“I believe that those of us to whom much has been given have a responsibility to give back to others who have not had the same good fortune.”
Warren Wilson, Founder
Founder's Statement
Growing up in Oakland during the Depression, I was deeply touched by the poverty and injustice I saw around me. Although my parents had little money, they gave my brothers, my sisters and me a great deal of love and security and instilled in us a sense of confidence that we could overcome obstacles and be successful.
Throughout my lifetime, I have recognized the importance of reaching out to others with a spirit of fellowship, to see their needs and to do what I could to help. In 1999, my wife, Joanne, and I set up a non-profit organization to support young people who come from economically disadvantaged backgrounds in their educational pursuits. Honoring the lineage of my mother, Louise Barrios Wilson, I named this new organization The Barrios Trust.
I have taken great pride in being able to play a positive role in programs that provide opportunities for young people to develop self-confidence and embark upon positive paths that will impact their futures. It has been a special pleasure to have personal contact with the young people we support and to hear them talk about the unique ways in which these organizations and our support have affected them.
In forming the Board of Trustees for The Barrios Trust I have drawn on family members and friends who identify with my philosophy and whose lives are enriched by the experience of being in a position to assist young people in fulfilling their potential.
I have always believed that, in order to keep what you have, you have to be willing to give it away. I have found that the more I have shared with others, the more abundance and material blessings have come back to me. I believe that those of us to whom much has been given have a responsibility to give back to others who have not had the same good fortune.
My hope is that those who have been touched by me, Joanne and The Barrios Trust will be able to appreciate the value of sharing with others out of a sense of love and fellowship and will give back to others when them have an opportunity to do so.
The Barrios Trust has provided me with the opportunity to extend my values into the future. I take satisfaction in knowing that the love, compassion and concern for others which I have tried to express during my lifetime will be continued beyond my lifespan through the good work of The Barrios Trust.
Warren Wilson, Statement from The Barrios Trust Newsletter of December, 2005.Board of Directors
Joanne Casey
Joanne Casey is co-founder of The Barrios Trust. A retired attorney, she has lived in Oakland for over 45 years. She has served on boards of several community-based non-profits and educational organizations. She appreciates the diversity and vitality of Oakland and is committed to providing educational opportunities to youth in this community. Joanne feels privileged to be part of TBT and is proud of the impact that TBT has on the lives of young people who participate in the programs it supports. She also takes great pride in the way that TBT continues to carry out the legacy of her late husband, Warren B. Wilson.
Donald Carter
Raising the standards of academic achievement has been a lifelong passion for Donald. Raised in Pasadena, California where his mother chose to place him in The Friends Quaker Elementary school until Jr High after which Donald attended one of the first, court ordered, racially integrated non-Southern public schools in the United States. In 1968, Donald moved north to study at San Francisco State University and then Hasting College of Law. During his college years Donald was actively involved in the fight for racial equality and school desegregation. After graduating from law school, a passion for travel and business inspired Donald to found the Carter Travel Company, giving him a vast opportunity to explore cultures around the world. As a parent, Donald co-founded the Parent Diversity Committees at Park Day School and The College Preparatory School. Both programs continue their efforts to enrich the schools’ education through both broad and deep exposure to diverse people and their rich cultures. In 2004 Donald earned his teaching credential from Holy Names University and spent 15 years teaching 2nd/3rd grade classes at New Highland Academy in East Oakland. After his retirement, from teaching, Donald partnered with Major League Baseball and ESPN as a trainer for Shred The Hate, an innovative national anti-bullying program. Post pandemic Donald spends time supporting the most a risk students in the Oakland community as well as spending time with his 2 grandchildren
Taj Wilson
Taj was raised in the East Bay and is currently an in-house counsel for Google. Prior to joining Google, Taj lived in Washington DC and served as a Deputy Associate Counsel at the White House. Taj feels incredibly proud and privileged to be part of The Barrios Trust's mission to support the educational pursuits of young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
John Fanning
John Fanning is Assistant Director of Summit Preparatory Charter High School, starting in the 2013-14 school year. Prior to joining Summit Prep, John was a high school teacher, counselor, college advisor, and department chair in Chicago Public Schools (2006-09) and Director of The Partners Program at The College Preparatory School (2009-13). Before working in schools, John was a youth worker and artist with gallery shows and screenings in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, and Europe
Casey Wilson
Casey is second generation Oaklander who's passionate about the potential role of the oceans in reversing climate change. She's currently COO at Greener Grazing where her team is working on novel approaches of using seaweed to eliminate methane emissions from cows. Casey previously led product efforts at Spire.io in San Francisco after returning from living in Beijing, China where she founded and led China's first person-to-person microfinance nonprofit, Wokai.org.
Kaylea Perenon
Kaylea was born and raised in Oakland and is currently working in the education field as well as running her own soccer training business. Kaylea spent her youth competing in soccer that led her to Boise State University where she played soccer for four years, while earning her degree in Mass Communication. Kaylea loves being a part of Barrios Trust and witnessing the wonderful work that folks in the East Bay are doing to help perpetuate a vast variety of opportunities for the young people in the East Bay.