PMF Profiles

PMF CLASS OF 2007

Brandon Yu earned a BA in political economy from the University of California, Berkeley and a JD from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law.  Prior to joining SSA, he worked as a summer clerk at the California Office of the State Public Defender conducting legal research on behalf of indigent death row state prisoners seeking habeas relief before the California Supreme Court.  During law school, he also served separate stints as a federal judicial extern for the Honorable Claudia Wilken and Magistrate Judge Wayne Brazil of the district court for the Northern District of California in Oakland. After graduating from UC Berkeley, Brandon worked as a policy researcher for the Nautilus Institute for Security and Sustainability, focusing on the peaceful denuclearization of North Korea.  Brandon also served alongside the Dean of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, Orville Schell, as co-editor of a monthly series of columns on the democratization of China that were translated and published in major foreign newspapers around the world.  Presently, Brandon resides in downtown Oakland and spends his time rabidly playing kickball, board games, and other late-adolescent recreations.  Brandon's mentor is Tom McCullough, Director of Regional Teleservices Operations.

PMF CLASS OF 2006

Thomas Radwick graduated from Penn State University with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and later earned a Master of Public Administration degree from San Francisco State University. During his master’s studies, he worked as a Manager of Administrative Services at First Republic Bank in San Francisco, and had a summer internship as an Analyst at the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO). Prior to these jobs, Thomas was employed as a Documentation Specialist for a software company in Sofia, Bulgaria. As a PMF at SSA, Thomas worked as a Human Resources Specialist with the Education, Training, and Development Team; as a Management Analyst with the Field Facilities Team; as a Claims Representative in the downtown San Francisco field office; and as Management Support Specialist in the downtown Oakland District Office, where he currently works as an Operations Supervisor. He is an enthusiast of yoga. His mentor was Steve Breen, Assistant Regional Commissioner, Processing Center Operations.

PMF CLASS OF 2005

Catherine Lewis is a PMF transfer to the San Francisco Region from the SSA Office of Disability Programs in Baltimore, Maryland. Catherine graduated from the University of California, Irvine with a B.A. in Psychology and Social Behavior.  Her first job out of college was teaching independent living skills to adults with developmentally disabilities. She went on to teach special education to children with disabilities, work as a paralegal for a civil litigation firm, and manage program services for the Epilepsy Foundation of Northern California before earning her master’s in public administration from California State University - East Bay. Catherine also managed the Health Insurance Counseling and Advocacy Program (HICAP) for San Francisco City and County, providing free counseling and community education services to help seniors and people with disabilities utilize their Medicare benefits.

During her PMF Program, Catherine married, moved across the country from the San Francisco Bay Area to Maryland, bought her first house, and became a mother. While with the Office of Disability Programs in Baltimore, Catherine worked on the development, evaluation, and interpretation of agency-level medical policies with a special emphasis on disabilities involving neurological disorders and vision and hearing loss. Catherine is currently a Social Insurance Specialist in the Disability Quality Branch of the San Francisco Office of Quality Performance.

Catherine’s mentor was Art Spencer, former Director of the Office of Program Consultation in the Office of Disability Programs. Mr. Spencer is currently in the Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program.

PMF CLASS OF 2004

Jackie Chapin is a PMF transfer to the San Francisco Region from the SSA Office of Disability Programs in Baltimore, Maryland. She began her professional career as a registered nurse but returned to school to study sociology. While earning her doctorate from the University of California at Riverside, she conducted both quantitative and qualitative research projects on gender, work and family finances. Between completing her master’s and her doctorate, she taught courses in sociology at colleges and universities in both Oregon and California. She also spent several years employed as a teaching mentor for other graduate students. She enjoys reading about a wide variety of subjects and spending time with her kids. Jackie is permanently assigned to the SSA District Office in Fontana, California. Her mentor was Sheila Carraway, Project Manager in the Center for Programs Support, San Francisco Regional Office.

Sophia Kobrin graduated in 2002 with her B.A. in ethnic studies with a concentration in Chicano studies and Spanish (double major) from California State University at Sacramento. Upon graduation, she completed an internship with the Asian/Pacific Islander Youth Violence Prevention Center as a researcher with tours of duty in both Honolulu, Hawaii, and Sacramento, California. In 2004, she earned her master’s degree in public administration (MPA) from California State University, Stanislaus. While working on her MPA, she also served as a researcher on an evaluation of multi-jurisdictional Drug Task Forces in California counties for the Governor’s Office of Criminal Justice and Planning. She chose SSA because it is an agency with strong public service values and is committed to the well being of its employees. Outside of work Sophia enjoys spending time with her family, backpacking, hiking, running and yoga. Sophia works as a Operations Supervisor in the Stockton, California District Office. Sophia’s mentor was Gus Villalobos, currently the Director, Center for Disability, San Francisco Regional Office.

Darrel Onizuka graduated from American University in Washington, D.C. with a master’s in international communication. He earned a B.A. in speech and a certificate in ethnic studies from the University of Hawaii. Darrel serves as a Staff Weather Officer and an Army Support Team Leader in the California Air National Guard. He is also part of the Intercultural Management Quarterly Journal Editorial Review Board. Darrel gained some experience conducting audits and gathering research during graduate school through an internship with the Department of State, Office of the Inspector General. He grew up in Kaneohe, Hawaii, and then joined the U.S. Air Force at age 19. Darrel was stationed in Germany for 4 years and has also worked temporarily in Italy and Okinawa. His personal interests include gardening, hiking and traveling. Darrel is permanently assigned to the Tri Counties Area Director’s Office as an Area Administrative Assistant; however, he is presently on a detail assignment as the District Manager in the Thousand Oaks District Office. Darrel’s mentor was Leslie Walker, Regional Communications Director, San Francisco Regional Office.

PMF CLASS OF 2003

PMF CLASS OF 2002

Dawn Heywood joined SSA in July 2002 as a PMF in the Boston Region.  She recently transferred to the San Francisco Region and is currently a Public Affairs Specialist in the Northern Area Office.  As a PMF, Dawn held a variety of positions in both the field and Regional Office including Claims Representative, Social Insurance Specialist in the Center for Disability, Public Affairs Specialist, Program Analyst in the Office of Inspector General (Audit) and Area Staff Assistant. Prior to transferring to the San Francisco Region, she held the position of Operations Supervisor in the Quincy, Massachusetts District Office.  Dawn holds a master's degree in public administration and a bachelor of arts in political science, both from Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts. Prior to joining SSA, she worked for the General Services Administration, Department of Labor and as an Immigration Paralegal in the private sector. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her family, reading, listening to music and spending time outdoors.

Tom McMahon joined SSA in September 2002 as a PMF in the New York Region. He transferred to the San Francisco Region and is currently the Area Director's Office Supervisor in the Southwest Area Office. As a PMF, Tom held a variety of positions in the field, Regional Office and in Central Office (CO), including Claims Representative, MSS, Analyst in Field Facilities, and a Program Analyst in Division for Systems Security and Program Integrity in CO. Prior to transferring to the San Francisco Region, he held the position of Financial Management Team Leader in the New York Regional Office. Tom holds a master's degree in public administration from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and a bachelor of arts in political science from the State University of New York at Oneonta. Prior to joining SSA, Tom worked for the New York City Department of Probation and the State of New York. In his free time, Tom enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and playing rugby.

Hung Sa Kloeung is a PMF transfer to SSA from the Department of Justice in Washington, DC. He is the District Manager for the Eureka District Office. He received both his bachelor of arts in history and his master’s of public administration from Arizona State University. Prior to his PMF experience, he was a Management Assistant with the Town of Queen Creek, Arizona, and an Instructional Specialist with Arizona State University Academic and Professional Programs. In his free time, he likes to write, travel, entertain and spend time with family and friends. Hung Sa’s mentor was Edmond Chin, Operations Manager, Processing Center Operations.

Jen Mitchell joined the Regional Office in August 2002 after obtaining her graduate degree from UC Berkeley in May 2002 in social welfare (MSW) with an emphasis in management and planning. She obtained her B.A. in political science from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. Prior to obtaining her MSW, Jen worked as a program manager in a Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center and as a coordinator of a youth mentoring program. She also spent three summers working for the U.S. Forest Service in Northern California. Jen chose SSA in the San Francisco Region for her PMF appointment because she felt the Agency most closely matched her public service values and provided flexibility in choosing assignments. In her free time, Jen enjoys cooking and spending time outdoors with her husband and two boys. Jen works as a Program Expert in Budget Planning in the Center for Disability, San Francisco Regional Office. She also serves as the president of the child care board for La Petite Day Care Center at the Regional Office.

PMF CLASS OF 2000

Naomi Jacobson Frankel has an MBA degree in human services with a concentration in elders/disabled care from the Heller Graduate School, Brandeis University in Waltham, Massachusetts. She also did her undergraduate work at Brandeis, though she grew up in California close to Santa Cruz. While attending school, Naomi was involved in a number of volunteer and paid positions where, among other things, she developed a corporate website, volunteered in an Alzheimer's day center and coordinated a program to teach first graders to read. She is interested in travel (she spent a year overseas), reading and photography. Her mentor during the PMF Program was Diane Trewin, Center for Disability Director, San Francisco Region Office.  Currently, Naomi is the Project Manager for the Employee Training and Development Team, Center for Human Resources, San Francisco Regional Office.

PMF CLASS OF 1999

M. Daniele Adams is an Assistant Module Manager in the Western Program Service Center. She graduated from Texas Southern University with a master’s of public administration. Daniele also received her bachelor of arts in English from Texas Southern University. A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Daniele joined the San Francisco Region because of the numerous opportunities and diversity the PMF program offered. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, writing and running. Daniele is an Assistant Module Manager in the Western Program Service Center. Her mentor during the PMF Program was Leslie Walker, Regional Communications Director.

William (Bill) Shie has a B.A. in psychology from the University of California at Berkeley and a J.D. from the University of California, Hastings College of the Law. A native Californian, Bill began his SSA career in the Chicago Region before heading to Baltimore to work on the Presidential Library Project helping to write the Clinton Administration's Administrative History of SSA. He also worked in the Office of Disclosure Policy's Strategic Issues Team, working on issues such as electronic disclosure, privacy concerns and SSA HIPAA compliance. Previous to his PMF career, Bill worked as a lobbyist in Southern California on CPA educational requirements and has been active in numerous community organizations such as the San Francisco Asian Law Caucus and the Asian Professional Exchange (APEX) in Los Angeles. Bill has an interest in criminal law; this included working in the San Francisco District Attorney's Office, Youth Guidance Center. His hobbies include reading, traveling and long philosophical discussions. Bill is an EEO Specialist in the San Francisco Regional Office, performing EEO counseling, diversity training and other functions to enhance and promote SSA's policy of diversity and non-discrimination. His mentor was Jan Marty, a Disability Program Administrator in the San Francisco Regional Office.

David Yun began his career with SSA in 1997 as a PMF in the New York Region. He worked as a Specialist on the Financial Management Team and served as a member of the Supplemental Security Income Anti-Fraud Workgroup and the Strategic Planning Workgroup. During his fellowship, he completed assignments in the Avenue X Field Office in Brooklyn, New York, and the Principal Deputy Commissioner's Office in Central Office. In 1999, he transferred to the San Francisco Region, working as an Area Operations Analyst in the Sierra West Area Director's Office. He went on to work as a Staff Assistant to the ARC-MOS in the Regional Office. David left the Agency in 2003 to pursue a law degree and rejoins SSA after receiving his J.D. from the University of California, Davis. He received a B.A. in economics and psychology from the University of California, Irvine and a master's degree in public policy from the University of Chicago.

Rory Robinson (PMF Class of 2004) is a Team Leader on the Employee Training and Development Staff in the Chicago Region’s Center for Human Resources.  Prior to receiving a PMF appointment, Rory served on active duty in the Air Force as an aviation electronics instructor and finished his 23-year career as an education administrator for the Community College of the Air Force.  He managed the college’s aviation degree program and provided academic advice to hundreds of enlisted students, helping them to achieve their educational goals.  Rory completed his undergraduate studies in human resource management at Faulkner University in Montgomery, Alabama, and earned his master's degree in public administration at Troy State University in Montgomery, Alabama.  His interests include reading, traveling, and spending time with his family.  While assigned to the San Francisco Region, Rory’s mentor was Steve Breen, Assistant Regional Commissioner, Processing Center Operations.