Firefighter Youth Academy

sfary

SUPPORT
FOR ACTIVELY RISING YOUTH

Board of Directors

Battalion Chief Byron Berhel (Retired)

Chief Byron Berhel is the design architect behind the concept of the Firefighter Youth Academy. During the course of his 30 year career, Chief Berhel recognized a growing need in many of the neighborhoods of Richmond. Youth were often both the victims and perpetrators of violent crime and other unacceptable social behavior. He noticed that youth who resided in these distressed communities had the usual curiosity about the activities of firefighters and launched the Firefighter Youth Academy. He has served on numerous county, regional, and federal public safety committees, raising millions of grant dollars for programs that are still in existence today. Chief Berhel is passionate about his service beyond his employment with the Richmond Fire Department and seeks to share the successful Firefighter Youth Academy concept with other communities.

Ms. Deborah Berhel

Deborah Berhel is the co-founder and project manager of several of our youth development programs. Ms. Berhel serves as a mentor and counselor providing academic and social guidance for our student-cadets. She is an alumni of University of California Los Angeles and is currently expanding her education to include a degree in psychology so that she can be of greater assistance to our youth and children.

Ms. Cheryl Maier

Cheryl Maier is Business Services Manager for the Oakland Private Industry Council. Her prior experience was as Executive Director of a non-profit agency in Richmond, CA, with initiatives in youth employment, economic and community development, and violence prevention. She also previously worked for the City of Richmond, Contra Costa College and Peralta College District in planning and management capacities for employment training programs. Cheryl has 30 years of experience as a grantwriter and project manager and serves on the Boards of many non-profit agencies, including the Brookside Foundation, the Richmond Chamber of Commerce, the Youth Services Bureau and Richmond Friends of Recreation.

Dr. Aleisha Dobbins Ph.D

Dr. Aleisha Dobbins is an accomplished scientist with over 13 years experience in the pharmaceutical/biotechnology industry. An Ohio native, Dr. Dobbins holds a Bachelor of Science in Zoology and Chemistry from Alabama A & M University and a Ph.D. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology with emphasis in Genomics and Bioinformatics from the Howard University. She was honored as one of the California North Bay Business Journal’s “Top Forty Under 40” in 2012 and was a graduate of the first Executive MBA Cohort from Sonoma State University.

Dr. Dobbins’ doctoral research was completed through collaborative project she initiated between Howard University, the University of Pittsburgh (Pittsburgh Bacteriophage Institute), and Carnegie Mellon. She was awarded the 2006 Council of Historically Black Graduate Schools/UMI Most Outstanding Dissertation Award and her work is heavy cited within and throughout the scientific community, she is published in the Journal of Bacteriology, and as part of the 2004 Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center’s Projects in Scientific Computing Annual Report. Her research experiences also included work at the National Institutes of Health, the Wake Forest University/Bowman Gray School of Medicine, the University of Minnesota Schook Veterinary Pathobiology Laboratory, and the Howard University’s Cancer Center.

Dr. Dobbins is a frequent speaker for training programs, meetings, conferences, youth development and STEM initiatives. She is an active leader in the community whose volunteer efforts and professional affiliations are numerous. Among these commitments, she serves on the Board of Directors for Support For Actively Rising Youth (SFARY); as a mentor for the International Center for Professional Development’s Scientist Mentoring & Diversity Program (SMPD); and Dr. Dobbins is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Incorporated and The Links, Incorporated.

Battalion Chief Kieth Cormier,

Contra Costa County Fire Protection District

Keith J. Cormier is a Battalion Chief in the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District with over 28 years of service. He is a past president of the Contra Costa Black Firefighters Association and between the years of 2001-2007 he served as Director for the Southwest Region of the International Association of Black Professional Firefighters also serving as a National Board member. During his tenure in the fire service he has held the ranks of Fire Captain/Paramedic, Fire Training Captain, Fire Engineer, Fire Academy Instructor and Firefighter. He has served as a Big Brother and instructor for the Los Medanos College Fire Academy. He lives in Lafayette and devotes most of his time to his wife and two children.

Battalion Chief Rico Rincon,

Richmond Fire Department

Captain Rico Rincon started his fire service career in 2002 and has spent more than 16 years with the Richmond Fire Department serving as a Firefighter, Engineer, and Fire Captain. He has also served as the Public Information Officer for 10 years. He currently works to provide Fire Suppression, Hazardous Materials mitigation, and Technical Rescue support to the citizens of Richmond.

Captain Rincon was recognized as the Richmond Fire Department Firefighter of the Year in 2006 for working with a team to develop an automatic aide response program. This program ensures that the closest fire unit is dispatched to an emergency notwithstanding of jurisdictional borders. In 2011, after responding to Hurricane Irene, Captain Rincon received a Resolution of Appreciation from the Essex County, NY, for training their disaster response team in the Incident Command System.

Captain Rincon is a strong advocate of firefighter safety and works with the IAFF Local 188 to improve firefighter working conditions and safety. He is the current President of the Richmond Professional Black Firefighters Association serving for over 5 years. He also serves as the Executive Director of the Richmond Youth Academy.

program staff

Nick Berhel

Chief Operations Officer

Nick Berhel is the Chief Operating Officer of Support for Actively Rising Youth (SFARY) and the Firefighter Youth Academy, where he oversees strategic program expansion, operations, community partnerships, and youth engagement across multiple sites in the Bay Area.

With over a decade of experience in the private sector, Nick brings a deep background in cloud technology, project management, and go-to-market strategy skills honed while working in sales and account management roles for high-growth startups and publicly traded technology companies. His career equipped him with the tools to scale complex initiatives, manage cross-functional teams, and drive meaningful impact, skills that now fuel his work in the nonprofit space.

A Bay Area native, Nick earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Southern California, where he developed an interest in media, marketing, and communications and was also a proud member of the USC Trojan baseball team.

Today, Nick is driven by a mission to inspire the next generation of diverse community leaders. His connection to the Firefighter Youth Academy runs deep, he’s witnessed the organization’s evolution for decades, starting with the work of CEO Byron Berhel, who laid the foundation for empowering youth in some of the Bay Area’s most underserved communities.

Lisa Grant-Dawson

Chief Financial Officer

Lisa Grant-Dawson is a seasoned Business professional specializing in driving change in

challenged organizations and environments. She has a wealth of experience in corporate

accounting & finance, organizational development, and operations management with

leverageable skills that have served her in her corporate, governmental, and non profit roles.

She is also on track to complete her Executive Coaching certification in August 2023, from the

Berkeley Executive Coaching Institute. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees in Business

Management.

As with many urban school district’s, challenges with finance, operations, and compliance, heightened areas of liability serve as distinct distractions from meeting and exceeding academic outcomes for students; thus, placing the community at risk for future growth and development. It has been her joy as a servant leader to lead and be part of teams that have significantly changed the trajectory of these communities through strong visioning by the Superintendent, bold decision making by the Board of Trustees, and passionate pleas and push for improved whole child experiences from the community.

Ms. Grant-Dawson is also very active in her service organizations who serve local and global

community efforts. She has served in elected and appointed roles in these organizations, which

has included working with for and non profit organizations in partnership with the organizational

goals of these organizations. She is grateful for the variety of experience in different industries

and service organizations which have included an array of opportunities and challenges that

serve as the catalyst for improving outcomes through mission driven work.

Ms. Grant Dawson highlights her recent growth in leadership during the pandemic, where roles

and expectations changed rapidly and exponentially while serving not only the most vulnerable

members in our community, but also the adults who care for them at home and at school.

Leading during this period provided a new depth in not only solution based strategic thinking

with empathy, but also prioritization with higher compassion and focus on mental and physical

wellness. Ms. Grant-Dawson thoroughly enjoys developing and coaching others and is

appreciative of the unique opportunities she has in being a partner in this work. She is an active

member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she is the current President of the Solano

Valley Alumnae Chapter, recently completed 23 years as an active member of the Greater

Vallejo Chapter of Jack and Jill of America, Inc., and is a member of the Mount Calvary Baptist

Church in Fairfield, Ca. Ms. Grant-Dawson’s is the very proud mother of two dynamic college

educated and adulting young professionals Mahogany and Malichi Dawson and a 2023

graduating high school senior, Malik Dawson. She is grateful to have raised young adults who

are thriving and becoming incredible assets and servants in their respective communities.

Christina Carter

Program Manager (Oakland FYA)

Christina Carter is a Bay Area native and a dedicated educator, mentor, and community leader with more than 25 years of experience supporting youth development and expanding educational opportunities. Her professional background includes work across K 12 education, high school administration, and adult education, where she has focused on helping students of all ages build the skills and confidence needed for long term success. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Education and a Master of Science in Education Technology.

As Program Manager of the SFARY Firefighter Youth Academy, Christina is committed to helping young people develop leadership, discipline, teamwork, and a strong sense of service to their communities. She believes that structured programs, mentorship, and positive role models play a critical role in shaping young people and preparing them for future careers.

Throughout her career, Christina has worked to create programs and opportunities that empower youth, particularly those from underserved communities, by providing guidance, accountability, and exposure to meaningful career pathways. Her work reflects a deep commitment to mentorship, community engagement, and preparing young people with the leadership skills and character needed to positively impact their communities.

Javon Phillips

Program Manager (CCCFYA)

Javon Phillips is a native of San Francisco, CA. Most of his previous work experience has been working in the public, private and nonprofit sectors. Mr. Phillips is goal oriented, solution based, driven, determined and a highly focused individual who brings energy, passion, excitement, and purpose into both his personal and professional life. After completing his primary and secondary education in San Francisco, he attended Morehouse College, graduating with his B.A in Humanities and Social Sciences in 2018. During his time, he was a collegiate student athlete and participated in numerous social clubs and student affairs. Some of his passions and hobbies include music, reading, sports, poetry, philosophy, creating art, traveling, exercising, world history, philanthropy and technology. Mr. Phillips also enjoys creating projects and campaigns focused around social and environmental justice. As a change agent, he has a passion for helping underserved communities and helping young adults achieve social and economic mobility. Mr. Phillips also enjoys studying the impacts of social issues regarding housing, education, mental health and economic disparity.

In the past few years, Mr. Phillips has been actively participating in social and activist groups and programs such as Oakland Global Shapers, X Inspired Dreamers and Code2040. Mr. Phillips has recently worked as an Executive Assistant and a Project Manager. His willingness to learn, problem solve and create innovative ideas is one of his greatest strengths. Mr. Phillips has many goals and aspirations and wants to continue to impact future generations as well.

Jamal Chtaini

Firefighter & SFARY Youth Mentor (CCCFYA)

Jamal Chtaini is a dedicated firefighter and youth mentor for SFARY, bringing both passion and purpose to everything he does. At 29 years old with three years of experience in the fire service, Jamal is committed to protecting his community and inspiring the next generation through mentorship and leadership.

Growing up immersed in sports, Jamal developed a deep respect for teamwork, discipline, and pushing beyond limits—traits that continue to drive his work today. Whether responding to emergencies or guiding young people through life’s challenges, he leads with integrity, resilience, and a grounded, approachable spirit.

At SFARY, Jamal serves as a role model for youth, helping them build confidence, learn life skills, and see what’s possible when they commit to growth and community service. His mission is simple: to serve with heart, show up with purpose, and help others find the strength within themselves.

Troy Skillman

Academy Director (CCCFYA)

Troy has devoted the last 29 years of his life to the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District.
Over the years, he has risen through the ranks, ultimately achieving the position of Fire Suppression Captain.

His commitment to the profession extended beyond active firefighting as he served in the Fire Department's Training Division, where he played an integral role in teaching and mentoring new firefighters, as well as providing continuing education for experienced personnel.

Troy’s leadership and dedication to the fire service are also reflected in his involvement with the Contra Costa Black Firefighter Association, where he served as a past president. He has always been passionate about community involvement, particularly with youth programs, where he actively participates in helping to guide and mentor the next generation.

Troy Skillman’s lifelong dedication to his community, family, and career continues to inspire those around him. He strives to be an example of excellence in both his professional endeavors and personal life.

Vince Webster

Program Manager (Fairfield FYA coming soon!)

Vince Webster was born in a military hospital in the State of Maine in 1962. Shortly afterward
his Father, U.S. Air Force Chief Master Sergeant Lloyd Webster Sr., transferred his family to
Travis Air Force Base until he retired in Fairfield, Ca. Vince was raised in Fairfield where he
attended Elementary, Grammar and High School. After working various jobs as a teenager,
Vince eventually earned his emergency medical technician certificate, and went to work for
Medic Ambulance Service in Vallejo, Ca.

While he worked at Medic Ambulance Service, Vince attended college (including paramedic
school), and served as a volunteer firefighter. In 1983, he was hired in Southern Marin County
as a firefighter-paramedic, where he worked for 15 years, eventually promoting to the position
of battalion chief. In 1997, he transferred to his home town of Fairfield as a chief officer. Vince
eventually retired as the Chief of the Fairfield Fire Department, serving a total of 32 years in the
first responder service. Vince holds an associate’s degree in fire technology, a bachelor’s
degree in business management, and a master’s degree in emergency services management.
In his retirement, he teaches part time at Solano Community College, volunteers for several
organizations, including his local church, community non-profit organizations, and Firefighters
For Christ International. He spends most of his time with his Wife, Sheila, and the rest of his
family, especially his wonderful 4-year-old granddaughter Luna.

Taylor Queen

Assistant Academy Director (RM-FYA)

Taylor Queen is a dedicated former cadet of the RMFYA, having joined the academy in 2019 and steadily advancing through its ranks. She currently serves as the Assistant Program Manager for the Robbin Mackbee Firefighter EMS Youth Academy and leads the organization’s community outreach initiatives. In this capacity, she focuses on delivering Youth Development programs for the RMFYA. Additionally, Taylor plays a key role as the head instructor for Vallejo Public Safety Classes, where she is committed to imparting life-saving knowledge to the community.

Taylor is employed as an EMT at Medic Ambulance Company and is preparing to attend paramedic school with the ultimate goal of becoming a Vallejo Firefighter. She is passionate about applying the skills and knowledge she has gained in various fields, including youth development, community outreach, and her future career in public safety.

Crystal Fraire Arroyo