Advisory Board

Lauren Arzu currently serves as the Director of Human Resources and Operations at First 5 Ventura County. In this role, Lauren oversees hiring, professional development, benefits, payroll, leases, IT, policy, advocacy, and communications. After beginning her career in the public and private sectors, Lauren was interested in having a more meaningful career. She quickly realized that the best way to make an impact locally and gain insight into the nonprofit sector would be to work with Dena at the Center for Nonprofit Leadership! Attending (and later teaching) workshops while serving as the Program Coordinator at the CNL allowed Lauren to develop a variety of nonprofits skills, from social media to grant writing, while working closely with nonprofits in Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties.

Lauren completed her undergraduate work at the University of San Diego and earned a Master of Public Administration from USC.

Lauren appreciates the opportunity to serve the CNL again as an Advisory Board member and Marketing Committee Chair.

Fred Bauermeister is the Co-founder and Executive Director of the Free Clinic of Simi Valley, providing medical, dental, legal and counseling services to individuals and families regardless of their ability to pay. Fred has served the clinic since its inception in 1971.

Fred currently serves on the Executive Board of the California Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, an association he co-founded that is comprised of Free Clinics throughout the state of California.

Fred also serves on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Free and Charitable Clinics, the only national voice working on behalf of Free Clinics throughout the United States.

In Simi Valley, Fred is a member of the Leadership Simi Valley Steering Committee and is a recipient of a Lifetime Achievement Award bestowed by the Simi Valley Community Foundation. 

A native of Philadelphia, Tony completed a successful 24-year career in the United States Navy, with three tours of duty at Naval Base Ventura County. His career highlights include leading 80 Sailors on a humanitarian affairs deployment throughout the Western Pacific. He was an integral member of a team who brought a nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to Los Angeles, showing off the Navy’s finest to more than two million individual media impressions over a four-day period.

Tony joined the American Red Cross as a communications manager for blood services in southern California where he was responsible for all communications, public affairs and marketing from Santa Barbara to San Diego. In 2019, he was promoted to regional CEO. In this role, he led matrixed teams responsible for all Red Cross functions in Central California, Northern California and the Pacific Islands. Tony served as a national spokesperson, deploying to many large-scale disasters such as the Thomas Fire, the Creek Fire, Hurricane Harvey and the Las Vegas Route 66 shooting.

Tony currently serves as the Executive Director of US VETS, empowering veterans and families through housing, comprehensive services and advocacy.

Steve Elson is an independent consultant helping mission-driven nonprofit organizations build capacity, develop new lines of business, improve service performance, strengthen Board knowledge and skills, and create strategies/plans in sync with community needs and market trends. 

Steve’s career includes thirty-five years’ experience in executive leadership of organizations providing mental health and residential services to children and youth with complex trauma and/or presenting challenging and disruptive behavioral/emotional issues. Steve was the founding director of Casa Pacifica Centers for Children & Families in Ventura County and served as CEO for 26 years. Prior to that he was the executive director of Sycamores in Pasadena. He holds a doctorate in counseling psychology from Michigan State University. 

Steve has been actively involved in all significant public policy initiatives affecting child welfare and children’s mental health in California. Industry leadership includes serving on the Board of five state-wide and one national association. He served as President of each of these six associations.  

A member of the Board of Directors of the Ventura County Leadership Academy (VCLA), Steve is Treasurer of the Board. 

Geoff Green is CEO of the California Association of Nonprofits (CalNonprofits), a statewide policy alliance of more than 10,000 nonprofits speaking to government, philanthropy, and the public at large.

A long-time CalNonprofits board member, Geoff previously served as CEO of the Santa Barbara City College Foundation. With more than 25 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, he has worked on a wide variety of issues including affordable housing, access to education, racial equity, and environmental protection.

Under Green’s nine years of leadership, the SBCC Foundation raised over $50 million to support student success programs. In 2016 he led the creation of the SBCC Promise, a groundbreaking initiative that offers all recent, local high school graduates the opportunity to attend college full-time at no cost.

A native of the San Francisco Bay Area, Green now resides on the Central Coast. He has served on a diverse array of local, state, and national nonprofit boards in addition to both elected and appointed public office. A dedicated champion of the nonprofit sector, his prior roles include campaign organizer, public affairs radio host, and national park ranger.

Jessica Halloran is a long-time resident of Ventura County, with 20 years of experience in Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability. Jessica currently serves as Amgen’s Director of ESG Strategy. In this role, she is responsible for keeping a pulse on environmental, social and governance drivers to inform, build and evolve the company’s priorities. Jessica manages ESG governance, monitors stakeholder expectations and collaborates with colleagues across the company to drive progress.

Prior to joining ESG, Jessica worked with Amgen’s Corporate Philanthropy team to further the work of the Amgen Foundation and engage staff in community programs. She deeply enjoyed her work with nonprofit organizations across Ventura County as a funder and facilitator of staff volunteering and giving opportunities.

Jessica holds a master’s degree from the University of Southern California Annenberg School for Communication and a Bachelor of Arts in English and History from the University of California at Santa Barbara.

Tina Knight is currently the Director of Institutional Advancement & Community Relations at Oxnard College. Previously, she served as the Contracts & Grants Manager at the County of Ventura, Human Services Agency (HSA), where she oversaw the Contracts & Grants Department, raising external funds for HSA and manages over $23 million annually in contracts to support children’s, adult and workforce development services. Prior to work at the County, Tina was the Director of Research & Sponsored Programs at CSU Channel Islands, overseeing development, submission, administrative review & approval and institutional compliance for $5-$12 million annually in grants to the university and sub-awards from the university to partner institutions.

Before moving to the university, Tina was the Vice President for Programs & Grants at the Ventura County Community Foundation, where she worked for 9 years, providing program development and strategic oversight and evaluation of VCCF’s grant programs. Prior to VCCF, as the Department Administrator for the Department of International Health at Boston University, Tina managed programs focused on providing education and training for public health professionals from developing countries. Later, Tina became a Project Manager and the Program & Finance Director for Sustainable Sciences Institute, a nonprofit organization that provides training, education, grants and resources for public health researchers in developing countries. She volunteered overseas doing international relief and development during the 1999 Kosovo crisis and has traveled extensively for both work and pleasure.

Tina holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Social Psychology, and is on the CNL Advisory Board in addition to being an active faculty member.

Mac joined the Social Justice Fund for Ventura County (SJFVC) in July 2024 and brings over 29 years of nonprofit and philanthropic experience. Promoted from Program Manager to Executive Director in June 2025, he spearheads SJFVC’s Social Justice Fellowships Program which empowers and supports thoughtful and passionate emerging leaders in Ventura County.

Mac previously served on the boards of the Center for the Pacific Asian Family, the Greater Seattle Business Association, Neighborhood Funders Group, and Social Action Partners; and on the community advisory committees for KCET-TV LA Public Broadcasting, Seattle Pacific Science Center, and Seattle University College of Education.

He managed small projects to signature programs to large-scale strategic initiatives in affordable housing, arts & culture, community development, financial education, K-12 public education, living wage, and public health. As a consultant, he helped nonprofits build internal capacities in evaluation, financial infrastructure, leadership development, program design, resource development, strategic planning, and more.

Prior to SJFVC, Mac was Director of Philanthropy – JCPenney, COO/CFO – Jemmott Rollins Group, Vice President for Corporate & Employee Giving – Chase (legacy Washington Mutual), Program Associate – The California Endowment, Senior Program Assistant – The California Wellness Foundation, and Supply Supervisor, Admiral’s Staff – US Navy Pacific Fleet Construction Force.

Mac grew up in south Oxnard, CA, and joined the US Navy after graduating with a B.S. in business administration from Pepperdine University. His experiences abroad add a whole new dimension to his domestic philanthropy and nonprofit work.

Mac is a published poet, a sports enthusiast, a classically trained musician, and the fun uncle to several nieces and nephews.

I was born in Valencia, Venezuela and came to the United States around age two. I am the second oldest of six kids and grew up in San Bernardino, California and attended the Boys & Girls Club there. I got my B.A. in Developmental Psychology and MPA from CSU San Bernardino. I lived in Washington D.C. for a brief period in college while interning with the USDA and began working with non-profits in 2001. I began my career with Boys & Girls Clubs in 2003 in San Bernardino and came to Camarillo in 2011 to work for our Club. My wife Vicky and I have a 10-year old daughter who attends the Club daily and loves it here. I enjoy nature and sports, especially baseball, and cheer for most So-Cal teams, especially the Dodgers! In addition to working with the Club, I serve on the Board of University Prep Charter School, the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce Board, and am very involved in Rotary. What I like most about the Club is the educational impact we make on youth as I feel education and confidence can really change the trajectory of our kids’ lives.

Kate McLean provides consulting services to nonprofit organizations and foundations in areas of executive coaching, strategic planning, community assessment, board development and program design.  She helped create Ventura County’s most comprehensive child, family social services agency where she served as Executive Director and she was the President of the Ventura County Community Foundation where she increased assets from $300,000 to more than $70 million in current and future planned gifts. As a seasoned advisor and facilitator, she has led numerous organizations and collaborative initiatives through successful planning and organizational change. She currently is on the Boards of a national women’s health organization and a child, family social services organization.

Kate has her bachelors in sociology, her master’s in business administration and an honorary doctor of laws.

Shana McMorran is a finance professional with a comprehensive background in banking, public accounting, and corporate finance. Raised in Hawaii, she graduated with a bachelor's degree from Hawaii Pacific University before earning her MBA in Finance from California Lutheran University. Her career began in the banking sector, where she spent five years gaining valuable experience in financial services. McMorran then transitioned to public accounting, dedicating six years to specializing in tax. Her expertise in this area led her to a position in in-house corporate finance focusing on tax, where she has made significant contributions for the past two years.

Shana currently resides in Ventura County with her husband and son, where she is actively involved in the local community. Her commitment to service is demonstrated through her roles on the board of a local nonprofit and her volunteer work with the Ventura County chapters of Make-A-Wish and Big Brothers Big Sisters. These engagements reflect her dedication to leveraging her professional skills for community betterment.

Shana McMorran's career path showcases her adaptability, expertise in finance, and a deep-rooted commitment to social responsibility, making her a valued leader in both her professional and personal communities.

Becca Merrell is an executive vice president for Netzel Grigsby Associates. She works with a wide variety of nonprofit organizations, among them environmental groups, health and human services, educational institutions, religious organizations, and youth services, guiding them to achieve their goals.

Becca believes that empowering nonprofit volunteers and staff with tools and knowledge will ensure long-term organizational stability. Her extensive knowledge has been valuable in creating and implementing dynamic programs to fund services, while helping donors enjoy their giving.

Becca has partnered with nonprofits in fundraising and planning to impact communities. She has secured significant dollars and exceeded goals on important fundraising campaigns. Those who have benefitted from her expertise include Arroyo Grande Community Hospital Foundation, Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme, Casa Pacifica Center for Children and Families, Community Environmental Council, French Hospital Medical Center Foundation, Pacific Wildlife Care, Santa Barbara Botanic Garden, Santa Barbara Zoo, and Stuart C. Gildred YMCA in Santa Ynez.

Becca is an advisory board member and workshop facilitator for the Center for Nonprofit has also served as a member of the faculty of CLU’s Executive Skills for Church Leaders program. Active in the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Becca is a member of the San Luis Obispo Chapter and is a past president of the Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties Chapter, where she was selected as Fundraiser of the Year in 2008.

Becca earned her bachelor’s degree in from California State University, Northridge, graduating summa cum laude.

Christin Shatzer Román brings over 20 years of work in community engagement to her current role at Pepperdine University. As the university’s Director of Community Engagement and Service, Christin is responsible for supporting and developing co-curricular service opportunities and long term campus-community partnerships.

Previously, Shatzer Román served as the founding director of Lipscomb University's Serving and Learning Together (SALT) Program, the university's service-learning initiative, and served as Director of Lipscomb's General Education Program. 

Shatzer Román is also a faculty member in Pepperdine’s Social Action and Justice colloquium. Christin earned degrees from Vanderbilt University, the University of Delaware, and Pepperdine University.