About Us – District Works

Our Vision

District Works staff have decades of experience managing multiple improvement districts and public realm projects. It is our aim to work in partnership with your team and local stakeholders to realize your vision in a timely manner and within the established budget. From the inception of our company we knew that our success would be defined by the team we hire and the energy and attitude they bring to each project.

Our Team

Our ethos has always been to provide a work environment which brings out the best in our staff, meeting everyone where they are with compassion and respect. To that end, we have removed as many barriers to employment as possible, allowing us to forge alliances with local non-profits, drawing upon their employment pipelines to fill our ranks. Our team understands the importance of being respectful, compassionate, and empathetic to all members of our community. We train our team in the art of de-escalation, engagement, and customer service.

Delante Johnson Hooper — Team Lead
Delante Johnson-Hooper

General Manager

Chris Boss

Chris is responsible and accountable for all day-to-day operations for District Works. His primary responsibilities are to oversee and facilitate administrative duties as required for the successful operations of the business, with a focus on People Operations, Finance, and Business Development. Chris has over a decade of experience in the clean, safe, and hospitality industry having worked in Berkeley, San Francisco, and Oakland. He has a passion for personnel selection and training of new staff to provide the necessary tools and understanding as customized deployment programs are created. Chris will oversee the ongoing training and performance reviews of staff and will monitor the reporting and data collection to achieve desired goals.

Program Coordinator

Charles Taylor

Charles has been with District Works for over 2 years and leads many team projects for our landscaping, consultation, and hanging basket programs. He has a passion for activations and operations. He truly cares about his team’s success and getting his assignments done in a safe and timely manner. He is a great father, a friend to many, loves to laugh, and enjoys working for District Works. What we do is not just a job for Charles, it’s working with family. He loves the Bay Area as a whole, but enjoys Oakland and the history behind its culture the most.

Service Technician

Chris Nishimoto

Chris is the Senior Service Technician for Big Belly solar-powered receptacles. Chris has also been instrumental for project services including ornament installations, plywood installation and removal, globe and lighting repair, and signage installation projects for business/community improvement districts throughout the Bay Area. Chris has been with District Works since the inception of the company in 2020. When not providing superb service for clients, Chris enjoys spending time with his two sons, playing league softball, and Audio Engineering. The region provides the best arts, community, culture, food, and passion and Chris is proud to provide service and travel to all the communities throughout the Greater Bay Area.

Team Lead

Jahan Pinckney

As the first Team Lead for District Work’s Bart Attendant program, Jahan has created an inspiring team environment with an open communication culture for our team. He enjoys interacting with the diverse customers and coworkers at both 19th and Powell Street Stations. Jahan is a father of two: a son with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Plymouth State University and a daughter finishing her first year at Dean College. Jahan was born and raised in New York CIty and moved to the Bay Area to further his career in management. He is a foodie at heart and enjoys discovering new places for hiking, cycling, and spending time with family and friends. Jahan continues to motivate his colleagues to do their best and remain positive as we continue to evolve and grow in an ever changing industry.

Team Lead

Paul Hurtado

Paul began his career with District Works as the backup team lead and was quickly promoted to the full-time team lead role. His engagement with the public and customer service are second to none. Our team purpose is to provide a welcoming, clean, and safe space for patrons which he has excelled in. Paul has a passion for domestic violence awareness, resolution, and prevention. He aspires to help those in recovery from substance abuse, gangs, and criminal thought. He is focused on the growth of District Works and aspires to become a manager within the organization. Paul currently trains all new hire staff for the Restroom Attendant program for Bart.

Team Lead

Delante Johnson-Hooper

Delante has a passion for leading and team building as shown in his 1-year tenure with District Works. As the Excess Litter Fleet (ELF) team lead, he has learned and harnessed skills to provide greater opportunity for his continued growth within the company. In addition to being a husband and father, Delante is our in-house comedian, food critic, and anime enthusiast. With his interest in learning new skills and becoming a better version of himself daily, he enjoys serving his community and finding ways to improve Oakland. Delante treats all his colleagues and clients like family and has been welcoming and supportive of all that have the privilege of meeting and working with him.

Backup Team Lead

Al Phillips

Al is a backup team lead for the Excess Litter Fleet (ELF) staff who was born and raised in Oakland. Al enjoys the weather and community found in the Bay Area and enjoys volunteering within the community while helping those who need assistance. He enjoys spending time with family and friends and communicating with all people he encounters on every level. As a conscientious and dedicated ELF team member, he sets the example for others to follow and works with everyone to enjoy their time and effort given during their cleanups throughout Oakland.

Backup Team Lead

Matt Nguyen

Matt is a backup team lead for the Excess Litter Fleet (ELF) team. Outside of work, he is a son, friend, and big brother to others which shows through his desire to help others be it physical, mental, or spiritual assistance. Matt is a college graduate who aspires to grow his management skills and expand the scope of business. Matt enjoys the different cultures and culinary cuisines throughout the Bay Area and takes pride in his ability to contribute positively in the community.

President

Steve Snider

Steve directs the vision of the company through strategic planning, marketing and business development and has a passionate focus on community building and workforce development initiatives. He has served as President of the California Downtown Association Board of Directors and also Chairs the organization’s Diversity Equity Inclusion Task Force. Steve has also served as the Executive Director for the Uptown Downtown Oakland Community Benefit Districts for the past 10 years and has overseen the development and implementation of Oakland Central, downtown Oakland’s only unified marketing and events campaign.

CEO

Andrew Jones

Andrew hires, trains and oversees all operations for the company and has a passionate interest and extensive experience in the beautification, programming and activation of vacant, blighted and underutilized lots and public spaces. Andrew has been instrumental in coordinating many of downtown Oakland’s most impressive large scale public art installations as well he has overseen and managed all aspects of some of downtown Oakland’s most impactful and historic public events. Andrew has served as Program Director for the Uptown Downtown Oakland Community Benefit Districts for the past 10 years and graduated from the International Downtown Association’s Emerging Leadership program in 2018.

Operations Manager

Joe Castagnola

Joe hires, trains, and provides mentorship for his team while overseeing all of the day-to-day operations of the company. Joe started working in the Clean, Safe, and Hospitality industry in 2015 and has experience managing several programs throughout the Bay Area. Joe loves to design and implement customized deployment programs to tackle the toughest challenges. Joe and his team install and maintain capital improvements and oversee our staffing division for the company.

People Operations Manager

Amanda Hicks

Amanda Hicks aids Managers and Employees with policies, compensation, benefits, recruiting, safety, compliance, training, development, and talent management. With a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Chico State, Amanda has an extensive background in Recruiting and has worked in various Talent Acquisition roles for clients including LinkedIn, Stanford University, and Tesla. She serves us remotely, but does have ties to the Bay Area after living here 8 years after college. Originally from Bishop, the Eastern side of the Sierras, she now lives in Chico with her husband and immediate family. Amanda is a strong believer in employee rights and loves people! You can find her traveling in her free time.