Our Team – One Day At A Time

Administrative Leadership

Johnny Rodriguez: Founder and Executive Director

Jose Juan “Johnny” Rodriguez was born and raised in Brentwood, California. He has more than 20 years of experience working with youth, young adults, school administration and the community focusing on youth empowerment, conflict mediation and violence intervention. Johnny began working with youth as a Campus Resource Officer at a local middle school, where he met students in need of additional support. He began offering workshops, on his own time, to help them learn to make better life choices. Committed to helping youth change their lives for the better, Johnny founded ODAT.

Throughout his career, Johnny has received extensive training. He is certified by the National Safety Training Institute, LLC. and completed the Dialogue for Peaceful Change training by the Youth Intervention Network (YIN). In 2014, his work earned him an invitation to Belfast, Northern Ireland, to solidify a peacebuilding and reconciliation partnership with The Corrymeela Community, an organization dedicated to reducing global violence. This partnership has allowed ODAT graduates to travel to Belfast for a year-long internship at The Corrymeela Community. Upon their return, they serve as mentors to younger youth going through the ODAT program.

Johnny was elected to the Brentwood Union School District Board (serving from 2014–2018) and subsequently elected to the Brentwood City Council (2018-2022), where he served a term as the City’s Vice Mayor. He was named Brentwood’s Citizen of the Year in 2015.

While Johnny wears an array of hats, he is usually found working with youth on local campuses, meeting with community partners to create more opportunities for young people, or working with his staff to best serve his community and provide more opportunities to empower youth.

Sarai Espinoza: Development Manager

Sarai Espinoza has dedicated more than 14 years to serving and strengthening communities throughout East Contra Costa County and the surrounding region. Her journey with One Day at a Time (ODAT) began as a teenager and graduate of the organization’s youth program. She later returned as a volunteer and community engagement team member, steadily growing into a trusted organizational leader.

Today, Sarai serves as ODAT’s Development and Fiscal Manager, helping guide the organization’s programs, operations, and long-term sustainability. Her work includes grant and contract management, budgeting and fiscal oversight, personnel administration, program development, community partnerships, and the coordination of services that support youth, families, and individuals impacted by violence and other systemic challenges.

Sarai has also served on the Board of Directors for United Latino Voices of Contra Costa County, furthering her commitment to civic engagement and Latino community leadership. She is currently pursuing degrees in Accounting and Business Administration, building upon her extensive professional experience to create stronger, more sustainable community-based organizations.

As both an ODAT alumna and organizational leader, Sarai brings a deeply personal understanding of the power of mentorship, opportunity, and compassionate leadership. She is driven by the belief that investing in people and building responsive, community-rooted programs can create lasting change for generations to come.

Beyond Violence

Julie Anaya: Intervention Specialist

Julie Anaya is an Intervention Specialist with ODAT’s Beyond Violence program, where she works directly with victims of violent crimes between the ages of 15–25 throughout the East Bay area. Julie meets clients at the hospital bedside and continues to support them after release, working closely with them through the rehabilitation process by providing direct support and connecting them to community resources for a successful recovery.

Holding a degree in Administration of Justice, Julie brings extensive hands-on experience in community engagement and a strong commitment to relationship building. Her past experience includes working directly with victims of human trafficking, mentoring incarcerated youth and those on probation, and supporting ODAT’s on-campus, school-based programs over the years.

Deeply rooted in the community where she was raised and still resides, Julie is driven by a strong passion for empowering individuals and fostering lasting change.

John Mixon: Invervention Specialist/Community Engagement

John Mixon serves as a Intervention Specialist and Community Engagement with ODAT, where he helps support youth and families through intervention, mentorship, and community engagement.

School Based Programs

Dee Reyes: Community Engagement

Dee Reyes is a Community Engagement staff member working in the school based program. A native of East Contra Costa County, he was born and raised in Pittsburg.

Dee’s time with ODAT started as a volunteer in 2009, when he was part of ODAT’s Deer Valley after school group and engaged with the community through events such as the Brentwood Corn fest, Dia de los Ninos, and the annual Cesar Chavez community march in Sacramento. He became a staff member in 2010, initially facilitating after school groups within Antioch Unified School District and then working with ODAT’s Beyond Violence, a hospital based violence prevention program, and re-entry workshops for the formerly incarcerated.