Our Staff

Donna Jones's career in the business and financial services field includes work as Controller, CFO, and Executive Director, now adding SLOLAF to the list of organizations of which she's been at the helm. Prior to joining SLOLAF as its Executive Director, Donna spent countless hours supporting each of SLOLAF's fundraiser events, helping to ensure the financial success of the event and securing SLOLAF's Annual Fundraiser's place in a very short list of "must attend" events in San Luis Obispo County. As a CPA, she has worked for manufacturing, service and nonprofit organizations, along with being an active volunteer with several non-profits in our county. In addition to her extensive business, management, and human resources experience, Donna brings a passion for SLOLAF's mission and the clients we serve. A graduate of Cal Poly, Donna has lived in San Luis Obispo County for over 30 years. In her spare time she sings in two trios and loves to capture the beauty of our county and beyond with her camera.

Kevin Green graduated from Loyola Law School in 2003. Kevin has worked as in-house counsel for an oil company and a general civil engineering firm but has spent most of his career practicing in civil litigation. Kevin joined SLOLAF two years ago as a staff attorney out of a desire to assist the most underserved individuals in the county, and has been promoted to Legal Director of Civil Law services as of April 10, 2023. Kevin enjoys snowboarding, traveling, and spending time with his family.

Melodie Rivas came to San Luis Obispo in 2003 and has served the community as both a SLO County Deputy Public Defender and a SLO County Deputy District Attorney. Melodie joined SLOLAF in late 2022 and has the privilege of overseeing SLOLAF's Family Law Services program, which began seeing clients in February 2023. For fun, she coaches the SLO Mock Trial Team, teaches at the SLO College of Law, sings with a few local choirs, and performs with Central Coast Gilbert & Sullivan.

Christy Ferioli graduated from Stanford Law School in 2012. She has spent most of her career as a legal aid attorney, providing pro bono legal representation to those in need. During her first four years of practice, she provided holistic civil legal services to low-income veterans and transition-age foster youth in Los Angeles. She assisted her clients with a broad range of legal issues, including public benefits, special education, citation defense, and consumer matters. Subsequently, Christy clerked for a federal district court judge in the Middle District of Florida, after which she spent three years providing representation in family law proceedings to survivors of domestic violence in Tampa. Christy relocated to San Luis Obispo County in 2021, and she loves her new home. In her free time, she enjoys hiking, biking, and wine tasting in the beautiful Central Coast.<br />

Rob Schultz has over 35 years of experience as an attorney since graduating from Southwestern University School of Law. He has a wide range of experience with legal matters and issues related to landlord/tenant, land use, construction, real estate transactions, energy, water, wastewater, tort claims and labor. During his career he has served as the Town Attorney for Los Gatos, City Attorney for Morro Bay, District Counsel for San Simeon CSD, Assistant City Attorney for Pismo Beach, Interim City Attorney for Atascadero and as Special Counsel for San Luis Obispo, Santa Maria, Guadalupe, Solvang, King City and Gilroy. During his free time, Rob enjoys traveling internationally and volunteering at special events.

A Cal Poly graduate, Leesa moved to the Central Coast and never left. After being a clerk at SLO Superior Court for many years, she became a court clerk in Santa Barbara and attended Santa Barbara Colleges of Law. She interned for the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office and then started working as a Public Defender in San Luis Obispo once she passed the Bar exam. After 5 years of working as a Public Defender, she continued with her goal to help impoverished populations and joined SLOLAF. With the same mission of providing free legal assistance to vulnerable populations, Leesa felt right at home with this organization. In her free time, Leesa enjoys music, spending time with her family and living the kind of active life that only the Central Coast offers.

Lennon's bio coming soon!

Frank Kopcinski is a graduate of UCLA School of Law. Throughout his career he worked for both private and public organizations. He has dedicated most of his profession to public interest work and recently joined SLOAF in 2023. He is honored to have the privilege to dedicate his skills and knowledge to the organization’s mission of providing legal services and resources to people in need. Frank enjoys creative writing, playing music, skateboarding, trail running, and spending time with his wife and son on the beautiful Central Coast of California.

Annette began her position with SLO Legal Assistance Foundation in 2019. Annette grew up on the Central Coast and moved to Visalia, California in 2014, where she began her career in the legal field. Initially taking a job with a law office specializing in family law, her passion for the law grew. Shortly thereafter, she accepted a position with Tulare County Counsel with a focus on juvenile and probate law. Within her position she served the county's most vulnerable individuals, children and the elderly. In 2019, Annette moved back to her hometown to be closer to family and continue her career in the legal field. Annette enjoys training in jiu-jitsu and muay thai, hiking, and being close to those she loves. At this time, Annette is focused on her career in helping the needs of others and spending time with her family.

Monique was born and raised in the San Fernando Valley, then moved to San Luis Obispo County in 2015. Prior to moving, Monique studied to be paralegal, but did not pursue working in the legal field until 2019, when she worked at the SLO District Attorney’s Office as a legal clerk. Monique then had the opportunity to work as a legal assistant for a local criminal defense attorney, which further sparked her passion in working with underserved populations. SLOLAF’s opening for a legal assistant felt like it was meant to be for Monique. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family and friends.

Dinora was born and raised in San Luis Obispo and graduated from Pacific Beach High School in 2015. As the child of undocumented immigrants, she also experienced homelessness and foster care at a young age. These challenges have inspired Dinora to advocate for and serve her community. In addition to working for SLOLAF, Dinora serves on the board of directors of Firstfruits Farm SLO, a nonprofit farm providing farm fresh produce to people experiencing food insecurity in San Luis Obispo County. She currently attends Cuesta College and is pursuing a global studies degree. In her free time, Dinora loves expanding her understanding of the world through travel, reading, and embroidery.

Francisco grew up in Paso Robles, graduated from Paso Robles High School and has been an active member of the Paso Robles community. He is on the board of directors of Latino Outreach Council and is a founding board member of the Hispanic Business Association. “It is my passion to serve my community and help others, which is why I have always done so much volunteer work. I am honored to be given this opportunity to be of service,” Francisco says. Francisco was a lead tenant spokesperson in the lawsuit that SLOLAF filed against Grand View Apartments on behalf of hundreds of tenants in 2019. He joins SLOLAF as our Community Housing Advocate, working in the community to increase awareness of tenants’ rights, legal access, and available resources among the Black and Indigenous People of Color in San Luis Obispo County, specifically focusing on rural underserved communities.