Join us on FacebookJoin us on Twitter

 

 

 

 

Board of Governors

The San Diego Foundation's Board of Governors is composed of up to 30 volunteers with diverse professional backgrounds, who are involved in many community and charitable activities. The Board oversees The Foundation by establishing policy, setting priorities, and making final decisions to approve awards and grants.
 
 

Board Officers

 
Jennifer Adams-Brooks
Jennifer Adams-Brooks,Chair
Senior Vice President Administrative Services, San Diego Housing Commission
Jennifer recently accepted the senior vice president, administrative services position at the San Diego Housing Commission, where she will oversee, Information Technology, Finance, Human Resources, Contracts and Compliance, procurement and grant administration as well as board and executive functions. Prior to her current position she was the president of Clark Consultants, a human resource consulting and executive coaching firm she established in 2000. She serves as chair of The San Diego Foundation’s Board of Governors, a role to which she brings 20 years of corporate communication, public policy and human resources experience. Additionally, Ms. Adams-Brooks chairs Friends of The Foundation and the Civil Society Working Group. She also serves on the Board Governance, and Our Greater San Diego Vision committees. Former posts include chief of staff for members of the State Assembly and San Diego City Council, and interim executive director for the Southeast Economic Development Corporation. She serves on several local boards, including UCSD Board of Overseers, National Conflict Resolution Center and the Springall Academy. She earned a BA in communications and urban planning from UCSD.
 
Bob Dynes
Robert Dynes, PhD, Vice Chair, Center for Civic Engagement
Community Leader; President Emeritus, University of California;
Former Chancellor, UCSD
Robert’s career has encompassed a broad spectrum of experiences and accomplishments. Educated as a research physicist, in 1968, Robert joined AT&T Bell Laboratories, where his research earned him international prizes and election into the National Academy of Sciences. After 22 years at Bell Labs, Robert moved on to UCSD as a professor of physics, and within six years became chancellor. In 2003, Robert was appointed as president of the ten campus University of California (UC) system. In addition to his broad set of career accomplishments, Robert has served on a wide variety of for-profit and nonprofit local and national boards. He is the chair of the Center for Civic Engagement and serves on the Science & Technology Working Group and the Our Greater San Diego Vision Committee.
 
Garry Ridge
Garry Ridge, Vice Chair, Charitable Giving and External Relations
President and Chief Executive Officer of the WD-40 Company
Garry Ridge is president and chief executive officer of the WD-40 Company, headquartered in San Diego. He has been with WD-40 since 1987 in various management positions, including executive vice president of international business, and has worked directly with WD-40 in over 50 countries. Garry has been awarded Director of the Year for Enhancement of Economic Value, the Arthur E. Hughes Career Achievement Award, and the Ernst & Young - Master Entrepreneur Award. In 2009, he co-authored a book with Ken Blanchard titled, Helping People Win at Work: Don’t Mark My Paper, Help Me Get an A. Garry received his MS in executive leadership from USD and currently serves as an adjunct professor at the institution.
 
Steven R. Smith
Steven R. Smith, Vice Chair, Secretary
Dean and Professor of Law, California Western Law School
Guided by a deep belief in the importance of civic engagement, Steven joined The Foundation’s Civil Society Working Group serving as chair from 2004-2009, and currently serves on the Executive and Our Greater San Diego Vision committees. Steven was appointed dean of California Western Law School in 1996, following eight years as dean at Cleveland-Marshall Law School. He is committed to educating “lawyers who will contribute to improving the lives of their clients and the quality of justice in our society.” He is the former deputy director and remains active in The Association of American Law Schools and in the American Bar Association. He is the past chair of the Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar. Steven received his BA from Buena Vista College and his JD (Order of the Coif) from the University of Iowa.
 
John D. Wylie
John D. Wylie, Vice Chair, Finance
Partner/Portfolio Manager, Nicholas Investment Partners
With more than 30 years in the investment industry, John brings his financial management expertise and community service values to The Foundation as vice chair of finance for the Board of Governors, as a member of the Investment Committee, and as a past member of the Scholarship Selection Committee. Prior to Nicholas Investment Partners, John was a co-founder of CapitalWorks Investment Partners, prior to CapitalWorks he was president of Nicholas-Applegate Mutual Funds, chief investment officer of the Investor Services Group, and lead portfolio manager of the Fund’s Growth Income team. John’s community support includes organizations in San Diego helping to preserve the environment, enhance civic pride, assist cultural development, and further scholarship opportunities. He holds a BA in American Studies and graduated cum laude from Amherst College.
 
Jerry E. Hoffmeister
Gerald (Jerry) E. Hoffmeister, Immediate Past Chair
Community Leader
After managing and expanding several global technology companies serving the energy industries worldwide until his retirement in 1997, Jerry provides strategic support and mentoring to early stage technology companies and community nonprofit organizations. His dedication and active leadership at The Foundation includes his current role as board chair, as well as service on the Executive Committee and Board Governance Committees, the Science & Technology Working Group, the Our Greater San Diego Vision Committee, and Strategic Planning Committee. He is also the chairman of the Board of Chhahari, a home-stay orphanage in Nepal, the president of the Board of Trustees of EJE Academies, a charter school located in El Cajon, and chairman emeritus of Project Walk, a spinal cord injury recovery center headquartered in Carlsbad. Jerry earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University.
 
 
 
 

Board Members


 
Yamila Ayad Yamila M. Ayad
Associate Vice President Multicultural Development, First Nations Home Finance
Yamila is a passionate advocate for homeownership in the underserved Hispanic community. A 20-year veteran lender to San Diego’s Hispanic community, she is co-founder of the H.O.M.E. (Homeowners Mobile Education) Clinic, a free foreclosure prevention community program delivered by the Housing Opportunities Collaborative and the local Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office. The program has provided one-on-one counseling to more than 6,000 distressed homeowners by HUD-approved counselors, local attorneys and real estate professionals. Yamila served two terms on the national board of directors for the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals (2002-2007) and the advisory board to the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute (2003-2005). She is vice president of the board of the Housing Opportunities Collaborative of San Diego and also serves on The San Diego Foundation CREF Board. A passionate traveler and food and wine connoisseur, Yamila makes her home in Encinitas.
 
Darcy Bingham
Darcy C. Bingham
Community Leader
A self-described “philanthropreneur,” Darcy believes in contributing to the community through active philanthropic involvement. A vocal catalyst for positive change, she is co-founder of San Diego Social Venture Partners (SVP) and SVP International. She is also a founding member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation, past-chair of the UCSD Undergraduate Scholarship Council, and is a UC San Diego trustee. A member of The San Diego Foundation board from 2000-2009, she also chaired its North County Coastal Civic Alliance, and was vice chair of The Foundation’s Scholarship Committee. She is also on the Strategic Planning Committee and the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund board. In addition to being past president of the UCSD Staff Association, she served the UC System at Regents’ meetings as chair of the UC System-wide Staff Council. Her career in university administration concluded at UCSD.
 
James Cahill
Former Manager, The Price Group, LLC
James retired as manager of The Price Group, LLC. He was responsible for the investment and management of the financial portfolio of Sol Price, the founder of the Price Club chain, and The Price Family Charitable Fund. He currently serves as chairman of the board of directors of The Foundation’s Charitable Real Estate Foundation. James’ past community involvement includes board positions with Neighborhood National Development Bank, CitiLink Investment Company, Accion International, San Diego Incubator Corporation, Certified Development Corporation, and San Diego Innovative Pre-School Project.
 
John Cambon John Cambon, PhD
Principal, Regent Partners, LLC
John brings to The Foundation and to the Investment Committee more than 30 years of experience in the management and financing of early stage companies, corporate planning and investment management. He is a principal with Regent Partners, LLC, a private financial group that provides financial services and bridge financing to emerging growth companies. Prior to Regent Partners, John was a partner at Commercial Bridge Capital, LLC. He has served as CEO and director of Genetic BioSystems, Inc., president and director of AMBIS, Inc., and CEO and director of Digivision, Inc. John is the former president of the UCSD Alumni Association, is a member of the UCSD Foundation board, and is also a member and past chair of the UCSD Foundation’s Investment Committee. In addition, John served as a consultant to the Investment Advisory Committee of the Regents of the University of California. John holds a BA in economics from UC Irvine and a PhD in economics from UCSD.
 
Constance M. Carroll, PhD
Chancellor, San Diego Community College District
Prior to her appointment as chancellor in 2004, Constance served in presidential roles at Mesa College of the San Diego Community College District, Saddleback College of the South Orange County Community College District, and Indian Valley College. She received a BA in humanities from Duquesne University. Constance holds an MA and PhD from the University of Pittsburgh in classics. She studied at Knubly University in Greece and also attended the Institute for Educational Management at Harvard University. She serves on the National Council on the Humanities as a presidential nominee, and is a member of the Board of Trustees of the University of San Diego. In 2007, Constance received the National Association of Community College Trustees’ CEO Award. 
 
Ted Chan
Ted Chan, MD
Medical Director, Emergency Department,
UCSD-Hillcrest Medical Center & Thornton Hospital, La Jolla
Ted joined The Foundation board after spearheading the 2003 wildfire recovery efforts as chair of the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund. He is currently medical director of the Emergency Departments at both UCSD Hillcrest Medical Center and the Thornton Hospital in La Jolla. Ted worked in Washington, DC in the Office of the Assistant Surgeon General, and in Sacramento at the California State Senate. He chaired the Disaster Board during the 2007 wildfires recovery effort, and serves as principal lead for the San Diego Beacon Community project for health information exchange in San Diego County. Ted is also the editor of the cardiology section of the Journal of Emergency Medicine, and has authored and edited three textbooks.
 
Kay Chandler
President, Chandler Asset Management
Serving on the Investment Committee, Kay brings more than 30 years of investment industry experience and a love of the San Diego community to The Foundation’s board. She is president of Chandler Asset Management. Prior to that, Kay enjoyed a career in public service as investment officer for the County of San Diego and for the City of San Diego. Her community interests include cultural development; she served as a board member for a nonprofit theatre group and currently serves as a board member for a small community foundation. Kay earned a BA from Oberlin College and is a CFA charterholder.
 
Richard A. Collato
Richard A. Collato
Community Leader
Richard is president emeritus and the former president and chief executive officer of the YMCA of San Diego County. He was also a member of the San Diego Downtown Rotary Club and past president of the San Pedro Rotary Club. Richard was named “Director of the Year 2002” by the Corporate Directors Forum and was named the San Diego Business Journal’s 2007 CEO of the Year for Lifetime Achievement. Richard currently serves on the Strategic Planning Committee and is a director for WD-40 Company and Project Design Consultant Engineering. He also serves on the YMCA Retirement Fund Board, Corporate Directors Forum, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation, and Kyoto Symposium Organization boards. His past board service includes Sempra Energy, Surge Global Energy, PepperBall Technologies, Y-Mutual Insurance, the Bank of San Diego, Springfield College, SDG&E Company, Southern California Gas Company, Enova, MicroVision Optical, and the Jenna Druck Foundation. He graduated from Pepperdine University School of Business with an MBA in management and has a BA in business administration from The College of Insurance (now part of Saint John’s University).
 
Roger C. Cornell
Roger C. Cornell, MD
Senior Consultant, Department of Dermatology, Scripps Clinic
Roger is a practicing dermatologist with a passion for arts and culture. A graduate of Stanford University Medical School, he served in the Air Force before completing residencies in internal medicine and dermatology at UCSD. He joined Scripps Clinic in 1973 and is a clinical professor at UCSD. Roger volunteered at the UCSD Owen Clinic early in the AIDS crisis, and has worked at the Logan Heights Family Health Center, for which he twice received the “Spirit of the Barrio” award. He has also served on such boards as Alliance Healthcare Foundation, Scripps Health Foundation, Mingei Museum, and the San Diego Performing Arts League. A member of the San Diego Arts and Culture Commission for eight years, he was chair of the Arts & Culture Working Group.
 
Sandra Daley
Sandra Daley, MD
Professor of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine; Board Chair, Preuss School UCSD
Bringing to The Foundation a sense of responsibility to improve the world around her, Sandra has served in many capacities. A physician trained at the UC San Diego School of Medicine, Sandra has worked with patients and students from diverse population groups, and has developed programs to eliminate disparities in health status. Sandra is a recipient of numerous honors, including the Kellogg Foundation National Leadership Fellowship, The California Wellness Foundation Champion of Health Professions Diversity Award, and LEAD San Diego’s Distinguished Service Award..
 
William K. Geppert
William (Bill) Geppert
Currently Serves as President and CEO, Economic Development Corporation
Bill brings his business acumen and deep relations in the community developed while he was the Senior Vice President and General Manager of Cox Communications to give back and make a difference in San Diego. With more than 30 years experience in the telecommunications industry, he brings vision and charismatic leadership to his role as chair of Our Greater San Diego Vision, as well as to The Foundation’s board. He headed Cox Communications in San Diego since 1995, retiring in 2011. Bill has personally received numerous honors, including the National Cable & Telecommunications Association National Leadership Award, San Diego Business Journal’s Business Person of the Year, YMCA Civic Leader of the Year, and the Union of Pan Asian Government’s Courageous Leader of the Year Award. He serves on the boards of The Campanile Foundation and Sharp Healthcare. He was the former chair of the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation and San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce. Bill received his BA from the University of South Florida and completed Stanford’s Executive Program.
 
Benjamin (Ben) Haddad
Partner, California Strategies, LLC
Ben opened the San Diego office of California Strategies, LLC in 2006. His experience in public affairs and communications spans three decades, including tours with SAIC, the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce, Governor Pete Wilson, Mayor Susan Golding, and Congressman Bill Lowery. He served on the California Coastal Commission, the San Diego County Water Authority, and he served as chair of the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce in 2009 and as chair of LEAD San Diego in 2010-11. Ben is a member of Rotary Club 33 and on the board of the National Conflict Resolution Center.
 
Connie Matsui
Connie Matsui
Social Entrepreneur
Since retiring from Biogen Idec, Inc. as an executive vice president in 2009, Connie’s primary interest is social innovation and entrepreneurship. During her 32-year corporate career, she held various general management positions at Biogen Idec, IDEC Pharmaceuticals and Wells Fargo Bank. She has also been an active volunteer and board member for a number of nonprofit organizations, including Girl Scouts of the USA (GSUSA). From 1999 to 2002, she led GSUSA as national president/board chair. She currently serves on the boards of the Balboa Park Conservancy, Halozyme Therapeutics, Mira Costa College Foundation, Olave Baden-Powell Society, World Foundation for Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, as well as on the planning group for Our Greater San Diego Vision. Chairing the Strategic Planning Committee and a member of the San Diego Foundation’s Executive Governance Committee, Connie received both her BA and MBA from Stanford University. 
 
Paul I. Meyer
Paul I. Meyer
Retired Partner, Latham & Watkins, LLP
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Paul is a retired partner and former member of the global executive committee of the law firm of Latham & Watkins, LLP. Paul is a member of The Foundation’s Arts & Culture Working Group and the Balboa Park Trust. He has also been appointed by the Mayor to the organizing board for the Balboa Park Conservancy. He came to San Diego after serving for three years on active duty as a captain in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve. Repeatedly named as one of The Best Lawyers in America, Paul was the attorney for many prominent real estate projects over the course of his career, including the Staples Center development in downtown Los Angeles, the Petco Park and Ballpark District projects the One America Plaza, Santa Fe Depot and San Diego Police Headquarters projects in downtown San Diego, and the Padres Spring Training Facility project in Peoria, Arizona. Paul has served as president of the boards of the Old Globe Theatre, the La Jolla Chamber Music Society and the San Diego Chapter of the American Jewish Committee, and as chair of the San Diego Charitable Real Estate Foundation and Balboa Park Trust.
 
Hollyce J. Phillips
Hollyce J. Phillips
Community Leader
Hollyce brings more than 20 years experience in the world of television and communications to her philanthropic work in the San Diego community. She is a founding board member and current chair of the Carlsbad Charitable Foundation. She also serves on The Foundation’s Strategic Planning and Executive Committees. Hollyce is on the board of the Girls Scouts of San Diego and Imperial Counties, where she has led the Board Development team, served on the Executive Committee, and in 2004 and 2005, chaired the Council’s major fundraising event “Urban Campout.” She is a member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation, has been a member of the North County Coastal Civic Alliance, and was honored by The North County Philanthropy Council as a Volunteer of the Year. Hollyce has a BA from Stanford University and did MA work at the University of Minnesota Graduate School of Journalism.
Derek Quackenbush Derek Quackenbush
Chief Financial Officer, Concerro, Inc.
Derek brings 20 years of business experience to
The Foundation and its Audit and Finance committees. Derek is currently responsible for all financial and M&A activities at Concerro, Inc., which provides technology-enabled services to U.S. hospitals and is a recipient of multiple Inc. 500/5000 awards as a rapidly growing, privately-held company. Prior to Concerro, Derek held leadership roles at New Times Media, Atari (formerly Infogrames), Sony Computer Entertainment, and Sony Online Entertainment. Derek started his career in public accounting at Ernst & Young. In 2009, Derek was a finalist for the San Diego Business Journal’s CFO of the Year and is a participant in the CFO Roundtable, the San Diego Venture Group, and the Healthcare Financial Management Association. Derek received his BA in political science from U.C. Berkeley.
 
Barbara A. Sawrey
Barbara A. Sawrey, PhD
Associate Vice Chancellor, Undergraduate Education, UCSD
Barbara Sawrey is the chair of The San Diego Foundation’s Science & Technology Working Group. Barbara’s previous positions include co-director, doctoral program in mathematics and science education and vice chair for Education in the Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry at UCSD. Barbara is a recipient of the Athena Pinnacle Award in Education, UCSD’s Academic Senate Distinguished Teaching Award, an Alumni Excellence Award, and the American Chemical Society Award for Encouraging Women in the chemical sciences. She has been a faculty member in chemistry and biochemistry for 26 years, and is a local and national officer in the American Chemical Society. She received a BS in chemistry from Baldwin-Wallace College. Prior to earning her PhD jointly from SDSU and UCSD in 1983, she was an industrial chemist in Jacksonville, Florida.
 
Nancy A. Spector
Nancy A. Spector
Attorney; Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law
Nancy is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law. She is a sole practitioner who concentrates her practice in the areas of estate planning, probate, trust administration, and special needs trusts. Nancy graduated with honors from Western State University College of Law, holds an MA in American History from George Washington University and graduated Phi Beta Kappa from the University of Illinois. Nancy is past president of the Estate Planning Council and past chair of the Probate Section of the San Diego County Bar Association. She is the current chair of The Foundation’s Professional Advisor Council and is an active member of the San Diego Women’s Foundation. Her volunteer history includes her role as board member at the San Diego Library Foundation, the Old Globe and the Alzheimer’s Association, and participant in eight 3-Day Susan G. Komen walks for breast cancer research.
 
Carisa Wisniewski
Carisa Wisniewski
San Diego Office Managing Partner, Moss Adams, LLP
Carisa brings more than 20 years of public accounting experience to her current leadership role as chair of The Foundation’s Finance Committee and Compensation and Benefits Committee, and her membership on the Executive Committee. She was a founding board member of The San Diego Regional Disaster Fund and served on the Science & Technology Working Group. Carisa is currently an active client service partner, the office managing partner and a member of the Executive Committee at Moss Adams after serving in several roles, including the leader of the firm’s Technology and Life Sciences Practice. She was also a founding member of the joint committee of the FASB and AICPA for Private Company Financial Reporting. A member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants and the American Institute of CPAs. Carisa earned a BA in accounting from CSUF.
 
James (Jim) Ziegler
James (Jim) Ziegler
Community Volunteer
A community leader with more than 25 years experience in banking throughout California and as a small business owner, Jim serves on the Board Governance Committee, the Civic Society Working Group, the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund board, and previously served on The Foundation’s Executive Committee. Previous community affiliations include board service of AIDS Foundation San Diego, La Mesa Chamber of Commerce, Mission Beach Precise Planning Board, Diversionary Theatre, El Cajon Boulevard Businessmen’s Association, San Diego HIV Funding Collaborative, and The San Diego Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Community Center for which he was board chair in 2000. Jim earned his BA from Miami University in Ohio, and is a U.S. Navy Vietnam-era veteran.