Who We Are
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Kathy Miner
Executive Director
A Miner Miracle is the creation of Kathy Miner, executive director and the architect of the continually evolving organization responsible for assisting more than 13,000 low income Bay Area individuals in their quest to re-enter the workforce.
A veteran business woman and entrepreneur, her experience includes owning a clothing boutique that dressed middle management women; designing and manufacturing private label clothing; a marketing company that launched start-up franchises nationally; and an import company specializing in teddy bears marketed to hospitals for elder care facilities. Not one to focus only on her career, Kathy throughout was an active volunteer, finding most solace by focusing her energies on those less fortunate.
After being in the private sector for nearly two decades, she sought personal change and had a desire for greater meaning in the work that she did. This pivotal moment re-directed her focus and priorities. The result was applying her varied background and expertise to a life of service, leading to the creation of A Miner Miracle.
Kathy launched A Miner Miracle in 1995 after spending several years working with disadvantaged women from the Salvation Army Gateway Program and various other non-profit agencies. She realized that there was a need for a single center that would provide clothing and wardrobe services to women in transition. The agencies in place at the time were lacking space, budget or access to necessary clothing. She conferred with an advisory group of women she had previously helped at the shelter to determine what services would be most useful and welcomed. Using this “focus group” approach helped her fine-tune her strategy and design a program that would truly give women in transition a leg-up.
Since A Miner Miracle's inception, Kathy has taken the agency from solely serving disadvantaged women, to providing image counseling and interview appropriate clothing for low-income men, women, young adults and most recently, emancipated youth. Her latest innovation has been the creation of a groundbreaking social enterprise endeavor, A Miner Miracle SHOP. To the public, SHOP is a women's retail boutique selling new famous maker clothing and accessories at deep discounts. For A Miner Miracle, the store serves as a fundraising vehicle to support the organization as well as a full service center for the women clients -- providing image counseling and clothing all under one roof. It is the ultimate realization of the missing link Kathy identified when she launched the agency more than 16 years ago.
Michelle Markey
Office Manager / Bookkeeper
Michelle Markey is a Bay Area native, who spent many of her college years studying and working abroad before returning home. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from the University of California, San Diego and her Master’s Degree in International Studies from the University of Washington. Before joining A Miner Miracle, Michelle completed internships at the Center for Citizen Initiatives of San Francisco and the World Affairs Council of Seattle. Michelle has found that her position at A Miner Miracle gives her the opportunity to combine her desire to help people with her love of fashion.
Emiko Osaka
Operations Manager
Emiko manages the SHOP’s operations and assists with A Miner Miracle events. She moved from Salt Lake City, Utah to San Francisco for the expansive culture and the city’s art and design community. She will soon finish her education at San Francisco State University with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication Design, and a Minor in Industrial Design. Prior to joining A Miner Miracle, Emiko worked in both the retail and restaurant industries.
Karyn Brown
SHOP Manager
Karyn received a Bachelor's Degree in Fashion Design from the International Academy of Design and Technology in Las Vegas, Nevada. After she graduated, Karyn moved to San Francisco to be closer to her family and pursue her career in fashion. Karyn started her career path at A Miner Miracle as an intern and became inspired by the organization’s cause. Working at A Miner Miracle allows Karyn to pursue two of her greatest passions, fashion and helping others.
Didine Uwamahoro
Stock Supervisor
Didine joins the staff of A Miner Miracle SHOP with experience working on both sides of the Atlantic. Her travels resulted in mastering three languages: English, French and Swahili. Didine honed her customer relations and sales skills while working stints at designer electronics leader Hanspree, and high-end fashion retailers in the United States and France. She moved from Rwanda to the Bay Area to pursue her studies in International Relations with an ultimate goal of helping people in need around the world. Didine sought out A Miner Miracle to help her foster more ideas about her future philanthropic endeavors. In her free time, she likes to shoot hoops.
Traci Lato
Development Manager
Traci Lato comes to A Miner Miracle with a background in social justice work and volunteer management. Educated at Northwestern University and having completed rape crisis intervention certification in San Francisco, Traci has worked for The Jewish Federation of St. Louis, The National Conference for Community and Justice (NCCJ), the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) of Greater Chicago and the Boys and Girls Club of Metropolitan Phoenix. Traci enjoys volunteering, playing volleyball and loves hiking with her retired racing greyhound, Breezy.
William Tang
Finance Manager
William manages the organization's accounting and finance functions. Prior to joining A Miner Miracle, he has worked for over 15 years in the accounting industry, including private and public accounting roles. William received his bachelor degree in business and economics from the University of California at Los Angeles.
Board of Directors
Doug McAllister, Chairman
Sterling Bank & Trust
Business Development Officer
Kathy Miner, President
A Miner Miracle
President and Executive Director
Rod Mickels
InVision Communications
President and Co-Founder
Nancy Saguar
Perry Ellis
Retail Coordinator
Advisory Board
Hilary Crosby
Owner/Partner
Crosby & Kaneda, CPA
Kevin Comora
Executive Producer
SFTV
Karen Hoke
Owner/Partner
Johnson & Hoke Real Estate
Lee Mandelbaum
Executive VP
Price Point Buying
Maryann Nichols
Vice President
Levi's
Scott Seligman
President
Sterling Bank
Bill Sockolov
Broker
RPM Mortgage
Bob Sockolov
President
Rochester Big & Tall
Shirley Wang
Attorney
Shirley Wang Attorney at Law
Corporate Sponsors
Over the years, A Miner Miracle has formed a number of valuable partnerships with corporate sponsors and generous donors. Through financial grants and donations of products and services, these businesses have enabled the program to grow and serve more clients each year.
Based in San Francisco, BeneFit Cosmetics takes a whimsical approach to its innovative line of cosmetics, skincare and fragrance.
A graceful tower of translucent cool-blue, soaring 32 stories above the vibrant South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood, the InterContinental has quickly taken its place among San Francisco's most admired landmarks.
A highly successful, high-quality men’s clothing retailer with stores nationwide.
Naturalizer, with more than 70 years of experience in the shoe business, is the most recognized name in women's footwear.
The premier clothier for the big and tall man — since 1906.
Ruby Press, a boutique public relations agency, was founded by former New York fashion editor Melissa Davis in 2001, and represents fashion and lifestyle clients from around the globe.
The largest hotel on the West Coast with close to 2,000 rooms, located in the heart of San Francisco's Theatre District.
Since 1992, Sterling Bank & Trust, FSB, has provided its commercial customers with personalized service and creative financing solutions tailored to specific needs.
S. Rothschild and Company Inc. is a luxury manufacturer of women's and children's coats and outerwear with a tradition of excellence dating back over 125 years.
More than 130 years ago, our founders had a vision of offering comprehensive financial solutions to individuals and businesses. Today, Union Bank honors that history with a commitment to superior service for our customers, employees, shareholders, and the communities we serve.