About Us

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I started LA’s Queens Connections as a way to give back to the women of my community with resources, tools to heal and a sense of empowerment to the underserved women of my community. Most of my life has been an onslaught of things to overcome, abuse, addiction, homelessness, and I am a survivor. In 2006, my life changed for the better, h

I started LA’s Queens Connections as a way to give back to the women of my community with resources, tools to heal and a sense of empowerment to the underserved women of my community. Most of my life has been an onslaught of things to overcome, abuse, addiction, homelessness, and I am a survivor. In 2006, my life changed for the better, homeless and living on skid row, with no job, skills or aspirations, I decided to attend to Los Angeles City College where I graduated Suma Cum Laude and became a member of the International Honor Society, Phi Thetta Kappa and of the National Honor Society of Psychology PSI BETA in 2009. I quickly began working with our homeless population to provide adequate housing to dislocated families while provided substance abuse counseling, which is where I found my passion in helping my community and became a licensed Addictions Specialist for the state of California in 2010.  In 2011, Shields for Families hired me; I helped to re-unifying mothers and their children working with the Department of Social Services to assist families to be drug free, self-sustaining and productive members of society, which was a natural high I had never known. In 2014, I became substance abuse counselor for the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health working people with mental illness to cross barriers of stigma by enhancing self-esteem and self-pride. My sense of community grew more when I became an advocate for the Keith Bursey Jr. family in 2017 because he had no more voice, and was shot and killed by an LAPD officer. I fought for accountability, transparency and justice for my community with other community organizations like Cease Fire, Black Lives Matter and the Youth Coalition to further our cause and work on gang intervention in my community. In November of 2018, I had the honor of being awarded the Certificate of Recognition by the City of Los Angeles from Mayor Eric Garcetti, for completing training with Project Peace Makers and 77th Division D.A.R.T Program and the Certificate of Congressional Recognition by Congress Woman Karen Bass for outstanding and invaluable serve to the community.  In 2019, I became a Drug Prevention Education Specialist for our youths. I believe that the damaged and the broken can be healed; I know that to have a voice is a sense of freedom; I also understand that with the right resources and support anything is possible, because I am a living testimony of change.

Board Member  

Florence Avognon was born in Shreveport, Louisiana,  the youngest of four girls.  She was raised in Los Angeles by a single mom, where she attended Western Ave. Elementary, John Muir Jr. High and Crenshaw High School in South L.A. As a student she excelled in Public Speaking , Creative Writing and Drama.   She contends that 

Board Member  

Florence Avognon was born in Shreveport, Louisiana,  the youngest of four girls.  She was raised in Los Angeles by a single mom, where she attended Western Ave. Elementary, John Muir Jr. High and Crenshaw High School in South L.A. As a student she excelled in Public Speaking , Creative Writing and Drama.   She contends that her most valuable childhood experience was serving as President of Speech and Debate Team and winning Crenshaw High School’s first Gold Medal in the Academic Decathlon for Speech (1983). She would later return to coach the team and witness one of her students win the exact same award. (The only two times in the school has ever received awards in this competition.)  She obtained her A.A. from Los Angeles City College in 1985 and subsequently completed a B.A. at Howard University in 1988 and received a full Fellowship to attend Teachers’ College, Columbia University, where she received a M.A. in 1989.  She is noted to be the first African-American and first woman to receive first place in Oral Interpretation for the National Individual Events Tournament. (NIET) during senior year at Howard (1988). For the past 25 years she has served as an Educator at both her alma mater and in juvenile halls and camps for L.A. County Office of Education.  She possesses a very unique profile as an educator.  As a former Senior Manager for the City of LA she was instrumental in solidifying the value of “gang intervention”, and is perhaps the only educator who is also a certified Gang Intervention Specialist.    In 2012 she was recognized by the state as a California Teacher of the Year.  

Board Member

Ms. Kimberly Hughes is a retired Warden from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after a 27½-year career.  As a Correctional Officer she was assigned to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.  In 1992 she transferred to Calipatria State Prison (CAL), as a Correctional Officer.  In 1

Board Member

Ms. Kimberly Hughes is a retired Warden from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation after a 27½-year career.  As a Correctional Officer she was assigned to the Richard J. Donovan Correctional Facility in San Diego.  In 1992 she transferred to Calipatria State Prison (CAL), as a Correctional Officer.  In 1996 she served as a Correctional Counselor (CC) I.  In 2002 she became a Correctional Counselor II.  In 2004 Ms. Hughes served as a Parole Agent II at the Department of Adult Parole Operations in Sacramento, California (Region I Paroles).  During her two year tenure at Region I Paroles, she was assigned to Calipatria State Prison, Parole Planning and Placement.  She provided re-entry assistance to offenders transitioning back into the community, while keeping each parolee’s risk to the community and public safety a priority.  In 2006 she became a Captain at Chuckawalla Valley State Prison (CVSP) in Blythe, California.  In 2010 she transferred to Correctional Administrator (Associate Warden) at the California Rehabilitation Center (CRC) in Norco, California.  In 2012 she became Chief Deputy Warden at CRC.  In 2013 she accepted the challenge as Warden at the California Institution for Women (CIW).  On December 22, 2014, Ms. Hughes was appointment by then Governor Edmund G. Brown, Jr. as Warden at CIW.     

Ms. Hughes earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Administration of Justice from the San Diego State University in May 2001.  

Her distinctions include a Certificate of Completion for Ethics and Integrity, Training for Trainers, Correctional Peace Officer Academy, Parole Agent Academy, Equal Employment Opportunity & Sexual Harassment Trainer for Supervisors and Managers, Equal Employment Opportunity Coordinator, Peer Support Coordinator, Executive Development Orientation Program and Conflict Management to name a few. 

Ms. Hughes is excited about serving with Los Angeles Queens connections with an emphasis placed on education, life and workplace skills, being trauma informed, the maintenance of family and community relationships, overcoming domestic violence, successful reintegration into society and breaking the intergenerational cycle of incarceration. Her vast and extensive career working within the Prison system allows her to have an in-depth and unique insight of those desiring to change their circumstances.

Advisory Board

GENERAL JEFF was born and raised in the Crenshaw District in South Central Los Angeles and graduated from Crenshaw High School where he played on the 1983 California State Championship Varsity basketball team.

General Jeff is also a first-generation West Coast Hip-Hop pioneer and has certified gold and platinum sales awards f

Advisory Board

GENERAL JEFF was born and raised in the Crenshaw District in South Central Los Angeles and graduated from Crenshaw High School where he played on the 1983 California State Championship Varsity basketball team.

General Jeff is also a first-generation West Coast Hip-Hop pioneer and has certified gold and platinum sales awards from working with iconic rap artists such as Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, DJ Quik and more.

For the last 13 years, General Jeff has passionately volunteered as a full-time community activist focusing primarily on homelessness in Skid Row, which is an area in Downtown Los Angeles commonly known as "The homeless capitol of America". During this time, General Jeff has served in the following capacities;

Skid Row community activist/Founder of grass-roots 

community-based organization- 
ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS  
(2007-present)  
Former LA City-Elected Official (3 Two-Year Terms)

Resident Director- Central City East/Skid Row

Board of Directors 

Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council 

(2008-2014)
Former Vice-President of Outreach and Communications- DLANC 
(2011-2012)

LA County-Appointed Official
Consumer Representative on the 
inaugural LA County Health Agency Integration Advisory Board-
Selected by Mental Health Commission
(2015-2018)
Chair- LA County Health Agency IAB Subcommittee on Homelessness
(2015-2018)
Former State-Appointed Official 
California State Department of Public Health- Office of Health Equity-
inaugural Advisory Committee Member 
(2013-2015)
Chair- Skid Row Neighborhood Council- Formation Committee
(2014-present)
Former Co-Chair- Skid Row Community Advisory Board for the  
Department of Mental Health  
(2012-2017) 

Skid Row community activist/Founder- 
ISSUES AND SOLUTIONS  
(2007-present)  
LA County-Appointed Official
Consumer Representative on the 
inaugural LA County Health Agency Integration Advisory Board-
Selected by Mental Health Commission
(2015-2018)
Chair- LA County Health Agency IAB Subcommittee on Homelessness
(2015-2018)

Former Co-Chair- Skid Row Community Advisory Board for the  
Department of Mental Health  
(2012-2017) 

Chair- "Skid Row Public Space Task Force" 
(2012-present) 
Chair- Skid Row Neighborhood Council- Formation Committee
(2014-present)
Former LA City-Elected Official (3 Two-Year Terms)
Resident Director- Central City East/Skid Row
Board of Directors 
Downtown Los Angeles Neighborhood Council 
(2008-2014)
Former VP, Outreach and Communications- DLANC 
(2011-2012) 

Board Member

Pastor Gary was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is the pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in the heart of South Los Angeles. Pastor Gary brings an amazing passion for congregational revitalization, spiritual transformation, community engagement and children and youth mentoring. Pastor Gary is excited a

Board Member

Pastor Gary was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. He is the pastor of Saint Mark United Methodist Church in the heart of South Los Angeles. Pastor Gary brings an amazing passion for congregational revitalization, spiritual transformation, community engagement and children and youth mentoring. Pastor Gary is excited about what God is doing in the midst of the congregation he now serves. In his 9th year of appointed ministry, he served as the Associate Pastor at Holman UMC Los Angeles and Lead Pastor at Faith UMC and Hamilton UMC before his recent appointment. Pastor Gary completed his undergraduate studies first at Los Angeles City College AA Degree in Liberal Arts, California State University Los Angeles BA Degree in Pan-African Studies, Los Angeles Southwest Community College completing the Chemical Dependency Certificate  Program, and Claremont School of Theology with a Masters of Divinity Degree.

Pastor Gary is an ordained Elder in the California-Pacific Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church.  He currently serves on the National United Methodist Team to End Mass Incarceration, Chair of the Cal-Pac Conference Team to End Mass Incarceration, and Chair of the Strengthening The Black Church Committee in this conference.  He is the founder of Full Circle Recovery Ministry a Christian based 12 Step group. He is a mentor to at-risk children and youth especially young men and a passionate advocate in the areas of spiritual, transformation through Bible Study and other small groups for spiritual development, ending mass incarceration, substance use, and mentoring. 

Pastor Gary has a prophetic, progressive, and transformative vision of what the community of South Los Angeles can be. He brings passion, compassion, hope, and a commitment to the churches and community he serves. Pastor Gary believes deeply that, “only what you do for Christ will last.” He is married to Myrna Larue Jefferson-Williams a gifted teacher and church leader who is a passionate advocate for people. She believes the church can bring healing and wholeness to their lives of people in our community.