Leadership Team

Vice President of Strategy & Innovation

David Danwing

With over 25 years of leadership in nonprofit management, child welfare, and human services, David Danwing is recognized for his commitment to equity, inclusion, and improving outcomes for vulnerable communities. Originally migrating from Mexico as a teenager, David’s personal journey shaped his lifelong dedication to serving marginalized populations and advancing access to quality care.

His career spans more than two decades with Los Angeles County’s Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) and Department of Mental Health (DMH), as well as executive leadership roles in foster family agencies, where he implemented trauma-informed and evidence-based practices. Most recently, David has led large-scale federal initiatives through Cherokee Federal, managing humanitarian and social service programs for agencies such as HHS, ORR, and ACF.

A respected leader and advocate, David serves on several nonprofit boards and as a reviewer for the Council on Accreditation, promoting excellence in service delivery nationwide. He holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in psychology and remains deeply committed to uplifting communities through compassion, integrity, and innovation.

Director of Human Resources

Mariana Escuti

Senior Director of Housing Services

Olga Flores

Director of Training

Ariana Garcia, LCSW

Director of Foster Care & Adoptions Administrator

Cora Gonzalez

Vice President of Development & Communications

Lauren Hall

Lauren comes to The Village with over a decade of fundraising and communications experience. She is dedicated to supporting the Village’s mission of providing trauma-informed, culturally sensitive services to children, homeless youth, and families so that they can lead safe, healthy, and productive lives.  A native of San Diego, Lauren’s career has taken her from Bristol, CT to Austin, TX, and now to Los Angeles, where she resides with her husband and two kids.  She is extremely passionate about advocating for our most vulnerable populations.  Lauren oversees fundraising and internal and external communications at The Village.

Director of UC-TFC

Maria Hernandez

Chief Program Officer

Deborah Hoffman, PsyD

Deborah is a clinical psychologist who has dedicated her career to understanding and treating individuals of all ages who are in need of compassionate, evidence-based, trauma-informed services. Her expertise encompasses crisis intervention, trauma and loss, child development, and effective parenting. She oversees The Village’s programs and works across the agency to ensure that every individual receives the holistic, fully-integrated and personalized services needed to meet their unique needs. With a strong interest in equipping the field’s future workforce, Deborah is highly regarded for the support and guidance she provides to students and clinicians who are new in practice.

Director of Quality Assurance

Adik Parsekhian, LCSW

Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Services

Alejandro Soria, LMFT

Alejandro Soria is a licensed marriage and family therapist with a lifelong commitment to supporting underserved and marginalized communities. As Senior Vice President of Behavioral Health Services at The Village Family Services, Alejandro provides strategic oversight to a broad portfolio of programs, including housing and mental health services for youth, families, and unhoused populations. With a background in education and a foundation in social justice, he brings a trauma-informed, culturally responsive lens to all aspects of service delivery. Alejandro is also the founder of HOPE Therapy & Wellness, a private practice in the San Fernando Valley known for affirming and inclusive care for LGBTQ+ clients. Deeply invested in advancing mental health equity, Alejandro’s leadership is rooted in empathy, advocacy, and a steadfast belief in every person’s right to safety, dignity, and healing.

Senior Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services

Claudia Torres, LMFT

Senior Director of Outpatient Mental Health Services

Sandra Unger, LMFT

Vice President of Administration

Lorena Vega

Founder & Chief Executive Officer

Hugo Villa, LMFT

With decades of experience working within the nonprofit and social service sectors, Hugo is recognized for his leadership in serving Latino children and families, along with his visionary efforts to end youth homelessness. His career began in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where, as a clinical psychologist, he was dedicated to helping those most in need, including the innocent victims of the seven-year “dirty war” that the Argentina endured into the early 1980’s. Upon arriving in the United States, Hugo became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) in the State of California and set to work helping children and families in Los Angeles’s most underserved communities. Those experiences underscored the urgent need for culturally sensitive services for Latino children and families, and ultimately led to Hugo co-founding The Village Family Services, where he continues to serve as its Chief Executive Officer.

Director of IT

Aaron Watts

Chief Financial Officer

Ivonne Wolovich

As The Village Family Services’ longest-tenured employee, Ivonne has worked with the founders to build the agency “from the ground up.” Her exceptional skills in accounting, budgeting, financial management and reporting have helped safeguard the agency’s financial stability and enable its continued growth. Ivonne possesses extensive knowledge and experience with the financial systems and requirements of government funding partners, including DMH and DCFS. She has successfully guided the agency through multiple administrative audits from government partners and oversees all internal and external audits conducted by the agency’s independent accounting firm.

Vice President of Finance

Jenny Zhang