Our Team

Alonzo (“Lonnie”) Anderson, Ph.D., Executive Director

A co-founder of One Light International, Lonnie is a cognitive psychologist with an extensive background in public policy and education with an emphasis on how children learn especially those from underserved communities or traumatized homes.  Lonnie brings an impressive background of more than 30 years of experience as a university professor, research psychologist and consultant to a diverse array of public and private organizations including service as the director of Literacy Research for the Univ. of California at San Diego.  Lonnie has several degrees including a M. A. and Ph.D. from Michigan State University in social psychology and he’s also studied as a post-doctoral scholar at Stanford University.

Gloria Barkan, Chief Operating Officer   

Gloria has been a part of the OLI vision and mission since its inception in 1990.  An accomplished marketing professional and entrepreneur, Gloria has a national marketing background that includes work in the garment industry and health care and, for the past several years, she’s been an integral part of several family-owned and operated businesses in Southern California that focus on auto sales and service, HVAC and home-based repair and treatment services.  Gloria has a B.A. in journalism from UCLA and is active in many Los Angeles region civic and business associations including serving on the Boards of the Culver City Chamber of Commerce and the Inglewood Area Ministers Association.  She’s played a leading role in several high profile community events sponsored by OLI including some of its highly regarded health fairs in South Central Los Angeles as well as playing a leading role in the annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration in Inglewood.  Gloria is also an active member of OLI’s anchor affiliate organization, The Lord’s Church, where she serves as new member intake coordinator. 

Sharon Jenkins, Director of Communications and Development

Sharon has an extensive, award-winning background in national marketing communications for an array of public and private sector interests in New York City, Washington, D.C., Los Angeles and Chicago.  Her experience includes work on the national McDonald’s account at Golin/Harris Communications, Chicago, to more than a decade of public service as a press secretary or communications director for leading government and non-profit organizations as diverse as the National Women’s Law Center in Washington, D.C. to the late Chicago Mayor Harold Washington and U. S. Rep. Bobby L. Rush.  Sharon graduated with honors with a B.A. in journalism from Indiana University, Bloomington and has done graduate level studies in public policy at Roosevelt University, Chicago and broadcast television production at Columbia College, Chicago.  A published author, Sharon leads an independent film and television production company, My Brothers’ Business Enterprises, Inc., with offices and affiliates in Los Angeles and New York City, that, in 2006, is set to release a highly visible documentary and companion DVD on the political influence of hip-hop.

Andress Walker, Director of Finance and Administration

Andress is an accomplished accountant and auditor with more than 10 years experience working in the private sector for a diverse array of clients. She’s provided accounting and financial services advice to a sterling array of public and private sector clients including doctors and health care professionals, celebrities and professional athletes in the NBA and NFL.  Her educational experience includes a stint at West Lost Angeles College where she was on the Dean’s List before she moved to Pitzer College, a member of the Claremont Colleges, where she earned a B.A. degree in human resource management.  She’s completed her MBA, with an emphasis in accounting, from the University of Phoenix and is studying for her Certified Tax Practioner.  She, too, has been a vital part of the growth and development of One Light International, since its inception, and she also serves as the finance director for its affiliate organization, The Lord’s Church.  She’s also the proud mother of Anjelique.

Areas of Interest

One Light International’s programs support its mission of identifying and cultivating those men, women and children whose lives are broken or unfulfilled and enabling them to become healthy, productive citizens in the global economy.

Our programs focus on three core areas of interest:

·          programs that intervene to help uplift, inform and enlighten those who are committed to moving their lives forward in a way that is life-affirming for themselves, their families, their children and their communities

·          programs that are creative and enterprising and are designed to stretch the abilities and imagination of those men, women and children who dare to dream big dreams and who are courageous enough to act on their vision for their lives and their futures

·          programs that embrace breakthrough, collaborative initiatives that reflect the fact that our community, our nation and our world are interconnected in ways that perhaps none of us have yet to imagine—it’s this territory of the unknown that most excites and informs our work as, by reaching out beyond our personal cultural norms and comfort zones, we believe productive, life-affirming enterprises are waiting to be born

These values and interests are reflected in the work we are presently engaged in, or are in the process of launching.

One Light International continues to seek visionary individuals, donors, businesses, associations or other groups who share these values and who believe in the strength, vitality and value of the people we have committed our lives to serve.