Episode 1:
Voices of Reinvention: The Stockton Highlights Part 1

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Neighbors gather under the “Together We Rise as One” mural—community day in South Stockton

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“No one’s coming to save us, we have to figure this out ourselves.” — Dillon Delvo

From From Bankruptcy to Reinvention, five takeaways emerge: family, faith and unity shaping; education pride and mentoring opening college doors (Phoenix Scholars); “own your destiny” inclusion and wins for LGBTQ+ youth; community-policing plus housing/commercial fixes replacing open-air drug markets; cultural preservation and youth-led efforts proving no one’s coming to save us. Guests: Racole Dixon, Barbara Nicholson, Tasha Dixon, Rebekah Fenton, Nicholas Hatten, Fred Sheil, and Dillon Delvo, along with Jasmine Dellafosse. Hosts: George Koster, Nick McClendon

Barbara Nicholson / Michael Tubbs’ Grandmother

I have lived in Stockton for over 40 years. I am a retired county worker, Human Service Agency. I do volunteer work in serving the homeless for various nonprofit agencies. Also nursing homes. Also, I am an active member at my church. I am very proud of the success of my daughters and grandchildren.I give God all the glory. I am patiently waiting for great-grandchildren! Find out more about Barbara by listening to Episode 1

Racole Dixon - Michael Tubbs' Mother

Racole Dixon became pregnant during her junior year of high school, giving birth to Michael Tubbs when she was still a teenager. She navigated the challenges of single parenthood and economic strain in South Stockton while completing her own education.

Dixon raised Michael largely on her own, instilling in him resilience and the value of education. In a published essay, Tubbs praised his mother’s perseverance and credited her support for his academic achievements, contrasting her stability with his father’s legal struggles. Find out more about Racole by listening to Episode 1

Tasha Dixon - Michael Tubbs’ Aunt

Tasha Dixon is a Stockton, California native. She works at San Joaquin Delta College as a fiscal Assistant. Tasha is heavily involved at her church, the Congregation of Zion. She is the pastor’s assistant, children’s church teacher and financial officer. Tasha is the mother of two beautiful daughters and aunt of two handsome nephews. Find out more about Tasha by listening to Episode 1

Rebekah Fenton

Rebekah Fenton, a pediatrics resident at Seattle Children’s Hospital and longtime friend of Michael Tubbs, shares her insights into both her support of the creation of the Phoenix Scholars and Michael Tubbs’ drive to support access to a college education for low-income, first-generation minority high school seniors.

The Phoenix Scholars is the model that Michael Tubbs utilized to create the Stockton Scholars, which is a guaranteed college scholarship for any Stockton Unified School District graduate. The Stockton Scholars is a program of the Reinvent Stockton Foundation, which Michael Tubbs created and is managed by Michael Tubbs’s friend, associate, and Stockton Unified School District Trustee Lange Luntao. Please listen to Episode 5 [Link to Episode 5 landing page] to find out more about Mayor Tubbs’ and Trustee Luntao’s efforts to address the Stockton Unified School District problems.

Dr. Rebekah Fenton grew up in Sacramento, CA, and obtained a B.A. in Human Biology from Stanford University. At Stanford, she met Michael Tubbs, and he invited her to help high school seniors apply to college. His idea became The Phoenix Scholars, a nonprofit organization that pairs Stanford undergraduates with high school seniors from low-income, underrepresented minority backgrounds who apply to college and often become the first in their families to attend a four-year institution. She served as Director of Mentor Development for 3 years in addition to personally working with four incredible mentees. She is now a 3rd-year Pediatrics resident training at Seattle Children's Hospital with a plan to specialize in Adolescent Medicine and focus on marginalized youth communities, including gender-nonconforming and homeless youth.

Find out more about Rebekah’s work and listen to Episode 1

Nicholas Hatten—Founder & Executive Director / San Joaquin Pride Center (SJCP)

Nicholas Hatten is the Founder and Executive Director of the San Joaquin Pride Center (SJCP). A proven leader and agent for change, Hatten has challenged San Joaquin County and the Central Valley to evaluate how it can best serve its LGBT+ community. He forged a collaboration with the Los Angeles Pride Center and other LGBT+ agencies that resulted in a million-dollar Covered California Outreach & Education grant, the first time the Central Valley area was included in LGBT+-specific healthcare work.

As an organizer, Nicholas was instrumental in empowering local LGBT+ youth to advocate for anti-bullying resources and a focus on better school climates for LGBT+ youth on campus. This resulted in Stockton Unified School District being the very first district in the state of California to include "LGBT" specific language in their LCFF/LCAP budget in 2016.As the recipient of one of three California Reducing Disparities Pilot Project grants, Hatten is now collaborating with California's Public Health Department on a model for increasing acceptance of LGBT+ youth in schools and within the community that will reduce the rate of incidents that lead to mental health illness among our youth.

Nicholas Hatten previously served as a political/governmental relations consultant whose clients ranged from Congressman Jerry McNerney, Oprah Winfrey-backed mayoral candidate, Stockton’s youngest-ever elected council member and one of our nation’s youngest mayors, Michael Tubbs, and NASA astronaut Jose Hernandez.As a passionate advocate for equality, Nicholas Hatten is inspiring our San Joaquin County and our nation to be more tolerant and accepting of its diversity.Find out more about Nicholas’s work by listening to Episode 2

Fred Sheil—Administrator / STAND

Fred grew up in a small farm town outside of Madison, Wisconsin. Fred did the seven-year program to get his Bachelor of Science degree. Fred spent four years in far Northern Thailand with the Peace Corps. Fred did his master’s work at the University of California, Davis. Fred arrived in Stockton, CA, in 1983. Fred has spent forty-five years designing and managing small businesses and international agricultural projects, as well as community social and economic development projects. Fred has worked over twenty-five years with Stocktonians Taking Action To Neutralize Drugs [STAND], developing over 400 units of affordable housing in South Stockton as well as working with residents and the police department to implement and manage community policing. Find out more about Fred and STAND’s work by listening to Episode 3

Dillon Delvo-Co Founder & Executive Director / Little Manila Rising

Dillon is a second-generation Filipino American, born and raised in South Stockton. For the past 21 years, Dillon has served as the volunteer youth minister of social justice-centered St. George’s Youth Group, for which he was a member in his teenage years. In 2000, Dawn Mabalon, Ph.D., and he created the nonprofit organization Little Manila Rising in response to developer attempts to destroy the historical site.

He served as the Senior Field Representative for Senator Lois Wolk. Currently, he is the Executive Director of the Little Manila Rising. Dillon has served on the Stockton Unified School District board of trustees, the Filipino American Democratic Caucus of California, and the Catholic Charities Diocese of Stockton. He lives with his wife, Rebecca, and daughters, Therese, Genevieve, and Colette, in South Stockton. Find out more about Dillion and Little Manila Rising by listening to Episode 5

Jasmine Dellafosse—Founding Member / Reinvent South Stockton Coalition

Jasmine Dellafosse is from Stockton, California, where she began her organizing career in South Stockton. In 2013 she began interning for Council Member Michael Tubbs, who was the youngest ever elected official in the city and in the county. In 2014 she was the youngest ever field organizer at the age of 19, working for Congress Member Jerry McNerney, where she organized over 100 volunteers to canvass and phone bank for an off-year election where they won the race with 60% of the vote. She later became one of the founding members of the Reinvent South Stockton Coalition in early 2014, an organization that aims to empower its residents to transform the community through improving safety, education, housing, job creation, and health.”

Through her work with the coalition, she has helped to bring access to fresh produce in food desert areas in South Stockton and has led projects around park beautification and led a project to build a brand new playground in South Stockton. She led and organized summer literacy programs with the local housing authorities and University of the Pacific for K-3rd graders while also running book clubs every summer and leadership camps at local community centers and the university. She was also one of the co-founders and founding members of the Stockton Schools Initiative that began in 2015, where she worked with students and families to fight for educational change through policy. She has helped advocate to bring ethnic studies into schools and push for college, career, and community readiness in school. She has led the charge for many projects, including pushing to dismantle the school-to-prison pipeline work, advocating for Restorative justice and investments in counselors, and restorative justice coordinators She was successful by co-authoring a restorative justice resolution that passed in the Stockton Unified School District in 2019 with a 6-0 vote with the Stockton Schools Initiative, public health advocates, and board trustee Angelann Flores.

Through her work she has been able to cultivate and train hundreds of youth to be change agents in her own city. She continues currently serves on several committees such as the California Endowment President's youth Council, Former  Secretary of the San Joaquin Democratic party 2016-2019 , SJC Democratic delegate for CA Dems, Boy of men of color alliance member, Stockton Education Equity Coalition, and Visionary home builders Board member, Be Smooth Inc. Board member, Student Success and Leadership Academy board , Stockton Scholars community advisory committee as well as several other partnerships she is involved with. She recently had been awarded the Key to the City in 2018 from Mayor Michael Tubbs and was presented with a mural dedication for her hard work in April 2018, commissioned by Brandon Mike Odums.

Jasmine is now serving as the Senior Regional Organizer with the Gathering for Justice. She is eager to get started and get on the ground with community and stakeholders across the state. She looks forward to working on a campaign to close youth prisons in CA and is committed to ensuring that the community, youth, families, and community-based organizations have a seat at the table in reimagining alternatives to incarceration for children and youth.

She is reminded by the great Andre Lorde that "When I dare to be powerful—to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid." She is committed to being unapologetic, fearless, and bold as she fights towards freedom and liberation of her people and community. Find out more about Jasmine and her work with Stockton Schools Initiative in Episode 6

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