Board of Directors

Kerrilee Gore

BOARD CO-PRESIDENT

Kerrilee Gore is the creator, writer, and executive producer of an immersive theatrical production “When The Lights Go Out” which has been playing since 2014. Kerrilee, a former Los Angeles-based performer, has worked internationally alongside acclaimed artists including comedian John Cleese. Former dance director and performer for the Los Angeles based cirque troupe “Zen Arts” from 2008-2010, she has vast experience in creative performance and events including casting, curating acts, costuming, and choreography. In 2010, she relocated to Santa Barbara to serve as entertainment director of local theatre, Savoy, where she curated performance acts and created house cirque show, Gypzy Suite. Eager to continue bringing the creative performance arts to the Santa Barbara community, Kerrilee founded local boutique performance and dance theatre “The Black Box” in 2019.

During her time in Santa Barbara, Kerrilee became immersed in local philanthropy and mentorship. In 2015, Kerrilee became a certified court appointed special advocate for local nonprofit, CASA, with active service through 2018. Kerrilee also served as the talent director for Teen Dance Star. She sat on the board of Arts Mentorship Program for five years serving as President in 2020. She is an active board member of AHA and has served on the board since 2019.

Kerrilee is a mama bear to two littles and is about to launch the 2024 season of immersive theatrical performance at The Black Box

Justine Roddick

Board Co-President

Justine Roddick has been deftly consulting both in the commercial sector and the philanthropy world for over twenty years. CEO of an international brand Ms. Roddick brings management mastery, creativity and key negotiating talent to any project or venture. She also is exceptional at leveraging and linking major players across multiple platforms and for intersecting causes.

Her passion is to bring your content to its most marketable level and to connect key stakeholders in socially conscious and visionary enterprises. Justine has a strong background in Europe and the United States and has competence and comfort bridging continental values and delivery systems. She is known for joie de vivre, creativity and her incisive decision making. “She is a sheer delight to be around and at the same time brings unquestionable gravitas to the table”

Justine sits on the Board of The Roddick Foundation, a family-run, independent and progressive organization dedicated to the support of visionary organizations and individuals who show leadership and results in making this a more just and kind world.

Jennifer Blaise Kramer

BOARD VICE PRESIDENT

Jennifer Blaise Kramer, a native Californian, studied creative writing at the University of Arizona and received a master’s degree in journalism from Boston University. She recently co-authored Small Garden Style (Ten Speed Press, 2020) and writes about lifestyle, design, travel, food, and parenting for publications including Better Homes & Gardens, Condé Nast Traveler, Domino, House Beautiful, and Sunset. After living in New England and the Midwest—she returned to her home state where she lives in Santa Barbara with her husband, three daughters, black lab, rabbit, and four chickens.

David Almeida

TREASURER

David Almeida has been a Private Wealth Advisor with Lincoln Financial Advisors since 2000. Dave has built his practice using a one-on-one approach. He takes the time to learn what is important to his clients and how best to help them accumulate, protect, and ultimately distribute their assets. He has the ability to bring options from some of the strongest financial companies to the table. This allows him to provide competitive, diversified and personalized investment and insurance solutions, which help meet his client’s needs. He also helps local employers design and implement company sponsored retirement plans and educates their employees about the value of investing to obtain their financial goals. He obtained his BA in IT from Humboldt State University. He worked for many years as a manufacturing engineer but made the transition to the financial industry to better apply his skills and passion to help people solidify their financial futures. Dave is an active part of the Santa Barbara community where he lives with his wife, Kristiana and their two dogs. He is a longtime volunteer with the American Red Cross, Santa Barbara County Chapter, and sat as a board member for 8 years. In his free time Dave enjoys Cross Fit, running marathons, soccer, family time, and running his dogs at the beach.

Rendy Freedman

CO-FOUNDER

Rendy Freedman has been a psychotherapist and mediator for over 20 years, and an educator for over 35 years. She specializes in working with adolescents, couples, families, groups, and trauma issues through EMDR. She has worked extensively with women’s issues and leads groups for parents of teens. She is a licensed mediator and certified EMDR practitioner and has had significant training and experience in body related healing modalities, as well as in relational therapy systems including self psychology, family systems, the mutuality philosophy of the Stone Center at Wellesley College, and council practice from The Ojai Foundation. In between teaching high school English and entering her masters program in clinical psychology she spent five years in advertising and film production in Denver and Los Angeles. She received her master’s degree in clinical psychology from Antioch University in Santa Barbara and a bachelor of arts degree in secondary education from the University of Iowa. She has taught in both public and private schools and was one of the founders of The Waldorf School of Santa Barbara. She taught undergraduate and graduate classes at Antioch University for 10 years and has lectured frequently in schools, local agencies, and groups on the topic of social and emotional intelligence. She leads experiential workshops for parents of teens–especially mothers and daughters. She has led and participated in dozens of trainings on diversity celebration and creative arts applications of social and emotional intelligence. She is the proud mother of three adult children, has an adorable grandchild, and enjoys adventuring in the beautiful Santa Barbara mountains and ocean.

Natalia Alarcon

Natalia Alarcon has over 10 years of professional health and human services experience working at nonprofits in Santa Barbara County. As a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, she has worked with clients diagnosed with severe mental illness, provided therapy to adolescent females on probation and victims of domestic violence. She currently works as the Assistant Director of the Community Services Department at CommUnify and is serving as the first elected Latina of the Carpinteria City Council. Natalia grew up in Carpinteria and believes that in order to strengthen community, it is essential to give back.

Mory Fontanez

Mory Fontanez is a brand strategist and crisis management advisor who spent 20 years helping Fortune 500s build their reputations, reach new audiences, and navigate challenges. Working closely with brands and businesses in most every industry, she climbed the corporate ladder of
various companies to become a Managing Director of Strategy at a global PR firm. As a woman of color in a white- and male-dominated corporate world, she worked to help break the mold of what traditional business has looked like. Today, Mory is an Executive Purpose Coach and Founder and CEO of 822 Group, which helps clients bring meaningful change to an outdated,
ineffective workforce system through empathy, intuition, and emotional intelligence. Central to her work is supporting clients in understanding their own higher purpose—an essential part of living well, achieving true success, and making the biggest possible positive impact on community, business, and family.

Stephen Masterson

Bibi Moezzi

Bibi Moezzi is Senior Vice President, Director of Commercial Banking for Pacific Premier in Santa Barbara. As a Director of Commercial Banking, she leads her team in Santa Barbara with their efforts in developing new opportunities while strengthening existing relationships. Throughout her 20-year banking career in Santa Barbara, Bibi has garnered the trust and respect of her team, as well as her clients, with her hard work and genuine care. Bibi was born and raised in Tehran, Iran where she earned her Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering. She moved to Santa Barbara in 1999 to continue her education, but instead found her way into banking. She is actively involved in the Santa Barbara Community, and has served on many boards. Bibi received the “Extra Step Award” from Congresswoman Lois Capps and the Santa Barbara Police Department for going above and beyond the call of duty. Additionally, She received the Pacific Coast Business Times, 40 Under 40 Award.

Marla McNally Phillips

Marla McNally Phillips is Co-CEO of Emerald Forest Entertainment, a worldwide music publishing company. Marla is also a theatrical producer whose most recent production, UNDER MY SKIN, had a successful run on Broadway and in Pasadena. She was Vice President of the Granada Theater’s Board of Directors for many years, sat on the board of Education First, has been a member of the Dream Foundation’s Dream Circle, as well as an active supporter of the Neil Bogart/TJ Martell Foundation, Girls Rock and the Women’s Fund. Marla is passionate about the arts, kids, education, the ocean, and having fun.

Tina B. Nieves

Tina Nieves received her undergraduate degree in Rhetoric from UC, Berkely in 1983 and her JD from UC Davis in 1987. She founded the nationwide class action law firm Gancedo & Nieves specializing in prosecuting major complex litigation in the areas of antitrust, environmental, consumer and securities fraud class actions and pharmaceutical mass torts. A believer in leveling the legal playing field on behalf of the underserved and those with limited resources, she has successfully represented thousands of injured victims against some of the nation’s largest corporations. Tina has been named one of California’s Super Lawyers and one of the Top 50 Women Lawyers in Southern California by Law & Politics. She has lectured widely on topics related to Complex Litigation before various legal and professional organizations. A mother of 3 young men, Tina is also an accomplished professional photographer. When not consulting on legal matters or on a photoshoot, Tina spends time serving on several boards relating to and supporting the arts and education.

Jack Rivas

Jack is a native son who attended local public schools, graduated from UCSB and completed UCSB’s Graduate School of Education and attended PACIFICA studying Counseling Psychology. After teaching st SBHS, Jack went to work as a counselor and instructor at UCSB where he has been since 1979. He serves or served on the boards of many non-profit organizations, including ADELANTE Dual Language Immersion School, Just Communities Central Coast and PALABRA. He is dedicated to issues of social justice.

Tony Rodgers

Jason Cobb Storck

Jason Cobb Storck is a father to two wonderful children and a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Most of Jason’s experience in psychotherapy has been with children and families in school-based settings. After graduating from CSULA with a Master’s in Counseling with an Option in School-Based Family Therapy, Jason worked in Los Angeles-area schools and
agencies before working locally with both the Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse (CADA) and Family Service Agency (FSA), mostly in the Carpinteria School District.

He is currently taking a break from the therapy world to enter full-time dad mode (alongside his husband) at home and in their children’s schools. Among other volunteering opportunities, Jason is the current Vice President of the Board of the Lou Grant Parent-Child Workshop, of which he
has been a member for the past two years.

Raquel Zick

Raquel Zick is a Santa Barbara County native and graduate of Santa Maria High School and Allan Hancock College. Raquel is the Public Information Officer for the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office where she has over 20 years of experience in public service, spanning several major disasters and critical incidents. For her work, she has been awarded the Sheriff’s Office Unit Citation for her work as a Public Safety Dispatcher as well as the Isla Vista 2014 Incident Commendation, Thomas Fire 1/9 Debris Flow Incident Commendation, and the Conception 2019 Incident Commendation. Raquel is passionate about making a positive difference in her community both through her work as well as through volunteerism.

Stacy Pulice

Ambassador of Education

Stacy Pulice serves on the USC Civic Engagement Board of Councilors, which provides education and services to schools surrounding its campus, and she is the Chair of its Education Committee. She is the educational consultant on the board of AHA! (Achievement, Harmony, Attitude), a non-profit providing social and emotional learning programs for at-risk teens. She also serves on the board of Multimedia Art and Design (MAD) Academy at Santa Barbara High School, offering integrated, project-based learning using media arts and technology. Dr. Pulice recently launched a non-profit focused on helping teachers nurture the “genius” in every child. After receiving a B.A. in Economics from UC Irvine, she worked in the television industry for 10 years. Earning an M.A. in Counseling Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute led to a private psychotherapy practice for two decades, specializing in empowering young women, as well as Jungian psychology. She returned to Pacifica to earn a Ph.D. in Psychology, and specialized in transformational education. Stacy contributes time and resources to bringing programs such as Restorative Approaches and emotional intelligence training for underprivileged and at-risk youth in Santa Barbara.

Honorary Board

This wonderful group of luminaries has endorsed our work:

Jennifer Buffett
Peter Buffett
Lou Buglioli
John Cleese
Cat Cora
Dr. Anne Davin
Chaz Ebert
Byron Katie
Kate Lear
Maggie Lear
Norman Lear
Natalie Orfalea
Suzanne Peck
Justine Roddick
Tina Schlieske
Tosha Silver
Victoria Mann Simms