Dejeune Shelton

Executive Director
(209) 522-5103 ex.
dejeune@greatvalley.org

Dejeune M. Shelton is the Executive Director for the Great Valley Center. She started with GVC in 2008 as the Senior Program Manager. As the Executive Director she serves as the chief executive officer responsible for the day to day management and direction of the organization in partnership with the Board of Directors to ensure the quality of the programs, products, and communications produced meets the high standard of excellence of the organization.Prior to joining the Great Valley Center, Dejeune served as the President of the Westside Community Alliance (WCA), an organization focused on supporting communities and families on the Westside of Stanislaus County. She also served as a City Council Member for the City of Patterson (2006-2010). She remains active in her community, serving on the American Red Cross Capital Region Chapter Board and Stanislaus County American Red Cross Advisory Board.She received her degree in Sociology from California State University Stanislaus. Before joining GVC she was a graduate of the GVC Institute of the Development of Emerging Area Leaders (2005) and Great Valley Leadership Institute (2007). She is a Class II graduate of the Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum.  Dejeune currently resides in Patterson with her husband and two children.

Jaime Cortez

Program Coordinator
(209) 522-5103 ext.
jcortez@greatvalley.org

As Program Coordinator for California Connects, Jaime Cortez works to ensure that the Community Trainers do their work effectively and in a timely manner.Prior to joining the Great Valley Center, Jaime worked as an Inventory clerk for hospitals throughout California and as Assistant Manager for Movie Gallery. Additionally, Jaime’s background includes work in retail customer service and coaching tennis at Livingston High School with the Merced County Office of Education.Jaime is a Central Valley native, born and raised in Merced County. His education includes graphic design training and medial office training from Modesto Junior College and Kaplan College.

Bryce Dias

Program Associate
(209) 522-5103 ext.
bryce@greatvalley.org

Bryce Anthony Dias currently serves the Great Valley Center as a Program Associate. He began at the GVC as a student intern in the energy program where he worked with local governments to develop greenhouse gas emissions inventories. Currently, Bryce is working with local governments to identify energy efficiency and greenhouse gas solutions through the Green Communities program.Before joining the GVC, Bryce obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Economics from California State University, Stanislaus. Coincidentally, a large portion of the research he conducted for his senior project relied on publications developed by the GVC. Bryce decided to continue his education at CSU Stanislaus in part due to his dedication to life-long learning. He is near completing a Master of Public Administration (MPA) degree, and has served several cities as an intern during his time as a graduate student. Bryce is especially proud of his two-year service to CSU Stanislaus as a student leader, where he was named Student Leader of the Year in 2010.Bryce is a second-generation Central Valley native, born in Atwater and raised in Hilmar.

Kathy Halsey

Senior Director of Strategic Planning
(209) 522-5103 ext.
kathy@greatvalley.org

Kathy Halsey joined the Great Valley Center in 2011 as the Senior Director of Strategic Planning for GVC. She is responsible for strategic planning and program development for the Great Valley Center and the American Leadership Forum – Great Valley Chapter. Prior to joining the Great Valley Center, Kathy worked at AT&T for 32 years, most recently as a Director of External Affairs, responsible for government, business and community relations and corporate giving in the central valley. She is active in the community, including serving on the boards of the Modesto Chamber of Commerce and the Stanislaus Economic Development and Workforce Alliance. She is a graduate of Modesto Junior College and San Francisco University, where she received her degree in Organizational Behavior. She is a Class I graduate of the Great Valley Chapter of the American Leadership Forum.Kathy is a lifetime valley resident, raised in Hilmar, the same hometown of her both her parents. She currently resides in Turlock with her husband and two children.

Linda Hoile

Program Manager
(209) 522-5103 ext.
linda@greatvalley.org

Linda joined the Great Valley Center as a program manager in October 2011, where she works on communications, public relations, marketing and event planning. She writes GVC’s monthly e-newsletters, e-mail updates and press releases, as well as GVC blog, Facebook and Twitter posts, and assists with generating website and publications content.Prior to her position with GVC, Linda served as the marketing and public relations officer for Modesto Junior College for 12 years. She was manager of the Modesto Convention & Visitors Bureau for 14 years before working at the college, and her experience prior to the CVB was in chamber of commerce management.Linda holds a BA in Communications and Comparative Literature from the University of Redlands. In her leisure time she enjoys reading and participating in a book club, walking, gardening and leading Bible studies at church. Linda and her husband, Philip, live in Escalon, and their son, Robbie, attends UC Davis.

Desiree Cervantes Holden

Program Manager
(209) 522-5103 ext. 136
desiree@greatvalley.org

Desiree Cervantes Holden is the Program Manager for California Connects. She also manages the Great Valley Center’s websites and provides graphic design services for a variety of programs. Desiree has a background in systems and web administration and worked as a web design consultant for small business and non-profit clients. She is a specialist in web technology, information architecture, and creative problem-solving.Desiree was born in Modesto, and has lived here the past ten years with her family. She is active in the Modesto community, as well as a served as a Board member for three years of the Young Women Social Entrepreneurs – a young women’s leadership organization based in San Francisco. Desiree has an extensive history with the GVC, as a past employee and as an IDEAL alum (2004).

Erik Jaszewski

Program Coordinator
(209) 522-5013 ext.
erik@greatvalley.org

Erik Jaszewski is the Program Coordinator for the Green Communities initiative – working with local governments and student interns throughout the San Joaquin Valley to develop greenhouse gas emissions inventories, and reporting results to respective governments through coordination with GVC Staff.A graduate of the University of California, Davis, Erik holds a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Environmental Planning, Analysis & Policy. Before joining the Great Valley Center, Erik focused on active transportation as a member of the Transportation Planning team at the Sacramento Area Council of Governments.When Erik’s not working with GVC toward improving Valley residents’ quality of life, he’s enjoying the Valley’s abundant recreational opportunities such as bicycling, rafting, hiking, swimming and golfing.

Jami Westervelt

Senior Programs Manager
(209) 522-5103 ext.
jami@greatvalley.org

Jami Westervelt is the Senior Program Manager for GVC. She started with GVC in 2006 as a Program Coordinator, before taking on Chief Operating Officer duties. In her current role, she returns to program development and implementation but continues to work with the Executive Director to help ensure the administrative operations of the organization function smoothly.Prior to joining the Great Valley Center, Jami held positions at Merced County Association of Governments and California State University, Stanislaus. In addition to experience both managing a non-profit organization and administration, her background includes experience in the fields of transportation planning, journalism, and public relations. While in college, she also worked in summer migrant education programs on the west side of the Central Valley.is a third-generation Central Valley native raised in Gustine and life long Valley resident. She returned to her hometown in 2006, where she resides with her husband and their two sons.