Board of Directors
Get to know our 2024 Board of Directors
Taylor Poisall | Board Chair
Taylor Poisall is excited to serve as this year's Board Chair. She is the Regional Communications Director for the American Red Cross Central California Region and works with a team of talented volunteers connecting communities to the mission of the American Red Cross through storytelling, media relations, social media and disaster public affairs. You’ll oftentimes hear her talk about her dogs, the latest hike she went on, or her favorite local downtown Fresno restaurant. She is passionate about helping the community and leaving the world better than she found it.
Bertha Flores | Vice Chair
As a Central Valley native, Bertha loves and supports all things local. Growing up, her family had a real estate, agriculture and clothing business. Needless to say, she holds a HUGE place in her heart for small family owned businesses. Bertha helps new home buyers as a realtor with Altura Realty, and she is also Manager for T-Mobile where she helps train and lead one of Fresno’s top producing teams. When Bertha is not nerding-out on business strategies and numbers, you can catch her out dancing or riding her bike. Oh, she also love the sun! Most recently Bertha has collaborated with local Fresno State students and The Laval Entrepreneur Mentor Program and Entrepreneurship Club at Fresno State as a mentor.
Alma Medina | Social Chair
Alma is a Central Valley native, she attended Fresno State where she obtained her Bachelor's Degree in Communications. During the day she works at California Teaching Fellows Foundation as their Talent Acquisition Specialist where she loves to help people achieve their goals in becoming future educators. Outside of work she enjoys running, reading, and catching up with friends and family. Alma is excited to join FLYP as the new Social Chair, she can’t wait to bring young professionals together and allow them the opportunity to expand their network and connections.
Devany Prieto | Special Events Chair
Devany Prieto, is a Program Analyst for California’s CalFresh program. As a Program Analyst, Devany travels throughout the state ensuring that the CalFresh program is accessible to all that wish to apply. One of Devany’s biggest joys in life is giving back, especially to her local community. Through FLYP she has been able to volunteer her time while building strong connections with other professionals in Fresno. She has been involved with FLYP for three years now and is currently serving her second year on the board as the Special Events Chair. As the Special Events Chair, she is dedicated to making sure the Annual FLYP Banquet is a success as well as any other smaller events throughout the year. When she isn’t working with CalFresh or FLYP Devany enjoys traveling the world with her friends and family and experiencing new food and drinks, as well as spending time at home with her two Dachshund pups.
Hannah Becker | Corporate Membership Chair
Hannah is a Central Valley gal through and through! Born and raised in Fresno, she attended Fresno Pacific University obtaining her B.A. in Business and M.A. in Strategic Leadership. She has served in a variety of roles including alumni council member and event manager for FPU, marketing ambassador for Red Bull North America, and currently serving as an account executive for OUTFRONT Media. She works with a variety of local, political, and governmental agencies and organizations to maximize their brand presence through a successful OOH marketing campaign. She is excited to serve, lead, and connect as your FLYP Corporate Membership Chair for this 2024 season!
Olivia Pape | Communications Chair
Born and raised in Clovis, CA, Olivia obtained her B.A. in business administration with an emphasis in marketing from Fresno State. She's worked in a variety of marketing roles, more specifically in the social media and digital marketing realm. She thanks her professional career due to networking, and is excited to serve for a second year in a row as the Communications Chair to help connect young professionals with career advancement and exploring new opportunities in Fressno.
Sean Minier | Secretary
Hello! My name is Sean Minier and I am excited to be serving my second term for the 2024 FLYP Board! I am currently working as an Office Manager for Seibert’s Oil Company a locally owned petroleum distributor for providing fuel for local businesses in the Central Valley. I have been involved with FLYP since 2015 when I heard about it while going to Fresno State when a friend participated in the Downtown Academy. After various mixers and participating in the Downtown Academy Program, I knew this was a great organization to be a part of. My favorite memory is a tough one because I have so many of them. I think my most favorite memory with FLYP was the FLYP banquet in 2019. It was my first banquet with them, and it was a great time and experience. I am really excited in returning to the board because not only to give back to the community but to help others gain comfort in making new friends and acquaintances by putting yourself out there.
Lucca Lorenzi | Web and Design Chair
Lucca is thrilled to serve his second year on the FLYP Board of Directors as the Web and Design Chair. He earned his B.A. in Media, Communications and Journalism with an Option in Public Relations at Fresno State (Go Dogs!) with a Minor in Multimedia Arts. Lucca is an Account Coordinator at JP Marketing and in his spare time, volunteers with organizations, such as the American Red Cross and Art of Life Cancer Foundation. He also assists the Fresno State Institute for Media and Public Trust with journalism education and literacy efforts. Lucca is also an avid comic book reader and loves to draw, run and swim.
Tara Sweeney | Community Outreach Chair
Tara Sweeney is a locavore foodie and advocate working as the Food Policy Council Project Manager at Fresno Metro Ministry. She’s been on both sides of volunteering as a volunteer and a coordinator. She plans to utilize those skills to help FLYP members connect with a network of local community benefit organizations. When she’s not fighting to make Fresno’s people and places healthier, you can find her hiking in the surrounding Central Valley mountains and foothills or snuggling up with her cat and a good book.
Mederios Babb | Membership Chair
Mederios Babb is currently the Morning/Noon Anchor at CBS47. Mederios Babb spent most of her life in Montana. She grew up in historic Butte and earned student awards and her degree in journalism from the nearby University of Montana in 2017. She moved to the Central Valley in 2019 and connected with her roots. Her grandmother was born in Fresno and grew up in Los Banos. Mederios joined CBS47 Eyewitness News in May of 2019, becoming the station’s investigative reporter, and bringing a passion for finding the truth and telling heartfelt stories that impact the local community. She has covered presidential visits, crime issues, human interest stories, and community events. Mederios attended her first FLYP mixer in 2019, and became a member in 2023. Mederios not only shares community stories, but gets involved through several volunteer opportunities. Mederios has volunteered with several valley school districts, the American Red Cross, the Central California Food Bank, and Beautify Fresno. When Mederios is not out volunteering or at the desk anchoring CBS47, she enjoys hiking, traveling and watching the Denver Broncos.
Ashley Gutierrez | Student Liaison Chair
Ashley Gutierrez is currently serving her first year on the FLYP Board as Student Liaison Chair and has passionately worked in various areas of education at the elementary, middle school, high school, and college level. As a first generation Latina student, she hopes to motivate other college students to Lead, Serve, & Connect across Fresno. In 2023, she was nominated for the Graduate Dean's Medalist Award for her contributions to the Fresno State campus community, as well as successfully earning her M.S. in Student Affairs & College Counseling. Her prior experience includes working in different Fresno State programs such as Academic Success Coaching, the Transfer Success Center, Dog Days Orientation, and TRIO's Educational Talent Search. Her most recent research project, "Forever Changed: The Lasting Impacts of COVID-19 on Latinx College Students & High Education" has been presented at conferences across CA on COVID-19's effect on higher education campuses and college students. Ashley is currently working at Reedley College as a Dual Enrollment Adjunct Counselor & Coordinator - a role that has allowed her to provide the various college courses to marginalized high school students. Outside of her FLYP role, she is also serving as Member at Large chair for CA College Personnel Association (CCPA) - a state division of the American College Personnel Association that meets the unique and specific needs of higher education professionals and students in CA.
Jacqueline Lopez | Member at Large
Jacqueline Lopez is the self-proclaimed JLO of FLYP, serving her 5th year on the Board of Directors. As a Marketing and Development Manager for the California Teaching Fellows Foundation by day, she supports families and TK-12 students throughout the Central Valley through expanded learning. By night, Jacqueline loves to stay connected by serving on multiple nonprofit boards, singing in her family band at venues in Fresno, dancing with her dance studio, or traveling with her husband and son.