Brenda Rodriguez, Executive Director of Affordable Housing Clearinghouse (AHC), co-hosted a Homebuyers Resource Fair in partnership with the County of Orange and Supervisor Doug Chafee with the 4^th District. Almost 100 residents were in attendance to obtain information on homeownership. AHC manages the Orange County Mortgage Assistance Program for qualified first-time home buyers. 

Brenda participated in the 2015 and 2022 Executive Learning Group, was coached in the 2017 Executive Coaching Program, and is a Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.

Kendra Chandler, Executive Director of Urban Land Institute OC & IE, was a panelist at the Brea Chamber of Commerce 2024 Regional Housing Forum to inform and equip its members, the broader business community, and city residents with important facts about the regional planning and housing development.

You can view the presentation here.

Kendra participated in the 2019 Executive Learning Group, was coached in the 2023 Executive Coaching Program, and is a Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.

Congratulations to The Youth Center for winning the Top Local Workplace award from homebase, surpassing a competitive pool of a thousand small businesses. This accolade holds particular significance within the nonprofit landscape, where financial constraints often challenge employee retention and satisfaction and underscores The Youth Center's steadfast dedication to creating an inclusive and stimulating work environment. Through initiatives such as Lunch & Learns, timely scheduling, comprehensive HR and staff training, and various rewarding perks, the organization fosters a culture where employees are motivated to give their best.

Lina Lumme, Executive Director/CEO, participated in the 2018 Executive Learning Group.

Rickie Redman, Director of Aging in Place Services and End-of-Life Practitioner at the Susi Q, was featured in Stu News. She discussed her focus on aging and dying, as well as vital role of volunteers in the community. Rickie hopes to change the way people think about and experience death by honoring this sacred rite of passage. 

You can read the entire article here.

Rickie is currently being coached in the 2024 Executive Coaching Program.

Dreams for Schools had the opportunity to present their journey and impact at the Octane OC Tech Innovation Forum to the business community, where they shared their story and the transformative power of their technology exposure programs for the youth in Orange County. Their programs inspire and educate students to be STEAM and Computer Science-literate with the hard and soft skills needed to become the critical thinkers, creative leaders, and technologists of tomorrow.

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

After 14 successful years at Segerstrom Center for the Arts, Malika Middlebrooks resigned from her position as Interim Vice President of Development. During her tenure, she was instrumental in leading a dynamic team and raising major and principal gifts to expand Segerstrom Center’s arts education programs, underwrite the artistic offerings, and complete their most recent capital campaign. She will be growing her major gifts fundraising and capital campaign expertise with Mission Hospital Foundation as Senior Director of Philanthropy. 

Malika participated in the 2021 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Congratulations to Pretend City, who was selected by Frank's Irvine Subaru team as a hometown charity in their national Share the Love campaign where they received a $40,800 contribution in addition to being the sponsor of their Super Service Auto Center learning space. Their partnership shows their dedication to early childhood education and together they are making a difference in the lives of children in our community.

Maria Tinajero-Dowdle, Chief Operating Officer, participated in the 2023 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and is currently being coached in the 2024 Executive Coaching Program.

Inland Empire Health Plan’s (IEHP) Governing Board of Directors has approved the allocation of $20 million to IEHP Foundation to develop and implement a place-based initiative aimed at advancing population health, economic vitality and well-being in the Inland Empire. IEHP Foundation anticipates partnering with Blue Zones LLC to develop and launch evidence-informed, well-being transformation programs designed to create sustainable, systems-level solutions that will improve health policies and practices within several targeted communities in Riverside County.

You can read the entire press release here.

Greg Bradbard, Chief Executive Officer, participated in the 2000 Executive Learning Group. and was coached in the 2010 Executive Coaching Program.

Erica Berrios, CFO of Families Forward, was nominated for the Orange County Business Journal CFO of the Year Award. Madelynn Hirneise, CEO, stated, "Erica’s outstanding performance and dedication as a corporate steward have made us incredibly proud. Thank you, Erica, for your fearless financial leadership as Families Forward grows to tackle family homelessness."

Erica is a member of our newly formed Finance Professionals Lunch & Learn Program, which brings nonprofit executives together informally over lunch.

Mara James, CEO of Extraordinary Lives Foundation, was recognized by Senator Catherine Blakespear at her Women Who Inspire Orange County Reception. Mara was acknowledged in the category of Community Service and Volunteerism and Health and Human Services.

Mara was coached in the 2022 Executive Coaching Program.

Shelley Hoss, CEO of Orange County Community Foundation, was honored with the Excellence in Executive Leadership Award for Culture Change from Cal State Fullerton’s Giles-O'Malley Center for Leadership. In lieu of thank you remarks, awardees were asked for a three-minute “Ted Talk” to inspire and uplift the audience of more than 400 business and community leaders in attendance.

You can read her remarks here.

Shelley Hoss participated in 1999 Executive Learning Group, and Orange County Community Foundation has been a tremendous partner to FLN through the years.

Ronnetta Johnson, Chief Executive Officer of Waymakers, was featured on the Critical Mass Business Talk Show. Ronnetta took a visionary approach to the future of an agency that has served the Orange County community for 50 years. Ronnetta has spearheaded numerous strategic initiatives, including rebranding the agency with a new name and messaging, restructuring the leadership team, expanding programs, and facilitating staff and board development. Her efforts aim to ensure the agency’s vital services remain available for future generations.

You can hear the entire show here.

Ronnetta participated in 2017 Executive Learning Group, was coached in the 2021 Executive Coaching Program, and was a member of the 2022 and 2023 Leadership Reading Group.

Krista Langford has a new role at Hope Builders as the Annual Fund Manager overseeing the execution of Hope Builders’ annual fund program. She will be responsible for proper stewardship of their current donors to ensure retention, increasing donor engagement through participation in fundraising events and the continued growth of annual fund giving.



Krista participated in 2016 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group, was a member of the 2017 Leadership Reading Group, and was coached in the 2019 Executive Coaching Program.

Pathways to Independence participated in its inaugural "Managing Mental Wellness" Day in collaboration with the Orange County Community Foundation. Executive Director Diana Hill and Director of Development Lisa Mais led the campaign. The event was a tremendous success, raising over $28,000 in just 36 hours to support Pathways clients and their personal mental wellness plans.

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

Elizabeth McKibbin is the new Vice President of Advancement at Cristo Rey Orange County High School, located in Santa Ana and is part of the national Cristo Rey Network. Member schools use a rigorous academic model, supported by best practices in instruction and assessment, to prepare students with a broad range of intellectual abilities for college and life. Further, Cristo Rey Network schools employ an innovative Corporate Work Study Program that provides students with real world work experiences. In this unique model, every student works an average of five days a month to fund the majority of the cost of their education while gaining job experience, growing in self-confidence, and realizing the relevance of this education. Students work in various corporate and business settings including law firms, banks, hospitals, universities, and with other professional organizations.

Elizabeth is a current member of the 2024 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Bonni Pomush, CEO of Working Wardrobes, along with her Public Affairs Committee, hosted Assemblymember Diane Dixon to a tour of the Career Success Center. Although already familiar with Working Wardrobes, Assemblymember Dixon gained a deeper understanding of the nonprofit's initiatives and the people they support. The collaboration and exchange of information, resources, and time between public and private sectors are invaluable in helping Working Wardrobe achieve its mission.

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

A big welcome to the new CEO at Delhi Center - Christine Sanchez! Born and raised in East Los Angeles and following a successful career in corporate America, she found her passion for leading equitable change. With over 23 years of experience in nonprofit mission advancement, she has honed expertise in strategic planning, program development, collective impact, grant writing, gift-in-kind acquisition and distribution, and disaster response. Her work has shown sustainable impact in underserved communities such as Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, Anaheim, Santa Ana, and San Bernardino, as well as in Native American reservations across the United States.

We hope to see Christine in an Executive Learning Group soon!

The County of Orange just released the results of the Orange County 2024 Point-In-Time (PIT) Count, the count of sheltered and unsheltered people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires that all Continuum of Care jurisdictions across the nation complete a biennial unsheltered count and an annual sheltered count of all persons experiencing homelessness in the community on a single point in time during the last ten days of January.

You can read the entire report here.