Huntington Beach, California, United States
I’ve leveraged my unique for profit and nonprofit leadership experience to be a life-changer for youth and propel The Wooden Floor forward. It drives our mission-driven, business-minded strategies. Over my 17-year tenure at The Wooden Floor, I have created organizational clarity by focusing on aligning priorities with delivering impressive programs, increasing visibility, and driving results. We’ve grown our annual operating budget from $2.1M to $4.1M, and The Wooden Floor Endowment Fund from $1.8M to $8.6M. The OC Business Journal has recognized The Wooden Floor as the Best Places to Work in 2025, 2024, 2023 and 2018. Since 2005, 100% of graduates from The Wooden Floor have enrolled in higher education. I’ve led efforts to scale The Wooden Floor’s model and community engagement programs, both locally and nationally. As CEO, and as a CFRE, I work collaboratively with our Board of Directors, and our Development Team to create a Culture of Philanthropy including leading the Annual Fund Strategy and two multi-million dollar, transformative comprehensive and endowment fund campaigns. I am honored and humbled to have received the following awards and honors: 2025 Outstanding Nonprofit Leader Award by National Philanthropy Day; 2025 OC Supervisors Recognition for Youth Mental Health; 2024 OC Register’s 125 Most Influential People in Orange County; 2022 OC Visionaries from the LA Times OC; and 2020 Woman of Distinction - Arts from CA 34th Senate District; as well as 2023 Empowering Lives Award by Templo Calvario; 2023 Sam Estes Award for Community Leadership by the Santa Ana Task Force; 2019 Women Breaking Barriers Award from Women of Influence; 2018 Founders Award from the Passkeys Foundation/Institute for Community Impact; 2016 Center for Leadership Award for Executive Excellence-Innovation from California State University Fullerton and 2015 Difference Makers Award for Nonprofit Person of the Year from the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce. I bring both passion and purpose in my community and currently serve on the Board of Directors for: Advisors in Philanthropy OC; MVS Foundation; OC Forum; OC Music and Dance as Finance Chair; Passkeys Foundation as Immediate Past Board Chair; and Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce as Board Chair. I am on the Board of Advisors for the Giles-O’Malley Center for Leadership at California State University, Fullerton. I am an author, consultant, mentor, and national conference presenter in the areas of board governance, strategic planning, fund development, branding, impact evaluation and creative youth development. TheWoodenFloor.org