Board of Directors


JODY BUCKLEY
President
Community Activist (bio)

TISH BUSSELLE
Vice President
Educator, Vallejo Unified School District (bio)

KARIFA DIAWARA
Treasurer
Certified Public Accountant, Diawara & Assoc. (bio)

RENEE BERENSON
Secretary
Attorney (bio)

LISA HENDRICKSON
Past President
President/CEO, Avenidas (bio)



JOHN C. BOYLE
Consultant and Menlo Park City Council Member (bio)

LUCRETIA-DEL J. BROUSSARD
Retired Educator (bio)

SUVENDU (BEN) CHAUDHURI
Certified Tax Consultant (bio)

ERIC DEPAEPE
Business Development Director, Ensemble Capital Management, LLC (bio)

MARÍA FERNÁNDEZ
Educator/Researcher/Consultant (bio)

ROBERT FITZGERALD
Retired Businessman (bio)

ROBERT GRASSILLI
Vice Mayor of San Carlos (bio)

SHARON HOFSTEDT
Retired Nurse (bio)

JORGE JARAMILLO
Business Developer/Marketer (bio)

FRED KURLAND
CFO, Bayhill Therapeutics (bio)

J. FRANK MCCABE
Attorney (bio)

JULIA MEE
Brand Marketer and Communications Professional (bio)

JOSEPH D. MILLER
Attorney, Epstein, Becker & Green, P.C. (bio)

MATTHEW QUILTER
Attorney, Fenwick & West (bio)

BRAD SHONG
Franklin Templeton Investments (bio)

LISA H. STURZENEGGER
Former Corporate Attorney, Community Volunteer (bio)

BETTY TILL
Leadership Development Coach (bio)

SHEILA WOLFSON
Former Special Education Teacher; Committee Worker, Interplast (bio)

Board Member Biographies

JODY BUCKLEY, PRESIDENT
Member since July 2006
Jody Buckley is active in the field of venture philanthropy and currently serves as co-chair of the Silicon Valley Community Foundation’s first Donor Advisory Council. She is a co-founder of Stone Soup, a non-profit consulting firm that assists women through individual, organizational and community capacity-building projects in the Pacific Northwest, with a specific focus on rural areas. She also directs the charitable giving of the Buckley/Horowitz Fund. An active volunteer, Jody has served on several boards and board committees, including Death Penalty Focus, Oak Knoll P.T.O., Community Association for Rehabilitation, Parents' Club of Palo Alto and Menlo Park, National Democratic Ethnic Leadership Council and Women's Recovery Association, where she served as Board chair. She also serves as a Foundation trustee for her alma mater, Washington State University, from which she graduated with honors in 1987; she did post-graduate work in England, and subsequently earned a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance from Tennessee's Lincoln Memorial University. A past national president of Young Democrats of America and a presidential elector for the state of Washington in 1996, she remains politically active in Washington State, California, and the federal arena. Return to top of page.


TISH BUSSELLE, VICE PRESIDENT
Member since July 2005
Tish Busselle is a special consultant to the State Administrator / State Trustee for the Vallejo City Unified School District, after having served as assistant superintendent for support services for the San Mateo - Foster City School District for 25 years. Previously, she was chief of the Office of Governmental Affairs at the California Department of Education in Sacramento and held legislative positions in Washington, D.C. and Austin, Texas. Tish holds a bachelor’s degree from Wellesley College and a master’s degree in international relations from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University. Tish chaired the Samaritan House Main Event in 2004 and 2005, and was volunteer coordinator of the agency's 2004 and 2005 Family Sharing Program. Her current community affiliations include being President of the Board of the San Mateo Public Library Foundation and Vice President of the Board and co-chair of the Curriculum Committee for the San Mateo / Foster City / Burlingame / Hillsborough Leadership Program. She also serves on the advisory boards for the Peninsula Clergy Network and the San Mateo - Foster City Community Education Foundation, and is an active member on several commissions for St. Paul’s Church and Class Representative for her graduating class at Wellesley College. Return to top of page.


RENEE BERENSON, SECRETARY
Member since July 2005
Renee Berenson is an attorney in private practice in Redwood City. After graduating from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 1981, Renee became a staff attorney for the California Supreme Court, where she served as the senior attorney in charge of evaluating petitions for writ of habeas corpus. Since leaving the Supreme Court in 1987, Renee has specialized in the analysis of legal issues and the preparation of related briefing in complex civil and criminal litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. A significant portion of her trial work is done on behalf of indigents charged with capital and other serious offenses, by appointment through through the San Mateo County Private Defender’s Program. Return to top of page.


KARIFA DIAWARA, TREASURER
Member since July 2007
Born in Guinea, West Africa, Karifa Diawara was educated in France, receiving both his BS and MS in Economics and Management (with emphasis in Accounting and Finance) from the University of Reims, France. He received his Masters in Taxation from Golden Gate University. Karifa is the founder of Diawara & Associates, CPAs, a Palo Alto-based CPA firm. Prior to launching his firm, Karifa was a director at Greenstein, Rogoff, Olsen, & Co. Karifa, who speaks seven languages, has a unique career that includes working for the United Nations in Ethiopia, providing management and accounting training for local business owners. He is a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA) and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA). Return to top of page.


LISA HENDRICKSON, IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT
Member since July 2005
As president and CEO of Avenidas since 1999, Lisa Hendrickson manages all of the operations of this mid-peninsula senior services agency, which has a $4 million annual budget and a staff of 45. Prior to joining Avenidas, Lisa had a 22-year career at Wells Fargo Bank, where she worked in various commercial banking capacities. She holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from Smith College. She currently serves on the board of The Private Bank of Palo Alto. Her previous community service affiliations have included serving on the boards of the San Jose Museum of Art and the Women’s Recovery Association, where she was Board Chair from 2002 to 2004. She has also served in various volunteer capacities with civic and educational organizations in the Menlo Park area where she lives. Return to top of page.


JOHN C. BOYLE, Member since July 2005
John Boyle has a strong background in both operations and investments, with over 15 years of experience in high-tech operating roles and 10 years of venture capital investing. His most recent position was as a general partner at Worldview Technology Partners, a Palo Alto-based venture capital firm, with primary focus on suppliers of tele- and data-communications industries in the U.S., Asia, and Europe. Prior to Worldview, John was a general partner at Matrix Partners and earlier served in senior management positions at 3Com, VeriFone, and others. John holds a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from Purdue University, and an MBA degree from Stanford University. He is currently active in venture philanthropy (Entrepreneurs’ Foundation Council), education (Oak Knoll Site Council, Menlo Park Atherton Education Foundation board, M-A Foundation for the Future board), local public service (Menlo Park’s Budget Advisory Committee, Transportation Commission, and Child Care RFP Committee), children’s athletic coaching (soccer, basketball, and baseball), and his local church. Return to top of page.


LUCRETIA-DEL J. BROUSSARD, Member since July 2008
Lucretia-del Broussard has been an elementary-school teacher and principal, a college instructor, a resource teacher for grades K-5, an educational writer, a program reviewer for the California State Department of Education, and an educational consultant. She was the principal of San Mateo Park School, where she created a student-centered, academically focused, diversity-sensitive, caring and safe environment; implemented a system of home-school-community partnerships; established a three-tier / two-way communication system; guided institution of the school's first homework center, website, and principal's newsletter; led the staff in the creation and management of a math-science magnet school; and fostered a variety of curriculum expansion and leadership development programs. A resident of San Mateo for 40 years, Lucretia is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, the NAACP, and the First Baptist Church of San Mateo. Her educational and civic involvement has included the American Cancer Society, the Whitney Education Foundation, the "Children as Peacemakers" international movement, the Martin Luther King essay contest, and Congressman Tom Lantos' homeless theater project. Lucretia earned education degrees from Southern University and the University of Chicago. Return to top of page.


SUVENDU (BEN) CHAUDHURI, Member since July 2008
Suvendu Chaudhuri founded and managed numerous Bay Area high technology companies, including Synergia, Castalink, Cimplex, SuperCads, and IsoGraphics. His area of expertise is in program and project management, critical customer support, and product design and development, from quality assurance through product release and training. Currently he works part time and seasonally as a Certified Tax Consultant for H&R Block in San Mateo. Suvendu holds two degrees in mechanical engineering – a bachelor of science from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), in Kharagpur, India; and a master of science from Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania. Return to top of page.


ERIC DEPAEPE, Member since July 2008
Eric DePaepe manages business development and marketing for Ensemble Capital Management, LLC, a Burlingame company that provides families with both traditional investment management and a unique and specialized approach for furthering philanthropic interests. Prior to joining Ensemble, Eric worked in business development for the Schwab Fund for Charitable Giving, where he was part of a team that helped grow the fund from $280 million in 2003 to more than $1 billion in 2006. With over 12 years of experience in the investment management industry, Eric's strength is in helping major donors more effectively structure their current giving and build customized tactical plans for those new to philanthropy. He holds a bachelor's degree in economics from the University of California at Davis and the Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy designation. Eric is a member of the Peninsula Estate Planning Council, the California Society of Certified Public Accountancies and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Return to top of page.


MARÍA FERNÁNDEZ, Member since July 2005
María Fernández is an educator, research practitioner, and consultant. As a Senior Manager of Policy and Programs for Stanford’s John W. Gardner Center for Youth and Their Communities, María currently provides technical assistance, coaching, and capacity-building support to community organizations and public institutions in the area of community youth development, and produces briefs, articles and presentations on the subject. Previously she served as a Community Developer with the Peninsula Conflict Resolution Center and Program Assistant with Harvard University’s Office of School Partnerships. María holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University and a master of education degree from Harvard. In addition to being on the Samaritan House Board, María is also a community facilitator, translator, and interpreter for a number of Bay Area nonprofit organizations. Return to top of page.


ROBERT FITZGERALD, Member since May 1999
Bob Fitzgerald worked as a Bay Area electrical contractor before his retirement. A Samaritan House supporter since 1975, Bob has served on the agency’s Board since 1999, including being Board president for several years. Having lived in Foster City for 34 years, Bob served on that city’s Planning Commission from 1977 to 1985, including seven years as chair; and its City Council from 1985 to 1993, including two years as mayor. He is also a former member of St. Luke’s Catholic Parish Council. Return to top of page.


ROBERT GRASSILLI, Member since January 2005
Bob Grassilli recently retired as Chief Financial Officer of Sunstream Homes. He holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of San Francisco and an MBA from the University of California at Berkeley, and is a Certified Public Accountant. In addition to Samaritan House, Bob serves as a board member of the San Carlos Youth Center Foundation, and the Carl and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation. In November of 2005, Bob was elected to the San Carlos City Council. Return to top of page.


SHARON HOFSTEDT, Member since January 2005
Sharon Bryce Hofstedt began her career as a registered nurse, and spent 25 years working in various medical specialties and positions ranging from staff nurse to Director of Nursing. Today she is a community volunteer in San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. She serves on the Shadhika Foundation Board and she has served on the boards of numerous other local not-for-profit agencies, including Stanford University Hospital, Women’s Recovery Association, Avenidas, Peninsula Stroke Association, Palo Alto Community Child Care, and the American Heart Association. Sharon was one of the first Patient Relations Volunteers to work in the Stanford Hospital Emergency Room and spent 2,000 hours to build this program; she assisted in the development of a similar program at Lucile Salter Packard Children’s Hospital, and also served as a member of Stanford Hospital's Chaplaincy Advisory Committee and the Biomedical Ethics Committee. She has received numerous awards for her volunteer activities and contributions to society, including being honored as Woman of the Year by San Mateo County, Outstanding Volunteer Advocate by the Junior League of Palo Alto, and the Peninsula Community Foundation’s Koshland Award. Return to top of page.


JORGE JARAMILLO, Member since July 2008
Jorge Jaramillo has over ten years of broad experience in business development and marketing. A graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, Jorge has worked and studied in South America and Europe, and is trilingual in English, French, and Spanish. Jorge serves as president of the San Mateo County Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, leading that organization's mission to promote the development of minority business and community leaders for the benefit of the local economy. His private business efforts led to his appointment by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce to serve on the District Export Council for Northern California. Jorge's community involvement includes serving as a member of the Board for Youth and Family Enrichment Services (YFES), a non-profit that provides a wide array of free and low-cost services to individuals dealing with substance abuse, domestic violence, mental health, and relationship and communication issues. He is also a member of the Commonwealth Club of California's Program Committee and the National Society of Hispanic MBAs, and is a regular participant in business and entrepreneurship conferences at Stanford University. Return to top of page.


FRED KURLAND, Member since July 2006
Fred Kurland has been CFO of Bayhill Therapeutics since early 2007. He previously served in financial management capacities at Corcept, Genitope, Aviron, Protein Design Labs, Applied Immune Sciences, Syntex, and Syva. Earlier in his career, he worked in the fields of tax management, planning, and accounting for Syntex, Raychem, American Hospital Supply, and Arthur Young and Company. Fred earned a bachelor's degree (summa cum laude) in business and economics from Lehigh University, and M.B.A. and J.D. degrees from the University of Chicago. His community activities have included serving as a board member and officer for the National Kidney Foundation of Northern California, the Children's Pre-School Center at Syntex Corp., and the Albert L. Schultz Jewish Community Center. Return to top of page.


J. FRANK MCCABE, Member since July 2008
Frank McCabe has been an attorney in private practice in San Francisco for more than 30 years. He graduated from Williams College in 1965, and received his law degree from the University of Michigan in 1968. After clerking for a federal judge on the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in Cincinnati and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco, Frank went into private practice in 1973, and has continued to practice civil and criminal law since then, with an emphasis on federal court work. In addition to Samaritan House, Frank serves on the board of directors of the United States District Court Historical Society, and is a former board member and treasurer of the Burlingame Community for Education. Return to top of page.


JULIA MEE, Member since July 2007
Julia Mee is a brand marketing and communications professional with over 20 years of experience. Most recently she was Director of Global Brand Advertising and Sponsorships at Hewlett-Packard, managing a $300 million budget with programs running in 140 countries. Prior to that, she was responsible for managing the HP brand programs in Europe, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. She also has held brand and advertising management positions at Electronic Arts and Foote, Cone and Belding advertising agency. Since leaving HP in 2006, Julia has been focused on community service. In addition to the Samaritan House Board, she serves on the board of directors for the University of Oregon Alumni Association, runs a career program at Aragon High School in San Mateo, and volunteers as a mentor for a college-aged foster child through Orphan Foundation of America. Return to top of page.


JOSEPH D. MILLER, Member since August 2007
Joe Miller is a graduate of Boston University cum laude in history and the University of San Francisco School of Law. Licensed to practice law in California since 1983, Joe is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco and the State Bar of California. He specializes in handling complex commercial litigation and the defense of companies and management in employment matters. His commercial litigation experience includes contract, fraud, unfair competition, trade secret, RICO, and many other common law and statutory claims. An experienced trial attorney in state and federal court, Joe has arbitrated many labor, employment, and complex commercial matters on behalf of companies. He has also contributed to a number of articles on employment law and general civil litigation issues for the University of California's Continuing Education of the Bar Civil Litigation Reporter. Return to top of page.


MATTHEW QUILTER, Member since July 2006
Matthew Quilter has been a partner in the corporate group of Fenwick & West since 1997, where his practice focuses on venture-backed companies. Prior to that, Matt was a partner with Heller Ehrman in Palo Alto, where had practiced since 1985. Much of his practice involves working with boards of directors. He is a graduate of Princeton University and has a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. Matt is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in San Francisco, where he serves on the Finance Committee since his retirement from the gospel choir. Return to top of page.


BRAD SHONG, Member since October 1999
After completing Franklin Templeton’s management training program in 1997, Brad Shong joined that company’s eBusiness team at its inception, and today manages a global team dedicated to building and supporting more than 40 of the company’s websites. Brad holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from Stanford University. He has been affiliated with Samaritan House since 1997, when he first volunteered to mentor a third-grade student in the North Central College Institute, and he served as Board president from October 2003 through June 2006. Brad is a 2006 graduate of Leadership – San Mateo, Foster City, Burlingame, Hillsborough. Previously, he was a volunteer with the Court Appointed Special Advocate program. Return to top of page.


LISA H. STURZENEGGER, Member since July 2008
With an undergraduate degree in economics and a law degree from the University of Virginia, Lisa Sturzenegger worked as an economic consultant with an antitrust focus in Washington, D.C. and a corporate attorney with a real estate focus in Los Angeles. Her community volunteer experience is extensive, including serving in strategic leadership roles for the Hillsborough School District and participating in and leading many of that district's fundraising activities. She twice co-chaired the Greater Bay Area Make-a-Wish Foundation's Wine and Wishes Benefit Dinner and Auction, and has had various leadership roles for children's activities of the Burlingame Aquatic Club, the American Youth Soccer Organization, and the First Presbyterian Church of Burlingame. Return to top of page.


BETTY TILL Member since July 2008
Betty Till has over 20 years of experience in leadership positions in business and healthcare. As a Leadership Development Coach through her own company, LifeWork Solutions, she provides executive coaching for physicians and healthcare executives preparing for new leadership roles or transitioning into new companies and roles, as well as for those who want to increase their success in their current roles. Formerly, Betty served as a corporate executive at a variety of companies, coaching senior managers in crisis communications, developing corporate business and marketing strategies, and communicating merger and acquisition goals and information to employees. She carries numerous professional coaching and counseling certifications, and is qualified to administer and interpret a variety of assessment tools and surveys. With a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Texas at Austin, Betty began her career as a Registered Nurse, providing care for critically ill patients at a major trauma center. That experience led to teaching at Austin Community College, where she pioneered an associate degree program for paramedics. In addition to Samaritan House, her current community involvement includes sitting on Sequoia Hospital's Community Advisory Council and volunteering at Second Harvest Food Bank and Rebuilding Together. Return to top of page.


SHEILA WOLFSON, Member since July 2007
Native Chicagoan Sheila Wolfson attended the University of Illinois and the University of Texas, where she earned a B.A. in Special Education. After moving to California when her husband secured a faculty position at Stanford, Sheila concurrently taught Special Education at the Children's Health Council and obtained her master's degree from Santa Clara University. Later, while raising two children, she tutored, volunteered in the schools, and eventually worked part time in marketing for Klutz, a children's publishing company. She also volunteered at Lucile Packard Children's Hospital, where she enjoyed "playing with kids" for almost two decades. From 1999 to 2005, Sheila served on the Board of Directors of Interplast, the medical non-profit organization that performs free reconstructive surgery on children in developing nations while training the local medical staff. She continues to do committee work for Interplast, and participates in an international mission for two weeks each year. Return to top of page.

KITTY LOPEZ
Executive Director