Board Members

Ignacio Ferrey

Board Chair

Ignacio Ferrey is a father, advocate, and long-time champion for equity in health and education systems impacting families and communities of color. With nearly 25 years of experience across fatherhood services, school-based health, leadership development, community health access, and public systems change, Ignacio has become a respected leader in Alameda County and throughout California.

Ignacio currently serves as the Associate Director of Health Access within the Healthy Schools and Communities (HSC) initiative at Alameda County Health. In this role, he leads cross-sector partnerships supporting youth and families through school-based health initiatives, immigrant health strategies, mental health access, and capacity building for community organizations. His work focuses on driving equitable systems transformation and strengthening public agency responsiveness to communities most impacted by structural inequities.

Prior to stepping into his Associate Director role, Ignacio expanded fatherhood services and teen programs at a Bay Area family service agency and spent eight years overseeing strategic planning for a Federally Qualified Health Center. Since 2013, he has also served as a key member of the Alameda County Fathers Corps, helping shape policy and practice change to ensure systems better support fathers of color.

Ignacio’s leadership extends across statewide and national networks, including the National Compadres Network, Gamma Zeta Alpha Fraternity, and the African American Latino Action Alliance (AALAA). A first-generation college graduate, he holds a B.A. in Sociology from San José State University, a Master of Public Health (MPH) from UCLA, and an M.A. in Latin American Studies from UCLA.

Ignacio brings lived experience, academic depth, and systems-level expertise to his role as Board Chair at Dads Evoking Change, helping guide the organization’s strategic direction, community partnerships, and commitment to father-centered equity.

Shomari Carter

Vice Chair

Shomari Carter is a lifelong Oakland resident dedicated to creating and maintaining vibrant communities. Shomari began his career volunteering countless hours for various community organizations, including McClymonds High School, the West Oakland Job Resource Center, and the North Oakland Senior Center. This service led to a role with the City of Oakland as a Community Capacity Builder, where he managed a series of events focusing on community empowerment and violence prevention.

Following work with the City of Oakland, Shomari accepted the position of Community Engagement Associate for the Office of Supervisor Keith Carson. As a Community Engagement Associate, Shomari managed programs that served the diverse populations of Alameda County, ranging from disaster preparedness to reentry services to housing and homeless services.

Shomari has also served as a non-profit Executive Director and is currently a Community Development Consultant working as a liaison between local government, non-profits, and small businesses. Shomari holds a B.A. in Sociology from Saint Mary’s College of California, graduating Cum Laude.

Jason Seals

Board Treasurer

Jason Seals currently serves as Department Chair of Ethnic Studies and Professor of African American Studies at Merritt College, where his work focuses on student preparation and development, innovative instructional practices, curriculum development, concurrent enrollment, and institutional learning outcomes. Prior to joining the Merritt College faculty, Jason was the Program Director at Leadership Excellence, a non-profit organization committed to educating and empowering African American youth for personal and social change.

Jason has over two decades of experience in youth service and community work. He has taught ethnic studies and manhood development courses at multiple Bay Area colleges and high schools. Beyond the traditional classroom, Jason has facilitated professional development and cultural sensitivity training for local schools, mental health agencies, and community-based organizations.

Jason is committed to social justice, so he carries on the tradition of the “activist-intellectual,” using his knowledge and experience to address critical social issues and empower individuals for personal and social change. Jason earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from San Jose State University. After serving children and families in the East Bay for several years, he went on to earn a Master’s degree in Africana Studies from University at Albany SUNY and a second Master’s in Counseling Psychology from University of San Francisco.

Jeremiah Jackson

Secretary

Jeremiah Jackson has 20 years of experience developing, managing, and implementing effective programs, policies, and procedures to maximize positive outcomes for people, especially students, via strategic implementation of goals, effective mentoring of people, and successful collaboration with community partners.