Our Team

Our New Hope staff is a dynamic group of talented professionals who are dedicated, committed, compassionate, and genuinely care about those who are living with grief.

David Leonard, Executive Director

David has a decade of experience working in the non-profit sector serving children & families, Iraq/Afghanistan War Veterans, fighting hunger and now caring for those who grieve. David attended Cal State University Long Beach earning a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Marketing.

David is no stranger to grief. David has experienced the loss of many loved ones, including the death of his mother in 2007. After the loss of his mother, David learned about New Hope, joined a grief support group, and discovered his new-normal along the way. He connected with the mission of New Hope and started volunteering as a camp counselor working with school-age children who had lost a loved one. Those volunteer hours became the stepping stone for David to become the Director of Marketing and Development in 2012.

In November of 2015, David became New Hope’s second Executive Director. His own experiences with grief and compassion for the grieving give him great insight to best meet the needs of our grieving community. David enjoys spending time with his son Isaiah his wife Gerty.

Chris L. Cano, Director of Bereavement Services

Chris attended Fuller Theological Seminary and graduated with a Masters of Divinity in 2009.  He is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Marriage and Family Therapy at Northcentral College.

In addition to experiences of significant loss in his own life, Chris spent several years as a funeral service professional working with the bereaved.  He later went on to become an adjunct instructor in the Mortuary Science Dept. at Cypress College equipping other professionals.  Chris has spent the majority of his career working in full-time pastoral ministry with both teens and adults.  His personal and professional experiences have given him a heart and passion to work with those who are living with grief.

Chris started volunteering as an adult group facilitator in 2016 and joined the New Hope team in 2018. More than anything else, Chris loves spending time with his wife and children.

Sue Reveche, Director of Operations and Development

With over 20 years of nonprofit experience, Sue is an essential part of New Hope’s growth and operations. 

Sue is the mastermind behind New Hope’s branding and design. From designing all of the printed workbooks, all social media videos and posts, and printed outreach, she stays current on trends while being empathetic to the topic of grief. 

She is also in charge of finance, grant management, and creating the annual budget.

Jill Arbini  – Program Coordinator

Jill has a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work from Azusa Pacific University and Master’s in Social Work from the University of Denver. She spent over 20 years working with organizations that help support individuals, children, and families who have experienced the grief, loss, and trauma associated with foster care, illness, educational inequity, homelessness, and human trafficking. 

In her personal experience with grief and loss she has felt both the challenges and burdens that come when grieving in isolation and the immense benefits of a supportive community. She was thrilled to find New Hope during her MSW field placement in 2022 and is glad to be part of an organization that provides normalization, support, connection, and hope for folks walking through the loss of loved ones. Her husband and three kids are her absolute favorites. 

Shiela Hambrick  – Operations/Marketing Assistant

Shiela has been working closely with the Long Beach community for over 7 years as a Fitness and Wellness Coach. Her mission is to uplift her city on every level. The untimely passing of her father propelled Shiela towards a path of compassion and community service. She wished she had found New Hope when she was child and supports our commitment to healing. Her intentions are to share the services of New Hope in the belief that families have a better chance in coping with loss, especially at a young age.

In addition to her coaching role, Shiela is also the founder of The Ugly Duckling Chat blog, a nonprofit communal blog dedicated to Mental Health and Women Empowerment.