MEET OUR TEAM
Dominick Verrette
Executive Director
As the Founder of The Leela Project, Dominick is responsible for running all facets of the organization. Dominick has been dedicated to making a difference in the foster care community for over 15 years. During that time he has mentored over 50 at risk youth teens and has been a Court Appointed Special Advocate since 2009. What also seperates him from other Founders is that as a child he spent time in the system. An experience that helps Dominick understand the importance of helping young men find their way.
As a former athlete, coach, and mentor, Dominick has designed a program that bridges the gaps between community, academics, and athletics. A program that helps develop future leaders. This programs core is based around literacy, etiquette, and leadership. All areas in which he feels will help develop well rounded young men.
Dominick is also a Parks and Recreation Commissioner in the City of Corona and currently sits on 3 non profit boards that champion equity and education in low income communities.
He attended Centennial High School in Corona and lettered in Baseball and Football. He later studied Criminal Justice at Riverside College and was the editor of the school newspaper.
Audrey Jimenez
Treasurer
Audrey Jimenez spent most of her youth in Los Angeles until her family moved to Corona in 2001. She attended Centennial High School and later studied at California Baptist University. She began her career in Property Management in 2014 and is currently pursuing her real estate license. She truly believes that every child is one caring adult away from being a success story. This passion, along with her administrative background, is what drives her as our Treasurer.
Jonathan Belleso
Program Director
Jonathan has an extensive background in sales, sales training, public speaking, and critical analysis emphasized by his degrees in business and philosophy. Before the Leela Project, Jonathan held positions as Director of Sales for a team of 150, Regional Manager to a law firm, A trainer/presenter and closer in the business to business field.
Upon meeting Dominick Verrette, the team, and seeing what The Leela Project is all about, he quickly became a dedicated volunteer. During the 2020 Pandemic, Jonathan re-evaluated his priorities and passions which led to him being a full time volunteer and leaving the corporate world behind.
The Leela Project has become a second home for Jonathan and as our family, community, and impact grows, so does his dedication to the cause.
Dani Perez-Granado
Director of Grants
Librarian III, Corona Public Library
Dani is fourth generation Coronan, having attended Lincoln Alternative Elementary, Corona Fundamental Intermediate, and Centennial High School. She attended Pitzer College of The Claremont Colleges, graduating as a double major in 2006 with a Sociology, B.A. and a History, B.A. Having an interest in the arts, she became a certified special effects makeup artist at Make-Up Designory, Burbank which led to a short career in the beauty and effects industry.
Dani’s passion for history and social work brought her back to academia in 2009, when she started Library Technology courses at Citrus College to then transfer to the Master of Library and Information Science (MLIS) program at San Jose State University. While simultaneously working 2-3 jobs, Dani completed her M.L.I.S. in 2013. During the years of her graduate work she focused on archival studies which included an internship at the ONE National Gay and Lesbian Archive at University of Southern California.
Dani’s first public library job was at the National award-winning Rancho Cucamonga Library where she became part of the children’s programming team. In January 2014, Dani was offered a part-time position in her hometown, her heart, the Corona Public Library. Since then, she has received three promotions after becoming full-time in August 2014. During her years at the Corona Public Library she has served as a chair on the Inland Library System’s Young Adult Committee, helped to develop an annual conference for teen librarians, collaborated with staff to reimagine Early and Family Literacy programming at the Library, has been awarded numerous grants including the funding to start the library’s first makerspace, and is currently restructuring and expanding outreach services.
Courtney Silva
Program Director
An Inland Empire native, Courtney Silva, found her love for serving the community at the age of 14. Growing up in Fontana she attended the Jessie Turner Center After School Program throughout her adolescence. Through the mentorship she experienced at JTC she volunteered with the city of Fontana where she was recognized for her service in the community at such a young age. While attending A.B. Miller High she was fortunate to be a part of the Miller Dance Program where she studied and furthered her love for performing arts. This propelled her into studying nutrition management at the California Culinary Academy and furthering her education at Riverside Community College studying business management. During this time Courtney worked with Rialto Unified School District Nutrition Services as well as volunteered as a dance instructor at Hughbanks Elementary allowing students of low-income households to take classes and providing them with performance opportunities, all at no cost.
Soon after she applied that knowledge and wisdom working with at-risk youth at a private boarding school in the mountains of northern California. While there, alongside F.A.C.E.S.S., Together Freedom and New Day for Children, she worked hands on at a safe house where she mentored sexually exploited American girls, who have been trafficked here in the United States. That life changing experience allowed Courtney to expand her knowledge in case management and victim’s advocacy. She worked alongside industry professionals such as psychologists, doctors, FBI, Homeland Security, local law enforcement, judges, lawyers, several non-profit organizations and volunteers to develop a program that would help rescue victims off the streets and assist with their immediate needs while helping them plan for a better future. Together Freedom, also allowed her to work with social services, foster care agencies and group homes, naturally transitioning her into volunteering with The Leela Project. Courtney’s mission is to recreate that safe haven that provided her a strong foundation in life, in hopes of raising up a generation for a better tomorrow.
Bruce Harp
Board Member
Business Owner & Entrepreneur
Bruce Harp is a father of 5. He was born in Yuma Az and moved to the Bay Area when he 4 years old. He lived there until moving to Southern California in 2007 to create a better life for his family. Now at 38 years old, he is a successful business owner and entrepreneur. Even with that success, Bruce revealed to us that it’s always been about providing for his family and setting the right example for his sons.
Bruce’s life time dream has always been to be able to give back to the community and kids who have had a back ground similar to his. His life time dream is to set up a foundation to give away scholarships to children who have overcome traumatic things in their life.