Our Team

Mary Beth joined Rady Children’s Hospital in 2007 as the Manager of Injury Prevention Programs in the Center for Healthier Communities. This was an expansion of her career as a physical therapist in which she could serve a broader population with preventative, public health programs. Mary Beth practiced physical therapy for 25 years, and was founding faculty for a graduate Physical Therapy program in Arlington Virginia, during that time she also served to develop physical therapy programs in South Africa and Vietnam. This passion for educating future health care professionals in now embodied in the youth development programs at Rady Children’s Hospital. Mary Beth holds a Bachelor’s of Science in Biology from Regis University, a Bachelor of Science in Physical Therapy from New York University, a Master’s degree in Education from George Washington University and a Master of Science in Evaluative Clinical Sciences from Dartmouth College. She enjoys working with families from many cultures and has provided medical services and consultation internationally in South Africa, Vietnam, New Zealand and England.

Shelli Brown has been working with and for youth and families in a variety of settings for over
twenty years. Ms. Brown’s interest in impacting young people and families took root in San Diego
where she worked for the San Diego Unified School District as a teacher’s aide and counseling aide
shortly after graduating from college. She moved back to the San Diego area after having lived out
of state where she was able to grow her career, volunteer work and family. Currently, Ms. Brown
serves as the Youth Development Program Manager at the Center for Healthier Communities,
Rady Children’s Hospital- San Diego. Before moving back to her hometown, she lived in Denver,
Colorado where she worked in youth violence prevention as the Project Director and the
Community Site Manager for the Youth Violence Prevention Center-Denver. She also provided
direct service to justice-involved youth as Licensed Professional Counselor at an adolescent drug
treatment center and taught conflict and anger management skills at a non-profit organization.
Since returning to San Diego, Ms. Brown also became a Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor.

Alicia Wood was born and raised in Seattle, WA but came to California in 2003 to attend Chapman University. She majored in Sociology with an emphasis in Social Work. After college, Alicia worked at the Braille Institute in Anaheim running an after school program for blind and visually impaired children. After moving around Orange County and Long Beach for several years, she transferred to Braille Institute in San Diego where she worked until 2016. In June 2016, Alicia graduated from CSU Long Beach with her Master’s in Emergency Management and in June 2017, she got married and started working at Rady Children’s Hospital. She is currently working as the Lead Coordinator supporting the FACES for the Future and Medical Academy programs.

Joycelin completed her Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Health Policy at the University of California, Irvine, as well as a Master of Public Health degree in Health Promotion and Behavioral Science at San Diego State University. Her prior career experiences include working at a clinic, health insurance agency, and college campus. She lived in Los Angeles County and Orange County before moving to San Diego in 2021 for graduate school and joined Rady Children’s Hospital in 2022. She looks forward to working with today’s youth and young adults by empowering them to make choices that support their academic, personal, and professional goals.

Nikki comes to Rady’s with 16 years of experience working in various community non-profit programs in Fresno and San Diego, CA. Born and raised in the Central Valley, Nikki completed her bachelor’s degree in Criminology with a focus on Victim Services at Fresno State University in 2007 and her master’s degree in Education Counseling at San Diego State University in 2017. Over her career between the Central Valley and San Diego, Nikki has worked as a clinical case manager focused on unhoused adults and transitional age youth. She has provided mentorship, advocacy and education on life and wellness skills, and was previously appointed as a Behavioral Health Court Liaison.

Nikki strives to continue her social justice work with the most vulnerable and underserved populations and looks forward to working with the FACES program to increase equity and improve outcomes for young people seeking to reach their highest potential.

Madeleine Moran, MPH:  Crawford High School Program Coordinator and Alumni Coordinator

Madeleine Moran is a Community Health Programs and Alumni Coordinator at the Center for
Healthier Communities within Rady Children’s Hospital. Her educational background includes a
Bachelor of Science degree from the University of California, Davis, and a Master of Public
Health degree from San Diego State University. Her prior career experiences involved working
with diverse populations in community-based research, government public health programs, and
clinical research. She is a public health advocate skilled in program implementation, program
evaluation, outreach and engagement, health communication, and research methods. She is
very excited to empower and support youth throughout their involvement in FACES for the
Future and as alumni from the program.

Jose Perez is a San Diego native with over 10 years of experience in the education
industry. After earning a BS in Business Administration from San Diego State University,
Jose focused on helping first-generation students across San Diego County prepare for
higher education, and he worked with community organizations to create innovative
programs that support the holistic well-being of youth and families. As a FACES for the
Future program coordinator at Hoover HS, Jose is excited to support the academic,
career, and wellness goals of FACES students. Outside of work, Jose enjoys making
pottery, spending time with their dog, exploring the outdoors, and reading.