Carla Laurel is the daughter of Filipino immigrants who came to the United States in the 1970s, seeking greater opportunity while escaping the authoritarian Marcos regime. Raised in a middle-class household in Santa Clara, Carla grew up surrounded by a large Filipino family. Yet it wasn’t until 2007—when she began volunteering at West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center—that she became acutely aware of the deep-rooted challenges faced by the underserved Filipino community in San Francisco’s South of Market (SoMa) neighborhood.

Her journey with West Bay began as a college student through the Philippine Studies Department at the University of San Francisco. What started as a volunteer role grew into a lifelong commitment. Over the next decade, Carla served in various capacities at the organization, including Tutor, Program Manager, and Development Consultant. Her growing dedication to the community led her to pursue a Master of Social Work from Fordham University. In 2017, she became Executive Director of West Bay.

Under her leadership, Carla championed the first culturally responsive college preparatory program in SoMa, designed specifically for underserved and at-risk Filipino American youth. Most recently, she spearheaded a successful capital campaign that secured over $8.5 million in state, city, and private funding to acquire and develop a permanent home for West Bay. The new community center officially opened its doors in September 2023.

Today, Carla continues to lead West Bay Pilipino Multi-Service Center, a nonprofit that has served generations of Filipino immigrants and families in SoMa since its founding in 1968. As the neighborhood has continued to change ethnically, she remains deeply committed to empowering all underserved and at-risk community members to know who they are and support them with resources to dream beyond the SoMa and remains committed to ensure West Bay’s historical and permanent place in the evolving landscape of San Francisco.