The Core Team

Melinda Lankford

The Salvation Army, Lead Agency

Melinda came to the Long Beach site of The Salvation Army and took over as Lead Organization for the Core Team five and a half years ago. She is passionate about working together to learn and educate the community and helping survivors directly. She says, “Together we make a difference in the fight against human trafficking, The Salvation Army is proud to be part of the Core Team for this Task Force in our fight against Human Trafficking in greater Long Beach and the world.” Learn more about Melinda Lankford’s work here.

Sergent Chris Castillo

Long Beach Police Department
Vice Investigations Section

Teresa Gomez

Human Dignity Program Manager

6335 Myrtle Avenue, Long Beach, CA 90805

Sherri Harris

Department of Homeland Security

Sherri Harris is the Victim Assistance Program Specialist (VAPS) for Homeland Security Investigations’ (HSI) Los Angeles field office. Sherri has been involved in the anti-trafficking community for over 20 years in various capacities both at the Federal and local level. Sherri recently returned to So. Cal. from 8 ½ years in Washington DC where she spent four years with the Dept of Homeland Security’ (DHS) Victim Assistance Program as the liaison to the Center on Countering Human Trafficking and the Child Exploitation Investigation Unit. Prior to joining HSI, Sherri was a Project Officer at the Health and Human Services Office on Trafficking in Persons, where she provided oversite to, community organizations who received Federal victim assistance grants and ensured they provided trauma-informed, and victim centered services to the victims enrolled in their programs. As a VAPS, Sherri works with victims of federal crimes, such as human trafficking, child sexual exploitation and abuse, and financial crimes, identified in HSI investigations. A priority for Sherri is to collaborate with community partners who can support victims as they stabilize and start to rebuild their lives.
Prior to government services, Sherri spent 13 years building anti-trafficking programs in Orange County, Ca including The Salvation Army’s anti-trafficking program where she worked with over 250 victims of human trafficking. She was a founding member of the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force and worked to build a network of social service providers, legal entities, ethnic community groups, and faith-based groups able to work with victims identified in and/or living in the community. One of Sherri’s favorite aspects of her job is walking alongside victims as they progress through the criminal justice system ensuring they feel safe and secure in the process.
She has a M.Ed. from Azusa Pacific University and a Master’s in Public Health (MPH) from Loma Linda University. Sherri enjoys international travel and has been to over 30 countries and wishes she was fluent in Spanish.

Pamela Sepulveda

LCSW - Case Manager

For over 20 years, Pamela has worked as a social worker after receiving her Bachelor's in Human Services from CSU Fullerton and her Masters in Social Work from University of Southern California. As a Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Pamela has a history of working within public child welfare, school based social work, and with youth in crisis at a local youth shelter. Since June 2020, she has held the position of Manager for the Falcon Basic Needs program at Cerritos College. She and her team have created a basic needs center that links students to food, hygiene, housing, and financial support, in addition to on- and off-campus resources. She leads a team of staff to ensure that a student's basic needs do not create a barrier to their academic success. Pamela has been with the LBHTTF since 2012. Her dedication to the task force is rooted in her core beliefs of social justice, equity, advocacy, and service.

Mary Anne Silvestri

ESTHER Ministry

In 2014, a small group of St. Joseph parishioners attended a Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force meeting to learn more about human trafficking. After that meeting, ESTHER Ministry (End Slavery, Trafficking Humans and Effect Rescue) of St. Joseph Church was formed to raise awareness of Human Trafficking and provide humanitarian aid to HT Survivors and those at risk. Mary Anne Silvestri became a core team member of the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force in 2018. She is passionate about "collaborating with law enforcement, local government agencies and outreach organizations which are members of the task force to best help those at risk."

Malyneath Vong

Global Fashion Mission, The Project Foundation

The Project Foundation is based in Los Angeles, we specialize in bringing together a community’s existing anti-human trafficking efforts to build upon and create an infrastructure to help and sustain change. During the height of the pandemic, our team had the privilege to partake in spending time with the Navajo community in Gallup, New Mexico. This community is experiencing first-hand the traumatic impact of sexual exploitation and trafficking within their land. We experienced first-hand the injustice this community has endured. Support services for at-risk individuals and survivors are limited for Native American women and girls due to a lack of resources. They are an extremely overlooked and underserved population. Therefore, we launched Project Broken Arrow, this project specifically serves the community of Gallup by partnering with the Navajo Nation to help Indigenous women with housing and programs for mental health and wellness for survivors of human trafficking.
Malyneath Vong's family escaped the Cambodian Killing Fields on foot when she was just an infant. They were refugees from a war-torn country and were fortunate enough to come to the United States after being sponsored by a Presbyterian church from Maryland. They were a shattered family looking for a second chance at life.
She found her life's passion in two things: building businesses and advocating against exploited women and children.
Towards those goals, Malyneath has coordinated humanitarian relief for the people of Cambodia throughout poverty-stricken rural villages by distributing rice, clothing, shoes, and hygienic kits from 2005 to present. In recent years from February 2018 to March 2020 she served as the Executive Director for Fair Trade Long Beach. In the Spring of 2016, she launched Global Fashion Mission, LLC. an international distributor of fair-trade goods. Global Fashion Mission LLC. is a Long Beach-based business that collaborates with artisans in Cambodia, Thailand, and India to implement environmentally friendly manufacturing, fair wages, and skill-based training programs to empower families. She continues to serve as a core- team leader of the Long Beach Anti-Human Trafficking task force from 2016 to present. In March of 2020, she was awarded a medal of recognition for her work with Homeland Security Investigations in providing services to victims of human trafficking from Cambodia as well as organizing various fundraisers and community service events. Spring of 2021- 2022 she was appointed as a Commissioner for the Citizens Police Complaint for District 6 in the City of Long Beach. She currently serves as Vice-Chair for the non-profit The Project Foundation, an organization that combats human trafficking through education, arts, media, and community engagement. In the Summer of 2021, she spearheaded Project Broken Arrow and is the Managing Director, this project serves the Navajo Native American Tribe also known as " The Dine Nation" to provide housing and programs for mental health and wellness to survivors of human trafficking.

Mary White

Found and CEO for Gems Uncovered Inc.

Mary White first learned about Human Trafficking in 2009 while attending a women’s conference. It was at this conference that her heart was moved to do something about this horrible injustice. The injustice of what was happening in her city moved her to action. She decided to leave her Senior Management position of 39 years with a global organization, take early retirement, and learn from other organizations and law enforcement about Human Trafficking. She trained in Compton for Street Outreach praying and providing resources to the women and girls on the street.
Gems Uncovered was birthed in 2011. Street Outreach started in Long Beach and is now extended into the cities of Lynwood, Compton and Los Angeles. Mary opened the first and only Drop in Center in Long Beach in 2012 and developed a Diversion Program which is recognized and approved by the Courts. This Drop in Center is where the young women have a safe place to rest and receive services to help them leave the life of prostitution. Services such as mental health, shelter, clothing, a diversion program, education, and more, but most importantly, a safe place to have someone listen to their story and encourage them that there is something more for them.
Gems Uncovered is a member of the Core Leadership team for the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force. In addition, they have been recognized by:

• The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
• The California State Assembly
• Long Beach City Prosecutor's Office
• Chief Special Agents Association
• City of Long Beach Human Dignity Program
• LA County CSEC Champion by LA County Probation

Francesca Douglas-Franco

Founder and Executive Director of HumanSave

Francesca Douglass-Franco is the Founder and Executive Director of Humansave, a Long Beach-based grassroots nonprofit that provides specialized therapy to survivors of human trafficking (as young as two) and their families. She facilitates HT Awareness + Prevention workshops for at-risk youth, other services providers, businesses, and the community as part of Humansave’s mission to ignite communities to end the demand for exploitation. Francesca also serves on the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce’s Women’s Business Council Board, and was the 2021 recipient of the esteemed Long Beach Rescue Mission Emerging Leadership Award.
Apart from Humansave, Francesca is a Self-Connection + Fulfillment Expert, speaker, and consultant.
She was born in the Philippines, was raised in Long Beach, and currently resides in Portugal with her husband and two daughters.

Kit Katz

Dignity Health

Director of Community Health at St. Mary Medical Center
Oversees the St. Mary Human Trafficking Task Force
Background in social work
Lives in Signal Hill

Mariah Sewe

Survivor Advocate

Mariah Marple-Sewe is a resilient survivor and dedicated advocate against sex trafficking and trauma. From the age of 7 when she was molested, to the age of 17 when she was groomed and sexually exploited. By the age of 18 she was sold across state lines by her trafficker. After experiencing exploitation and trafficking, Mariah has committed herself to raising awareness and educating communities on this critical issue. She has undergone extensive trauma-informed training, earning various certifications and becoming a certified mentor, and shares her story through various media platforms and speaking engagements around the country which began her pursuit of shining light on this dark issue while opening the yes of the community around her. Mariah uses her story and educational trainings to advocate and empower human trafficking victims. Mariah partners with a non- profit called Gems Uncovered as a consultant, mentor and case manager to help victims transform themselves into Survivors with her Survivor Mentality mentoring program. Mariah has worked along side Homeland Security, Vice and PD to help rescue and combat human trafficking nationally and locally. She actively contributes to the Long Beach Human Trafficking Task Force Core Members and the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force, and serves as a Survivor Consultant for Waymakers OC. Mariah also provides consulting expertise to various human trafficking prevention programs, aiming to enact positive change in her community and beyond.