The San Diego Foundation Staff

Executive Department
Administration and Finance Department
Community Partnerships Department
Organizational Success Department
Fund Services Department
Marketing & Communications Department
Charitable Giving Team
Scholarships Department
Regional Outreach Department
San Diego Regional Disaster Fund

Executive Department

The Executive Department works closely with the Board of Governors, Executive Committee, Board Governance Committee, Advisory Board, and the Fund Oversight Panel to ensure that The Foundation's assets, funds, and community involvement are managed effectively. Bob Kelly, The Foundation's President and CEO, has dedicated himself, the staff, and Board and committee volunteers to increasing not just the assets The Foundation manages for San Diego, but the amount and impact of its grantmaking on the community.

Bob Kelly
President & CEO
As President and CEO, Bob has dedicated himself and the staff to increasing not just the assets The Foundation manages for San Diego, but the amount and impact of our grantmaking on the community. An active volunteer in numerous community activities, Bob says that driving around San Diego is almost always a heartwarming experience. No matter what neighborhood he's passing through, Bob says that he can usually look out his car window and see the impact of grants made by generous San Diegans to improve and enrich the lives of others. A longtime San Diegan, Bob built his career in philanthropy. Prior to joining The Foundation, he was an assistant to the President and senior VP and COO of Sharp Health Care Foundations. He also enjoyed a distinguished 15-year career at the American Cancer Society.

Barbara Davies
Executive Assistant

Administration and Finance Department

The Administration and Finance Department is responsible for financial reporting, tracking charitable gifts, managing the operational budget, and processing all grants. The department also manages all the administrative and human resources functions of The San Diego Foundation and ensures that The Foundation is supplied with sophisticated information technologies.

Duane Drake
Chief Investment Officer, Senior Vice President
As CIO, Duane is responsible for all investment oversight of The San Diego Foundation which includes over $400 million of investment assets. Duane joined The Foundation in July 1999 as CFO after being an active volunteer for several years. Prior, to The Foundation, he was a founding executive of two startup companies. From 1987 to 1994, Duane served as the Chief Operating Officer and CFO at San Diego Financial Corporation, a bank holding company. While in that position he was the founding director of a mutual funds company which was one of the first mutual funds in the country to receive regulatory approval to manage mutual funds. Prior to that, he was the CFO of San Diego Trust & Savings Bank, where he managed all accounting and financial reporting functions, the Bank's $1 billion investment portfolio, human resources for 1,650 employees and the in-house data processing. Duane has served as president of the San Diego Historical Society, the American Cancer Society of San Diego County and the San Diego Chapter of Financial Executives Institute. He is also a founding director of Compliance Coach headquartered in San Diego. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Kansas and a graduate degree in banking from Rutgers University.

Sarah Slaughter
CFO, Vice President, Finance & Administration
Sarah is responsible for financial administrative oversight of The San Diego Sarah is responsible for financial administrative oversight of The San Diego Foundation. Sarah also supervises the payroll and accounting functions within The Foundation, including financial reporting, accounts payable, cash management, donation processing, fixed assets, and bank and investment reconciliations. Sarah joined The San Diego Foundation in 2000 with 21 years of accounting experience. Throughout her career in accounting she has worked with manufacturing, finance, and non-profit industries. Most recently she worked at the San Diego Historical Society, where she was the Director of Finance and Human Resources. Sarah graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Accounting. Outside of the office, Sarah is very involved with her two grown children, traveling, and volunteering in various community activities.

Mike Pattison
Accounting Manager

Michelle Caparas
Database Manager
As the Database Manager, Michelle is responsible for managing The Foundation's database system. Prior to joining The Foundation, Michelle worked as a program associate for Eureka Communities. Michelle graduated from UCSD with a BS in Management Science and received an MBA from San Diego State University.

Maria Houchin
Staff Accountant

Alfredo Lozano
Senior Accountant

Christina Navarro
Bookkeeper I

Melody Stuart
Accounts Payable Associate
As Accounts Payable Associate, Melody is responsible for a variety of functions which include supporting accounting, grantmaking, and human resources. Prior to joining The Foundation, Melody worked as an executive secretary for Halal U.S.A. Clothing Company and as a loan processor for ITT Financial Services.

Anne Kilpatrick
Human Resources & Payroll Manager
As Human Resources & Payroll Manager, Anne is responsible for employee relations, recruiting, benefits, compensation and retirement administration, policy and legal compliance, performance review, and payroll. Anne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism and Public Relations from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. She has completed an Human Resources Certificate program and a mini-MBA for Nonprofit Organizations both in Minneapolis. She is pursuing a Human Resources Certificate at UCSD. She has worked mainly in the nonprofit sector in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota.

Blanca Soto
Human Resources Coordinator

Jaroslav Zeman
Facilities Coordinator

Sandra Thompson
Receptionist
Sandra comes to The San Diego Foundation with previous work experience as an office and payroll manager for a large construction company. She has always enjoyed being active member in the community through volunteer work serving with the PTA, Girl Scouts and the Advisory Committee for Grossmont High School District. One of her most rewarding experiences was tutoring high risk students at a local Jr. High School through the Head Start Program.

Community Partnerships Department

The Community Partnerships Department is responsible for administrating the various internal grantmaking programs of The San Diego Foundation. The Department also manages The Foundation's projects that are supported by national and regional foundations. In addition, it houses The Foundation's six working groups in the areas of Science & Technology, Environment, Health & Human Services, Civil Society, Organizational Success, and Arts & Culture.

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 which includes: grant making and management of initiatives in seven program areas, human resources functions, and inter-departmental operations coordination. He also manages The Foundation’s Regional Disaster Fund and its response to widespread community needs following the devastating wildfires of October 2007.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Dan enjoyed 18 years in service to the City of Chula Vista, the last 10 of which 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 (BS/Biology), Dan was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. After earning the coveted “Wings of Gold”, he was stationed at NAS North Island flying the S-3 “Viking” aircraft from various land bases and aircraft carriers world-wide. Following his operational deployments, Dan reported to Commander, Naval Base San Diego and proudly served as Aide and Personal Advisor to three senior Admirals.

Emily Young, Ph.D.
Senior Director, Environment Analysis & Strategy
Emily Young, Ph.D. is responsible for working with donors to provide them with knowledge and information concerning the region's environmental needs and opportunities, managing The Foundation's environmental grants, and working with volunteers in the Environment Working Group to design and implement the Environment Program. Before she joined The Foundation, Emily was an Assistant Professor at the University of Arizona's Department of Geography and Regional Development for five years, where she taught courses on environment and society as well as Latin America. She has also conducted extensive research on marine fisheries and wildlife protection, community-based conservation, and sustainable development in coastal marine areas of Baja California. Emily graduated from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a double B.A. in Ibero-American Studies and Spanish, and a M.S. in geography. She received a Ph.D. in geography from the University of Texas at Austin. She has also worked with the Marine Mammal Commission and a variety of environmental organizations to advance local conservation efforts in San Diego and Baja California. She has served on a number of boards for environmental organizations, including Pro Esteros, the Southwest Wetlands Interpretive Association, and Wildcoast.

Cheryl Alethia Phelps
Director, Civil Society, Analysis & Strategy
Twenty years of experience in public interest, non-profit, and legislative environments, and a passion for social entrepreneurship inform and inspire Cheryl’s work as Director, Civil Society, Analysis and Strategy. With a Working Group of skilled volunteers, Cheryl oversees The Foundation’s strategic philanthropy for civic engagement, identifying major issues affecting the San Diego region, and developing the initiatives, resources, capacity, and citizen leadership to achieve meaningful solutions. Prior to joining The Foundation, Cheryl was the principal in a consulting practice specializing in strategic planning, organizational sustainability, civic participation, and cultural enrichment. She also worked for the U.S. House of Representatives for several years, serving on the professional staff of the Legislation and National Security Subcommittee and the Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations Subcommittee of what is now the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. Cheryl graduated from the University of Southern California with a degree in Political Science. A San Diego native, she enjoys strong community ties and an active volunteer schedule, investing her time and expertise in efforts that foster civic diversity, responsibility and participation.

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. Advised by the members of the Arts and Culture Working Group, her goal is to establish arts and culture as a community priority, to reintroduce the arts to San Diego schools, increase the capacity of arts and culture organizations to serve new audiences and cultivate donors’ passion for the arts. 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 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.

Paula Stigler
Environment Program Manager & Tribal Liaison
Paula Stigler has been working with The San Diego Foundation for over 5 years at different levels and on environmental issues with indigenous communities in San Diego County and Mexico for over 6 years. She has also worked with the Pala Band of Mission Indians as an environmental health scientist and managed an air quality monitoring program for them. Paula has been involved in several water infrastructures and environmental health improvement projects with indigenous communities in Baja California Mexico and continues to volunteer her time in completing these projects. Currently, she is also the Principal Investigator on an epidemiological project through the Pan American Health Organization involving two indigenous communities in Mexico. She is completing her master’s degree at SDSU in environmental health sciences with the Graduate School of Public Health and expects to defend in the Fall of 2007. Paula has extensive knowledge of regional environmental issues as well as San Diego Tribes and has developed strong working relationships over the last several years with many organizations and communities. She has a strong understanding of environmental health problems faced by at-risk communities along with bi-national and regional experience in multiple facets of the environment.

Marisa Quiroz
Manager, Environment Program
Marisa Aurora Quiroz currently serves as Manager for The San Diego Foundation’s Environment Program. Prior to the foundation, she worked for Hispanics in Philanthropy, helping to advance their mission of transformative change through a transnational funders network. Marisa is deeply committed to multiculturalism and social justice and has long been an advocate for women’s education. She has also worked as an admission officer and student affairs professional for a Bay Area liberal arts college for women. Born in California, Marisa has lived in Texas, Puerto Rico, and Mexico. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology and Sociology from Mills College in Oakland, California and completed her Masters Degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management at the University of San Diego.

Kerri Favela
Community Grants Administrator
Kerri has been with The Foundation for over 8 years.  Her  role in the Community Partnerships Department has included support to the various program working groups, managing the daily flow of information through the office of the Senior Vice President, and overall departmental coordination.  Currently, Kerri is responsible for administering The Foundation’s discretionary grantmaking programs and providing grant support to the affiliate foundations and supporting organizations.  Additionally, Kerri provides assistance to the Vice President, Operations and Community Partnerships with special projects and the Science & Technology program.  Before joining The Foundation, Kerri spent several years as Office Manager of a manufacturing machine shop in San Diego.

Ruth Ambriz
Administrative Assistant, Community Partnerships
Ruth Ambriz supports Community Partnerships by providing administrative assistance throughout the department. Her duties include research, data entry, mailing and electronic filing. She also coordinates the collection and dissemination of reports from the Community Impact grantees. Ruth has been with The Foundation for 9 years.

Organizational Success Department

Lori Finch
Director, Organizational Success Program
As the Resource and Development Manager at The San Diego Foundation, Lori Finch is responsible for developing tools and training opportunities for San Diego’s nonprofit sector. Lori manages the Endow Partnership of Endow San Diego as well as The Foundation’s capacity building grant-making program. Lori joined The Foundation in 2005 after completing her MBA at The University of Chicago, Graduate School of Business. Prior to completing her MBA, she held various positions within General Electric with responsibilities including financial reporting, accounting, internal consulting and strategic planning. Lori is an active volunteer with the Junior League of San Diego and Georgetown University where she completed her BSBA in Finance.

Sue Racanelli
Manager Nonprofit Resource Center

Fund Services Department

The Fund Services Department is a responsive and energetic team dedicated to ensuring that donors and fund advisors receive personal service that meets the highest standards of quality and integrity. The department's staff has a broad knowledge of all aspects of philanthropy and can assist donors and fund advisors to meet their philanthropic goals.


Leslie Harrington
Director, Fund Services
As Grants Administrator, Leslie works with donors, fund advisors and grant recipients coordinating the grantmaking activities of The Foundation. She is responsible for reviewing grant recommendations and presenting them to The Foundation Board for weekly approval. As grant recommendations are submitted, Leslie verifies the organization's charitable status and often provides a brief summary of the organization to the staff and board members. Prior to joining The Foundation, Leslie managed a small, local realty association for six years, received her real estate license and worked as a real estate sales person. Leslie graduated from San Diego State University with a BA in Economics.

Vanessa Oshiro
Grants Administrator

Vanessa Nieves
Coordinator, Fund Services

Marketing & Communications Department

The Marketing/Communications Department develops strategies to increase the awareness and visibility of The San Diego Foundation. The department utilizes television, radio, print media, the press, and the internet to inform the community of The Foundation's activities and wide range of philanthropic services.

Anna-Marie Rooney
Vice President, Marketing and External Affairs
Anna-Marie is responsible for the strategic vision and implementation of the marketing, advertising and communication needs for The Foundation.  She also oversees the overall planning, development and management of the regional charitable foundations. Prior to The Foundation, Anna-Marie spent seven years as National Director of Marketing for KB Home in Los Angeles, overseeing successful marketing cross-promotions with such brands as ABC’s “Live with Regis and Kelly”, Scholastic’s “Clifford the Big Red Dog”, the “got milk?” campaign, and the successful “The Simpson’s” home give-a-way promotion with FOX Studios.  Prior to KB Home, she was the Public Relations Manager for GUESS Jeans, Inc. Her career in marketing began in Denver, Colorado as Director of Marketing for HealthSouth Rehabilitation Center and as Chapter Development Director for the Crohn’s and Colitis Foundation. Anna-Marie received her BA in Mass Communications and a BA in Speech Communications with an emphasis in marketing and public speaking from the University of Denver.

Deirdre Maloney
Director, Marketing & Communications

Jacqueline Lackenbacher
Graphic/Web Designer

Charitable Giving Team

The Charitable Giving Team provides a range of services to professional advisors, potential donors, and donors to assist them in achieving their philanthropic goals. It also serves as a comprehensive technical resource for specific planned giving strategies.

Adrienne Vargas
Vice President, Charitable Giving
As Vice President, Charitable Giving, Adrienne is responsible for developing programs and services to support the growth of The Foundation’s asset base and identity within the San Diego region. She works closely with charitably-minded individuals and estate planning professionals to establish endowments, Legacy funds and planned gifts at The Foundation. Since joining The Foundation in 1997, Adrienne has worked in a variety of capacities. Most recently, she served as the Associate Vice President, Fund Services, ensuring that donors and fund advisors receive the highest quality service in developing and meeting their philanthropic goals. She has also worked in the areas of board and volunteer relations, human resources, grantmaking and marketing & communications. Prior to joining The Foundation, Adrienne worked for six years as a development officer for Grossmont Hospital Foundation. She also served as a staff assistant for the Harvard College Fund and as an eighth grade teacher at a parochial school in the Bronx. Adrienne graduated from Fordham University in New York City with a BA in Political Science.

Simona Valanciute
Associate Vice President, Charitable Giving
Simona has been part of The San Diego Foundation’s team for ten years. Currently, as AVP of Charitable Giving, Simona is responsible for developing programs and services to support broad-based philanthropy in the San Diego region. She works closely with charitably-minded individuals and their professional advisors – estate planning attorneys, real estate attorneys, CPAs, private fiduciaries, private bankers, and wealth managers - to establish corporate and family foundations, donor advised funds, endowments, legacy funds, and planned gifts.
Since joining The Foundation, Simona has worked in a variety of capacities, including as founding director of the San Diego Social Venture Partners and the San Diego Women's Foundation; director of The San Diego Foundation’s board and volunteer relations, director of Fund Services and director of the Balboa Park Trust.
Originally from Lithuania, Simona has a diverse cultural and educational background. She is fluent in Lithuanian, Russian, and English. In her spare time, Simona enjoys theatre, dancing, singing, playing piano and kankles. She is founder of the B. Brazdzionis Lithuanian Saturday School in San Diego.
Building upon her degrees in linguistics, literature and business administration, Simona has recently graduated with an executive MBA.

Amy Walling, CSPG
Director, Gift Planning & Research

As Director of Gift Planning and Research, Amy is a certified specialist in planned giving (CSPG) and is responsible for leading the planned giving efforts and providing planned giving support to donors, professional advisors, and nonprofits. She researches philanthropic information and trends. Amy has been involved with Endow San Diego since inception and tracks and reports the Endow San Diego Initiative for the region. Amy has 19 years of fundraising experience including research positions at San Diego State University, Sharp Healthcare's Foundation, University of California San Diego, University of Florida, and Children's Hospital San Diego. Amy holds a B.A., M.A. and has completed post graduate work in information science. She received her certification in planned giving from the American Institute on Philanthropic Studies at California State University Long Beach. She is the 2007 Service Award recipient and member of the California Advancement Research Association (CARA) and is a member and volunteer of the Association of Professional Researchers for Advancement (APRA), where she has published industry articles and helped developed research skill sets for the research profession. Amy is a member of the National Council on Planned Giving (NCPG) and serves on the Board of Directors of the Planned Giving Roundtable of San Diego.

Shannon Lay
Coordinator, Charitable Giving

Scholarships Department

Arzo Mansury
Director, Scholarships & San Diego Teachers’ Fund
Arzo oversees the Community Scholarships Program, which is dedicated to helping students achieve their academic dreams through financial assistance of their continuing education. She is also responsible for managing the San Diego Teachers’ Fund which is comprised of two distinct programs: K-6 and Arts in the Classroom. 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. In those capacities she developed and executed the Embassy’s media strategy and represented the status of Afghan women to the United States and the international community. Arzo earned a double B.A. 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. Arzo is a San Diego native who is excited to be back in her hometown and contributing her experiences to the enrichment of San Diego’s youth and educators.

Sheryl Costello
Associate Manager, Community Scholarship & San Diego Teachers' Fund Programs
Sheryl is responsible for supporting The Foundation's Scholarship 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.

Andrea Boone
Administrative Assistant, Community Scholarship & San Diego Teachers' Fund Programs
Andrea is responsible for supporting the The Foundation’s Scholarship programs. Prior to joining The Foundation, Andrea worked as an On-Air Radio Talent and Voice Over Artist. Andrea has worked in a variety of industries which include telecommunications, broadcasting, retail, marketing and insurance. Andrea graduated from San Diego State University with a BS in Business Marketing, and CA Department of Insurance with a Fire & Casualty Broker-Agent License. Outside The Foundation, Andrea is a voice over artist for radio and television, and she can be found volunteering in her community and church.

Regional Outreach Department

Trudy Armstrong
Regional Manager, North County Inland

John Duca
Regional Manager, North County Coastal

Tracy Johnson
Director, The San Diego Women’s Foundation

Ciera Rudin
Administrative Assistant, The San Diego Women’s Foundation

Megan Cambon
Regional Outreach Coordinator

San Diego Regional Disaster Fund

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 which includes: grant making and management of initiatives in seven program areas, human resources functions, and inter-departmental operations coordination. He also manages The Foundation’s Regional Disaster Fund and its response to widespread community needs following the devastating wildfires of October 2007.
Prior to joining the Foundation, Dan enjoyed 18 years in service to the City of Chula Vista, the last 10 of which 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 (BS/Biology), Dan was commissioned as an officer in the United States Navy. After earning the coveted “Wings of Gold”, he was stationed at NAS North Island flying the S-3 “Viking” aircraft from various land bases and aircraft carriers world-wide. Following his operational deployments, Dan reported to Commander, Naval Base San Diego and proudly served as Aide and Personal Advisor to three senior Admirals.

Robyn Sharp
Program Associate, San Diego Regional Disaster Fund