Staff Members

Maria Tomcek Ginsburg, BSW
Executive Director
(619) 753-9967
[email protected]

Maria Tomcek Ginsburg graduated from San Diego State University in 2021. She interned for the Step Up Program at the Consensus Organizing Center (COC) as the Program Manager for the 2020-2021 academic year. Her duties included recruiting youth, mentoring, sourcing and supervising teaching assistants, overseeing the daily operations of the program, and fundraising.

                                                                              Directly after graduation, she was hired by the COC as the Step Up College Workshop Coordinator where she supported our Step Up Seniors by providing them with opportunities to learn about financial aid, scholarships, and navigating college life to help them achieve academic success. In fact, during the first couple of months in this role, Maria was able to secure $15,000 to expand on our senior programming to provide financial literacy. Currently, she is a licensed Realtor with over 21 years of assisting clients with housing solutions in the San Diego area. Prior to becoming a Realtor, she worked at a financial institution and gained first-hand experience in managing financial resources. With her professional experiences, she is able to share valuable life skills with our program’s participants and connect with community leaders.  Ms. Tomcek Ginsburg is excited to continue the work and mission of the COC to cultivate community leaders.

John Kennon, MSW
Professor of Step Up Program
(619) 753-9967
[email protected]

John Kennon graduated from San Diego State University with his Bachelors in Social Work in 2019 and then again with his Masters in Social Work in 2020. His undergraduate internship at the Consensus Organizing Center (COC) saw him secure donations for the Cheers to Education Fundraiser as well as perform valuable work in assisting the Step Up program manager for that year. For his graduate internship, he worked at Cuyamaca College to strengthen and expand the                                                     food and housing services offered on campus. Mr.                                                   Kennon currently works at PATH San Diego as                                                         Residential Service Coordinator. This role has him                                                   work with formerly unhoused people who live in                                                      PATH’s permanent supportive housing facilities.

Jennifer Cosio, MSW, PPSC
Consultant and Lead Trainer
(619) 594-3870
[email protected]

Jennifer Cosio earned both her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Social Work, with a Pupil Personnel Services Credential, at San Diego State University (SDSU). Ms. Cosio was a program participant of the Consensus Organizing Center’s Price Community Builder Program in 2004-2005. In 2008, she was hired at the COC to manage the Rise Up Program. She eventually served as the third Executive Director in the COC’s history from 2015-2021.

Ms. Cosio currently serves as a consultant to and a trainer for the COC. She has trained numerous individuals, groups, and communities on Consensus Organizing throughout the nation . In addition, she has over 13 years of grantwriting and fund development experience.She is also a lecturer and Undergraduate Advisor in the School of Social Work at SDSU. Finally, Ms. Cosio is the Assistant Program Coordinator at San Diego City College’s PEER (Program for Engaged Educational Resources) Program, which is a partnership with the San Diego Housing Commission to create a pipeline program for students to learn more about the unhoused/unsheltered population and acquire jobs in this particular field.