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Daniel D. Beintema, Vice President, Operations & Community Partnerships
Dan brings diverse management experience and proven leadership to his role in coordinating the efforts of the Foundation’s largest department. Prior to joining the Foundation, Dan enjoyed 18 years in service to the City of Chula Vista, the last 10 as the executive director of the Chula Vista Nature Center. Other assignments in Chula Vista included the City Manager’s Office, the Mayor’s Office, Public Works Department, and the Fire Department. Prior to his time at Chula Vista, Dan was Director, Public Information/Resource Development at the American Red Cross, San Diego/Imperial Counties Chapter. A 1982 graduate of the University of Southern California, Dan was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. Following his operational deployments, he served as Aide and Personal Advisor to three senior Admirals.
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Lindsay Caddel, Manager, Philanthropy 101
Lindsay oversees Philanthropy 101, a youth leadership program that provides high school students the opportunity to explore issues in their community, deliberate possible solutions, and connect with nonprofit organizations. Previously, Lindsay spent nine years at Teach for America, working in recruitment and operations. Lindsay has volunteered for a crisis hotline at a women’s shelter, and provided breast cancer awareness women of low-income brackets. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Communication with a minor in Business from Tulane University in New Orleans.
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Ruth Ambriz, Administrative Assistant, Community Partnerships
With over a decade of experience on staff at The Foundation, Ruth has served in a number of capacities, including support for the Finance and Scholarships departments. She currently assists the Community Partnerships department by providing administrative assistance to include research, data entry, mailing and electronic filing. She also coordinates the collection and dissemination of reports from the Community Partnership grantees. Prior to joining The Foundation, Ruth spent time working for retail companies.
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Sheryl Helvie Costello, Associate Manager, Community Scholarship & San Diego Teachers' Fund
In her role at The Foundation, Sheryl provides a wide range of assistance, coordination and management for the Community Scholarship and Teachers’ Fund Programs. Before joining The Foundation, Sheryl worked as an account representative for an ergonomic office products firm, assisting both inside/outside accounts and the vocational rehabilitation/medical markets. Prior to that, she served as the Administrative Assistant to the Vice President of Community Relations at The San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau.
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Kerri Favela, Community Grants Administrator
Kerri is a long-time Foundation employee. She is currently responsible for administering The Foundation’s discretionary grant making programs and providing grant support to the affiliate foundations and supporting organizations. Additionally, Kerri provides assistance to the Vice President, Operations and Community Partnerships and the Science & Technology program. Before joining The Foundation, Kerri spent several years as an Office Manager at a manufacturing machine shop in San Diego.
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Sarah Heaton, Administrative Coordinator, Community Scholarship & San Diego Teachers' Fund
Sarah Heaton joined The Foundation to provide administrative support to both the Community Scholarship and the Teachers’ Fund programs. Prior to her time at The Foundation, Sarah most recently worked as a Member Service Representative at AltaOne Federal Credit Union in Kernville, California. Before that, Sarah spent two years as Assistant to the Editor at Craftmaster Enterprises in Downey, California. Sarah graduated from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks with a Bachelor’s Degree in Liberal Studies. She also obtained her Multiple Subject Teaching Credential and served as a student teacher for third and fifth graders for a year.
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Nicola Hedge, MPIA, Manager, Climate Initiative
Nicola leads implementation of The San Diego Foundation’s Climate Initiative, working with donors, nonprofits, and business and government partners to help spur action to reduce regional greenhouse gas emissions and deepen community awareness about the local impacts of climate change. Before joining The Foundation, Nicola was a field office manager with a multi-year World Bank research project in rural Malawi, exploring connections between education, income, and health outcomes. She has also worked with the production team of a public affairs show of Southern California Public Radio, and with the Governor of Hawaii’s policy analysis office. Nicola earned her Master’s Degree from UC San Diego’s School of International Relations and Pacific Studies, and her Bachelor’s Degree in International Business from Hawaii Pacific University.
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Anne Kilpatrick, SPHR-CA – Director, Human Resources
Anne brings twenty years of nonprofit management experience to The Foundation providing guidance on recruitment, employee engagement and relations, performance management, best practice and policy development, and support to the Compensation and Benefits Committee. Previously, she worked at nonprofit organizations in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota with missions that included health care policy advocacy and ombudsman services to vulnerable adults, and development of affordable housing with services throughout the Midwest. Anne received a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism/Public Relations from the University of St. Thomas; completed a mini-MBA for nonprofit organizations and a human resources certificate program; and earned the Senior Professional in Human Resources (SPHR) and the California-specific (SPHR-CA) certifications. She is a member of the Society of Human Resource Management and the San Diego chapter, and the San Diego Human Resources Roundtable.
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Arzo Nasiri, Director, Scholarships & San Diego Teachers’ Fund
Arzo oversees both the Community Scholarships Program and the San Diego Teachers’ Fund. Prior to joining The San Diego Foundation, Arzo was based in Washington, D.C., where she served as the Director of Programs for the International Women’s Forum. Her career in Washington began at the Embassy of Afghanistan, where she served as the Press Secretary and Women’s Affairs Attaché. Arzo earned a double Bachelor’s Degree from the University of California San Diego in Ethnic Studies and Political Science, with an emphasis on International Relations. She has also earned executive education certificates from the Harvard Business School and the University of Cambridge in England.
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Marisa Quiroz, MA, Manager, Environment Program
Marisa blends social justice and passion for the environment with her expertise in nonprofit program and resource development, strategic planning, and cross-cultural relations in her work at The San Diego Foundation (TSDF). As Manager of the TSDF’s Environment Program, Marisa works with Foundation leadership and community volunteers to actively engage with organizations committed to conservation, equity, and climate action as well as to determine the environment program’s direction and grantmaking priorities. Her work involves advocating for the equal participation of local communities in the environmental decisions that affect them. Marisa has a Bachelor’s Degree in Anthropology and Sociology from Mills College and a Master’s in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego.
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Felicia Shaw, Director, Arts & Culture Analysis & Strategy
As Director of Arts and Culture at the Foundation, Felicia utilizes her expertise and knowledge of San Diego’s arts and culture community to ensure that the region has the necessary resources to become a nationally competitive arts and culture center. Prior to joining the Foundation, Felicia served as Program Manager of the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture for 17 years, overseeing the City’s multi-million dollar arts funding program. She is a frequent panelist and juror for arts agencies such as the National Endowment for the Arts and the California Arts Council. A graduate of Northwestern University with a degree in Communications, Felicia also completed post-graduate studies at UCSD in Art History, Theory and Criticism.
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Blanca Soto, Coordinator, Human Resources
Blanca provides a wide variety of support in the fields of human resources, payroll and accounting, ensuring accuracy and customer service in every function she provides. Before joining The Foundation’s team, Blanca provided administrative and/or payroll support for a number of companies, including the Coronado Historical Association, Armando Martinez & Co., Cleanline Concrete and Carlos T. DeCarvalho, MD. She has a degree in Secretarial Administrative Procedures.
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Danielle Valenciano, Director, Nonprofit Partnerships
Danielle utilizes her nonprofit experience to partner with other nonprofit organizations in the goal of providing thriving and sustainable community services. She offers capacity-building support for nonprofit organizations through leadership trainings, a resource library and the management of BetterGiving, an online resource to inform, empower and enrich charitable giving in the region. Prior to joining the foundation, she worked at the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), where she managed a health care services program for more than 1,000 patient families. Previous experience includes mobilizing key community partners to act as advocates and spokespersons for alcohol, tobacco and other drug (ATOD) public health policy changes. As well, she was an ESL teacher at International Rescue Committee. Danielle earned her master's of Arts in cultural anthropology from UCSD.
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Emily Young, Ph.D, Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy
Emily works with community volunteers, donors and other foundations to direct charitable giving to the region’s critical environmental needs. Her work at
The Foundation is focused in three areas: conservation of globally significant, biodiversity hotspots in Southern California, community-based efforts to eliminate toxic substances which revitalize green spaces, and regional efforts to address climate change through mitigation and adaptation. Before she joined The Foundation, Dr. Young was an assistant professor at the University of Arizona, where she taught courses on environment and society, geography, and Latin America. She also lived and worked in Baja California, Mexico, where she conducted field research on wildlife protection, community-based conservation, and sustainable development in coastal areas of Baja California. Along with professional work, Emily has volunteered and served on boards for a variety of environmental organizations and advisory committees. Dr. Young was recently awarded the 2011 Nicholas P. Bollman Award, which recognizes Smart Growth Leaders Who Inspire through Values and Actions.
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