Our Team
Committed to
a Vibrant Future
President/CEO
Gary Byrne
Gary has over 25 years of nonprofit development and management experience. A native of Dublin, Ireland, he lives in Santa Cruz with his wife and two children.
gbyrne@givesanbenito.org
Director of Operations & Grants
Tracy Taggart
Tracy is a long-time Hollister resident, and is proud to raise her daughter in San Benito County. With a strong background in Accounting, Tracy is excited to have the opportunity to better serve the community.
ttaggart@givesanbenito.org
Director of Donor and Community Services
Brenda Weatherly
With over ten years of nonprofit experience, Brenda welcomes the opportunity to collaborate for the greater good of all. She and her husband, Ken, have raised two sons and a daughter in San Benito County.
bweatherly@givesanbenito.org
Office Coordinator
Genessis Garcia
Genessis is the newest edition, and is happy to be part of the Community Foundation team. She’s been a resident of Hollister for over 16 years and started out as an intern for the Community Foundation. A recent college student, she hopes she can put whatever she’s learned in the classroom to good use for the community.
genessis@givesanbenito.org
Our Board of Directors
Dedicated to Serving
San Benito County
Broker, Intero Real Estate
Marilyn Ferreira, Chair
Marilyn has been involved in community activities for many years, from the SBC Realtors Association, to President of the Hollister Downtown Association.
mferreira@givesanbenito.org
Community Leader
Rebecca Medeiros Wolf, Vice Chair
Born and raised in SBC, Rebecca returned to Hollister full time after an absence of 30 years. Following a career in Silicon Valley she brings a wealth of new and innovative ideas to help with the Foundation's role in the community.
rwolf@givesanbenito.org
Principal, Grace & Associates, CPA
Mike Grace, CFO, Treasurer
With over 30 years of experience in public accounting, Mike lends his expertise with audits, business planning, taxation, accounting, valuation and other financial services. His local CPA practice, founded in 1986, became the partnership of Grace & Associates, CPAs, in 1988.
mgrace@givesanbenito.org
Retired Business Owner
Alan Clark, Secretary
A retired CEO of a local manufacturing company he founded, Alan uses his 40 plus years of managerial capabilities to supplement the board's already considerable experience.
aclark@givesanbenito.org
Business Banking
Phil Fortino, Past Chair
A lifelong resident, Business Banking Manager, and involved civic leader, Phil is active in Rotary, the Charlie Presser Memorial Fund, and many other service clubs.
pfortino@givesanbenito.org
President, True Leaf Farms
Vince Brigantino
Vince resides in SBC with his wife and two sons. He’s a partner in True Leaf Farms, a local grower, shipper, and processor of fresh vegetables.
vbrigantino@givesanbenito.org
Business Owner, Felice Consulting Services
Damon Felice
Damon is the owner of a construction management firm, and serves on the Executive Committee of the San Benito County Business Council. He is a fourth generation member of the Felice family and he and his wife have three sons. Damon has served on the Hollister Little League board for many years.
dfelice@givesanbenito.org
Business Owner, True Value Hardware
Fernando Gonzalez
A lifelong resident having served on the city council and many other boards, Fernando is a business owner and respected community leader.
fgonzalez@givesanbenito.org
Retired School Teacher
Dohn Larson
Dohn was an educator for the Hollister School District for more than 33 years. Currently, he volunteers on the Community Foundation’s Grants and Compliance Committees, where he helps meet the current and future needs of San Benito County.
dlarson@givesanbenito.org
Community Leader
Beverley Meamber
Beverley worked for the Salinas Chamber of Commerce for 22 years, with the last eight years serving as the President/CEO, until her retirement. She is mother of three, has lived in San Juan Bautista since 1982, and is very involved in community services throughout San Benito County. Her professional background is a benefit to our Women’s Fund and National Philanthropy Day Committees for many years.
bmeamber@givesanbenito.org
Business Owner, Redmond Transportation
Brent Redmond
Growing up near Gilroy, Brent moved to Hollister in 1986 and is the Founder and President of a local transportation company. He is a past board member of the Hospice Foundation for the Central Coast, and is also past President and current Treasurer of the Hollister Exchange Club.
bredmond@givesanbenito.org
Artist, Proud Working Grandmother
Kathleen Sheridan
A resident in San Benito County for 40 years, Kathleen has a background in nonprofit management and consulting. Kathleen is currently working as an artist and yoga teacher, but always saves time for her 12 grandchildren.
ksheridan@givesanbenito.org
Business Owner, Hollister Super
Chang So
As the owner and operator of Hollister Super and a longtime resident of Hollister, Chang has served on various community boards and groups. Chang believes, “Giving back is how we build a strong community.”
cso@givesanbenito.org
Community Leader
Mickie Solorio Luna
Mickie was born and raised in San Benito County, and she spent 30 years working in Hollister’s finance department. She has always been an active volunteer, but most notably with the League of United Latin American Citizens. In December, the Universidad Iberoamericana presented Mickie with the Honoris Causa Doctorate for her distinguished leadership and positive example to society.
mluna@givesanbenito.org
Past Board Members
Founding Board Members – 1992
Antonio Aguirre - through 1994
Richard Anderson - through 2006
Leonard Caetano - through 1995
Nenette L. Corotto - through 2011
Arnold R. Fontes - through 2008
Fernando Gonzalez - current
Raymond E. Mariottini - through 2003
Mary S. McCullough - through 2010
Madeline A. Nelson - through 1994
Irma Rodriguez - through 1994
Haven E. Van Huesen, Jr. - through 1994
Edward Stephenson - through 2017
Sonny Paullus - through 1996
Ron Domingues - through 2003
Gene Bourdet - 1993 - 1998
Susan Paura - 1999 - 2003
Bill Ladd - 2000 -2003
Paul Levy - 2000 - 2004
Bernie Furman - 2000 - 2010
Steve Perricone - 2002 -2004
Dori Hoyle - 2002 - 2006
Anne Morris - 2003 - 2013
Jim Paxton - 2003 - 2016
Steve Merrel - 2004 - 2006
Sandy Rose - 2004 - 2015
Millard Strohn - 2005 - 2007
Scott Fuller - 2006 - 2008
Bob Bianchi - 2006 - 2008
Kathy Johnson - 2007 - 2011
Diane Ortiz - 2010 - 2015
Mike Sanchez - 2010 - 2012
Kathy Flores - 2011 - 2016
Enrique Arreola - 2013
Ed Stephenson - 1992 - 2017
Steve Hudner - 2004 - 2018
Alfonso Castaneda - 2016 - 2018
Victor Gomez - 2018 - 2019
Gene Zanger - 2016 - 2019
Bob Tiffany - 2003 - 2020
Kay Filice - 2009 - 2020
Susan Schwabacker - 2011 - 2020
Chris Breen - 2015-2020