Meet the Team
At The Arc Los Angeles and Orange Counties, we’ve built our Leadership Team and Board of Directors with individuals from diverse backgrounds, with varying interests and areas of expertise, but with a common desire to support our participants as they work toward and achieve their goals, live as independently as possible, and enjoy rewarding experiences and friendships. Click on the photos below to learn more about our team.
Leadership
Emilio Sosa
Phone: 562-855-3461
Email: esosa@thearclaoc.org
Emilio has over 25 years of experience in Executive Management within nonprofit organizations. As the CEO of The Arc Los Angeles and Orange Counties, he brings a wealth of experience ranging from innovation and planning, effective teambuilding, data analysis and metrics, ensuring diversity and inclusion, and fiscal management. He is passionate about working with underserved, at-risk communities and strives to advocate, bring awareness, and increase access and resources to underserved communities through strategic planning, community engagement, board development, and fundraising.
Emilio holds a bachelor’s degree in human development from Pacific Oakes College. He has been elected to serve on the Los Nietos School Board in Whittier, CA for the past 9 years and is the current President of the Los Nietos School Board of Trustees. Emilio is an active member of the Rotary Club of Downey. In the past, he has served on various boards including The Long Beach Community College Foundation, Lakewood Chamber of Commerce, YMCA of the USA Hispanic/Latino Roadmap, as well as Bond Oversight Committees.
Emilio resides in Whittier, CA with his wife Laura and daughters Natalia and Iliana. He enjoys the outdoors, beaches, and spending time with his family and three dogs, Kooper, Lola, and Daisy.
Phone:562-855-3461
Email:esosa@thearclaoc.org
Amy Scott
Phone: 562-855-3462
Email: ascott@thearclaoc.org
Over Amy’s extensive, 25-year+ career in the nonprofit sector, she has deftly handled Operations, Administration, and Accounting and Finance roles. Her expertise lies in budgeting, financial reporting, and software. Prior to joining The Arc Los Angeles and Orange Counties, she spearheaded software conversions and software integration for a $45M nonprofit. She started at The Arc in January 2022 as Controller; she settled in and proved herself indispensable as she navigated The Arc through post-COVID terrain, ultimately restoring its stability. She was promoted to CFO in September 2023 and looks forward to many more years of service to our participants and staff.
Amy holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Child Development from California State University, Fullerton where she also earned a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential, was an Honor Society member, made the Dean’s List, and belonged to Delta Zeta International Sorority. After several years working in Accounting, she added another achievement to her résumé with a Graduate Accounting Certification from University of Phoenix. Amy is currently a member of Kiwanis Club of Downey where she connects with likeminded individuals for the mutual benefit of The Arc and the local community.
Amy is fun in the streets, and a superhero in the spreadsheets. She’s generous to a fault, fair and even-tempered, and loves her family and friends fiercely. She lives in Placentia with her husband, a restaurant manager; their twins (a boy and a girl); a cat; and a dog that looks like a coyote.
Phone:562-855-3462
Email:ascott@thearclaoc.org
Britny Javier
Phone: 562-855-3464
Email: bjavier@thearclaoc.org
Britny wears many hats* as the Administrative Manager at The Arc Los Angeles and Orange Counties. She keeps the day to day business running smoothly, answers the phones, ensures all programs are stocked with the supplies they need, performs light IT duties, helps out wherever she’s needed, and so much more. She previously worked at The YMCA and has 11 years of experience with nonprofits. Britny graduated from Cal State Fullerton with a degree in Health Science, now called Public Health, and has always felt passionately about helping others.
Britny played water polo and swam competitively for 8 years. She is also a competitive traveler; so far, her international trips include such destinations as China, Japan, Greece, Italy, and the Philippines. Within the United States, she has visited Massachusetts, Florida, Arizona, and Nevada. She also took a road trip to Portland, OR once. Her likes include grapes and board games; she hates olives. So really, she remains ambivalent with regard to spherical foods.
The second youngest of 7 children and aunt to 12 nieces and nephews, Britny has experience managing chaos and is certain that she will rule the world one day. When she’s not assisting somewhere else in The Arc, you’ll find her at the front desk, greeting all comers with a smile.
* Figuratively. Her hair is too pretty to hide under a literal hat.
Phone:562-855-3464
Email:bjavier@thearclaoc.org
Alison Stewart
Phone: 562-855-3473
Email: astewart@thearclaoc.org
Alison grew up in Fullerton, in the office supply and stationery store owned by her parents. She graduated from San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and remains insufferable about correcting everyone’s grammar. After working in fields as varied as trade shows, newspaper ad trafficking, and real estate, she was fortunate enough to land at The Arc in 2022 where she does some accounting, writes and edits, and manages this very website.
After living in Long Beach for 13 years, Alison returned to Fullerton where she lives with her child and more rescued cats than she’s comfortable counting. She loves to read, adores all things vintage, is a little obsessed with office supplies (you can take the girl out of the stationery store…), makes jewelry, wishes she were a better artist but does her best, goes to concerts as often as time allows, and decorates her home in a style that can only be described as maximalist eclectic bohemian genie den.
Phone:562-855-3473
Email:astewart@thearclaoc.org
Beverly Lazo-Gonzalez
Phone: 562-855-3479
Email: bgonzalez@thearclaoc.org
When asked what she’d like included in her Bio, Bev demurs and says, “I’m boring.” As if. Our rockstar Chef is anything but.
Chef Bev has been in the restaurant industry since the age of 16 and attended Long Beach City College’s Culinary Arts program. She trained under Food Network’s “Too Hot Tamales,” Chefs Susan Fenigar and Mary Sue Milliken, as well as Chef Gordon Ramsay of “Hell’s Kitchen” fame. She has worked at the Disney Resorts, SlapFish truck and restaurant with Chef Andrew Gruel, as a stagiaire for “Great Food Truck Race” Winner Jason Quinn, Chef Consultant for 99 Ranch, and was Executive Chef for Wine Lab in Costa Mesa and The Rusty Monk in Whittier. Chef Bev lived in Ketchikan, Alaska for two years where she was a Consulting and Executive Chef for Cape Fox Corporation, AJ’s Gourmet Burgers, and Baranof Fishing Excursions.
If she looks familiar to you, you’ve probably seen Bev on TV. She has appeared on “Cutthroat Kitchen” season 9 episode “Veni, Vidi, Ceviche,” “Man Vs. Child: Chef Showdown” season 2 episode “Cake Walk,” and she was a contestant on season 12 of “Hell’s Kitchen.” The fish tacos she made for Chef Ramsay helped her win the 2017 Super Girl Pro Surf Cookoff. Bev also hosted Ketchikan, Alaska’s KPUtv’s “Taste of the Southeast.” A true foodie, she enjoys traveling and trying different restaurants with her family. Southeast Asian food is her favorite.
As Executive Chef and Director of Programs at The Arc, Bev has introduced innovative and exciting ideas to the Culinary Arts and Catering programs. The Arc’s staff and participants are the grateful recipients of her delicious creations and can’t wait to see what she cooks up next.
Phone:562-855-3479
Email:bgonzalez@thearclaoc.org
Margoritt Aquije
Phone: 562-855-3467
Email: maquije@thearclaoc.org
Margoritt started at The Arc in 2017 as a Job Coach where she spent 5 years supporting participants in the workplace by fully integrating them into their work environment. She was promoted to Director of Career Development and Supported Employment in 2022, then in 2023 took the Creative Arts Program under her direction as well. She previously worked as a Behavior Interventionalist for children aged 6-13 with autism; it was during this time that she developed her interest in assisting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Margoritt finds her work truly rewarding and loves that she can make a difference in the lives of our participants.
A graduate of UC Riverside, Margoritt holds a BA in Sociology. She is the elder of two siblings and has two children herself. She is of Peruvian descent and lives in Downey, where she loves to spend time with family and friends. She is especially close with her sister, aka her personal stylist, with whom she enjoys shopping. She also loves milk tea boba and discovering new boba spots. Margoritt’s motto is, “Life is too short… make the best of it!”
Phone:562-855-3467
Email:maquije@thearclaoc.org
Carlos Martinez
Phone: 562-955-5039
Email: cmartinez@thearclaoc.org
As Director of Transportation, Carlos keeps things moving at The Arc LAOC. He coordinates the transit of participants; maintains our fleet of minivans and keeps them serviced, safe, and roadworthy; and assists in the warehouse and in other programs as needed. Carlos was promoted to Director in January 2023 but he’s been with The Arc since 1994, working in a variety of positions over the years.
Carlos considers it a privilege to work with individuals with IDD and is passionate about serving the IDD community. A genuine lifer, Carlos started out working part-time for The Arc while completing his GED at Paramount High School, then while attending Compton Community College. He is grateful for all of the people he’s worked with along the way, as they have all made a positive impact on his life and, as a consequence, on the lives of our participants.
Over time, Carlos upgraded his driver license first from class C to B with a “P” (for passengers) endorsement, and then to class A with all five endorsements. Safety is his first concern and his driving record proves it. Carlos has taken many courses and trainings in different areas and aspects related to the community he is proud to serve. His ongoing mission is to continue improving himself so he can keep up with the demanding but rewarding work that our participants deserve.
On a personal note, Carlos has practiced deadlifting for many years. He loves taking long walks at the park or beach with Ophelia, his spoiled Yorkie. A travel enthusiast, he has visited ten states and plans to explore the other forty.
Phone:562-955-5039
Email:cmartinez@thearclaoc.org