Board Member

CANDICE PIPERSBURG-JOHNSON

Candice Pipersburg-Johnson was born and raised in beautiful Santa Barbara, CA.  She attended Santa Barbara High School as a 3^rd Generation DON.  After completing high school, Candice enrolled at Santa Monica College, Santa Barbara City College, and Cal State Northridge where she completed her General Education, studied Public Administration & Dance, and was placed on the Dean’s Honor Roll.

Mrs. Pipersburg-Johnson has worked with children for over 23 years.  At the early age of 9, she started her very own babysitting club, inspired by the fictional series the Babysitters Club. The Babysitting club was very successful and launched her interest in business & child development. Candice has worked as a nanny, Assistant Daycare Director for the United Boys & Girls Club of Santa Barbara County, and a Personal Development Coach for children with her own company Preferred Image. She is a California Licensed Trust Line Provider and Foster Parent. Currently Ms. Pipersburg-Johsnon works as an Image Coach and Personal Developer for children 4-18 years old in addition to teaching gymnastics, competitive cheer, dance & fitness.

Candice’s hobbies and interests include traveling, child & community development, party planning and events, food, and distance running.

Candice and Dr. Billi Jo Starr met at Santa Barbara High School in 1998 and have worked together on several community events benefiting youth and culture in Santa Barbara.  Candice became a Board Member in 2010 and was elected as Freedom 4 Youth’s Board President in 2014. She is a proud member and supporter of Freedom 4 Youth. Candice takes ultimate pride in that the organization loves, listens and cares about each and every individual and their future, and that what makes Freedom 4 Youth stand out among community-based organizations.

“It’s an honor to be a part of an organization that has a direct, positive and meaningful impact on youth during one of the most valuable times of their lives. ”- Candice Pipersburg-Johnson, Freedom 4 Youth Board President

Co-Chair

Karen Ortiz

The Alzheimer’s Association California Central Coast Chapter has named Karen Ortiz as director of development. Ortiz is a third-generation Santa Barbara native with some 30 years of development experience as a volunteer, board member and staff member serving nonprofits and the banking industry across the Central Coast.

Ortiz was previously vice president/relationship manager with Santa Barbara Bank and Trust. she has served on the Lompoc Hospital Foundation Board of Trustees since 2007, and as a commissioner on the Human Services Commission for the city of Lompoc.   Her former position with the Lompoc Valley Medical Center led to the creation of an outreach program, in addition to the collaboration with the Alzheimer’s Association to help support the center’s family caregiver support network.

Co-Chair

Melissa Cohen

Melissa Cohen was born and raised in Southern California, as well as London, and New York where she attended Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, New York.   Melissa obtained her BA degree in Communication Arts from Loyola Marymount University.

Melissa is world-traveled and has a diverse work background in the Film Industry to being a substitute teacher (for the Santa Barbara Unified School District), Computer Aided Design (CAD) Specialist, Sr. Account Manager and an Higher Ed. Team Leader for BKM office environments where she project managed and designed spaces for UCSB, Cal State Channel Islands, Westmount, and California Polytechnic State University. 

Melissa has always loved to volunteer and over the years she has supported the PTA, United Boys and Girls Club of Santa Barbara, Food bank, Sierra Club, Girls Inc., Santa Barbara Rescue Mission, Optimist International Foundation, and Optimist Youth Home & Family Services. She served on a Parents Advisory Committee for the City of Santa Barbara and the Goleta Boys & Girls Club council. 

Prior to Melissa’s retirement, she joined the Northside Optimist Club of Santa Barbara. Her optimist titles include: Website assistant, District Photographer, Pacific Southwest District Zoom host and tutor, Northside Optimist Club President, Zone 12 Lt. Governor, Pacific Southwest Governor. Melissa is currently the President of the Northside Optimist Club of Santa Barbara. She is also a member of Toastmasters Club 5. As part of her passion for helping people, she currently hosts twice weekly free Zoom tutorials. These informal sessions are for anyone to join and learn how to navigate and become comfortable within Zoom. When the pandemic struck, Melissa realized the need for business people, less tech savvy individuals, people trying to connect with their family members and medical professionals, to have a safe place to explore, try something new, get confused and mess up in a safe Zoom environment. 

Board Member

SHANNON MILLER

Shannon runs a tax practice in Santa Barbara, California. She also enjoys gardening, exercise, traveling and trying to make the world a better place. She feels Freedom 4 Youth is essential because it offers concrete support for young people through work and education – with the world’s most dedicated staff.

Board Member

Elena Engel

Elena Engel is an award-winning Director/Producer/Writer of film, video, radio and spoken word. She has been a creative resource to The Walt Disney Company, Warner Brothers, Amblin Entertainment, Simon and Schuster, Western Publishing Company, National Public Radio, The United Nations, Mercy Corp International and PBS television.

Elena has produced and directed more than seventeen live action and documentary films for the cable television, home video and educational divisions of The Walt Disney Company, receiving three Cine Goldens in addition to numerous awards from The Birmingham, Chicago Film Festival and others. Later, as an independent filmmaker, her dramatic film about child abuse, Listen To Me, won the Lillian Gish Award at the Women in Film International Festival and her film, A Promise to Remember, premiered at the International Animation Festival in Annecy France.

As audio producer/writer for both National Public Radio and The Walt Disney Music Company, Elena received The Corporation for Public Broadcasting’s “Most Creative Use of the Medium” award twice, a NARAS Grammy Nomination, four Gold and Two Platinum albums. Her humanitarian and non-profit film projects have included global travel on behalf of UNICEF and Mercy Corps International creating informational films distributed to audiences throughout the world.

Currently as president of her own company, Azimuth Films, Engel continues to be drawn to stories that instill empathy and a deeper understanding of the human condition. JOHN LEGUIZAMO LIVE AT RIKERS a short documentary about recidivism she directed and produced, received a World Premiere at the 2022 Tribeca Film Festival in NYC. Accepted to over 13 film festivals so far, the film has also won BEST SHORT DOCUMENTARY at the Cannes Indy Film Festival.

Board Member

WILLIE POINDEXTER

BOARD MEMBER

ROGER PERRY

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Board Member

Maria Long

Maria’s bio.

Board LEED Representative

Jordan Warren

Board Member

ANDREA MARCUS

Andréa is a zealous advocate for children with disabilities and for those willing to speak up on behalf of a child in need of education, protection or support.

Admitted to the California Bar in 1997, Andréa is admitted to practice before all California state courts and United States district courts, and the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. 

Andréa exclusively represents people for the benefit of children with disabilities, i.e., their families and teachers/whistleblowers. Her practice includes working closely with therapeutic professionals (board certified behavior analysts “BCBA,” speech pathologists, literacy specialists, occupational therapists, child-psychologists, psychiatrists and neurologists, etc.) to identify her client’s unique needs, determine appropriate interventions for each unique child, and advocate and/or litigate to see those needs are met. 
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​ Andréa has taken cases through mediation, administrative hearings, and on to the federal and state courts, and Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.  Andréa has extensive experience and knowledge in many areas of challenge children face, including, among others, those involving Sex Trafficking, Mobility, Attention Deficit, Learning Disabilities, Bullying, Autism-Spectrum and Mental Health.

Advisory Council Chair

EVA RHODES

Eva Rhodes is a Vice President and Banker in the Westlake Village office of J.P. Morgan Private Bank.  She leverages the full resources of J.P. Morgan’s global platform, working closely with affluent families, executives, entrepreneurs and foundations in the Santa Barbara area to help them realize their financial goals.

Eva serves as a trusted advisor, taking a relationship-driven approach to understand each individual’s unique aspirations and needs. She draws from her investment banking and institutional background to guide clients in developing strategies to preserve and build wealth. With extensive international experience across several divisions within J.P. Morgan, Eva is uniquely placed to deliver the entirety of the firm’s offering, including the thought leadership and customized insights that are of interest to her clients.

With a career that began at BNP Paribas Investment Bank in Paris, France, Eva joined J.P. Morgan Corporate Investment Bank in 2010 as a salesperson on the institutional trading floor. Over the years, she has held roles in London, New York City and Paris, gaining multifaceted exposure to IPOs, M&A, securitized products, equity derivatives, hedge funds, pension funds and product development. The depth of Eva’s knowledge base differentiates her from many Wealth Advisors, and she brings this distinction to bear for sophisticated individuals and families.

Eva holds a B.A. in Economics and German Literature from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and a Masters in International Political Economy from The London School of Economics (LSE). She speaks fluent German and is currently pursuing her CFP® designation.

Originally from Santa Monica, Eva now lives in the Santa Barbara area with her husband and two children. She and her family are outdoor enthusiasts and love hiking, running, going to the beach and exploring all that beautiful Southern California has to offer.

Advisory Council

ELISABETH FOWLER

Elisabeth and her family have lived in Santa Barbara for eighteen years.  Since moving here, Elisabeth has been involved in several non-profits focused on health care, conservation and education.  She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in English and a minor degree in Political Science from the University of Washington, and a career background in public policy.

She worked in Washington, D.C. in the private sector representing companies and government agencies, and in the Washington State legislature developing policy in collaboration with legislators, state agencies and various interest groups. Prior to moving to Santa Barbara, Elisabeth lived in San Francisco and volunteered as a tutor for several inner-city literacy programs and served on the board of directors at the Presidio YMCA, a three-branch program devoted to bringing a varied and often divergent community together.

Aside from her work on several local boards, she also serves as a trustee for a Honduran based HIV/AIDS health care program.  In 2021, Elisabeth was awarded Santa Barbara County Philanthropist of the Year.  Elisabeth has spent much of her life outdoors in Washington, Alaska, Hawaii, and California.

In her free time, she loves spending time hiking, laughing and traveling with her husband and four children.

Advisory Council

Elizabeth Calvin

Elizabeth Calvin is the senior advocate in the Children’s Rights Division and an attorney with experience in youth justice, foster care, and education rights. At Human Rights Watch she focuses on children, youth, and emerging adults in conflict with the law. Her work includes research and writing on human rights violations against children, policy and legal advocacy, and building partnerships with community and national groups. She relies on the leadership of people directly impacted by human rights violations to determine the direction of her work.

Advisory Council

Mikki Andina

Mikki Andina returned from India where she ran a HIV/AIDS prevention project funded by the Gates Foundation. Trained at UCSF as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner and Public Health Nurse, Mikki also has a PhD in Anthropology from Columbia University. She has worked in 27 countries and recently retired as an International Health consultant where she was involved with grant making for the Global Fund for Women and the Global Fund for AIDS/TB/Malaria. Mikki was raised in Los Angeles (a proud original “Valley Girl”) and lived for nearly 25 years in Europe. She moved to Santa Barbara in 1995 where she worked on the Women’s Fund as a researcher for nearly ten years. She loves being outdoors with her dog, serving as a Big Sister and on the board of the Santa Barbara Symphony. She also loves to sing with SB Choral Society, Opera SB and the Music Academy as well as play bridge.

Advisory Council

Scott Budnick

Scott Budnick is an American film producer, Founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), and is currently CEO of One Community, LLC – a film, television, and new media co-financing company that uses the power of storytelling to encourage and inspire positive global change.

Recently, Budnick returned to the film business as executive producer of One Community’s first film, JUST MERCY, released in theaters on January 10, 2020.

As the former Executive Vice President of Todd Phillips’ Green Hat Films, Budnick produced OLD SCHOOL, DUE DATE, and the highest-grossing R-rated comedy trilogy in film history, THE HANGOVER’, which grossed over $1.4 billion.

Since 2004, Budnick has been a fierce advocate for social justice and a fairer judicial system. In 2003, he began volunteering with InsideOUT Writers (IOW), a program that brings creative writing into juvenile halls. In 2014, Budnick founded ARC, whose mission is to reduce incarceration, improve the outcomes of formerly incarcerated individuals, and build healthier communities. ARC provides formerly incarcerated men and women with direct services such as housing, counseling, job training and opportunities, mentoring, and education. The organization also empowers and mobilizes its members to play a role in justice reform efforts through direct policy advocacy.

For his work with youth in the criminal justice system, Governor Jerry Brown named Scott the 2012 California Governor’s Volunteer of the Year. He sits on the Board of State and Community Corrections (BSCC) and was selected to serve as a Board Member for President Barack Obama’s foundation, the My Brother’s Keeper Alliance.

Advisory Council

Geoff Green

Geoff Green is the CEO of the SBCC Foundation, where he has led the effort to establish the SBCC Promise.

Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area, Geoff came to Santa Barbara in 1990 as a UCSB student. He found his passion in campus and community organizations working for social justice and environmental health. He was elected UCSB Associated Students President in 1993 and as a Director of the Isla Vista Park & Recreation District in 1994.

Geoff pursued his dream job as a Yosemite National Park Ranger/Naturalist for several years before returning to Santa Barbara in 1997 and joining the Fund for Santa Barbara. He served as Executive Director from 2003 to 2015, during which time the organization tripled in size, built new partnerships, and launched the Youth Making Change program.

Using his 25 years of experience in (and love of) the nonprofit sector, Geoff also consults professionally. In addition, he has raised over $4 million for more than 50 nonprofit organizations as a volunteer auctioneer, and frequently emcees events, moderates panels, and facilitates discussions on community issues.

His other community work includes more than ten years of public affairs radio programming and as a campaign field organizer. Geoff was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by the Rotary Club of Santa Barbara North in 2006 and served on the Leadership Council that drafted Santa Barbara County’s 10-Year Plan to End Chronic Homelessness in 2006-2007.

Geoff served as President of the Board of the Santa Barbara Ventura Counties Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals in 2012, President of the Foundation Roundtable of Santa Barbara County from 2014 to 2015, and as Chair of the Board of Directors for the California Association of Nonprofits from 2016 to 2018, where he now serves as Treasurer. He also served on the Board of Commissioners for the Housing Authority of the City of Santa Barbara from 2008 through 2021.

Geoff previously served as Chair of the Board of Directors for the Chamber of Commerce of the Santa Barbara Region, and co-led the three-way merger with the Goleta and Carpinteria chambers in 2020. He continues to serve on the newly merged Santa Barbara South Coast Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.

He joined the Board of Directors of Peabody Charter School in 2020 and currently serves as President of the Board of Directors for the Network of California Community College Foundations. He also serves on several advisory boards including KCRW Santa Barbara, the Center for Nonprofit Leadership at California Lutheran University, PATH Santa Barbara homeless center, and the Steering Committee for YouthWell.

Advisory Council

LUCY FIRESTONE

Advisory Council

ELISABETH LEADER

Advisory Council

TODD RUBENSTEIN

Todd Rubenstein started his legal career in 1992 as a Deputy District Attorney in Los Angeles County, where he worked in the juvenile court and ultimately ran the Hate Crimes Unit in the final year of his tenure.

For the past 20 years, Mr. Rubenstein has been a partner at the entertainment law firm of Morris Yorn Levine Barnes Krintzman Rubenstein Kohner, and Gellman, where he represents A-level actors, writers, directors, and artists, primarily in film and television. 

Todd is a founding board member of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition and chairs the board of InsideOUT Writers, an organization offering 45 weekly creative writing classes to incarcerated minors throughout the county of Los Angeles and in California state prisons. 

Todd has other entrepreneurial interests, mentors formerly incarcerated individuals who are starting businesses, and is active in hiring and finding employment for those impacted by the system.

Advisory Council

CECE HENDRIKS

CeCe Hendriks (she/hers) is a former actress, turned socialite and is also the proud owner of Spoiled! which is located on the infamous Melrose Ave in Los Angeles. Spoiled! is a consignment store of exclusive name brands for children.  She also is a child advocate and heads the Entrepreneurial Program of Jenesse Center. 

Furthermore, CeCe is a committee member of the Entertainment Committee of Freedom4Youth in Santa Barbara. She has been awarded several times from the City of Inglewood and Santa Barbara by the California Legislature Assembly for her diligence in helping and restoring confidence in our youth. She also is a public speaker in which she speaks to the youth about today’s business world, fashion and natural climate.

She has been featured on Bravo’s “Relative Success” with Tabatha Coffey and graced many articles from Ebony and Jet as well as the Los Angeles Business Journal and Houston Chronicle and many more.

CeCe also just started The Get Spoiled Foundation to inspire and educate foster and adoptive children through entertainment and sports.

Advisory Council

DONNA-CHRISTINE MCGUIRE

D.C. (Donna-Christine) McGuire’s work includes neuroscience research, private brain coaching, public speaking, and business consulting. Neurochemistry, brain scanning technology, and related techniques are the basis of her clinical focus on the release of anxiety, stress, and trauma.

Her academic background includes graduate studies in psycho-biology at Wellesley College/MIT.  She also holds a graduate degree in clinical psychology.

D.C. lives in Santa Barbara, serves on the National Advisory Board of the Union of Concerned Scientists, and enjoys skiing, tennis, sailing, kayaking, and painting.

Advisory Council

MILES ASHLOCK

Miles Ashlock serves as the Chief of Staff/Executive Director of Planning and Administration at the UC Santa Barbara where he leads the Division of Student Affairs, overseeing human resources, strategic planning, organizational development, and operations for Student Affairs’ 29 departments. Acts as a primary and confidential advisor to the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs, providing the VC with complete research, analysis, advice, and recommendations at the highest and most complex levels on the widest range of issues facing the division, the campus, and the UC system.

Miles role has global responsibility for responding to all aspects of the divisional enterprise and is invested with the authority to make a range of tactical and strategic decisions on behalf of the Vice Chancellor and in the interest of the divisional mission.

As a senior member of the Division of Student Affairs management team (Executive Group), the chief of staff/executive director makes decisions related to divisional budgeting, staffing, organizational structure, policy, long-range and strategic planning, etc. Participates in administrative committees and task forces within and outside of the Division. Has signature authority over all divisional operations and is delegated authority for the division in the absence of the Vice Chancellor.

Miles Ashlock, has helped ELI students discover their best personal leadership style with a dynamic discussion.  Miles, a UCSB alum, has considerable experience working with students and in leadership training, having lead workshops for Leading from Within and in facilitating self-assessment and leadership development workshops.

ELI students learned the fundamentals of leadership, explored their own best leadership experience, and explored ways to self-assess, and learn and grow as leaders.  These fundamentals and practices will help students in implementing their ELI environmental leadership projects.

Advisory Council

NOEL G

Actor, Producer and Founder of independent film company Entangled Entertainment, Noel Guglielmi was raised in Los Angeles and first cast — without a formal audition — in a Taco Bell commercial at the age of 15.

Discovered during an acting class as a boy, today he is one of Hollywood’s most recognized faces with more than 150 large and small-screen credits to his name over a 25-year career.

Noel has worked with some of the best in the business, with roles in Fast and Furious, Training Day, Bruce Almighty, Purge Anarchy, The Dark Knight Rises, Fresh Off the Boat, CSI Miami, Bones, The Walking Dead and literally hundreds more.

His personal dedication to entertainment spans not only acting and producing but writing, digital content creation, stand-up comedy, talent recruitment, coaching and mentoring as well as motivational speaking.

For Noel, the opportunity to engage audiences across cultures, ages and borders is made even more rewarding when he can draw from his dramatically unique personal experiences to enlighten and improve the quality of life for others, especially at-risk youth and criminal offenders to pop and car culture enthusiasts and more.

After groundbreaking years in the profession as one of Hollywood’s original Latino celebrities, Noel was honored to be invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences in 2017 as part of its diversity efforts and in recognition of his contributions.

Noel credits much of his success to learning from his peers. Attentive to every important aspect of film creation and being true to his roots and community help him stand out to succeed in one of the world’s most competitive professions and against challenging odds.

Today, he makes time to mentor others both in business and life.

Advisory Council

Barbara Lizzet Sanchez

Barbara Lizzet Sanchez, hails from Mexico City, and at the age of 15 she moved to the US, where she proactively learned English and got her degree in Paralegal Studies at Oxnard College. However, Barbara always dreamt of becoming an entrepreneur and in 2006, she launched her career as publicist within the entertainment, marketing and public relations industry.

Through handwork and dedication, Barbara has become one of the most sought after powerhouse publicists creating milestones in her career working with an elite list of who’s who clientele within the entertainment world such as Vanessa Simmons, Bella Thorne, Boogie Dash, Xzibit, Keith Sweat, Hana Giraldo, T-Boz (from the multi-platinum group TLC), Danny Trejo, Kristinia De Barge, Paul Rodriguez, Joey Medina, Tori Spelling, Raz B from B2K, Ray J, Bone Thugs n Harmony, Cypress Hill, Carlos Ramirez, Ernest Thomas, Mellow Man Ace, Nate Dogg, Kurupt, Roscoe, David Fernandez Jr., Kyle Massey, Snoop Dogg, and Bobby Dee of Bobby Dee Presents, just to name a few. 

Barbara Lizzet Sanchez, also made her own TV debut appearances in shows such as “The Steve Harvey Show,” VH1’s Love and Hip Hop Hollywood, WE TV’s “Growing Up Hip Hop,”, David Tuteras’ Celebrations” and she was also featured  in the documentary titled “Discovering Our Mothers” produced by Justin Wayoro. This documentary is based on the struggle of single mothers, something she has firsthand experience with. She plays an FBI agent in Andrea Ward’s film “Deception of The Streets”. 

Barbara is a strong social justice and human right’s activist, and most passionate about her advocacy against domestic violence. Growing up in a dysfunctional household herself, Barbara began repeating the same defeating cycles in her adult life that led to her being in an emotional and physical abusive relationship.  Today, Barbara now shares her own personal experiences with domestic violence throughout the nation. She now works earnestly with organizations focused on supporting families, women, men and young people that are struggling with domestic violence. 

In addition to domestic violence causes, Barbara advocates for other social causes such as farmworkers and voters’ rights, to name a few, and has dedicated her time and service to several organizations such as the United Farm Workers, Bella Foundation, League of Badass DoGooders, Dolores Huerta Foundation, The UFW and many more.

Advisory Council

Dr. GREG BENNER

Dr. Greg Benner, O’Sullivan Professor of Special Education, Implementation Science at The University of Alabama, conceptualized and leads Whole Child transformation programs. After a decade of success in implementing Whole Child in Washington school districts, he is currently focused on developing initiatives to strengthen Alabama schools and communities. 

The Whole Child approach is a systematic blueprint for sustainable change in children, citizens, and communities. Through a comprehensive method for supporting students and teachers, streamlining existing programming, and establishing strong school-community partnerships, we redefine policies, practices, and relationships to ensure a positive, lasting impact on all youth within a community. By making a community-wide shift in how we educate and prepare our children for success in and out of school, Whole Child helps youth realize their full potential.