Michael Auerbach

he/him

City Director, Los Angeles

Michael (he/him) is thrilled to bring Repair’s fellowship program to Los Angeles, as he greatly believes in the power of service to bring people together in common cause. Previously, Michael spent six years as the Executive Director of Kinful – a K-12 social-emotional learning/intercultural exchange program connecting students in the U.S. with peers in South Africa, South Sudan, Tanzania, Turkey, and Ukraine. His passion for pursuing social justice through service-learning began in the Peace Corps as a Girls’ Education & Empowerment Volunteer in Mauritania and was later bolstered while serving as a United States – China Friendship Volunteer (what a title!) in Chongqing. Following the Peace Corps, Michael served as a Shriver Peaceworker Fellow in Baltimore with the Choice Program, whose mission is to disentangle young people from the juvenile justice system by strengthening youth and family ties to their communities. After his fellowship, he became the AmeriCorps Program Director, and later Director of Public Partnerships, for Blue Engine in NYC, whose mission is to maximize the potential inherent in every classroom, teacher, and student, so that every learner thrives no matter their race, income level, or learning style. During this time he also served as a Franklin Project Ambassador at the Aspen Institute (now Service Year Alliance) advocating for inclusive and equitable pathways to service in America. Michael holds a Bachelor’s in International Studies from the University of South Florida, and a Master’s in Public Policy from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County. In his free time, he enjoys surfing, playing video games, and telling everyone he meets why Deep Space Nine is the best Star Trek series.

Julia Cinnamon

she/her

West Development Director

Julia (she/her) is an experienced fundraiser with a proven track record of making big ideas happen. She directs development in Repair’s West Region through community-building and collaboration. Before joining Repair, Julia managed Major Gifts and directed storytelling at City Year San José/Silicon Valley, an education-focused service organization. She currently serves on her local Federation board, Jewish Silicon Valley, and is a member of the Silicon Valley Jewish Community Relationship Council (JCRC). Committed to helping young adults connect to their Jewish identity, she was a founding Resident of Moishe House Silicon Valley where she hosted 200+ in-person and 200+ virtual events over three years. Julia received her BA in Political Science and Psychology from Rutgers University. In her free time, Julia enjoys exploring the great outdoors in a raft or kayak, pretending her cat Oliver is a person, and performing Improvisational Comedy at Endgames in San Francisco.

Melissa York

she/her

Program Manager, Los Angeles