Joann Sanchez
Project Director-Third Party Administrator

Joann Sanchez serves as Program Director for the Care First Community Investment (CFCI) Third Party Administrator (TPA) and has strived to strengthen organizational infrastructure to support the delivery of culturally and linguistically sensitive and appropriate services.  She has been with Amity Foundation since 2013 and has moved progressively into different positions within Amity bringing higher level responsibility.  Joann is known for her ability to build community, and her desire to teach others.  Prior to taking the position with the CFCI TPA, Joann served as Amity’s Specialized Treatment for Optimized Programming (STOP) Director of Operations, and was responsible for the overall day-to-day operations and related administration of the entire STOP project.  She worked closely with community-based organizations and planned and developed culturally and linguistically relevant trainings and managed the project through an equitable lens.

Joann brings a wealth of particular understanding and expertise of systems and environments that negatively impact youth.  Her lived experience being a part of a gang and very early drug use as a teenager were factors in her early exit from high school.  At age 17 she was given an opportunity to work at the East Los Angeles YMCA in the preschool, predicated on the condition that she would return to school.  Mentored by an individual who took a chance on her, she eventually moved into other positions in Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles such as the Head Start program, and the Los Angeles Recreation and Parks department, continuing her important work with children from underserved areas.  Her successes with kids gave her purpose and the personal ambition to go to attend East Los Angeles Community College, where she completed an Associate’s degree in Behavioral Science. 

Over 25 years later, Joann has emerged as a leader and champion for community-building.  Through the CFCI TPA project, she seeks to empower more Los Angeles-based community organizations in high need areas to boldly pursue their missions and continue making positive changes in our communities, one person at a time.