised in the Bay Area after being adopted from foster care by a wonderful couple unable to have children. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Justice Studies from San Jose State University and was introduced to the nonprofit sector by working at a local non-profit, Fresh Lifelines for Youth (FLY) as a youth practitioner and later an executive administrator.
From FLY, Natalie began a new journey and helped launch a start-up in 2015 called Venture Leadership Consulting, where she supported the company’s daily operations, executive team, and consultants. Natalie has supported many nonprofits in the Bay Area, including CURYJ, where she provided executive support to the executive director and development team.
Natalie has been supporting non-profit work for the past 18 years and prides herself on her ability to manage multiple demands efficiently. Natalie resides in Hollister, CA with her husband, two sons and twin adopted daughters.
Palmira (Palm) Ramirez joined YLC as the QPI Lived Experience Advocate in 2023. In this position, Palm uses her lived experience and advocacy skills to support QPI sites on the best practices in engaging and utilizing lived experience in systems change as well as the implementation of QPI. As a young adult advocate, she has helped push for both laws and bills at a state and national level meant to improve systematic outcomes for young people involved in the child welfare system. As a young adult in care, she was part of New Mexico’s youth advocacy boards, LUVYA NM (Leaders Uniting Voices – Youth Advocates of New Mexico) and New Mexico Child Advocacy Networks where for just over ten years she advocated for the rights of her peers as well as herself and helped create systems change in New Mexico’s foster care system. She looks forward to working with all of QPI’s sites and building relationships as she continues to push for better outcomes for people with lived experience as well as create spaces for them to feel loved, appreciated, and heard.
Nathan Brown joined the Youth Law Center as the QPI Administrative Coordinator in 2023. Nathan has several years of experience working in non-profits and providing administrative support and research for advocacy projects. He graduated in 2019 with a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Bloomsburg University. After graduating, he dedicated a year of service to mentoring and tutoring high school students in Philadelphia for City Year. Through City Year, he connected with the non-profit Justice at Work, a pro-bono legal aid organization that assists workers in PA. Nathan worked as an Office and Program Assistant before coming to YLC. Nathan is excited to bring his passion for change and advocacy to the QPI team.
Kristin Moore joined YLC in October 2021 as the QPI Director of Business & Growth. Kristin has spent her career in the non-profit sector with over 25 years of experience in various leadership roles in the nonprofit organization, Road Scholar, and also serves as the Chair of the Board for The Wish Project, a nonprofit in Massachusetts that provides critical assistance to unhoused families. Kristin is excited to bring her experience in operations, communications, and fundraising to help further YLC’s mission.
Selina Weiss joined the Youth Law Center in June of 2017. In her role at YLC, Selina focuses on internal and external communications, development and fundraising, and day-to-day operations. Selina was born and raised in San Francisco, CA. She left high school at 15 and attended City College of San Francisco and graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor’s degree in Urban Studies and Planning. Before joining YLC, Selina spent five years working in communications and development at ScholarMatch, a San Francisco-based non-profit organization that aims to make college possible for low-income first generation students. Prior to that, Selina worked for the Mayor of San Francisco in the office of Neighborhood Services, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors for Supervisor John Avalos, District 11, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, and the San Francisco Arts Commission. When not working, Selina is a dedicated volunteer in the Bay Area arts community. She has spent over 5 years volunteering as a mentor and Board member at First Exposures, an organization that aims to empower Bay Area youth through photography, and over 2 years serving on the San Francisco Symphony’s All San Francisco Committee. Selina can often be found running around her hometown with a camera in hand, doing embroidery, learning to garden, and spending time with family and friends.
Will Radler joined Youth Law Center in March 2019. In their role as Director of Operations, Will oversees YLC’s day-to-day operations—from HR management and IT coordination through paralegal and event support—and plays a key role in informing YLC’s strategic operational planning. Before coming to YLC, they spent 5 years working with the Mental Health Association of San Francisco (MHASF) in both program management and operations/HR roles. While at MHASF, Will provided oversight for programs including a peer-to-peer mental health support call center, a transition support program for people being discharged from psychiatric hospitalization, and an employment support program for people with mental health conditions reentering the workforce. Across all roles, Will has been committed to work that centers the perspectives of people with lived experience, both in advocacy for systems change and in service delivery. Will earned their B.A. summa cum laude in Philosophy from Greenville University and was class of 2010 in Stony Brook University’s M.A. in Philosophy & Aesthetics program.
Kirstie Jetland joined the Youth Law Center in 2020 as the Administrative Assistant of the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI). In 2021, she became the QPI National Coordinator and served as the hub for communication, scheduling, and event management for the QPI National Team. As the Manager of QPI Special Projects, Kirstie now supports the growth of QPI through administrative oversight of the QPI Champions Training program and various new initiatives. Prior to YLC, Kirstie spent three years with UnitedHealth Group’s Payment Integrity division in both team management and project management roles. Kirstie brings these technical skills to the QPI team to support its mission of advocacy and change.
Terry Harrak has more than a decade of child welfare advocacy, curriculum development, training, and facilitation experience. She currently works on the Quality Parenting Initiative (QPI) and the Just Beginning Program (JB) at the Youth Law Center. Prior to her work at Youth Law Center, she served as Project Manager for Child Welfare League of America and Director of Youth Engagement for Jim Casey Youth Opportunities Initiative. She has testified before Congress and elsewhere on issues pertaining to child welfare. Mrs. Harrak is the author of Guidelines for Development of Foster Care Handbooks: What Foster Youth Have to Say and co-creator of Strategic Sharing: a curriculum for youth public speaking. Mrs. Harrak created The National Foster Youth Advisory Board in 2000. The group was instrumental in the movement to increase foster youth participation in policy and advocacy. In addition to her professional experience, Terry brings her personal experience with the foster care and juvenile justice systems to her work. Mrs. Harrak’s personal testimony was instrumental in the passing of the Foster Care Independence Act and John H. Chafee Independent Living Program. She was invited to speak at The White House alongside First Lady Hillary Clinton at the 2000 White House Summit on Foster Care.
Terry’s QPI Why
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