Ben Ewell was born and raised on a small farm near Brighton, Ohio. He received his BA from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and his JD from UC Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, California. He practices law, specializing in water rights, in Fresno, California, where he resides with his wife, Suzanne. He is the father of five sons. He is also a developer whose projects include a New Town financed by foreign investors. Ben is active in his community, his church, and in politics, and he loves spending time with his family at his ranch in the Sierra Nevada foothills.
Officer Lindsay Dozier
Officer Lindsay Dozier is a 25-year veteran who has served the Fresno Police Department since 1999. She spent most of her time working patrol, 12 years as a Field Training Officer, one year as a Recruiting Officer, and 3 years as a Student Resource Officer. Currently, she is a valued member of the Fresno Police Department's Community Relations Unit. Passionate about youth engagement, Officer Dozier has developed several impactful programs for Fresno PAL, such as PAL Fightgirl, 10k with a Cop, the Blue PALs Pen PAL Program, and the Fresno PAL Soccer Skills Camp. She is also currently the Secretary of the Fresno PAL Board.
Jenny Ganson
Jenny Ganson has a lifelong passion for community service and working with youth. She is the founder of the local nonprofit “Teens That Care” that strives to teach teens the love of serving others. She became inspired by the work the Fresno Police Activities League was involved in targeting at risk youth in the underserved areas of Fresno. Jenny enjoys the outreach opportunities and programs Fresno PAL offers and supporting the Fresno Police Department in making a positive impact in the lives of others.
Lt. Dave Ramsey
Lieutenant David Ramsey has been with the Fresno Police Department for 28 years. He has served the community in numerous positions such as Under Cover Operations, SWAT, Robbery & Felony Assault Investigations, Homicide & Officer Involved Shooting Investigations, and Wire Tap investigations. According to him, the most rewarding aspect of his career has been working with “at risk” youth and helping change the trajectory of their lives through community outreach, especially through the Police Activities League. “There is nothing more rewarding than building a community coalition of schools, churches, businesses, non-profit organizations, and community leaders for the purpose of breaking the cycle of gang recruitment and enhancing the lives of our youth.”
Chief Mark Salazar
Deputy Chief Mark Salazar, a 27-year Fresno Police Department veteran, boasts a stellar law enforcement track record. His career features leadership in crucial roles, like the Violent Crime Suppression Unit, MAGEC gang task force, and Internal Affairs. His pioneering work in establishing the CompStat Unit and a long-standing Homicide Commander role led to a significant drop in violent crime. Currently overseeing the Investigations Division, Salazar achieved a 50% reduction in violent crime over two years. He's acclaimed for community policing and trust-building, emphasizing youth partnerships and community engagement. Salazar treasures his 30-year marriage to Virginia Madrid-Salazar and their four children, holding degrees in Criminology and Business Administration from Fresno State University.
Anna Herrera
Anna M. Herrera was born to Mildred and George Peck and grew up in the mountain community of Mariposa where she rode her pony, Grandma, to Woodland Elementary School. After graduating from high school, she took a year off in Norway and Europe before attending California State University, Fresno. She graduated in 1978 with a BA in History and married the love of her life, Antonio B Herrera in September of that year. Two children were born to Anna and Tony. They returned to Fresno to raise their family. Anna retired after 30 years in public administration and enjoys volunteering. She currently volunteers with Garden of the Sun Corral, Westerners International; the ShinZen Friendship Garden; Circle of Friends/Women of Wisdom; and Fresno PAL. When not volunteering she enjoys spending time fishing and with her grandchildren Alexis, Joanna, AJ, and Patrick.
Valerie Davis
Trustee Davis, a Fresno native, graduated from Bullard HighSchool in 1977 and earned her B.A. and Teaching Credential from CaliforniaState University, Fresno in 1983. She's married to Major Michael F. Davis, a retired U.S. Army veteran and teacher/coach, with three daughters in FresnoUnified and grandchildren in its schools. Davis served as Head of FamilySupport for the U.S. Army Reserve 729th Transportation Company, earning the"Volunteer of the Year" distinction from the Pentagon in 1995 for herDesert Storm service. Active in the community, she's received awards such asthe ELKS National Grand Lodge Citizen of the Year in 2020 and the Walter ZellerFellowship Award in 2022, recognizing her significant contributions andleadership.
Alan Fry
Born in Fresno, CA in September of 1946. Went to local schools and graduated from Bullard High School in 1964.Went to college at Fresno City College where I earned two Associate of Science Degrees and Fresno State where I earned a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Technology/Electronics and earned a Bachelor of Science equivalency in Biology. Earned a Standard Secondary Teaching Credential and a master's in educational administration as well from Fresno State. Started Alan Fry Construction in1978 and left that for teaching in 1985. Taught for a total of 30 years at such places as Riverdale, Clovis and Duncan Polytech in Fresno. Retired in 2011 and have been spending my time on 15-acre ranch in Sanger and serving on various boards. I have been on the PAL Board since 2000.
Barigye McCoy
Chief Communication Officer- Barigye is a seasoned professional with over 18 years of expertise in regulated cannabis, government legislation, and public relations. His dynamic career includes a significant role in public policy, where he has influenced positive change for over 18 years. Additionally, Barigye served as an elected officer for 12 years with SEIU 521, showcasing his leadership and advocacy skills. In the realm of commercial real estate, he brings over a decade of experience, specializing in the development of Class A office buildings, multi-family residential projects, and mixed-use developments. Barigye's comprehensive knowledge, coupled with his strategic approach, positions him as a leader capable of navigating the complexities of the regulated cannabis industry, government relations, public policy, and commercial real estate development.
AJ Rassamni
AJ Rassamni, an immigrant to the U.S. in 1985, endured eight years of civil war before embarking on his American Dream journey with just $100. He's a multifaceted individual, being an inventor, author, speaker, consultant, entrepreneur, and philanthropist. His involvement with non-profit organizations began in 1994, driven by a passion for transforming the lives of youth and entrepreneurs, fostering positive choices, safer communities, and a prosperous economy. AJ has been the driving force behind the Blackstone Merchants Association since 1996, investing resources to enhance the local business environment. He also actively serves on the Police Activity League board in Fresno and co-founded Vimery, a startup offering innovative marketing tools and automated loyalty programs for businesses seeking revenue growth.
Jorge Cruz MBA, PMP, CSM
Jorge Cruz (JC) holds an AS in Computer information systems, BS in Information Systems Management, and an MBA from CSU Fresno. JC has over 15 plus years in Project Management (IT, Bus. IS). He's worked on projects both domestically and internationally (Kathmandu, Nepal, Guangzhou, China, New Delhi, India, London, England, Mexico City DF, Yucatan, MX, and Alajuela, Costa Rica).He is also the CEO and Senior Project Manager for Core Software Integrated. Inc. (CSI), and co-founder of Core Software Integrated (CSI-Nepal). CSI-Nepal is a software development company based in Kathmandu, Nepal. JC is presently a Snr. IT Project Manager of Operations at ITG Communications in Alviso, Ca.
Lt. Brian Valles
Lieutenant Brian Valles has been serving in the Fresno Police Department for twenty-six years.During this time, he has held various positions such as Field Training officer, tactical teammember, community engagement officer, and Homicide detective for six years before beingpromoted to sergeant. As a sergeant, he continued to follow a similar career path, supervisingpatrol, a District Crime Suppression Team, Student Resource Officers, and served in the StreetViolence Bureau as a Robbery/Gun Crime Sergeant. He was later promoted to Lieutenant andis currently in charge of Patrol Administration, where he oversees patrol staffing, crime analysts,a Real Time Crime Center, and reserves. Brian Valles has always been actively involved in"youth and community engagement" and understands the significance of partnerships to createa positive change. Some of his notable achievements include mentoring students at KirkElementary in partnership with FUSD and raising funds to take King Elementary's AfricanAmerican Dance Troupe to the Broadway play The Lion King in 2018.
Sgt. Leonard Cabrera
Sergeant Leonard Cabrera, with 18+ years at the Fresno Police Department, has held various roles, including Patrol, Training Officer, Homicide Unit, and more. He's currently part of the Multi-Agency Gang Enforcement Consortium. Beyond his police duties, he actively engages with at-risk youth, forging partnerships with nonprofits and community leaders. Cabrera spearheaded the PAL Leadership Academy at Gaston Middle School, teaching leadership, life skills, public speaking, teamwork, and character development. This innovative program aims to deter gang recruitment and positively impact the lives of young individuals, strengthening community trust and safety.
