As FEAST’s Associate Program Director, Marlene provides strategic leadership across all programmatic activities including food distributions and FEAST’s full suite of education programs, overseeing program design, implementation, evaluation, and grant reporting to advance the organization’s mission and strategic goals.

Marlene was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley. Inspired by her experiences growing up as a first generation Mexican-American, Marlene earned her B.S. in Community and Regional Development from the University of California, Davis and certificate in Sustainability from the UCLA Extension. Driven by a deep commitment to health equity, Marlene is pursuing her Master of Public Health to support minoritized communities in reclaiming their health through a holistic and culturally relevant approach to health and wellness education.

In her free time, Marlene enjoys exploring plant-based cooking, playing with clay, and spending time with her three dogs and parakeet. She also nourishes her body and mind through yoga, strength training, and hiking.