Rena Ilasa

Rena Ilasa is a San Francisco native and first-generation college graduate of UC Davis. For over 18 years Rena has served the Samoan and Pacific Islander community. Her passion has been to bridge the gap of services for Samoan and Pacific Islanders (PI) in the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD), San Francisco Juvenile Justice Center, San Francisco Adult Criminal Justice system, and agencies serving Pacific Islander youth and families. She was involved in groundbreaking Pacific Islander causes such as the Samoan Wellness Initiative (SWI). She served as a Counselor, Case Manager, Program Coordinator with the Samoan Community Development Center (SCDC). She was also a Counselor with the San Francisco Juvenile Hall, and later transitioned to being a board member for SCDC. Rena was a speaker for the Teachers of Social Justice Forum and presented her research, “Bridging the Gap, Working with Samoan Youth and Families” to diverse communities and agencies.

In 2011, Rena Ilasa began her journey with the San Francisco Adult Probation Department as a Deputy Probation Officer. The increase incarceration rate for Pacific Islanders inspired Rena to advocate for more culturally sensitive programs, with an emphasis on the risks and needs of Pacific Islanders in the Criminal Justice System. She is the founder of the TOA Program (Transforming Our Attitude) and in collaboration with SCDC developed the TOA curriculum for the Pacific Islander population. Rena Ilasa is a Supervising Adult Probation Officer with the San Francisco Adult Probation Department and continues to advocate and serve the Pacific Islander community.