Staff: LaMonica Hopkins

LaMonica has spent over 25 years working in the non-profit sector. She joined Friends of the Children-SF Bay Area in August of 2023 as the Director of Program Implementation. She grew up in the East Bay with family ties to San Francisco. While growing up in an underserved community herself, she discovered her drive for education and a desire to make a difference. In addition to a supportive single mom and extended family, she attributes eye-opening experiences in middle and high school to Mentors in programs like MESA and Upward Bound which helped guide her educational focus beyond the classroom.

Working with children and youth has always been her passion. She began her first summer after high school as a part-time Teacher Assistant in a summer program/fall afterschool program. Her road to education was not a straight path. LaMonica worked through school, receiving an AA in Early Child Development from Merritt Community College.

She began working in the non-profit sector in 1999 at Glide Foundation's new licensed childcare and afterschool program, where she honed her skills and experience for 21 years. Starting as a Preschool Teacher and moving up through the agency until she was the Family, Youth and Childcare Education Director overseeing childcare, afterschool/summer youth program, and a Family Resource Center, funded by the City of San Francisco, CA Department of Education, HeadStart and First 5. In 2020 she transitioned to Rafiki Coalition for Health & Wellness as their Director of Programs and then became the Director of Human Resources in 2022.

LaMonica holds a BA in Human Development from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, California, a California Department of Education Director’s Permit and is a trained Professional Growth Advisor registered with the California Department of Education. She is also a part of the 2014 Compass Point graduating cohort of Next Generation Leaders of Color and holds certification in Human Resource Management. LaMonica believes in ensuring a child-centered approach and building meaningful relationships with everyone she encounters in her work and community.