Board Leadership Institute Graduates

The Board Leadership Institute provides local nonprofit leaders with skills and tools to internally strengthen their organization and to build business longevity in the communities they serve. On an annual basis, CNL has been conducting cohorts for Central Coast nonprofits (Ventura County, Santa Barbara County and San Luis Obispo County).  On average, over 35-45 leaders from 10-12 local nonprofit organizations graduate from this intensive six-month program with each cohort.  At the culmination ceremony, each participating organization is awarded a certificate to acknowledge their completion of this training.

Below is a list of past participating organizations and their organizational team that participated in BLI:

Congratulations 2023 Santa Barbara County Cohort (#24):

• 805 Undocufund
  Jennifer Ortiz, Vanessa Frank, Ana Huynh
• Center for Successful Aging
  Steven Sharpe, Gayle Golden
• CommUnify
  Patricia Keelean, Marina Owen, Alexander Saunders, James Kyriaco
• Gaviota Coast Conservancy
  Doug Kern, Kathryn Washburn, Greg Helms, Donna Senauer, Phil McKenna
• Hearts Aligned Inc.
  Vivian Solodkin, Colleen Sitolini, Brigette Welty
• Hospice of Santa Barbara
  David Selberg, John Duffy, Dianne Travis-Teague, Linda Cherish
• Route One Farmers Market
  Shelby Wild Brown, Danielle O'Brien, Donato Ricci, Lindsey Arevalos, Elisa Frerking
• Samsum Diabetes Research Institute
  Ellen Goldstein, Ken Waxman, Brad Webb
• Santa Barbara Bowl Foundation
  Rick Boller, Karen Kerns, Kicki Parr, Tyler Duncan
• Santa Barbara County Fire Safe Council
  Anne-Marie Parkinson, Paul Van Leer, Kevin Varga, Kim Pananides
• Santa Barbara Festival Ballet
  Valerie Huston, Melissa Wilder, Sarah Case, Elizabeth Reiter
• Santa Ynez Botanic Garden
  Derek Glas, Puck Erickson, Ewa Powers, Karis Clinton
• Unity Shoppe
  Angela Miller-Bevan, Susan Rodriguez, Jonatha King, Lauren Davis, Irene Rhodes

Congratulations 2023 Ventura County Cohort (#23):

• Action VC
  Jon Looney, Jason Hurst, Amy McDade, Peter Gillette
• CAUSE
  Hazel Davalos, Michelle Hasendonckx, Mirelle Vargas
• Friends of Fieldworkers
  Martita Martinez-Bravo, Fernanda Palacios Herrera, Julie Henszey, Christine Cardona-Threadgill
• Humane Society of Ventura County
  Eric Knight, Sheila McCollum, Michelle Murphy, Jane Akune
• Lynda Fairly Carpenteria Arts Center
  Kristina Calkins, Tim Cohen, Debbie Murphy, Lourdes Trigueros
• Samaritan Center of Simi Valley
  Annika Sumby, Dianna Cantero, Daniel Pena, Doug Landon
• Santa Barabara County Food Action Network
  Shakira Miracle, Megan raff, Tyler Dickinson, Amy Dewberry
• Saticoy Food Hub
  Sierra Doehr, Kathryn Kinberg, Daniel Chavez, Katee Gustavson
• United Parents
  Melissa Hannah, Timothy Helton, Misty Perez
• Ventura County Community Foundation
  Vanessa Bechtel, Jack Edelstein, Catherine Sepulveda, Leah Lacayo
• Ventura County Farm To School
  Anna Jackson, Suzanne Lugotoff, Allison England, Anna Litz
• Ventura County Leadership Academy
  Pattie Braga, Steve Elson, Crystal Stratton, Bob Harrell
• Ventura County Land Trust
  Melissa Baffa, Mark Watkins, Doug Trapp, Meredith Thompson, Jill Shaffer
• Ventura Regional Fire Safe Council
  Stephen Watson, Andrew Ortega, Jason Giambi, Michael Lopez

Congratulations 2022 Ventura County Cohort (#22):

• Diversity Coalition Ventura County
  Tess Allen, Roland Catabona, Genevieve Flores Haro, Patricia Logan
• Kidstream Mueum
  Kristie Aki, Michael Shanklin
• MERITO Foundation
  Linda Chilton, David lantrip, Rocio Lazano-Knowlton, Cliff Rodrigues, Roset Strong, Judy Wilens
• Santa Baraba Botanical Garden
  Jaime Eschette, Mark Funk, Melissa Patrino, Kathy Scoggs, Steve Windhager
• Santa Barbara RiteCare Childhood Language Center
  Rosalyn Collins, Julie DeAngelis, Maurice Sourmany
• Santa Baraba Zoo
  Richard Block, Aaron Marshall, Derek Shue, Clark Stirling
• South Coast Railroad Museum at the Historic Goleta Depot
  Hattie Husbands, Bruce Morden, Brent Muchow, Becky Reid
• Visiting Nurses Association Health
  Eusebio Cordova, Jr., Pamela Dillman Haskell, Fred Kass, Kieran Shah

Congratulations 2022 Santa Barbara County Cohort (#21):

• Children and Family Resource Services
  Bridget Baublits, Georgene Lowe, MaryEllen Rehse
• Children's Creative Project
  Bryan Kerner, Genevieve Badone Assili, Harriet Whaley, Kai Tepper
• Doctors Without Walls - Santa Barbara Street Medicine
  Conner Cote, Jeff Moody, Marguerite Sanchez
• Girls Inc. of Carpinteria
  Jacqueline Pawela-Crew, Jamie Collins, Katie Convoy, Lori Pearce
• Marjorie Luke Theatre
  Gerrie Fausett, Karen Baltzley, Pamela McLendon
• Pacific Pride Foundation
  Eric Bowers, Kristin Flickinger, Lynn Brown, Maria Melo, Ralph Barbosa
• Rooted Santa Barbara County
  Beth Skidmore, Emma malina, Leonie Mattison
• Santa Barbara County Food Action Network
  Alejandra Mahoney, Laurel Alcantar, Rachel Johnson, Shakira Miracle
• Santa Barbara Response Network
  Anthony Rodriguez, Cassy Brezner, Forrest eichtberg, Jina Carvalho, Maria Caudillo
• Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People
  Alanna Tarkington, Erica Flores, Rick Weber, Valerie Kissell
• The OASIS Center
  Bethany Cox, Michelle Southwick, Olivia Bugal, Shiloh Flagg, 
• Santa Ynez Valley People Helping People
  Alanna Tarkington, Erica Flores, Rick Weber, Valerie Kissell
• TV Santa Barbara
  Courtney Frazer, Dean Noble, Erik Davis, Meighann Helene, Michael Mongold, Regina Ruiz
• Veggie Rescue
  Diana O'Connell, Janessa Van Vechten, Lisa Palmer, Santiago Brown, Terry Delaney

Congratulations 2021 Cohort (#20):

• Central Ventura County Fire Safe Council
  Elaine Himelfarb, Mike LaPlant
•  Conejo Schools Foundation
  Cindy Goldberg, Paula Nathan, Jon Power, Irene Pugh, Denise Reader, Sue Wells
• El Concilio Family Services
  Edith Campa, Yvonne Gutierrez, Elisabeth Paniagua, Lupe Servin
•  Get Focused, Stay Focused National Resource Center
  Karen Miles, Dawn O'Bar
• Heart of Jubilee
  Judy Perkins, Mary Sawa
•  Just Communities
  Marlene Cohen, Nonie Hamilton, Melissa Petrino, Emily Vesper
• Rotary Club of Ojai Educational Foundation
  Mike Malone, Don Reed, Tara Saylor, Mike Weaver

Congratulations 2019 Cohort (#19):

• California Lutheran University, Bachelor's Degree for Professionals
  Lisa Buono, Ed.D., Director
•  Central Ventura County Fire Safe Council
  Luis Espinosa, Executive Director; Jim Roth, Vice President; and Charlotte Crocker, Secretary.
• CFROG - Climate First: Replacing Oil & Gas
  Merrill Berge, Board Member; Robin Gerber, Board Member; and Tomas Rebecchi, Board Member.
• Los Padres ForestWatch
  Jeff Kuyper, Executive Director; Anna DeLaski, Board Member; Terri Laine, Board Member; and Sam Thomas, Board Member.
• Make-A-Wish Tri-Counties
  Pattie Mullins, Executive Director; and Tim Dadik, Secretary.
• Secure Beginnings
  Lisa Griffiths, President; Tami Winbury, Executive Director; Liz Fish, Board Member; and Renee Mandala, Board Member.
•  New West Symphony
  Natalia Staneva, Executive Director; Stephanie Wilson, Deputy Director; Kim Woods, Board Chair; and Jim Nagy, Board Vice-Chair.
• Oak Park Education Foundation
  Vicki Raven, Executive Director; Brandon McFadden; Board Chair, Carmela Barbieri, Board of Directors; and Theresa Loos, Board Member.
• Students for Eco-Education and Agriculture, Inc. 
  Mary Maranville, Executive Director; and Courtney Catalano, Board Member.
• Ventura Land Trust
  Derek Poultney, Executive Director; Annette Baldwin, Deputy Director; Adrienne Stephens, Development Director; and Jane Montague, Trustee.

Congratulations 2018 Cohort (#18):

• ARC of Ventura County
  Julie Duran, Director of Development; Mary Platt, Board Member; Tad Endicott, Board Member
•  Camarillo Ranch Foundation
  Marissa Lopez Elkins, Executive Director; Charles Devlin, President; Martin Daly, Treasurer
• Cancer Support Community Valley/Ventura/Santa Barbara
  Andrea Roschke, Finance Chair & 1^st Vice Chair; Phil Dipaola, Board Member; John Ray, Board Member
• Coalition for Family Harmony
  Caroline Prijatel-Sutton, Executive Director; Christine Van Nuys, Board Chair
• El Centrito Family Learning Centers
  Teresa Segovia, Executive Director; Catherine Awsumb Nelson, Board Member
• Community Conscience
  Robin Britt, Executive Director; Fran Brough, President; Margaret Fieweger, 1^st Vice President;  Larry Marquart, Assistant Treasurer; Cara Cohen, Board Member
•  Kids & Families Together
  David Friedlander, CEO; Sharon Watts Woolley, Board Chair; Sharon Cromartie, VP, Administration; Stephanie Caldwell, Board Member
• Ventura County Arts Council
  Margaret Travers, Executive Director; Friday Gretchen, Board President; Fernando Albert Salinas, Board Member; Brian Bemel, Board Member
• Ventura Land Trust
  Derek Poultney, Executive Director; John Hankins, Secretary; Susan LeFevre, Board Member; Dennis Kulzer, Board Member; Ed Wehan, Board Member; Don Wood, Board Member