Meet Our Team

Amy Adams

Amy is a Bay Area native. She is passionate about hospitality and creating spaces where everyone feels safe and welcomed. She is responsible for recruiting and assisting potential employees during the hiring process. She also maintains office schedules to support an effective workflow through efficient coordination across all departments for District Works. Amy calls the Bay: home, community, culture, and love. She is a lover of plants, animals, and cooking. Amy is always looking for the next delicious place to enjoy food with friends and family!

Chris Boss, LPM

A native of Macon, GA, Chris has been a Bay Area resident since 2007. He 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 Ambassador Program management experience, having worked for the Downtown Berkeley Association, Jack London Improvement District, and the Union Square Alliance. Chris will oversee the ongoing training, management, and performance of all District Works staff and will closely monitor all reporting and data collection. In 2022, Chris graduated from International Downtown Association’s (IDA’s) Emerging Leader Fellowship Program. In 2023 he became certified through IDA’s Leader in Place Management program.

Albert Burruss

A native of New Haven, CT,  Al has been a Bay Area resident for three decades. He has over 30 years of people and programs management. He enjoys training staff and tapping into their unknown potential. Al believes people are the greatest asset an organization has. His personal goal is to show love, dignity, and respect to every person he encounters. He also understands the importance of mentoring the next generation of leaders. After serving our country in the United States Army, he graduated from San Jose State in 1992 with a degree in Business Management. He has been serving our communities and involved in Urban Placemaking for the last seven years.

Joe Castagnola, LPM

Joe is an Oakland native. He supports and oversees the quality of all products and services provided by the organization. Joe began working in the Urban Place Management industry in 2015 and has experience managing several clean and safe programs throughout the Bay Area. Joe loves to design and implement customized deployment programs to tackle the toughest challenges. He works closely with directors and coordinators to support, plan, and implement all aspects of new and existing service programs to ensure our final product meets organization standards across all departments. In 2023 he became certified through the International Downtown Association’s Leader in Place Management program.

Jasmine Dickerson

Jasmine is a Bay Area native. She recently graduated with a degree in criminal justice, and although new to the industry, she is already making her mark on the world of place management. Jasmine supports our Uptown Downtown Oakland Place Manager program and provides consistent direction and continual awareness for our place managers. She facilitates strong and functional daily working relationships between our team and the community. When Jasmine is not hiking, or soaking in the beauty of Lake Merritt, she takes pleasure exploring the culinary delights found throughout the Bay Area.

Tanicia Jackson

Tanicia Jackson is an Oakland native. She recently joined the company as Vice President of Business Operations overseeing the development of financial and operational efficiencies to streamline and support the company’s business development. She brings over twenty years of experience in financial and operational management from the commercial real estate industry and has been an active and supportive board member of the Uptown Downtown Oakland CBDs since its inception in 2009. 

As a proven DEI leader, Tanicia is also committed to further development of the company’s DEI policies and initiatives. Working closely with the CEO and General Manager, she will ensure that financial and operational processes effectively serve our clients and comply with industry standards and best practices.

Delante Johnson-Hooper

Delante has a passion for leading and team building as shown in his tenure with District Works. As the maintenance and landscaping coordinator, 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. 

Andrew Jones

Andrew is an Oakland native. He hires, trains, and develops every member of the District Works team. As a hands-on CEO, he oversees operations for the company. He brings extensive experience to the job and a deep passion for Urban Place Management and Oakland. He enjoys envisioning and executing transformative public realm projects. For the past 14 years, he has served as Program Director for the Uptown Downtown Oakland Community Benefit Districts. In 2018, he graduated from International Downtown Association’s Emerging Leader Fellowship Program.

Molly Marion

Molly is an Oakland native. She joined the company in this critical growth phase as our Director of People Operations to support anything related to the employee experience. Her motto is to “cultivate the employee experience from recruitment to retirement,” and does so holding close to the values of Hard Work, Helping & Supporting Others, and Fairness. Molly is new to Urban Place Management and brings with her perspective from various industries spanning from entertainment to tech. Molly is an eternal optimist and always sees the glass half full. She is passionate about Bay Area sports, her family, friends, her dog, and the great outdoors. Molly holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences from San Diego State University.

Carlos Paz-Rivera

As a Berkeley native, Carlos embarked on his journey in urban place management in 2012 with the Downtown Berkeley Association. His initial role as a cleaning ambassador laid the foundation for his rapid ascent within the industry. With a keen eye for operational excellence, Carlos spent nine years honing his expertise as Operations Manager for the Jack London Improvement Association. During this tenure, he played a pivotal role in enhancing the vitality and appeal of the district, spearheading initiatives to elevate its aesthetic and functional aspects.

In 2021, Carlos embarked on a new chapter, transitioning to a role on construction projects across northern and southern California. This diverse experience not only broadened his skill set but also enriched his understanding of the intricate dynamics of urban environments. Carlos brings his wealth of knowledge and proven track record to District Works, showcasing his ability to enrich our organizational culture and empower our staff at every level.

Jahan Pinckney

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 Oakland and San Francisco 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. 

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.

Charles Taylor

Charles is a native of Detroit, MI, and has been a Bay Area resident since 2003. He has been working for District Works from day one, the very first employee. Having worked for the Uptown Downtown Oakland CBDs since 2018, he has developed a passion for public space management and Ambassador Program operations. Charles cares deeply about his team’s success and completing projects in a safe and timely manner. He is responsible for the oversight of many of the CBDs’ key initiatives. He works with UDO leadership to complete specific projects, obtain permits, and engage with community stakeholders to further the company’s goals and objectives. He has a unique ability to establish rapport with staff and community and facilitates ongoing partnership and collaboration to advance our initiatives.