Lori Pack, President & CEO of Child Guidance Center, was honored as Person of the Year for a Large Nonprofit, and Nicole Suydam, CEO of Goodwill of Orange County, was honored as Person of the Year at the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce 14th Annual Difference Makers luncheon.

Lori participated in the 2010 Executive Learning Group and was coached in the 2011 Executive Coaching Program; Nicole participated in the 2010 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and was coached in the 2012 Executive Coaching Program;

Congratulations to Dreams for Schools for taking 1st place at the Octane OC NPA 2.0 Summit & Pitch Lab! This event celebrated the hard work and influence of Orange County nonprofits and provided a platform for nonprofits, funders, and industry experts to network, learn, and exchange ideas. Each 10-minute pitch was reviewed by funding experts and audience members, offering a chance for standout nonprofits to win both cash and in-kind prizes.

Nithin Jilla, Executive Director, participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group and will be our guest speaker at the upcoming Fieldstone@4 event.

Bonni Pomush, CEO of Working Wardrobes, recently served on a panel of Women Leaders of Nonprofits at the 2024 South Orange County Women's Conference. hosted by the California State Assemblymembers Laurie Davies, Kate Sanchez and Diane Dixon, in partnership with the City of Laguna Hills. She shared her heartfelt journey of supporting an organization dedicated to removing the barriers to gainful employment, she incorporated that which keeps her motivated as well as where she derives her strength. Her stories of resilience, motivation, and creativity in the workplace entertained and inspired the crowd of professional women in business, finance, and public service.

Bonni participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group and is currently being coached in the 2024 Executive Coaching Program.

Keegan Bell, Executive Vice President with Irvine Public Schools Foundation was a featured presenter at ImpactED ’24 in Tampa, FL - the national conference for the National Association of Education Foundations (NAEF), upon which he also serves on the Board of Directors. This year’s conference was dedicated to “empowering students, educators, and communities” across the nation. His Board Development presentation: Replacing Boring Board Committees With Meaningful Board Liaisons included strategies to deepen board engagement through board assessment and breaking through the traditional standing committees model to employ shorter-term taskforces and individual board liaison opportunities – ultimately leading to happier more effective board members. 

Keegan participated in the 2013 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group, was coached in the 2021 Executive Coaching Program, and was a member of the 2022 Leadership Reading Group.

Vince Beresford, one of our exceptional Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitators created his own LLC, Beresford Leadership Group, and has also joined the

The Zumaya Group as Executive Vice President of Consulting. Vince brings 25 years of nonprofit and leadership experience to advance their mission to “increase the impact of for-good organizations by helping to increase their capability." Together with Mariana and hosted by The Salvation Army USA South Territory, they facilitated multiple workshops at the MissionElevate conference. To see what they had to say, view this video!

Vince also participated in 2015 Executive Learning Group.

Habitat for Humanity of Orange County continues to make affordable homeownership available for hardworking families. Michael Valentine, President and CEO, stated, "There is nothing like handing over the keys to a new Habitat OC homeowner! A huge thank you to our incredible team members, donors, and volunteers whose amazing support is making homeownership affordable in Orange County!"

Congratulations to their newest homeowner who marks the 239th home delivered in Orange County!

Michael is a current participant in the 2024 Executive Learning Group.

Shaya Frum, Engagement Manager at the Jessie Rees Foundation: Never Ever Give Up (NEGU), joined the Impact Table, a community built for powerful women leaders in social impact. The Impact Table was born out of a simple belief: that women need a space to connect, learn, and grow together so that they can claim their full leadership potential and maximize impact. The Impact Table is a multigenerational, intersectional community designed for established and emerging women leaders in Nonprofit, CSR, or ESG roles or B-corp or tech for good organizations.

Shaya is currently a member of our 2024 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Debora Wondercheck, President of Arts & Learning Conservatory, was recognized by She Leads California at their inaugural Women of Faith Honor Event, in the category of Arts and Entertainment, held at the Richard Nixon library. She Leads California is a state chapter of the She Leads America network, founded by Liz Doyle in 2021. A California Representative presented an official Award of Recognition on behalf of the State of California to sixteen women of faith who are making a significant impact in their sphere of influence.

Debora was coached in the 2021 Executive Coaching Program.

Adita Arya, Executive Director of Afghan Literacy Foundation recently participated in a crucial panel discussion hosted by AACO & US State Department alongside Assistant Secretary of State, Donald Wu, focusing on the future of education for girls in Afghanistan. The dialogue delved into various topics including strategies to advance education for those at risk of poverty, while advocating for the protection of human rights, particularly for girls. Adita stated, "It's imperative that we unite efforts from all sides to affect meaningful change. Optimism fuels our resolve for a brighter future!"

Adita participated in the 2023 Executive Learning Group, was coached in the 2023 Executive Coaching Program, and is a current member of the 2023 Leadership Reading Group.

Girls Inc. of Orange County and Big Brothers Big Sisters teamed up to make prom dreams come true at the Me, Myself, and Prom event! Over 115 students joined for a confidence-building workshop, where they learned about consent, boundaries, and healthy decision-making. Then, it was time to glam up! Thanks to their amazing partners, students received FREE prom outfits, jewelry, and make-up items to help them shine on their big night. Special shoutout to Natalie Bur, Girls Inc. of OC alumna and business owner, for leading the students through stunning hair demonstrations, and to the Benefit Cosmetics team for helping the students find their inner glow!

Lucy Santana, CEO, participated in 2022 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group, and was coached in the 2004 Executive Coaching Program and became a coach in 2021.

It was just one year ago that Casa Romantica Cultural Center and Gardens was forced to close after a devastating landslide. Commemorating this tragic event, officials and community members came together to celebrate the significant rebuilding efforts made to date to restore this historic icon in San Clemente.

The KTLA 5 News featured this event and you can watch complete coverage here.

Kylie Travis, Executive Director, Operations and Programming, participated in the 2020 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

A huge thank you to Dr. Lauren Brand for her informative presentation at this quarter's Fieldstone@4: Practical Tips and Tools for Managing Stress: A New Way of Looking at Self Care. Guests learned how to use compassionate self-care techniques to decrease stress and anxiety and walked away with a deck of self-care tools that are effective, easy to implement, and can fit into their every day routine. Lauren is a purpose-driven visionary leader and culture-builder with over 20 years of experience successfully navigating organizations through growth and change. Her passion is building, developing, and leading high performance teams, inspired by strong organizational culture, to achieve mission-driven success. 

And a special thank you to Sunwest Bank, for sponsoring this important gathering of nonprofit leaders!

Lauren participated in 2016 Executive Learning Group, became a coach in Executive Coaching Program in 2017, was a member of the 2019 and 2020 Leadership Reading Group and is a Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.

Welcome to Irene Basdakis, the new Chief Executive Officer of Grandma's House of Hope. GHH Board Chair, Lee Proimos, stated, "Given the challenges of delivering housing and supporting services to the most vulnerable population of Orange County (those facing homelessness), GHH needed a leader with compassion and business skills to effectively guide the organization in meeting the needs of our clients." 

In 2022, Irene began serving on the Board of Directors for Community Action Partnership and was elected as Chairman of the Board in June 2023. Irene is also a founding member and past President of the Parish Council at St. Basil Greek Orthodox Church in San Juan Capistrano. We hope Irene joins an Executive Learning Group soon!

After one year of dedicated service, we announce that Jaclyn Duarte has stepped down from her role as Executive Director. We are grateful for her leadership and commitment to our organization's mission, and wish her the best in her future endeavors.

As we look to the future, we remain committed to our mission to connect, empower, and support nonprofit leaders to increase their service to the community. There will be no change in our programs and services as Robin Sinclair will step in as Interim Executive Director. With the support of our dedicated board members, staff, volunteers, and the community, we will continue to multiply the impact of all Orange County nonprofits.