Meet the CC Team
Community Connections is a woman-minority-owned small business prime. Our team reflects the history and culture of the community with over 100 years of combined experience within the Greater Los Angeles and Orange County areas. Our team consists of fully bilingual personnel in English, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Armenian, and Romanian. We have various completed and ongoing projects with LACMTA, OCTA and various cities, providing the community with valuable information that will enhance their quality of life. We specialize in partnering with key stakeholders and community-based organizations and have ongoing relationships with numerous elected officials. Our stakeholder engagement, strategic planning and outreach strategies will far exceed your agencies goals for a successful project or program.
Theresa Martinez
Principal-in-Charge
Ms. Martinez has more than 25 years of experience integrating her expertise in grassroots community outreach in Los Angeles and Orange Counties. She has successfully organized and managed large public outreach and engagement programs, including facilitating high-profile events and activities for the Los Angeles Latino Chamber of Commerce. Skilled at building strong working relationships with local government, targeted organizations and community stakeholders, Ms. Martinez has a superior record of working with underutilized community demographics to formulate beneficial programs and issue resolutions.
Ms. Martinez founded the non-profit National Latina Business Women Organization serving as their National President. She is a commissioner on the Hospital Supplier Diversity Commission and serves as a Board Director for the Wall Las Memorias and the Hispanic Coalition of Small Business (HCSB).
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Desiree Portillo-Rabinov
Strategic Project Manager
Ms. Portillo-Rabinov is an experienced senior project manager and community development professional with a proven track record of delivering projects on time and within budget. She has strong communication skills to resolve complex issues, analyze and prepare reports and summaries, and effectively lead cross-functional teams to facilitate and innovate for project execution.
She currently serves as a Strategic Project Manager in providing transportation planning and outreach strategies in Southern California. Ms. Portillo-Rabinov worked for Los Angeles Metro for over 30 years and coordinated developing the Transit-supportive Planning Toolkit and implemented a web-based format for the TOD program, grant-funded 8 cities within a $3.1 million budget for Round 5 for TOD and TIF planning documents, co-developed the West Santa Ana Branch TODSIP implementation award corridor program. She currently serves as Board Trustee for Glendale Community College and on The Trust for Public Land, State Co-Chair, California Advisory Board, the National Women’s Political Caucus - Los Angeles Chapter as past President,American Planning Association, Los Angeles Chapter member as well as the Walk Bike Glendale- Arroyo Verdugo Trail Committee Co-Chair.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Milo Victoria
Project Manager
Mr. Victoria has more than 45 years of experience in public transportation. He started is career as a mechanic for what is now LA Metro and rose through the ranks to become a transit CEO. Mr. Victoria has led major transit agencies in the East and West Coasts. He has let and organized a major bus manufacturer to increase its production and quality.
He has reorganized a major transit agency and reduced numerous layers and implemented strategies to ensure service delivery is at optimum levels. Mr. Victoria has served in various APTA Committees such as Leadership APTA, Emerging Leaders, CEO Committee and served on the Board of Directors for APTA and California Transit Association. Mr. Victoria also served as a founding member and founding president of Latinos In Transit and has served on the Board of several Non-profit organizations.
Mr. Victoria has mentored more than 50 transit professionals; many who now serve in top positions at several transit agencies. He has also been called upon as a subject matter expert in leadership for public transit.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Frank Banos
Community Outreach Specialist
Mr. Banos is an outreach specialist with strong leadership, market analysis and staff coordination capabilities. He has solid networking skills, having developed city, state, and federal government contacts instrumental to the success of community programs. He has revitalized programs and achieved significant public support.
Mr. Banos has implemented various plans with community stakeholders to ensure integration of common objectives. He has superior communication skills based on directing staff and community relationship management.
His role is currently that of Community Outreach Specialist for the Mobility Wallet Project for LA Metro, supporting Metro staff as interpreter in CBO program workshops to share the Mobility Wallet application/link and register individuals for the program as well as conducting bus intercepts.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Ray Galan
Director of Digital Marketing
Attila Juhas
Digital Communications / Website Specialist
Subcontractor
Ray Galan is our Director of Digital Marketing. Ray provides support with projects specializing in online marketing, e-commerce, web development, and online branding. Ray has worked on various contracts with city and privately funded community projects throughout the United States and abroad, with recent contracts with LAUSD, City of Montebello, City of Arroyo Grande, CA and Los Angeles Regional Centers.
Ray has proven results in helping organizations with their online business model: How to revamp their site to improve ROI, strategize and apply new web development tools to improve performance, implement CRM solutions to strengthen business and customer relationships, and implement e-commerce solutions to create sales. Ray also is an expert in E-Marketing; specializing in planning, executing, and maintaining a strong online marketing mix to maximize online efficiency, branding, and reach targeted audiences.
Ray has served on our Metro Vermont Transit Corridor Project and reached over 2,000 stakeholders along the corridor to gather input on their thoughts for a bus rapid transit or rail system along the corridor.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Mr. Juhas has 20 years of experience in media production. He provides exceptional media services including Architectural 3D Visualization, 3D Animation, video production, graphic design, and web design. His goal is to use his experience and love for design to help people and companies stand out from the crowd, draw an audience, and convey their messages clearly. Mr. Juhas wants the videos and stunning designs he creates for his clients to tell stories capable of keeping their audience’s attention – and to effect change even when words aren’t present. Mr. Juhas recently developed a new technology (IAV | Interactive Architectural Visualization) where agencies can present their upcoming project in an interactive 3D scene. Mr. Juhas founded AJ Design in 1997.
Mr. Juhas worked on virtual flyover video of the Vermont Transit Corridor Project route as well as many other Metro projects.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Joseph Perez
Senior Community Outreach Specialist
Norma Gomez
Senior Outreach Specialist
Mr. Perez has more than 20 years of experience working with public and private agencies to develop, implement, and manage environmental, labor compliance, outreach, and sustainability programs. He began his career using AutoCAD and Softdesk to create street improvements designs, storm drain and water improvement plans, grading plans, tract maps, street details, and exhibits for DreamWorks, LA Metro Segment 3 Redline extension, and MTA Headquarters Building/Space Plan Interior Design.
His familiarity with public sector projects allowed him to transition into managerial roles including Vulcan Materials Company/Solution Strategies Inc., and Outreach, Community Programming, and Strategic Planning Divisions for the Greater Los Angeles Area.
He has successfully managed, developed, and implemented community outreach programs for various public and private sector programs and projects to create solutions and resolution to common goals. He worked in the capacity of Strategic Outreach Manager for the VTC project, Title VI LEP project and the MW project.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE
Ms. Gomez’ 20 year plus career includes working in Public Accounting, Corporate Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Community Outreach, Supplier Diversity, Non-Profit and most recently in the Financial Services and Insurance Sector.
Ms. Gomez served as Senior Outreach Specialist for our Metro Title VI Limited English Proficiency Study, conducting focus groups in Spanish and English with CBO's.
Ms. Gomez started her career with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) in the Audit and Business Advisory Services. She eventually led the West Region in Diversity Recruitment, where she worked with numerous organizations to create and attain the tools necessary for the hiring and promotion of women, people of color, and underrepresented groups.
In 2007, Ms. Gomez joined the Association of Latino Professionals in Finance and Accounting (ALPFA) as their first Chief Operating Officer. In 2019, she joined the LA Latino Chamber of Commerce as their CEO. In her most current role at New York Life, she has facilitated financial literacy workshops at businesses and University campuses educating underrepresented communities on the importance of financial planning.
FULL BIO INFORMATION: CLICK HERE