The Team
"I’m here because I should be here."
—Willie Brown, former Mayor of San Francisco
DUANE WILSON, Executive Director
In the past, Duane has led an innovative Chicago community youth center for those most at-risk youth who were facing challenges including poverty, violence, and hunger. One of the greatest lessons that he has embraced is bringing adults, civic leaders, teachers, youth, and organizations together in one voice. This is the type of work that Duane looks forward to continuing and expanding here in his new home, San Francisco.
Duane is grateful for the hospitality and support that the San Francisco Achievers team and the community have shown him. One thing that people typically do not know about Duane is that he likes to design inventions and in his free time he loves learning how to cook different foods from around the world.
DANIELLE ADAMS, Scholar Success Coordinator
Danielle Adams was born and raised in the Bay Area. She graduated with her B.S. in Kinesiology from San Jose State University and M.A. in Coaching and Athletic Administration from Concordia University, Irvine. In addition to working with San Francisco Achievers, she is currently a high school varsity girls basketball coach. Danielle has worked as an Intervention Specialist with OUSD, College and Career Technician with HUSD, and an Academic Counselor at a local University. She is very passionate about working to help students achieve their education, life, and career goals.
Danielle is excited to be part of the team at San Francisco Achievers and to help support students on their paths to success. In her spare time, Danielle enjoys playing and watching sports, traveling, shopping, and attending different shows.
AMBER CHILDRESS, Development Manager
Amber Childress was born and raised in the East Bay, where she attended public schools and Mills College. She has spent the majority of her career in business development, marketing, and local partnerships to improve education outcomes for students. From her school-age years through adulthood, Amber has benefited from programs, much like San Francisco Achievers, that focus on academic achievement, college and career readiness, and community support. Those experiences fuel her passion to work for more equitable communities and quality education for ALL students.
Amber embraces the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child”. She is excited about San Francisco Achievers and its future. When Amber is not focused on work, she can be found at a local sporting event, spending time with her son and dog, running with friends, or continuing to advocate for equity in education throughout the Bay Area.
DAVID MILES III, High School Advisor
David G. Miles III (more affectionally know in the office as Miles) joined the team in 2016 as the High School Support Coordinator. Prior to joining Achievers, Miles received his B.A. in Communication Studies from San Jose State University as a San Francisco Achievers Scholar! Miles is one of the first alumnus of San Francisco Achievers. His experiences with the organization as a student has led him on a path to volunteering as a mentor to the younger students and eventually becoming a key part of the staff. Miles also served as a Site Coordinator with the Telegraph Hill Neighborhood Center where he was able to design a dynamic afterschool program centered around academics, enrichment, and recreation.
On the weekends, Miles is the DJ at his family's roller skating rink, Church of 8 Wheels. He also travels abroad several times a year: 9 countries and counting.
KIANI SHAW, High School Advisor
With experience in different aspects of education over the last seven years, Kiani has worked with youth from diverse backgrounds across both the Bay Area and Central Valley. Much of her work has focused primarily on developing student character, life skills, self-discipline, and advocacy. By engaging youth on three levels of identity (individual, familial, and community), she strives to empower youth to be progressive agents of change in their own lives as well as within their communities. She holds a B.A. in English and an M.A.Ed. with an emphasis on social justice and equity.
In addition to work, Kiani enjoys spending time with her dog and performing spoken word poetry at venues across the Bay Area. She believes that education is key to liberation and strives to empower students through social and emotional awareness. One of Kiani's favorite mantras is: “It only takes one person to make a stand, but a community to make a change.”
Deanine R. Wheeler, Operations Manager
Deanine R. Wheeler has over 15 years of experience working in the healthcare, customer service, and management. Her personal qualities combined with her diverse experience are great contributions to the organization. Deanine’s experience leading teams, contributing as a productive team member, multi-tasking in a fast-paced environment, and dealing with dynamic groups of people are good attributes to bring to our team. Outside of her work experience, being the mother of four boys with drastically different backgrounds enables her to bring a much needed perspective to the organization that the staff and scholars appreciate and love.
Deanine’s willingness to do whatever needs to be done to make sure San Francisco Achievers remains successful has been the backbone of the organization for several years. One thing that Deanine enjoys when she is not at work is spending time with her grand-daughters. After raising all boys (she aways wanted girls), she now has 4 wonderful and amazing grand-daughers. The experience has been PRICELESS.