Board of Directors
Michelle Pickett
Chair
Michelle is a corporate and tax attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Schreck (formerly known as Hatch & Parent). She serves as legal advisor to individuals, emerging and established companies, and private foundations and public charities on business and tax matters. Michelle is actively involved in our community, serving on the boards of The Santa Barbara Foundation, The Children's Project, and KDB Radio as well as participating in other philanthropic activities with her family and friends. The inspiration to Michelle's life are her two children and supportive husband, who together supply a never-ending amount of laughter, joy and memories.
Jason Spievak
Vice Chair
Jason Spievak is the co-founder and CEO of RingRevenue, a leading provider of telephony solutions to the performance marketing industry. Prior to RingRevenue, Jason was CFO at CallWave, where he led the company’s successful IPO while delivering more than 1 billion calls per year. Prior to CallWave, Jason led more than $1.25 billion in M&A transactions at Broadview and also held positions with Nextel Communications and Netopia. Jason is also a member of the non-profit boards of directors of the UCSB Economic Forecast Project and the Performance Marketing Association. Jason earned his MBA from Northwestern University and his BA from UCSB. He lives in Santa Barbara with his wife and three children.
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James R. Bechtel
Treasurer
Jim joined Wells Fargo in 2004 and is currently a Senior Investment Manager with The Private Bank in Santa Barbara, California. Jim manages and designs customized portfolios for individuals, families, endowments, and foundations. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Jim managed taxable and non-taxable portfolios at Northern Trust Bank and Roxbury Capital Management and has been in the investment industry since 1983. Jim is a member of the Executive Board of Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc. and The Investment Committee for the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Both of Jim’s daughters struggled with cancer diagnosis as children.
Lori Moll
Secretary
Lori Moll, Business Owner Lori Moll Productions, owned and operated Savory café and Bakery, an upscale breakfast and lunch restaurant in downtown Ventura from 2005-2010. Her skills as a Pastry Chef and Interior Designer enabled her to build a restaurant that was well know for its exceptional food quality and presentation, excellent service and an environment with a definite WOW factor with regard to design and décor. Lori has been catering and creating events for up to 500 people for many years. In addition to her cooking and design expertise, Ms. Moll is a professionally trained Intensive Care Nurse, graduating from Arizona State University with a degree in science. She has lived in Ventura for 13 years with her husband and children.
Rosalind Gies Amorteguy
Director
Rosalind is a graduate of SB High, and an honors graduate from the University of California, at Berkeley. She also graduated from the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration for Women. Upon returning to Santa Barbara in 1988 she became active with the SB Museum of Art, serving as a docent, and was Chairman of the Museum Collectors Council. Roz was also active with SB Beautiful, and served in various capacities, including President and is now on their Honorary Board. Presently, she is the former President of PARC (Parks and Recreation Community Foundation), and Vice President of PASF (Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation). She is Secretary of the SB Chamber Orchestra and has served for over 15 years on the board. Roz is also a member of CAN (Community Angels Network). She just retired after 15 years as Director of the Fitness Center at Birnam Wood Golf Club. She has played on the Women's Golf Team since its inception. She is a former Chairman of the Women's Golf Association. Roz has three children, James, Catherine and Marjorie, who is a SB psychiatrist.
Dr. Richard E. Behrman
Director
Richard is a pediatrician who moved to Santa Barbara in January, 2007, where his son and 2 grandchildren live. He has 4 children and 8 grandchildren. Dick previously held positions as Professor and Chair of the Departments of Pediatrics at Columbia and Case Western Reserve (CWRU) Universities and Physician - Chief at their respective children's hospitals; Dean and Vice President at CWRU Medical Center; Executive Director of The Center for the Future of Children at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Chair of the Boards of Directors at the Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University and its Foundation; and Executive Director of the Federation of Pediatric Organizations. Currently, Dick is Executive Director of Non-Profit Healthcare and Educational Consultants to Medical Institutions and serves on the Boards of Directors of The Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition of California.
Jo Berkus
Director
Jo has lived and worked in Santa Barbara for the past 35 years and was educated at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. She served as Editor of a sports magazine, arranged world sporting events at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, managed a large fixed base operation at Van Nuys Airport, volunteered at the Special Olympics under Eunice Shriver, was a single mother of two wonderful children and worked in high-profile environments for presidents and owners of large corporations until her retirement in 2004. She and her husband, Barry, support innumerable non-profits and host events in their home, and both are passionate about sharing their time and blessings with those less fortunate.
Hank Blanco
Director
Hank is a retired President/CEO of Advanced Business Network Services Inc., a company that specialized iin the implementation and ongoing management of large enterprise Wide Area Data Netwoks used by banks, wireless companies, law firms, airlines and others. Collectively, he spent 20 years in the fast pased Telecom industry and held various positions with other companies such as MCI and Williams Telecommunications. Prior to that, Hank consulted in the manufacturing of microprocessor based Consumer Electronics as well as in related Executive Search.
He retired in 2000 to spend time with his 3 daughters and grandkids, make wine and manage real estate investments. He has served on various boards, has been a member of Rotary and Viking Charities. He holds a B.A. from the University of Redlands in International Business.
His youngest daughter, Ashley, with the help of Dr. Dan Greenfield, Pam and Nancy at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, successfully battled 27 month of chemo to beat Leukemia.
Stan Fishman
Director
Stan, along with his wife, Roberta have lived in Santa Barbara for 21 years. They have 4 children and 9 grandchildren. Along with being a retired executive and entrepreneur in retail and merchandising, Stan's list of philanthropic activities in Santa Barbara is impressive. He serves on the boards of the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, and is Vice President of the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College. He also is on the Board of Governors for The Dream Foundation. His vast knowledge and experience in the world of entrepreneurism and philanthropy are greatly beneficial to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation's mission and goals.
Nikki Greene
Director
Nikki Greene is a stay at home mom of 2 beautiful children, 4 and 6. She is actively involved in her children's school, volunteering in the classrooms, parent council and community fundraising. In addition, she has volunteered at TBCF for the last 3 years, and chaired the 5th Annual Fall Luncheon. Nikki earned her bachelor's degree as a registered nuce, specializing in pediatrics. She last worked in the steph down ICU at San Diego Children's Hospital. Nikki decided to stay at home and raise her family when she and her husband, Larame, moved to Santa barbara 6 years ago.
Michelle Niemela
Director
Michelle Niemela has lived in Santa Barbara since 1999 and has been involved with committees at All Saints by the Sea Parish School and the Laguna Blanca School for the last five years. She is a stay at home mom raising her three kids, Sofia, Reese & John with her husband Jason. Interacting with the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation families has been an incredible experience for Michelle and her family.
Susannah E. Rake
Director
Susannah was born and raised on the East coast and graduated with a B.A., M. Arch. And M.S. in Historic Preservation and Restoration from Columbia College and the Columbia University School of Architecture.
She is President of coolwater design group, l.l.c. Her New York career encompassed editorial positions with Conde Nast Publications. She has served on the board and committees for the following organizations: Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County, GIRLS, Inc., Santa Barbara Historic Museum, CAMA Fellows, Laguna Blanca School, All Saints by-the-Sea as a Lay Eucharist Minister. Susannah and her daughter are members of the National Charity League in Santa Barbara. The support of services for family and their welfare are a primary mission for her work.
Donna Borranco Fisher
Director
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