Board Member

Meet Our Board Members

Diocelina Chavez-Gonzalez – Board Chair

Diocelina Chavez-Gonzalez is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is an Ethnic Minority Mental Health Specialist, with a focus on the Latino population. Serving in some capacity to help and support the underserved and help provide access to mental health support to all, has been a mission of hers since she began her journey of becoming a therapist. When she first began practicing mental health, about nine years ago, she began working in a Community Mental Health center where she served many low-income families, kids, teens and young adults. It was there where she discovered that the disparities were much greater than expected and tried her best to get involved in the community.

In her time there she provided Psychological education, workshops, presentations, facilitated consultation groups for Latino therapists and all other therapists in my office, provided supervision, helped translate forms and assessments into Spanish, connected with local community centers and supports, connected with the mayor in which the community mental center was located and helped bridge a connection with the community. Now that she practices mental health in private practice, she has been looking for ways to continue connecting with and supporting the community.

“Being part of Project Be Free feels like a natural next step. Project Be Free stands for a lot things that I believe in, which is its belief in providing access and support to those in need, as soon as possible and as effectively as possible, with providers and leadership that are diverse and equitable, and it’s commitment to build and connect with the community and the amazing resources that are already out there, while filling in any holes that may be missing.”

Clarissa Bulosan – Secretary

Clarissa Bulosan believes that when we uplift and empower each other, we can create a more thoughtful and caring world. Clarissa is a Senior Geographer at Expedia Group. Born and raised on the island of Kauai, Hawaii, Clarissa was exposed to community service at a young age through her parents.

While attending Central Washington University, Clarissa completed the Bonner Leader AmeriCorps Program where she served over 450 hours with the American Red Cross. In 2011, she graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Studies Geology. Between 2015 and 2019, Clarissa served as a Seattle Puget Sound Steward with EarthCorps where she led volunteer groups in environmental restoration projects along the Duwamish River. In her spare time, Clarissa enjoys being outdoors, cooking, and caring for her garden. Clarissa now resides in West Seattle with her husband and pets.

David McDonald – Board Member

David McDonald is the owner of DMD Real Estate. He is an established agent has served the greater Seattle community for more than four years and has made his impact by being a premiere lender to both residential and commercial clients. “We help you when others say they can’t,” is a slogan that he lives by and for which he has received numerous awards in customer service and lending in Seattle’s prime neighboring metropolitan cities.

Being an individual with immigrant parents from Germany and Jamaica, David was always taught through his parents to work hard and that there are no limits to life.

“My public service goal is to be inspired by others and listen. Help others achieve higher levels of greatness through self-discovery, mastery, and be a giver to those around me.” 

Nicol Mack – Board Member

Nicol Mack is a native of Seattle and has worked at Boeing for 23 years. She believes when we invest our time in others; we are also investing time in our communities. “We all have a story that deserves a happy ending”.

Nicol’s goal is to help people and be an advocate in the community. I am excited to be part of an organization that I am passionate about. “Project Be Free” is an organization that will be around for years to come.

Juanita Salinas-Agulia – Board Member

Juanita Salinas-Aguila was born and raised in Seattle, WA. The daughter of Salvadorian immigrants, her family’s immigration story and childhood experiences drives her to commitment to racial, social and economic justice for communities of color. Her previous work experiences with women experiencing homelessness due to domestic violence has driven her passion to support survivors of gender-based violence and work towards access to equitable resources, supports, and services. She also has several years of experience working in education and early learning access for children and families. Juanita brings strong experience in community development, education, and racial equity. She is a trained race-based caucus facilitator and is committed to equity and ensuring that community stakeholders are involved with decision-making processes especially for issues that will be impacting their lives.

Juanita holds a Bachelor’s degree from Western Washington University in American Cultural Studies, and a Master’s in Social Entrepreneurship and Change from Pepperdine University. Her current work is leading Washington’s first loan program for early learning providers, that brings economic advancement to small business owners across the state especially for BIPOC women.

Dr. Patricia Egwuatu – Board Member

Dr. Patricia Egwuatu is a first generation Nigerian/Ugandan American who developed a passion for practicing medicine during childhood as she listened to her parents tell stories about health care in their native countries of Nigeria and Uganda. She is a Pacific NW Native, grew up South of Seattle in Auburn. Attended University of Washington, Pacific NW University of Health Sciences for Medical School and trained at University of Washington Family Med Residency program. She later joined Kaiser Permanente Family Medicine Residency Program as a Faculty Member who co leads their Diversity Equity and Inclusion Curriculum for the Residency Program.

She practices comprehensive health care for adults of all ages, primary care, women’s health and pediatrics. Outside of medicine Dr. Egwuatu loves to spend time with family and friends. “I am a huge sports fan and love attending games and heading to concerts.” 

Erika Roldan Guzman – Board Member

Erika Roldan Guzman is the Director at the 1418 Youth Reengagement Program located at Seattle Central College. In her current role she focuses on serving underrepresented youth who face multiple life barriers trying to continue with their education. She also has served a diverse population throughout her 6 years at the college including adult ESL, ABE, GED students from different backgrounds, immigrants, refugees, and other groups who don’t always have the resources to succeed. Erika is passionate about helping others, committed to education, equity, and always goes out of her way to make sure her clients get the support needed.

 Erika was born and raised in Veracruz, Mexico and moved to Seattle over 13 years ago. She speaks Spanish, is family-oriented, enjoys learning from others’ experiences, and has a passion for accounting. 

 “It is very exciting to be part of the team at Project Be Free, an organization that aligns with a mission and values that I truly believe in”

Saroeum Phoung – Board Member

Saroeum Phoung has over two decades of experience leading Peacemaking Circles and working in partnership with the justice system and impacted communities to create successful and innovative diversion programs. As an innovator and inspirational leader, he has been guiding and building local and national movements around justice reform through Peacemaking Circles, system change, and community engagement.  He brings energy and humor to every initiative and has the capacity to create a culture of trust that sets the stage for authentic, sustainable change.

Through his lived experience as a Khmer refugee experiencing discrimination in the United States and as a former gang leader in East Boston, Saroeum was given a rare opportunity to transform his life, eventually becoming a leader and pioneer for a new restorative model of justice utilizing Peacemaking Circle Process taught to him in 1999 by Barry Stuart, Harold Gatensby, and Mark Wedge.  Saroeum utilizes his experience in Peacemaking Circle Process, system and community engagement, and personal/organizational development to help organizations shift their management approach to a shared collaborative model. He has worked in partnership with the justice system, schools, nonprofits, and business leaders across various sectors to problem solve complex internal problems and shift their approach from one that is punitive, to restoration and new possibilities.  Examples of his extensive work with both organizations and community include OneNorth Peacemaking® leadership development, alternative sentencing models, and restorative justice.

Amidst the challenges of violence, racism, and inequity, Saroeum brings about change in a deep way that incorporates both ancient and modern practices.  He offers his expertise around the nation to communities and organizations seeking to embrace innovative ways of problem-solving that explore the fullest human potential to mend lives, families, and communities.

Krystal Bautista – Board Member

Krystal Bautista is a Civil Rights Investigator for the City of Seattle’s Office for Civil Rights. Before joining SOCR in July of 2021, Krystal worked for the City of Seattle’s Police Department as a Community Service Officer where she had daily interactions with Seattle community members, business owners, and community organizations while responding to non-emergent public safety concerns. Krystal has also worked as an Investigator for Adult Protective Services where she investigated cases of vulnerable adult abuse for the State of Washington.  Krystal has her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a double major in Criminal Justice, and a minor in Political Science from Washington State University. Krystal was born in eastern Washington, she is the daughter of immigrants, and a native Spanish speaker. In her free time, Krystal enjoys camping and traveling with her husband, Hugo, and her dog, Theo.