Who We Are
Meet the executive team of the C.A.R.E. Organization!
Uzuri Pease-Greene, B.A., MPA
Executive Director
Uzuri Pease-Greene is a San Francisco native and is currently employed as a Community Builder by Bridge Housing, where she has worked since 2010. At Bridge she developed a productive network within and without the Potrero Terraces community where she lives with her family. Throughout the city police department, district attorney’s office and various community groups, as well as in Washington, DC and Baltimore, Maryland, she has made a mark as an articulate representative for public housing residents. As a recovering addict who has built a successful career she serves as a spokesperson for the underserved. Her goal is to achieve a position to make policy decisions for folks who don’t have the power to make those decisions for themselves. When her husband, Donald Greene became interested in working to strengthen the bonds within their community, Uzuri encouraged him to found C.A.R.E. The organization promotes safety for residents and provides many grass roots community events and works with local services such as the YMCA, Shanti, Bridge and city departments to encourage self-help and a sense of autonomy within the public housing community.
She is involved in many organizations in addition to C.A.R.E. She is on the Police Chief’s African American Advisory Council, On the Bayview Community Police Advisory Board, serves the San Francisco Police Department as part of their procedural justice education team, and is an advisor to the Friends of Jackson Park.
Over the years she held many jobs and has had certifications as a phlebotomist, Certified Nurses Assistant, Class A Truck Driver, and is a graduate of the Emerge Leadership Program for Democratic Women.
At the age of 30 she qualified for her G.E.D. In 2016, she earned her bachelor's degree at the University of Phoenix (UOPX), and in 2019, her Masters in Public Administration (MPA), also from UOPX. The on-line format of UOPX allowed her to be a student while working, taking care of her family and participating as an integral part of the C.A.R.E. team, where she is a founding member and serves on the Board of Directors.
Donald Greene
Co-founder, Treasurer, and Director
Donald Greene’s passion is working directly with the children, youth and adults in the community. He sees hungry kids, at risk young people who are hard to employ looking for jobs and many adults who are having hard times. His solution is to create a safe haven, in effect a full service community center that helps to address the immediate needs that he sees. As a Recovering Alcoholic he recognizes what others are experiencing and has first hand experience and wisdom to offer. His love for the children and his neighborhood shine through.
Donald was born in Los Angles and raised in San Francisco and lived in Ingleside, Sunnydale, Hunters Point, and the Fillmore. He attended John McLaren, Hoover Middle School, and Washington High School, but despite a strong at-home Mom and a large extended family he had issues and was in and out of Juvenile Hall. He earned his GED at 18 and over the years was employed in a variety of fields. He had certifications as a Brick Mason, Hazmat worker, Janitorial worker and is currently a Certified Food Safety Handler. He works at the Potrero Hill Neighborhood House (NABE) on a contract basis setting up the audio system and supporting special events at the NABE, but spends the bulk of his time running the programs that C.A.R.E. provides. To date he has provided what amounts to a full time job, as a contribution to the community.
He earned a food handlers certificate in order to support the Department of Youth and Community Services Summer lunch program that provides free lunch and snacks. Provisions are dropped off daily over the summer months and then Donald and his partner Billy Ray Courtney maintain the kitchen, sets up the room, clean the tables, prep the food, clean up and manage approximately 35 kids, five days a week. From 10:30am to 1:30pm they are on site.
Monisha Mustapha, B.S.
Director
Ms. Monisha Mustapha has resided in San Francisco for over 20 years, 13 of which has been as a resident of Potrero Hill. Ms. Mustapha has been very involved in neighborhood activities, serving on the board of the Potrero Hill Democratic Club since 2009 and the Potrero Hill Boosters Neighborhood Association since 2012. Working with Bridge Housing, she became active in bridging the divide between residents of public housing and those surrounding public housing by participating in a community building group, formed in 2009, that launched many activities, such as walking groups, yoga and community gardening. Ms. Mustapha currently works as a life coach.
She earned her BS at the Wharton School of Economics and has done leadership training at Stanford University, Diversity Work and Cultural Sensitivity training at the National Training Laboratories.
J.R. Eppler, J.D.
Legal Counsel
J.R. Eppler has been a Potrero Hill resident since 2010. He currently owns and operates his own legal practice, Eppler Legal.
While working as an attorney serving small and emerging companies, he has built a strong record of community service performing pro bono work for the International Children’s Games; Legal Services for Children; Project Homeless Connect; OneJustice Friends of Jackson Park and C.A.R.E.
He has served on the advisory or governance boards of OneJustice, Drew School, and Friends of the Dogpatch Hub.
J.R. serves as president of the Potrero Boosters Neighborhood Association and on the executive committee of the Potrero Hill Democratic Club, and is member of a number of City-related taskforces.
Following graduation from Stanford University, J.R. taught middle school math in the Bay Area for a year then moved to Los Angeles, and earned his J.D. and MBA degrees from UCLA, where, among other things, he earned a grant to provide indigent legal services to clients in the Conejo Valley.
Richard Lee, M.S.
Advisor
Richard has been a resident of Potrero Hill for over 20 years. He’s been active in outdoor leadership programs through UCSF Student Services (formerly Outdoors Unlimited), and has experience leading political/social organizations in college.
Richard has over 25 years of experience working in the high tech industry as a Principal Engineer, and brings his technical skills to bear on the IT issues faced by C.A.R.E. Additionally, he is the treasurer of his Homeowners’ Association, and uses that experience to assist the C.A.R.E. Treasurer in organizing the non-profit’s finances.
Richard has a BS in Creative Studies with an emphasis on Physics from the College of Creative Studies, University of California, Santa Barbara. He also has a MS in Computer Science from UCSB, and briefly pursued a PhD in Computer Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.