The Lafayette Community Foundation Board of Directors is composed of members who represent a broad cross-section of Lafayette. We are members of a range of civic and cultural institutions and come from a variety of professional background. From time to time we add new board members. If you are interested in working to better our community and serve on the board, please contact us.
Executive Board:
| Chairman | Don Jenkins |
| Immediate Past Chair | Anne Grodin |
| Vice Chair | Teresa Gerringer |
| Treasurer | Svend Ryge |
| Asst. Treasurer | Colleen McCarty |
| Secretary | Cheryl Noll |
| Recording Secretary | Fran Sticha |
Board of Directors:
Sereta Churchill
Sereta owned her own multi-office brokerage firm based in Lafayette for many years. She sold her firm several years ago and is with J. Rockcliff Realtors in Lafayette. She is an active Broker but in addition was recently appointed Director of Training of Rockcliff Realtors. She has served as President of the Association of Realtors, Executive Committee of CAR, Realtor of the Year and Director for life for the California Association of Realtors. She has also served on the NAR Board of Directors. She is currently on the Board of Directors of ZipForms, a national corporation providing electronic forms.. Sereta has been President of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, Lafayette Business Person of the Year, and was Chair of the City of Lafayette Economic Development Commission from 1995-2001. Sereta is a life-long Contra Costa County resident with two grown children, Randy and Sereta, both of whom attended Lafayette schools.
Phil Chernin
Phil has been an East Bay resident for over 30 years. He is a CPA, and his financial consulting practice in Lafayette specializes in turnarounds of troubled companies and mergers and acquisitions of small companies. Currently he serves on the Board of the California Shakespeare Theatre as well as the Lafayette Community Foundation. He is the scoutmaster of Lafayette Boy Scout Troop 241, and is also an active national ski patrol member. He is a former soccer, basketball and baseball coach for LMYA. Phil, his wife Chris and son Matt live in Lafayette.
Dean Coons
Retired in 1988 after 38-year career as a Product Development Chemist with Procter & Gamble and the Clorox Company, Dean has served on the Lafayette Walkways Commission (1970’s) and is currently a member of the Lafayette Improvement Association Board. He served on the Contra Costa County Continuum of Care Advisory Board (Homeless Project) 1993-2001, the last five years as Vice-Chairman. He is active in Contra Costa and Bay Area Interfaith activities, the Social Justice Alliance of the CCC Interfaith Council, and No. Calif. United Methodist Church committees. He has been a Lafayette resident for 40 years.
Rebecca De Kalb
Having grown up in Newport Beach, Becky came to the Bay Area to attend U.C. Berkeley where she received her B.A. in Economics. She went on to law school there and graduated from Boalt Hall in 1981. She currently practices estate planning in Orinda at the Leibovitz Law Group where she has been since 1997. Becky has an LL.M. in Taxation from Golden Gate University and a highly tax-oriented practice. She frequently works with charitable organizations on planned giving matters for her clients. Becky has lived in Lafayette since 1997. Her son currently attends Acalanes High School and is very active in the music program. Becky is a parishioner at St. Monica Catholic Church in Moraga and has been involved in volunteer activities there, including their last capital campaign, and at Boalt Hall where she recently co-chaired her 25th class reunion campaign.
Ann Denny
Ann was the Executive Director of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, 1993-2005. She was Lafayette Business Person of the Year, 2001. She is the former executive director of Contra Costa/Alameda Division of American Diabetes Association, 1991-93, and San Francisco/Marin Division Director for March of Dimes, 1988-91. Ann’s prior experience included educational development positions in the East. She has a B.A. in English from Denison University Ann is married to Ray Bland, has 4 grown children, 6 grown stepchildren and 19 grandchildren. She has lived in Lafayette since 1988.
Marechal Duncan
Marechal served in the U.S. Navy during WWII. He has a B.S. from UC Berkeley, and an MBA from Pepperdine University. He is retired as a western area sales manager for Motorola, pioneering radio paging and cellular systems. Marechal was co-chair of the Lafayette Sesquicentennial Celebration and a committee member for Lafayette Vision 2000 Library Committee. He is a blue ribbon task force member for Parks and Recreation, former president of the Silver Springs Homeowners Association, past president and current vice president of the Lafayette Historical Society, a former assistant scout master Troop 204 BSA (20 years), and an LMYA baseball coach and assistant for 10 years. He is a member of SIR's Branch 8 and is a committee chairman. Marechal founded and is chairman of the SENIOR LIAISON COMMITTEE. He and his wife Doris have lived in Lafayette 52 years, been married 60 years and have four children, and seven grandchildren.
Teresa Gerringer
Teresa is an education and community volunteer with current involvement including: Lafayette School District Governing Board, Chamber of Commerce Board Advisor, Auditor, Las Trampas Creek Council, CSBA Region 7 Delegate, CCCSBA, Secretary and Lafayette Community Foundation Board. – Past activities include: Co-Chair, Lafayette Library and Learning Center Community Campaign. Founder, Las Trampas Creek Council PTA Legislative Network Email Alert System; Past President Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs, Past Chair, Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs Legislation Committee; Past President, Lafayette RAPPORT; and Past President, Springhill PFC. Employment background: Education Consultant, former Vice President, Security Pacific Venture Capital and computer consultant/instructor. Education background: MBA, Pepperdine University and B.S.–Public Administration, Indiana University. Resident of Lafayette since 1995 with husband, Michael and two daughters.
Anne Grodin
Anne is the founder of the Lafayette Community Foundation and is the past chair. She is also the secretary for the new Lafayette Library and Learning Center Foundation. Anne is past Chair of the John Muir Medical Center Foundation, and she is an advisory board member of the California Shakespeare Theater. She is a member of the City of Lafayette Library Building Committee and the Downtown Street Improvement Master Plan Implementation Committee, and the City of Lafayette Public Art Committee. She is also a member of Tuesday Forum, a business networking organization. She is a former eight-year member of the Lafayette City Council and was twice mayor. Anne is a former president of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce, a former board member of the Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation, and CFO Valley Disposal Inc., a teacher and staff director for Camp Fire Girls and executive director of the Girls’ Club of Alameda. She earned her BA from U.C. Berkeley, and a JD from John F. Kennedy University. She and her husband of 36 years, Marshall, have lived in Lafayette for 23 years. They have two grown children.
Dick Holt
Dick is a retired naval officer, having served twenty six years active duty. Upon retirement, he moved to Lafayette, where he and his wife, Robin, raised three children, all of whom went through the Lafayette Public school system. Upon retirement from the Navy, Dick was appointed to the Lafayette planning commission and served twenty-five years, five times as its Chair, and just retired in 2009. Dick also currently serves on the City’s Environmental and Sustainability Task Force and the Senior Needs Assessment Task Force and the Seniors Liaison Committee. Dick is an active member of the local Rotary club, and as its President in 1987 created and founded the Concert at the Res which is their annual fundraiser that is held in the Lafayette Reservoir and showcases live the music programs of the local schools; the monies received from the Concert then support the school music programs and other local Rotary projects. Dick holds a BS from the U.S. Naval Academy, Annapolis, Md., and an MA in Human Resource Management from Pepperdine University. He is a broker with Coldwell Banker specializing in local residential real estate.
Matthew Janopaul
Matt is a native of Northern California and has lived throughout the Bay Area over the past twenty years. Matt’s diverse career has ranged from roles as an operator within the consumer product and retail sectors as well as an investment professional in the public and private equity markets. He is currently the President and CEO of Pasta Pomodoro, Inc, one of oldest and largest privately owned restaurant concepts based in the Bay Area. Prior to that he was involved with Fender Musical Instruments, the worlds largest guitar and amplifier company. He held various roles with Fender that ranged from investor and board member to President and COO. As an investment professional, Matt’s most recent role was as General Partner of Weston Presidio, a leading private equity firm based in Boston and San Francisco. Matt earned his B.A. in Economics from Duke University and his MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He was also awarded the Kauffman Fellowship by the Kansas City based Kauffman Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership and is actively involved in the Young Presidents’ Organization.
Don Jenkins
Don is a founding partner of the Insurance Brokerage Firm of Lafayette Square, Inc. He specialized in estate planning funding for business owners and employee fringe benefit planning. He has been an active community volunteer for more than 40 years. He was named Lafayette Business Man of the Year in 1993. He served as President of the Lafayette Chamber of Commerce in 1989. He was a Founding trustee for the Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church’s foundation where he served for 15 years. He is currently serving as a district officer for Rotary District 5160, Planned Giving Development. Don graduated from UC Berkeley in 1963 with a BC in economics. He has a masters degree in financial planning from American College, Bryn Mawr, PA. He and his wife Linda have lived in Lafayette since 1970.
Clyde Long
Clyde is an attorney in Lafayette, practicing in the areas of civil litigation, business disputes, real estate, general legal counsel, and trusts and estates litigation. He and his wife, Claudia, have lived in Lafayette since 1990 and raised their daughter and son through the Lafayette public schools. Clyde received his B.A. in Political Science from Duke University and his J.D. from Georgetown University Law School. Among his community activities over the years, Clyde has coached dozens of seasons of youth sports (basketball, soccer, baseball and lacrosse), served as Chairman of the Lafayette Appeals Hearing Board, and served as Vice President of the Board of Directors of Town Hall Theatre Company and is currently on its Advisory Board.
Colleen McCarty
Colleen has been active in the Lafayette community and school system for over six years. She is currently co-Director of the Lafayette Girl Scout Service Unit and a Board Member on Friends of the Lafayette Library. Colleen is a past Board Member of Lafayette Arts and Science Foundation and Sun Valley Swim Pool. She was involved in Burton Valley Elementary School where co-chaired the Hot Lunch program as well as chaired several school sub-committees. Colleen graduated from CSU, Chico and holds a Masters from the University of San Francisco. She worked in Human Resources with Clorox, Novell and currently, Initial Call. She and her husband, Patrick, have one child and have lived in the Lafayette area since 1995.
Cheryl Noll
Cheryl has been very active in the Lafayette community and school system for over 15 years. She has served on the Boards of Stanley Middle School PTA, Burton Valley PTA, the Las Trampas Creek Council of PTAs and the Board of Directors for Moraga Educational Foundation. Cheryl is currently the chairperson of the Charter City and Communications Committee for the City of Lafayette. She currently sits on the LLLCF governance committee and board of National Charity League, Lamorinda Chapter. She is a parishioner at St. Perpetua Catholic Church and served on several committees. Cheryl graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo and University of San Diego School of Law. She has practiced law in San Francisco and San Mateo counties and is currently practicing in Walnut Creek. She and her husband, Chuck, have two children and have lived in Lafayette since 1994.
Leslie Pease
Leslie has been a resident of Lafayette for over 16 years and is a 4th generation native of the bay area. For the last 22 years she has primarily been raising her three children and has been active in the Acalanes School District, specifically Acalanes H.S., Campolindo H.S., Stanley Intermediate School, and Burton Valley Elementary. She chaired a number of committees and groups which supported the schools and raised money to support the schools. Leslie worked implementing phone systems for large health care and hospitality customers for AT&T for 6 years and was an assistant manager for I.Magnin’s in Walnut Creek for 3 years. She also taught quilting for 8 years at Thimble Creek in Walnut Creek. Leslie and her husband Matt have been married for 30 years and have three adult children. Leslie has a BS from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is currently on the Parents Philanthropy Committee for Cal Poly. She is also a member of the Lafayette Community Garden Committee.
Anita Rama
Anita Rama was born and raised in Southern India where she graduated from Medical School. She completed her Internship and Residency Program in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Delaware Medical Center, Delaware in 1980. She began her private medical practice as Ob/Gyn in Berkeley in 1980. She then relocated her practice to Concord, CA in 1984. After Delivering over 4000 babies, she stopped Obstetrical portion of her medical practice to focus exclusively in Gynecology/ Urogynecology in 2004. She is an active medical staff at John Muir Health System, both at Walnut Creek and Concord Campuses. She has served as Chair of the Dept. of Ob/Gyn 3 times and served in various medical committees in the hospital over the years. She has lived in Lafayette over 20 years and enjoys participating in the community activities.
Jeff Rosenthal
Jeff is an Executive Director for Russell Reynolds Associates, where he leads the Human Resources executive search practice for the Western United States. He has an 18 year background in leadership development and human resources consulting. He has taught graduate students at the Haas School of Business at Berkeley, and has spoken and published on the topic of leadership for a variety of national associations. Jeff is currently a board member for Summer Search Foundation, a non-profit organization building leadership in high potential, low income high school students. He has also led the Corporate Fundraising Committee for the Lafayette Library, served as a member of the Temple Isaiah Membership Committee and has coached baseball for several years in Lafayette Little League. Jeff and his wife Linda have been residents of Lafayette for 16 years, and his three sons attend Lafayette schools. Jeff earned his MBA degree at the Anderson School of Management at UCLA and his B.A. from Whitman College.
Svend Ryge
Svend is Vice President Finance and Treasurer of Sutter Health, a not-for-profit health care delivery system comprised of 25 hospitals and numerous outpatient care facilities in Northern California. He was previously the CFO of the eight-hospital Bay Area Region of Sutter Health. Svend was previously with Kaiser Permanente for over 25 years in the field of finance and information services. He is currently a board member and treasurer for the Peter Pan Foundation. He previously served on the boards of the Town Hall Theatre, the Happy Valley Improvement Association and the Diablo Valley Montessori School. Svend has been a resident of Lafayette since 1986 and raised a daughter and two sons through the Lafayette school systems. He lives with his wife Karen in the Happy Valley area. He is a double alumnus of UC Berkeley (BA, math; MBA, finance).
Fran Sticha
Fran is a faculty-staff disability manager at University Health Services, University of California at Berkeley since 2000. Prior to that she was a vocational consultant in private industry for 14 years. Her work experience includes being an outpatient alcohol treatment program administrator and counselor as well as teaching middle school math. She is a former long term member of the Lafayette Parks, Trails and Recreation Commission serving as commission chair and Trails Subcommittee chair, as well as monitoring Lamorinda land use and trail development as an area resident since 1981. She received her M.S. in Counseling from California State University-Hayward and a BA from UC San Diego.
Don Tatzin
A member of the Lafayette City Council since 1985, Don has been mayor five times. He serves on several countywide agencies focused on transportation and land use issues and has been involved in several committees regarding developing a new library in Lafayette and was chair of the Library Building Committee. He served as a Grant Director at the Sandler Foundation and previously held general management positions in manufacturing and service firms. Don received his B.S. from MIT in Urban Studies and Economics and a Master of City Planning Degree from MIT. He earned a Masters in Economics Degree from the Australian National University. He is a Rotary Foundation Fellow and a resident of Lafayette for 33 years.