Sojourn Project Leadership
& Board of Directors
& Board of Directors
Our Leadership Team

Jeff Steinberg
Founder and Executive Director
Jeff Steinberg is an educator, speaker, and nationally recognized leader in experiential learning who has dedicated his life to helping young people understand the power of history, empathy, and civic responsibility. After 14 years teaching Advanced Placement U.S.History, Jeff founded Sojourn out of a belief that students learn best when they step beyond the classroom and experience history where it happened.
For more than 25 years, Jeff has led over 10,000 students through immersive civil rights journeys across the American South, connecting them directly with the people, places, and stories that shaped the movement for justice and equality in America. His work is rooted in a rigorous standards-based curriculum built from primary source documents, firsthand testimony, and meaningful dialogue designed to challenge students to think critically about injustice, moral courage, and their own role in creating change.
Known for his passionate storytelling and dynamic teaching style, Jeff delivers hundreds of presentations annually across the country, inspiring audiences through the enduring lessons of the Civil Rights Movement and the importance of compassion, inclusion, and human dignity.
For his decades of work in education and social impact, Jeff and the organization have received numerous state and national honors, including the Coretta Scott King A.N.G.E.L. Award and the National Arts and Humanities Youth Programs Award.
Jeff’s mission has always remained clear: when young people walk the ground where history was made and hear directly from those who lived it, education becomes transformational.

Steve Schulz
Assistant Director of Operations
Steve Schulz brings strategic insight, operational leadership, and a deep commitment to immersive civil rights education to his work with Sojourn. Since graduating from the University of San Francisco in 2011, where he studied U.S. History and Business, Steve has supported Sojourn in numerous capacities, helping strengthen the systems, curriculum, technology, and logistics that make each student experience possible.
Before joining Sojourn, Steve worked as a teacher and research assistant, served with the TEAMS/AmeriCorps program, tutored literacy in San Francisco to children, and interned with the National Park Service on Alcatraz Island, focusing on the American Indian Occupation of Alcatraz.
At Sojourn, Steve’s role continues to evolve. His work has included developing the organization’s multimedia anti-racism and civil rights presentation, seen by more than 10,000 students and teachers each year, supporting curriculum development, managing technology and equipment, and coordinating logistics on each journey.

Omar Elkalyoubie
Director of Marketing
Omar Elkalyoubie serves as Marketing Director for Sojourn Project and leads Celebrity Weekend, helping bring the organization’s mission to life through storytelling, fundraising, partnerships, and large-scale community events.
With more than 25 years of nonprofit and community engagement experience, Omar has helped grow awareness and raise millions of dollars for meaningful causes such as Orange County Library System, Give Kids The World Village, Over The Edge, Smiles Fur Miles, and Cannonball Kids’ Cancer.
With a background in marketing, media, social engagement, and large-scale event production, Omar leads Sojourn’s marketing, partnerships, social media, fundraising, and special events. His work focuses on bringing communities together through storytelling, experiential learning, and meaningful experiences that inspire empathy, kindness, civic responsibility, and lasting impact for future generations.

Brianna Hart
Logistics Coordinator
Brianna Hart serves as the Head of Event Logistics for Sojourn Project and is an integral part of ensuring each journey runs smoothly from start to finish. Her attention to detail, dedication, and commitment to creating meaningful experiences help make Sojourn’s immersive educational programs possible.
Beyond her work with Sojourn, Brianna serves as a camp counselor for a program dedicated to children battling cancer, where she provides support, encouragement, and joy to young people facing extraordinary challenges. Inspired by these experiences, she is currently pursuing medical school with the goal of becoming a pediatric oncologist, combining her passion for service with a desire to make a lasting difference in the lives of children and their families.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Reena Evers
Board President
Reena Evers is the daughter of civil rights leaders Medgar and Myrlie Evers and serves as Board President of Sojourn Project. At just 8 years old, she witnessed the assassination of her father, an experience that shaped her lifelong commitment to justice, education, and civic responsibility.
A respected communications professional and frequent public speaker, Reena has worked with organizations nationally and internationally to promote dialogue, understanding, and human dignity. She also serves as Executive Director of the Medgar and Myrlie Evers Institute, continuing her family’s legacy by inspiring future generations through education, historical truth, and the ongoing pursuit of equality.

Shannon Couch
Board Treasurer
Shannon Couch serves as Board Treasurer for Sojourn Project and brings decades of experience in education, curriculum development, and youth advocacy. She earned her B.A. in English and Humanities from Notre Dame de Namur University and a master’s degree in Humanities from San Francisco State University.
Throughout her career, Shannon has worked extensively with at-risk teens and teen parents, helping create supportive and student-centered educational pathways. Most recently, she served as Professional Development Coordinator at Peninsula Alternative School, where she helped lead the transition to Common Core-based curriculum and strengthened instructional practices for educators and students alike.

Wayne Taylor
Board Secretary
Wayne Taylor has supported Sojourn Project for nearly two decades, serving in a variety of roles including webmaster, writer, photographer, fundraiser, and trip chaperone. A longtime storyteller and communications professional, he has worked as a content writer and producer across television, print, and digital media since 1997. Wayne currently serves as a Web Production and Training Manager at Adobe, bringing his expertise in digital engagement and storytelling to help advance Sojourn’s mission.

Eric Pleschner
Board Member
Eric Pleschner brings to Sojourn Project a lifelong commitment to youth empowerment, philanthropy, and the arts. A graduate of California State University, Sacramento with a B.S. in Business, Eric has combined entrepreneurship with nonprofit leadership throughout his career, including serving as CFO of a multi-million-dollar organization and participating in international cultural exchange initiatives.
In 1997, Eric helped establish the Charles A. Becker Foundation and has served as its President for nearly three decades, helping guide more than $10 million in grants supporting youth and community development programs. His dedication to Sojourn reflects a deep belief in the transformative power of education, opportunity, and positive influence.
Our Team
Davina Gazula
Logistics Coordinator and Educator
Kenneth Mason
Curriculum Advisor
Cliff Mayotte
Consultant and Strategic Advisor
Minnijean Brown-Trickey
Advisor/Speaker
Elizabeth Eckford
Advisor/Speaker
Jonathan Whitley
Support Specialist
Accounting Team
Andrea Glavas, Aimee Lenz, and Cassandra Davis
Anne Brickeen
Marketing Assistant and Celebrity Weekend Coordinator
Asya Whitley
Registered Nurse
Audra Gray
Photographer
Security Team
Frank Davis and Anthony Quentin
Bus Drivers
Earl Richardson, Jimmy Page, Jackie Robinson


