Southern California Grantmakers

Southern California Grantmakers

Fundamentals of Effective Grantmaking 2017

Presenter Biographies

Session One

Rosemary Veniegas

Senior Program Officer, Health, California Community Foundation

With 18 years of experience in health promotion, Rosemary Veniegas currently serves as Senior Program Officer for Health at the California Community Foundation (CCF). CCF is the third oldest community foundation in the U.S., after Cleveland Community Foundation and Chicago Community Trust, with a mission to lead positive systemic change that strengthens Los Angeles (LA) County. In 2015, Dr. Veniegas was appointed by LA County Supervisor Hilda Solis to the County Commission on Hospitals and Healthcare Delivery. Previously, Dr. Veniegas was an implementation scientist and researcher in academic departments of family medicine, obstetrics and gynecology, psychology, and psychiatry. She received her Ph.D. in social psychology from UCLA. She is a 2017 recipient of the Victory Institute Bohnett Leaders Fellowship and was awarded a certificate of completion for the Harvard Kennedy School Senior Executives in State and Local Government Program.

Wendy Garen

President and Chief Executive Officer, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Wendy Garen joined the staff of the Foundation in 1986 and became President and CEO in 2008. The Parsons Foundation is $400 million endowment that is a quiet leader in Southern California, making grants in human services, education, health care, and civic and cultural projects. She was a founding staff member of the children’s nonprofit Crystal Stairs, worked at Children’s Home Society and headed the LA Child Care and Development Council. She currently serves on the LA County Commission for Children and Families, as an appointee of Governor Brown on California Volunteers ( the State commission for Americorps and disaster preparedness), the Coalition for Jobs and the Economy, the California Advisory Board of the Milken Institute; the Advisory Board of the USC Center for Philanthropy and Public Policy, and as a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School, where she received her master’s in urban planning with a focus on public policy. She is the immediate past Chair of SCG and is frequently a speaker at local and national meetings for philanthropy.

Mary Odell

Philanthropy Leader, Southern California Grantmakers

Mary Odell recently retired from her position as President of the UniHealth Foundation, a healthcare foundation that makes grants primarily to hospitals in LA and Orange Counties. Prior to joining the Foundation in 1999, she served as President of The Riordan Foundation and its associated public foundation, Rx for Reading. Before becoming a foundation officer, Odell pursued a career in elementary school teaching and administration and worked as an education and instruction specialist for IBM. She currently serves on the Board of SCG and LA’s BEST After School Enrichment Program. Odell has done extensive graduate work in early childhood education and early speech and language acquisition; she has credentials to teach preschool through 12th grade and adult education. She holds a certificate in nonprofit management from the Harvard Graduate School of Business.

Jennifer Price-Letscher

Director, Programs & Special Projects, The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation

Jennifer Price-Letscher joined The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation in 2011, bringing more than 15 years of nonprofit and philanthropic experience, including leadership and capacity-building roles at the Sterling-Dorman and Whitecap Foundations, and various positions in arts, education, journalism, outdoor leadership, and youth development. She holds an MSc in positive organizational development and change management from Case Western Reserve, a bachelor’s degree from the University of Oregon, and professional certifications in appreciative inquiry, business sustainability, coaching, and college counseling. Currently Vice President of the Board at Westside Neighborhood School, she previously served on the Boards of Hill & Dale Family Learning Center (president) and Diavolo Dance Theatre (treasurer), and on the membership committee of Grantmakers for Effective Organizations. Price-Letscher is a current Fellow in the Council on Foundations Career Pathways Program.

Joanna Jackson
Director, Grant Operations

As Director, Grant Operations, Joanna Jackson is responsible for the day-to-day management of Weingart Foundation’s responsive grantmaking program and staff. Since joining the Foundation in 2008, she has held the position of Program Associate, Program Director, and, most recently, Director of Special Projects. Prior to joining the Foundation, Jackson accumulated more than a decade of experience in the nonprofit, philanthropic and public sectors, most recently serving at the U.S. Fund for UNICEF. She holds a master’s degree in public administration from Baruch College, The City University of New York, where she was a National Urban Fellow, and received her bachelor’s degree from Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia.

Kafi Blumenfield
Board of Directors, The James Irvine Foundation

Whether as the first Executive Director of Discovery Cube LA or President/CEO of the Liberty Hill Foundation or Deputy Director of Neighbor to Neighbor, Kafi Blumenfield has mentored dozens of change agents from diverse backgrounds and collaborated with them to initiate systems and create programs that expand opportunity and build more equitable communities. She is most proud of her efforts to support multi-ethnic coalitions advancing inclusive agendas for social, political and economic prosperity. Over the last decade she has led fundraising efforts that resulted in millions of dollars for organizations serving the needs of Angelenos and organizing them to harness their own power to advance change. Blumenfield is a Board Member of Tides, the Community Foundation of the Virgin Islands, the James Irvine Foundation and Viewpoint School as well as an advisory board member of River LA, Pomona College's Draper Center, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition, and Project X. Her work has been recognized by organizations such as LAANE, the National Women's Political Caucus LA Westside, National Council of Negro Women, and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force. Blumenfield holds a law degree from UCLA and a B.A. from Pomona College.

Jeff Schaffer

Associate, The Atlas Foundation

As Vice President of Client Services at JMC Philanthropic Advisors, Jeff Schaffer provides management and advisory services for family foundations, corporate donors, and philanthropic individuals. He previously worked as Vice President and Southern California Market Leader at Enterprise Community Partners, and as Assistant Vice President for Grant Programs at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. Schaffer earned his master's degree in public administration from the University of Southern California, where he is an Adjunct Associate Professor at the Price School of Public Policy. He also serves on the Boards of the TK Foundation, Little Tokyo Service Center, and Restore Neighborhoods LA.

Crystal Crawford
Program Director, The California Wellness Foundation

Crystal D. Crawford is a Program Director at The California Wellness Foundation where she currently manages grantmaking related to diversity in the health professions; women of color at risk for, or living with, HIV, AIDS and other sexually transmitted infections; and employment for women who have been incarcerated. Prior to joining Cal Wellness in 2012, Crawford was CEO of the California Black Women’s Health Project (CABWHP), devoted to improving the health of California’s black women and girls through policy, advocacy, education and outreach. Prior to her role as CEO, she was CABWHP’s Director of Public Policy. Before working in the nonprofit, public interest sector, Crawford was a litigation associate as well as a public school teacher in Harlem. Crawford serves as a member of the LA County Public Health Commission and the Women’s Health Policy Council for the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health’s Office of Women’s Health. She also serves on the Boards of the Black Women Lawyers of Los Angeles Foundation and her church in Inglewood. Crawford received the 2009 Advocates’ Award from the Western Center on Law and Poverty and the 2012 PowerPAC Award from the Los Angeles African American Women’s Political Action Committee. Crawford earned a law degree from New York University School of Law and is admitted to the bar in California, New York and New Jersey.

Carol Kim

Vice President of Community Investments & Public Affairs,Health Net

Carol Kim is Vice President of Community Investments & Public Affairs at Health Net, a subsidiary of Centene Corporation. As part of Health Net’s Medi-Cal leadership team, Ms. Kim leads the company’s $170 million portfolio of community and infrastructure investments and directs its statewide strategic giving and government and community engagement strategy. Prior to Health Net, Ms. Kim served as Health Deputy to Los Angeles County Supervisor Zev Yaroslavsky advising the strategic direction, financial management, and operations of the county’s $4 billion health care system. She also advanced foster care legislation and reauthorization of the federal welfare program at the office of U.S. Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle at the Senate Finance Committee. Ms. Kim currently serves on the boards of Centene PAC, Valley Industry and Commerce Association, Valley Presbyterian Hospital Foundation, and the California Insurance Guarantee Association as Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s appointee. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in English from the University of California at Irvine and a Master of Public Policy from the University of Michigan, Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy.

Matty Wilder

Senior Program Officer, The Herb Alpert Foundation

Matty Wilder is currently Senior Program Officer for The Herb Alpert Foundation, where he works with a range of arts organizations and special projects throughout the greater Los Angeles area. In addition to serving as Board Chair of LA Voice, an affiliate of the PICO National Network, he is also a Board Member of the Project X Foundation for Art and Criticism, advisory board member for the Emerging Arts Leaders Los Angeles, and an alumnus of Leadership LA (LLA ’13), a program of the Southern California Leadership Network. Wilder recently received a Masters in Public Administration and a Public Policy Certificate at the USC Price School of Public Policy. His background is in theater and photography and he holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Bennington College.

Session Two

Adrienne Wittenberg

Executive Director, S. Mark Taper Foundation

Adrienne Wittenberg serves as Executive Director of the S. Mark Taper Foundation. She has worked at the Foundation for the past 19 years in both financial management and grantmaking positions. Wittenberg is a member of Southern California Grantmakers’ Finance and Audit Committees. Prior to joining the field of philanthropy, she earned her license as a Certified Public Accountant while working as a tax consultant with the public accounting firm, Deloitte and Touche. Wittenberg is a member of the AICPA and the California Society of CPA’s.

John E. Kobara

Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, California Community Foundation

In 2008, John Kobara was appointed EVP and COO for the California Community Foundation. He has been involved in education, social justice, and philanthropy for his entire life, and has held leadership positions at a wide variety of regional, national, and international non-profit organizations in the arts, education, and philanthropy. Kobara has given hundreds of workshops and presentations for Fortune 500 corporations, universities, professional associations, nonprofits, and community organizations all over the world. He speaks on career and life development, pursuit of passion, multiculturalism, mentoring and networking. He posts his ideas, thoughts and recommendations on his popular blog about Adopting the Altruistic Mentoring and Networking Lifestyle @ SWiVELtime.com and the Huffington Post. Kobara has been engaged in three pioneering start-ups traversing a broad spectrum of industries. Previously, he was CEO of the CK12 Foundation, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, OnlineLearning.net, Vice Chancellor of UCLA, and VP General Manager of Falcon Cable TV. Kobara was a Coro Fellow in LA and earned degrees from UCLA, USC, and Occidental College.

Session Three

Kamella Tate
Owner/Principal, KTA/LLC

Dr. Kamella Tate, MFA, EdD, is the owner/principal of KTA/LLC, an LA-based firm that provides research, program design, evaluation, and fund development services to nonprofits in the arts, healthcare, and education sectors. Clients have included City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs, Film Independent, Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts, Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, LA County Arts Commission, National Guild for Community Arts Educators, T.H.E. Health & Wellness Centers, and Eisner Pediatric & Family Medical Center, among others. She has served as senior staff at The Music Center, Tacoma Actors Guild, and Shakespeare Orange County, as well as an adjunct professor at USC (research methods), Claremont Graduate University (practice-based research and evaluation), and Chapman University (voice, text, Shakespeare, theatre production). Dr. Tate also designs and teaches customized workshops in research methods and program evaluation throughout Los Angeles, working with practitioners, funders, and policy makers. She holds an MFA from the American Conservatory Theatre in San Francisco and a doctorate in educational psychology from USC.

Seyron Foo
Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, Southern California Grantmakers
Seyron Foo develops, organizes, and implements efforts to create a well-connected network of grantmakers and public officials in order to strengthen communities and advance the public policy goals of SCG’s member organizations. He has experience in various government sectors, beginning his career as a legislative aide to the California State Senate Majority Leader, where he managed a diverse policy portfolio that included civil rights, transportation, and housing. Foo’s work led the successful passage of legislation in health, tenants’ rights, and banking reforms. He also has served in local government, serving in the City of Long Beach and New York City Economic Development Corporation, as well as at the federal level at the United States Department of the Treasury’s Office of International Affairs. In May, Governor Jerry Brown appointed Foo to the California Board of Psychology, a regulatory body with a mission of consumer protection. Foo earned his Master in Public Affairs from Princeton University’s Woodrow Wilson School and his Bachelor of Arts in Rhetoric and Political Science from the University of California, Berkeley.

Claire Peeps

Executive Director, Durfee Foundation

Claire Peeps is the Executive Director of the Durfee Foundation, a private foundation that supports projects in nonprofit leadership, social enterprise and community development, primarily in Southern California. She is Past-President of the Los Angeles County Arts Commission, a Senior Fellow at the UCLA Luskin School of Public Policy, and adjunct faculty at the USC Price School of Public Policy. Her essays have been published by Zocalo, Time and Good Magazine, among others. Peeps is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of New Mexico, and holds certificates from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University and the Graduate School of Business at Stanford University. Previously she served as the Associate Director of the Los Angeles Festival, as the publisher of High Performance Magazine, and as Director of education at the Ansel Adams Center/Friends of Photography. She has served as a consultant the J. Paul Getty Center, the San Francisco Art Institute, The Music Center of Los Angeles County, and ARTS Inc, among others, and has served as President of Grantmakers in the Arts, Chair of Southern California Grantmakers, and Vice Chair of the California Council for the Humanities.

Raúl Bustillos

Senior Vice President, Community Relations, Bank of America

Raúl Bustillos is Senior Vice President, Community Relations for Bank of America’s Greater Los Angeles region. He provides business, civic and philanthropic leadership for Bank of America throughout the market, and works to strengthen communication and integration among the company’s local business lines. Bustillos works to continuously improve brand favorability in the region and enhance Bank of America’s presence in the community. Prior to this position, he served for 10 years at the Los Angeles Times where he oversaw philanthropic efforts including the Los Angeles Times Fund, Los Angeles Times Family Fund, Summer Camp Campaign, Holiday Campaign, and Donor Advised Giving Fund. Bustillos has served on various boards and advisory committees including for the Koreatown Youth & Community Center, Southern California Grantmakers, American Camp Association Southern California/Hawaii, Archdiocesan Youth Employment Services, and others. He holds an MA in Public Policy from Claremont Graduate University and is a graduate of the Coro Fellow’s program in Public Affairs.