February 26, 2019 – San Diego, CA – The San Diego Foundation announced Gisele Bonitz, Ken Derrett, James Fitzpatrick and Steven Sefton have joined the Board of Governors for two-year terms.

“We are honored to welcome four industry leaders to The San Diego Foundation Board of Governors,” shared Connie Matsui, Interim President & CEO of The San Diego Foundation. “Gisele, Ken, Jim and Steve bring a wealth of community and leadership experience that will help The San Diego Foundation continue to generate a positive impact in the community through increased charitable giving.”

The San Diego Foundation Board of Governors is composed of 22 volunteers with diverse professional backgrounds who are involved in many community and charitable activities. The Board oversees The Foundation by establishing strategic priorities and approving budgets and grants.

About the new Board of Governors members:

Gisele Bonitz

Gisele enables the growth of Intel’s Data Center business, while ensuring a strong culture of ethics and legal compliance as Senior Strategic Risk and Controls Program Manager. In her role, she leads teams to implement new solutions and identify emerging risks based on evolving technologies, markets, and eco-system.

As a former Captain in the United States Navy and Commanding Officer of Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific, Gisele brings a wealth of leadership to The San Diego Foundation. A native of Nicaragua, Gisele graduated from the University of California, Berkeley and holds a master’s degree in science in space systems operations from the Naval Postgraduate School and a master’s degree of arts in strategic studies from the Air War College.

Ken Derrett

Ken is the former Chief Marketing Officer for the San Diego Chargers and an accomplished general manager with a history of brand and business building. During his 16 years with the organization, Ken helped grow the franchise brand and increase revenues by developing numerous sales and marketing initiatives throughout the region.

Ken has also supported the San Diego community through leadership roles on the San Diego Tourism Authority Board of Directors, the American Cancer Society Partnership Council, the San Diego Sports Innovator’s Mentorship Team and the San Diego Chapter of the CMO Club. He holds a bachelor’s degree in commerce/sports administration and an honorary doctorate from Laurentian University.

James Fitzpatrick

Jim is the owner and publisher of San Diego Magazine, LLC. He reacquired the magazine in 2010 and has since increased circulation by 50% and advertising by 500%. During his tenure, Jim also launched the custom publishing division of San Diego Magazine, which works with numerous organizations, such as Rady Children’s Hospital and the University of San Diego, to create unique publications that showcase their local impact.

A longtime civic leader, Jim is involved in multiple organizations through committee and board service, including the San Diego Symphony, San Diego Hall of Champions and San Diego Downtown Rotary. A former U.S. Air Force pilot, Jim holds a master’s degree in business administration from Golden Gate University and a bachelor’s degree in science from Valparaiso University. Jim also received the 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, the City and Regional Magazine Association Lifetime Achievement Award and the San Diego Diabetes Association Father of the Year Award.

Steven Sefton

Steve is President of Endeavor Bank and brings more than 35 years of banking experience throughout Southern California. Prior to his role at Endeavor, he served as President and CEO of Regents Bank. In prior assignments in his career, Sefton has opened two regional offices and each time grew the region to over $100 million in loans and deposits. Steven holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin.


About The San Diego Foundation

The San Diego Foundation maximizes the impact of your charitable giving. We mobilize philanthropic resources to advance quality of life, increase social impact and champion civic engagement. For more than 40 years, The Foundation and our donors have granted more than $1.1 billion to grow a vibrant San Diego region. Learn more on our website, and consider a donation to the Fund for the Future Endowment which supports San Diego community needs for good, forever.

Contacts

Vince Heald, Beck Ellman Heald, 858-453-9600, vheald@behmedia.com

Justin Nunez, The San Diego Foundation, 336-254-7056, justin@sdfoundation.org