Janna Nichols, has a long history of service to our community, most recently recognized as a Woman of Distinction in 2017 by Cuesta College and the Women’s Legacy Fund for her efforts for the Progress of Women.
Nichols assumed her position as 5Cities Homeless Coalition’s first Executive Director in 2012, having spent the previous year as a consultant to the Coalition. In her career she served as the Chief Professional Officer for United Way of San Luis Obispo County for nine years, overseeing the daily operations for the nonprofit organization and its all-volunteer governing board. Also for seven years Nichols was part of the management team at United Blood Services, providing the life-saving blood supply for Monterey, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Ventura, and Riverside Counties.
In her work at the 5Cities Homeless Coalition and at United Way, she has spearheaded the development of several key initiatives and collaborative partnerships to address the needs of our county’s most vulnerable populations. She currently serves as Co-Chair to the Supportive Housing Consortium, was a founding board member of the San Luis Obispo County Housing Trust Fund, served 8 years as chair of the City of San Luis Obispo’s Human Relations Commission, and has served with several other community development efforts.
Devon McQuade was born and raised on the Central Coast and has a heart for helping underserved populations in her home community. With a BS in Psychology from Cal Poly, Devon gained experiencing working within Homeless and Foster Youth Services and served as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for foster youth for nearly 5 years.
She joined the Coalition in 2017 and has held several positions with the agency before being named the Associate Director in 2021.
Devon was a member of the South County Chamber of Commerce Leadership program’s inaugural class in 2019 and enjoys working with local community members and businesses to find collective solutions that address the complex issues of homelessness in our community.
Michael Azevedo joined 5CHC in 2019, and currently serves as 5CHC's Program Manager for Housing Services, assisting both those currently experiencing homelessness and those at risk of homelessness to find and maintain a stable home.
Michael has had a life-long passion to serve his community, especially advocating for youth and families who lack a supportive safety net and need an empathetic voice. Michael is a Central Coast native from the Santa Ynez Valley, and a graduate of California Polytechnic University, with a concentration in Psychology and Philosophy. While at Cal Poly, Michael served as an intern with County Probation, helping youth learn how to better communicate while experiencing negative emotions, through a therapy technique called Aggression Replacement Training.
In his work with 5CHC, Michael developed the agency's Homeless Youth Program which assists youth from the ages of 16-24 with the supports needed to find and secure stable housing, continue their education, and expand their employment opportunities.
Jorge Gonzales currently serves as 5CHC Program Manager for Outreach and Shelter Services; ensuring those who are experiencing unsheltered homelessness are provided access to supportive services and shelter through 5CHC’s outreach efforts, benefits advocacy, cabins for change non-congregate shelter, and seasonal warming shelter.
Jorge is a California native from San Jose; having moved to the Central Coast in 2004. Jorge holds an Addiction Treatment Certificate and A.A. degree from Cuesta College in Addiction Studies, Human Services, Human Development, and Behavioral Science. He also holds a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix.
Jorge proudly served in the U.S Army as an Infantrymen, including one tour of service in Afghanistan, prior his honorable discharge in 2014.
Jorge has personal experience with those struggling with homelessness, mental health and addiction problems. This led him into a health and human service career. Initially he worked with veterans as a housing case manager with 5CHC’s partner agency in the Supportive Services for Veteran’s Family program, Good Samaritan Shelter. Jorge then joined 5CHC in 2018 as a housing case manager for three years, before taking a hiatus to focus on addiction services with the County of San Luis Obispo Drug & Alcohol program. He returned to 5CHC in 2021 to oversee 5CHC’s newly initiated Outreach and Shelter program. Jorge is working to improve our community’s understanding of the challenges of homelessness, particularly those who are unhoused, and is leading efforts to bring the community together in this work.
