RWMF - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Alexa works closely with donors and grantees to create local networks, establish charitable relationships, and expand resources to all community members in Santa Cruz County. As part of the Philanthropic Services team, she helps nonprofits get funds from our most generous community members to accomplish their missions. She also does the initial intake and processing of all gifts to the Foundation.
Alexa began as a building steward, enthusiastically helping to host nonprofit organizations using the Foundation building for evening or weekend meetings and events. Her dedication to strong customer service has seen her rise from Administrative Assistant to Philanthropic Services Associate to our Grants and Gifts Manager, connecting donors to the causes they care about.
Alexa has always been interested in issues of access and equity. Finding answers to the big question of who gets what and why led Alexa into the world of nonprofit organizations. Prior to philanthropy, she developed her social sector resume within the public health sector, and in environmental advocacy and public policy.
As our controller, Alexandra helps manage the day-to-day finance operations of the Foundation and its supporting organization the Regional Water Management Foundation. She oversees various accounting and human resources functions for the Foundation and works with the Chief Operating and Financial Officer and Finance Associate to produce the annual budget, annual audit, and other thrilling financial necessities.
Alexandra joined the Foundation as Accounting Assistant in 2007. With persistence and diligence she clawed her way past the competition to attain the coveted Controller position in 2012. Previously, she developed her financial expertise and customer service acumen at Loring Ward Advisor Services and honed reconciliation and technical skills at Richard L. Costa and Associates. But her true passion for forensic accounting started with neighborhood analysis performed to maximize Girl Scout cookie sales while attending Soquel Elementary School.
Alexandra is drawn to the complexities, rewards and learning opportunities of nonprofit finance work. A passionate advocate for animal welfare issues, she shares her office here with spoiled chihuahuas Loki and Mickey. After work, you'll find her hustling between volunteer gigs for local civic organizations and her next softball game.
Job Titles:
- Philanthropic Services Associate
- Services Associate
Jenny is here to highlight the work of our nonprofit partners, the vision of our donors, and all the ways they accomplish great things with the Foundation. Talk to her about the ways you see local philanthropy shaping and improving our community's future. She's your go-to for media inquiries and translating news and events into compelling online narratives. She also loves talking about pie, our local farmer's markets, and the best places to walk her beloved dog Muggsy.
Susan loves learning about how people live the meaning of philanthropy. She works to build awareness with individuals, nonprofit agencies, companies, and other funders on how they can create lasting change through charitable giving. She would love to hear from you and to learn about your desire to leave this world a little better than we found it.
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Courtney is our first Donor Services Finance Associate. She provides day-to-day financial oversight as well as works closely with the Donor Services Team to ensure accuracy in reporting. Along with regular accounting functions, she will also track Impact Investment loans, complete financial analysis, and provide database management. She begins her career with the Foundation during demanding times and her position is a crucial part of our financial management.
Courtney moved to the area in 2011 and began her Santa Cruz career with the Santa Cruz Seaside Company. There she worked in the accounting department as the Senior Revenue Specialist. The position not only expanded her accounting knowledge, but gave her insight into our unique community. The Seaside Company's diverse portfolio allowed her to delve into the accounting of various business and the intricacies of their industries. Although the Community Foundation is the first nonprofit that she has worked for, she's very familiar with the work that we do.
Courtney's interest in nonprofits began with her passion for animal welfare. As a self-proclaimed "crazy cat lady," she finds fulfillment in volunteering at fundraising events and opening her home to pets in need by fostering. Over the last few years she has created a safe feral cat colony at a local business by having the numerous cats spayed or neutered so they could live their lives without overpopulating. They are now altered, vaccinated, and provide free rodent control.
Job Titles:
- Co - Chair
- Immediate past President
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- SVP Director of Business Banking, Santa Cruz County Bank
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Juvenile Probation Officer, Santa Cruz County Probation Department
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Hana Kong joins the Community Foundation as the Donor Service Officer. She focuses on providing donors, advisors, and organizations with the highest level of service in support of their current and future philanthropic investment strategies and goals. Hana is a resource to identify missions and causes that align with donors' values and the impact they'd like to see in Santa Cruz County and beyond.
Hana has dedicated her career to serving and strengthening communities, which has taken her across the globe from domestic violence shelters in Peru to migrant worker camps in China to delivering meal boxes for Black, Indigenous, People of Color (BIPOC) seniors with the United Way Santa Cruz County. Hana has developed a unique blend of philanthropy, digital marketing, business acumen, and a pinch of humor throughout her career and education. Most recently, Hana served as the Program Officer at Monterey Peninsula Foundation and centered her trust-based grant making efforts in Santa Cruz and San Benito Counties. Over the years, Hana built many meaningful relationships with local nonprofits and developed a deep love for this community. Hana remains committed to continuing this work of inspiring innovative, inclusive philanthropy to build a healthy, thriving Santa Cruz for all who live here - now and in the future.
Outside of the office, Hana is always seeking new way to broaden her experience and worldview through adventure, education, volunteering, community leadership, and board participation. Hana can be found handing out bags or directing (carefully) traffic at food bank distribution sites; helping local groups develop creative material to tell their story and mission; or simply walking on a trail or beach with her partner and pup, Roberto "Dylan". Hana holds a Juris Doctor degree and Master of Legal Studies from the Monterey College of Law; and Master of Public Administration and Master of International Education Management from the Middlebury Institute of International Studies… She has no plans to stop learning.
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Donor Services Director
- Services Director of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County
As Donor Services Director of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Hilary supports current and future donors in creating funds for immediate giving, as well as and designing and planning funds for future giving. With over twenty-five years of experience as a local government official, tech entrepreneur, and civic leader, she is excited to share her love of Santa Cruz County with donors and will assist them in achieving their personal philanthropic goals while helping our community thrive.
After she graduated from UC Santa Cruz with a B.A. in Biology, she chose to make Santa Cruz her home. Hilary worked as a real estate broker and met her husband, Dr. David Shuman, a veterinarian. Together, they built Westside Animal Hospital in downtown Santa Cruz. An active volunteer, she was appointed to the City's Parks and Recreation Commission, and in 2010, was elected to the Santa Cruz City Council, serving as Vice Mayor in 2012 and Mayor in 2013. During her Council term, Hilary combined her knowledge of regional outdoor resources, business, and technical expertise to help Santa Cruz address critical issues. She worked to grow and retain businesses in Santa Cruz, was active in the endeavor to bring the Santa Cruz Warriors to the City, led efforts to establish the City's first Open Data Ordinance, and also developed the first Santa Cruz Youth City Council in partnership with eight local schools. Most recently, Hilary co-founded Buoy Labs, a water-saving technology startup, which was acquired by Resideo Technologies in 2019. She also enjoys surfing, swimming, running, biking, and tries to keep up with her two teenagers in all of their various activities.
Hilary believes that it is through active philanthropy that we can best work together to meet community needs, explore new approaches to solving social problems, channel generosity, and create initiatives to improve well-being for all. She is passionate about providing opportunities for youth and expanding efforts to protect our environment. Hilary currently serves on several area nonprofit boards, including the Digital NEST and Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. She is committed to playing an active role in building a healthy and vibrant Santa Cruz County for all.
Job Titles:
- Director Emeritus
- Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
- Director Emeritus
Jaime's role as Finance Assistant is central to the Foundation's work as effective stewards of philanthropic resources. She's an administrative whiz as she ensures timely processing of payables, helps with accurate financial reporting, classifies and reviews invoices, and supports accounting functions.
Jaime brings two decades of experience in office management and administration to her role having worked previously in academia, the business sector, and philanthropy where she learned the importance of community and the love for processing and numbers.
When Jaime is not making sure everyone gets paid, you can find her on the trails or at the beach with her partner and their chihuahua Kobe (yes, named after basketball legend Kobe Bryant).
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Finance
- Director of Human Resources ( Retired ), Driscoll's
Reviews quarterly investment performance and financial statements, sets investment policy, monitors and approves investment allocations, selects financial advisors, advises the board on budgetary issues, spending policies, fees, impact investments and makes recommendations to the board on finance and gift acceptance policies and procedures.
In her role of Communications Officer, Jenny is our resident storyteller. She chronicles donors' generosity and kindness as they give back for generations to come. And, she showcases nonprofit leaders in their tireless work building a Santa Cruz County where all people can thrive. Jenny loves crafting messages that resonate, honor authentic voices, and spark others to give back.
Jenny started her professional career as a chef and baker but transitioned to storytelling when she learned about sustainable agriculture from the farmers she met at her local market. Her book Portrait of a Market: A Journey to the Roots of Our Food combines oral history and research to share a vision of a safe and just food system. Her work has also been published nationally in Science Magazine and Feminist Wire, and locally in Phren-z and the Santa Cruz Sentinel. Her latest book is holding residence in her hall closet. Jenny never returned to a commercial kitchen and instead dedicated her love of writing and communications to advance social causes.
For nearly 20 years, Jenny served as the chief storyteller for SACNAS (Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science), the nation's largest multicultural and multidisciplinary organization working to diversify the science and technology fields. There, she led the organization's communications and marketing strategies, built partnerships to advance brand awareness, and helped motivate and engage stakeholders.
Deeply rooted in Santa Cruz County, Jenny is co-founder of Pie for the People, where she helps inspire philanthropy to benefit grassroots nonprofits and foster youth engagement in activism.
Job Titles:
- Community Volunteer & School Teacher ( Retired )
As Engagement Coordinator, Katy supports the Engagement and Impact team with community grant-making and program development, data reporting, and addressing inquiries from the community and nonprofit partners. She lends her tech savvy to advancing organizational efficiency and implementing best practices. Katy is passionate about art and education, and leads the logistical coordination of the Foundation's Scholarships program as well as the Rydell Visual Arts Fellowship program.
Before joining the Foundation in 2019, Katy worked at NASA Ames Research Center as Operations Lead for the Astrobionics Group where she supported some of the world's leading researchers in science and technology with special events and curriculum development. She also spent time coordinating special events in Los Angeles, and most recently as Office Manager and Executive Assistant to the President of Listia, a small tech company in Silicon Valley.
Katy graduated from Humboldt State University with an interdisciplinary B.A in Cultural Studies which examined the role of art in social movements around the world. Her studies led her to participate in the School for International Training's Art & Social Change program in Zimbabwe in 2000.
She is motivated to support her team in carrying out the Foundation's goal of and advancing opportunity for all who call Santa Cruz County home.
Katy is a Bay Area native and lives in Seabright with her dog Maddy.
Job Titles:
- Director of Engagement & Impact
Kevin's job is to help the Foundation achieve its goals on issues affecting Santa Cruz County and to amplify the incredible work by donors and nonprofits in our community. He oversees community grantmaking, communications, leads our nonprofit education work, and scouts new opportunities to increase the Foundation's impact.
Kevin started with the Foundation as part of the grantmaking team in 2008. He went on to Second Harvest Food Bank Santa Cruz County where he honed his skills in finely-run operations, program delivery, and partnership development as the Chief Operations Officer. He's also been a program manager, grant writer, neighborhood organizer, and volunteer manager. Kevin's belief in the power of philanthropy brought him back to work at Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in 2017.
After organizing to rebuild homes in post-Katrina New Orleans, Kevin came to understand service as the purpose of life, not something to do in just your spare time. He's passionate about helping nonprofit workers develop their skills and connect to new resources so they can do more good in the community.
As our office assistant, Kim works collaboratively with staff to ensure efficient operations throughout the organization. She provides customer service, administrative support, and general office management. She has been in this role since 2021.
Kim had a previous 13-year tenure at the Community Foundation in various roles from reception to program to communications. She left in 2018 to pursue nursing school but decided to take a step back in 2020 to spend valuable time with her toddler and family.
She is a fourth-generation resident of Santa Cruz. Working in a local nonprofit gives Kim the opportunity to make a difference and be part of creating a lasting impact for the community she grew up in. Kim currently serves on the board of the nonprofit Wharf to Wharf Race. She enjoys running and surfing when she can fit it in.
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Central Coast Water Quality Preservation, Inc
- Scholarship
Job Titles:
- Senior Director for Development, Santa Clara University
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Family Law Attorney, the Grunsky Law Firm
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
- Dean McHenry
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Executive Director, Community Action Board Santa Cruz County
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Nicole joined Community Foundation Santa Cruz County in 2021. As Accounting & HR Manager, she oversees all administrative accounts payable, is responsible for financial analysis projects and ongoing compliance reporting. For HR management, Nicole leads the recruiting process and on boards/off boards staff with payroll, benefits, office systems, and equipment. Nicole's past experiences involved working for local nonprofits including Homeless Services Center and Community Action Board of Santa Cruz County. After working in the private sector for the last few years she made the decision to return to her nonprofit roots and is forever grateful to have found a place with the Community Foundation.
With more than 20 year's progressively diverse experience in management, administration, and accounting, Nicole is excited to share her resourceful, dynamic and proactive experience to support the Foundation's mission.
When not being a master of spreadsheets, Nicole loves to spend her time making art and playing with her new kittens. She is an avid crocheter, knitter, jewelry maker, and occasional tinkerer on her vintage car.
Job Titles:
- Certified Financial Planner
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Owner, Sun Valley Berries LLC
Job Titles:
- Chief Finance & Operating Officer
- Finance and Administration
As the CFOO, Sabine is responsible for the finances and operations of the Community Foundation, ensuring that our asset growth can meet the evolving needs of the community and keep Santa Cruz County a thriving place to work and live. Sabine's team provides the backbone of support for the organization as well as provides financial reporting to donors and the community.
Sabine attended San Jose State initially pursuing a Bachelor of Science in Fine Arts, but quickly realized that her accounting skills were in more demand than her photography skills. She switched to a Business Administration degree and obtained her CPA, but never really let go of the creative side. Sabine's 30-year career in accounting started as an auditor in the Monterey area and eventually grew to Controllorship and CFO roles for public, private, and nonprofit organizations in Santa Cruz and Santa Clara Counties. Sabine thrives on leveraging technology, practicality, and a dash of that creativity to design scalable processes that allow organizations to grow while focusing on their core missions. Sabine's favorite part of her role as a financial leader is in forming and mentoring empowered and engaged teams.
Sabine grew up in nearby Seaside but moved to Santa Cruz 20 years ago to be closer to her favorite trails and surf breaks. She is in love with the many ways to play in Santa Cruz County and the people who call it home.
Job Titles:
- Honorary Trustee
- Philanthropic Services Director
Sam works with individuals and organizations to help them achieve their philanthropic and financial goals, with an eye toward tax efficiency. Whether it's establishing a donor-advised fund, helping create a charitable remainder trust funded with real estate or highly-appreciated securities, transferring a private foundation's assets, or starting an agency endowment or flex fund, Sam loves working to find the best solution for each donor and philanthropic opportunity.
Before joining the Foundation, Sam served as a Planned Giving Officer for the American Red Cross, Planned Giving Manager at San Francisco Opera, and Executive Director at Dominican Hospital Foundation. He is also a former Board Member and Honorary Trustee of the Foundation, where he started his first fund in 1986.
Job Titles:
- EVP / Global Lead, Innovation & Impact Practice, Porter Novelli
Stacey's role is to strengthen relationships among the Community Foundation, donors, nonprofit partners, and community leaders. She brings people together to connect, share stories, take action, and build a greater understanding of our community's needs and solutions. She helps the Community Foundation cultivate trust across partners, advance racial equity in our actions, and ignite a love for giving in our community.
She comes from a bicultural family of teachers and organizers. They inspired the heart of her work: creating experiences that bring different people together to learn from each other. She's worked internationally in nonprofits, education, museums, and cultural organizations. Most recently, she led the transformation of the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History's community engagement. She and her team led programs, exhibitions, events, and educational experiences that centered Santa Cruz County's diverse creativity, voices, and stories, while bridging people across differences. In facilitating hundreds of local collaborative projects, she fell in love with our community and committed to planting roots in Santa Cruz County.
Stacey is grateful for our partners: our donor's generosity, the nonprofits creating community-driven solutions, and our innovative community leaders. She feels privileged to be in a role that brings together people who love our community and want to make Santa Cruz County an equitable place that thrives for all who call it home.
In her role as Chief Executive Officer of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Susan continues her lifelong commitment to work that improves lives and strengthens communities. Contact her at 831.662.2010 or email strue@cfscc.org.
As the CEO of Community Foundation Santa Cruz County, Susan oversees the stewardship of over $170 million in assets and mobilizes people, ideas, and resources to make Santa Cruz County a place where all people will have the opportunity to grow and thrive.
Susan began her career at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic and founded and evaluated programs to prevent the spread of the virus on the Central Coast. Later, she became passionate about the empowerment, safety, and permanence of foster youth and became a foster parent and the Executive Director of CASA of Santa Cruz County. Her work with children and youth in the child welfare system led her to care deeply about prevention and she began her work leading First 5 Santa Cruz County. At First 5, she led the design and funding of programs that measurably decreased child maltreatment, improved early language and literacy skills, and provided health insurance and improved health outcomes for children from birth to five years old. Bolstered by a scholarship from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, Susan was a Sloan Fellow at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. Susan then led the Kenneth Rainin Foundation's investments in young children before returning home in 2017 to lead the Community Foundation.
Raised in Minneapolis by parents who hold strong values of community engagement and justice, Susan came to Santa Cruz in 1991 and earned her BA in Community Studies at UC Santa Cruz. Susan holds a master's degree from the Stanford Graduate School of Business with certificates in Social Innovation and Non-Profit Management. She is the (undeniably) proud mom of Nicky True who is a (favorite) 6th-grade teacher in Seaside. Susan can often be found baking late at night and biking by day in the Santa Cruz Mountains with her husband, Ben, and friends. Susan's hope is that she gives at least as much to others as has been given to her.
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
Job Titles:
- Deceased Honorary Trustee
- Director Emeritus