Contact our Staff
All of Community Partners' current staff are listed on this page. Please note that emails are provided, but with spaces on either side of the @ symbol. This is to reduce the amount of spam we receive. To email a Community Partners staffperson, copy the emails listed below, paste into your email software and remove the spaces.

Paul Vandeventer
President and CEO
213.346.3201
paulv @ CommunityPartners.org
Paul has spent the last 24 years working in the fields of management, planning, communications, training, and organizational development for businesses, public agencies, foundations, and public interest groups. He has advised on the management of corporate and foundation giving programs and facilitated strategy planning with executive teams and directors of business, grantmaking and community organizations. For eight years he served on the staff of the California Community Foundation, a major Southern California regional grant making institution. He left the role of executive vice president in 1990 to join the Newport Beach-based Wilson Consulting Group as a senior consultant chiefly working with management teams of small to medium-sized businesses in the home-building and commercial development fields. In 1992, the founding board of Community Partners asked Paul to lead the start-up effort that resulted in the establishment of Community Partners as a springboard for social and civic entrepreneurs, emerging groups, and community initiatives in Southern California. He taught aspects of planning in the voluntary nonprofit sector to graduate-level master’s degree candidates at the University of Southern California from 1996 to 2004. As a community volunteer, Paul chairs the board of directors of Pasadena-based Furious Theatre Company, serves on the executive committee of Coro Southern California’s board of directors, and advises the multi-disciplinary performing arts organization known as About Productions.

Pia Banez
Senior Program Assistant
213.3463213
pbanez @ CommunityPartners.org
Pia provides support to Community Partners' program team. She is a graduate of the University of California, Irvine, where she received a B.S. in Public Health Sciences. It was there that her appreciation for the nonprofit sector began to develop. After working with several collegiate and community-based organizations, she was able to travel to the Philippines and participate in a medical outreach program that served victims of natural disasters. Pia continues to gain knowledge and understanding of the nonprofit sector, as her position at Community Partners allows for constant interaction with nonprofit and philanthropic leaders across California.

Teaa Bradley
Receptionist and Administrative Assistant
213.346.3200
tbradley @ CommunityPartners.org
In addition to answering calls and greeting guests, Teaa provides administrative support to both the program staff and financial staff at Community Partners. Teaa began her nonprofit career a few years ago providing office management to an AIDS research organization. She has also participated in many charity events over the past several years, including the annual L.A. AIDS Walk and Food on Foot. When Teaa is not in the office she can often be found roaming the globe with her husband, or enjoying a good book.

Amanda Charles
Program Manager
213.346.3220
acharles @ CommunityPartners.org
Amanda provides logistical oversight for several of Community Partners’ strategic initiatives in addition to providing graphic design support for Community Partners’ communication efforts. Her background includes catering and event management experience in the public and nonprofit sectors, as well as work as a freelance graphic designer. Prior to joining Community Partners’ core staff, Amanda worked for one of Community Partners' fiscally sponsorsed projects - WriteGirl - coordinating a variety of events including monthly workshops and fundraisers. She holds a B.F.A. in communication design from Carnegie Mellon University.

Dan Clement
Senior Resource Fellow
213.346.3281
dclement @ CommunityPartners.org
Dan assists leaders of emerging projects and initiatives, as well as existing nonprofit organizations, in recruiting volunteers and placing them into service in positions that are commensurate with their skill sets and educational backgrounds. Prior to Community Partners, Dan worked for 21 years as a litigation attorney in the Sempra Energy Law Department, where he handled a wide variety of civil lawsuits involving issues of environmental, business, insurance coverage, and personal injury law. Prior to that, Dan was a litigation associate in the Los Angeles office of Sidley & Austin, and an assistant U.S. attorney for the Central District of California. Dan is currently a board member at the Colburn School in Los Angeles, and has served as a volunteer at several nonprofit organizations, including the Constitutional Rights Foundation, the Los Angeles Women's Foundation, PS #1 Elementary School, Southwestern University Law School, and the Exeter Alumni Association. Dan received law degrees from University of Pennsylvania Law School and Georgetown University Law Center, and a B.A. from Stanford University.

Bridget Hogan Cole
Senior Program Director, BCCQ and SCI
213.346.3238
bcole @ CommunityPartners.org
Bridget has a unique combination of education and experience in healthcare technology and public health administration. She comes to the Building Clinic Capacity for Quality (BCCQ) and Specialty Care Initiative (SCI) programs with more than 18 years of program leadership, project development, and technology planning and implementation experience. She has held operations, consulting, and administrative positions with community health centers, Blue Cross of California, healthcare engineering firms, Kaiser Permanente Foundation Hospitals, national independent service agencies, and divisions of the Hospital Council of Southern California. Most recently Bridget led a Los Angeles area community health center's strategic planning and health information technology effort which resulted in implementation of several technology-enabled quality improvement projects. Bridget received a B.S. in electrical engineering from the University of Vermont. Her focus was on hospital instrumentation, biomedical and clinical engineering. She received a Master’s of Public Health with a concentration in health services administration from the University of California, Los Angeles.

Maria Colon
Accounts Payable Clerk
213.346.3236
mcolon @ CommunityPartners.org
Maria assists in the finance department with accounts payable. She is currently pursuing her B.A. degree at the University of Phoenix in Business Administration. Previously, Maria worked for 21st Century Auto as a Senior New Business Underwriter Assistant for seven years. Maria joins Community Partners as a welcome change in her career. She enjoys bowling and outings with her family.

Mia Diaz
Administrative Assistant
213.346.3209
mdiaz @ CommunityPartners.org
Mia provides support to the executive team, as well as program staff. Mia has a B.A. in American studies and a minor in health science from California State University, Fullerton. Following graduation, she led a team of five students in an inner city internship called the Los Angeles Urban Project. This experience sparked a continued interest in learning about issues of poverty, homelessness, and human trafficking. She also developed and trained leaders as an intern in a campus student movement. Mia comes to Community Partners after a variety of administrative positions and global volunteer experiences, and is excited to learn more about the nonprofit sector.

Sheri Dunn Berry
Director of Programs
213.346.3212
sdunnberry @ CommunityPartners.org
Sheri’s extensive experience within the complexities of urban environments and the nonprofit sector - around public policy, knowledge-sharing, and shaping organizational effectiveness -- is uniquely suited to this newly created position. Sheri leads and oversees the success of the fiscal sponsorship program, coordinates our partnerships with grantmakers, and much more. She is the former executive director of the Los Angeles United Methodist Urban Foundation and previously served in policy and development positions at RCNO Training Center, Children Now and the Urban Strategies Council in Oakland, where she went on to become the executive director of the National Community Building Network. Sheri currently serves on the board of directors for PolicyLink and on the investment committee for the board of the California-Pacific United Methodist Foundation. She holds an undergraduate degree in public affairs from UC Berkeley and a Master's in public administration from USC.

Leslie Flores
Human Resources and Finance Assistant
213.346.3228
lflores @ CommunityPartners.org
Leslie assists in the Human Resources and Finance departments. She is a graduate from California State University, Fullerton where she received a B.A. in English and a teaching credential. Leslie taught English as a Foreign Language in El Salvador, and English as a second language to adults in the Los Angeles Unified and Hacienda-La Puente Unified School Districts before transitioning into a career in Human Resources.

Linda Fowells
Executive Vice President
213.346.3211
lfowells @ CommunityPartners.org
Linda oversees Community Partners’ programs, which provide assistance and support to nonprofit organizations, networks, and collaboratives. Linda also manages Community Partners’ technology-related program activities and speaks publicly about issues related to nonprofits and technology. Linda has many years of nonprofit management experience, including program development and planning, leadership development, financial oversight, fund development, and training. Much of her focus has been in the areas of technology, education, children’s issues, and building individual and organizational capacity. She has served as a consultant to many nonprofit and for-profit organizations, working with them on programmatic and administrative challenges and at various stages in their organization life cycles. Linda also worked in the banking industry specializing in real estate and corporate lending. She received an M.B.A. from the Anderson School of Management at University of California, Los Angeles and a B.A. from Pomona College. Her volunteer activities include serving on several boards and advisory groups.

Cynthia Freeman
Senior Program Director
213.346.3223
cfreeman @ CommunityPartners.org
Cynthia oversees a multi-million dollar portfolio of fiscal sponsorship projects, manages services for foundation clients, and leads a variety of special projects. Frequently sought for her planning experience and lively facilitation style, she also consults on governance and strategic planning for nonprofit organizations. Prior to joining Community Partners in 2006, she worked as a policy director for a trade association of community-based human service agencies. Previously, she spent seven years in the field of philanthropy, most recently at the New York Foundation, making grants to community organizing, advocacy, and start-up projects in New York City’s low-income neighborhoods. She also planned new grantmaking and technical assistance initiatives and ran a summer internship in philanthropy. Freeman has served as a consultant to numerous nonprofit organizations and to the New York City Department of Homeless Services, and began her career as a community organizer and fundraiser for a grassroots organization. She has served on the board of Interfaith Funders and the founding New York steering committee of Emerging Practitioners in Philanthropy, and recently chaired the board of Jumpstart, where she remains on the executive committee. Freeman is a graduate of Brown University and has a master’s degree in public and nonprofit management from New York University’s Wagner School of Public Service.

Joanna Galeas
Senior Program Assistant
213.346.3246
jgaleas @ CommunityPartners.org
Joanna provides critical administrative and logistical support to Community Partners’ program staff. Joanna graduated from California State University, Los Angeles with a B.A. in business administration and is eager to bridge her fascination of business with her passion for community development work. In her free time, Joanna volunteers with Peace Over Violence, a local community-based organization whose focus is the elimination of violence against women.

Judy Harper
Senior Program Director
213.346.3215
jharper @ CommunityPartners.org
Judy directs the project office for Kaiser Permanente’s Southern California Healthy Eating Active Living (HEAL) Zones initiative. This 10-site, $10 million effort to combat obesity through place-based, multi-organizational networks, aims to transform the community context for health by creating environments that make “the healthy choice the easy choice.” Judy develops and oversees peer learning programs and technical assistance support for the networks, their partners and the network facilitators. Judy also continues to manage a portfolio of fiscal sponsorship projects and identifies and develops new projects and strategic initiatives for Community Partners. Judy brings nearly 20 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, providing organizational and network development support, designing programs, and developing resources for a wide range of nonprofit initiatives. Judy previously served as associate director for the Border Philanthropy Partnership at the Synergos Institute, directed community development programs at MAAC Project’s affordable housing communities, was program officer for San Diego Dialogue’s cross-border and regional collaborative projects, and served as associate director for development at the San Diego Repertory Theatre. Judy is a founding board member of the Media Arts Center San Diego and a 2010-11 Women’s Policy Institute Fellow. She holds an M.A. in Urban Planning and Latin American Studies from the University of California, Los Angeles and a B.A. in Political Science from Occidental College. A former Fulbright Fellow in Mexico and a San Diego Rotary Club Ambassadorial Scholar in Brazil, Judy speaks fluent Spanish and Portuguese.

Priscilla Hung
Program Director
213.346.3226
phung @ CommunityPartners.org
As program director, Priscilla works on strategic initiatives and partnerships with grantmakers with an emphasis on capacity-building, peer learning, and knowledge sharing. She also manages a portfolio of fiscal sponsorship projects. Priscilla has over a decade experience in nonprofit fundraising, capacity-building, and event planning. Prior to joining Community Partners, Priscilla spent 5 years at the Grassroots Institute for Fundraising Training (GIFT), first as Co-Director and then Executive Director, as well as editor of the Grassroots Fundraising Journal, its bimonthly publication. Through GIFT, she worked with grassroots, organizing, and community-based organizations around the country to provide training, resources, and movement-building opportunities related to fundraising. Priscilla also serves as chair of the board for National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum and on the board executive committee for the National Committee for Responsive Philanthropy. She graduated from University of California, Berkeley with a dual degree in women’s studies and in peace and conflict studies.

Chris Hunt
Senior Program Associate
213.346.3245
chunt @ CommunityPartners.org
Chris provides technical assistance to community clinics involved with the Building Clinic Capacity for Quality (BCCQ) Program. He also develops quality improvement and health information technology tools and resources and provides support to other healthcare-related projects at Community Partners. Prior to joining the Community Partners team, Chris attended the University of California, Los Angeles and received a Master’s in Public Health with a concentration in healthcare management and policy. Chris also holds a B.S. in psychobiology from UCLA and has previously worked as a research associate in the biotechnology sector.

Lauren Kay
Communications Manager
213.346.3296
lkay @ CommunityPartners.org
Lauren develops and implements communications and marketing strategies for Community Partners, and supports the organization in all activities related to communications, publications, and PR. Lauren brings more than 15 years as a professional in the civic arena and philanthropic sector to her new role. She has served as Project Director for the National Network of Consultants to Grantmakers, and honed her communications expertise as Director of Communications for the California Community Foundation during a period of rapid growth and expansion in the early and mid-90’s. As a consultant, she has guided and advised numerous foundations and nonprofit organizations on public relations matters, media outreach, and strategic communications. A seasoned writer and editor, Lauren holds a degree in journalism from California State University, Northridge and started her working life as a reporter and editor with community newspapers in the Southland.

Janny Kum
Manager of Finance and Administration
213.346.3203
jkum @ CommunityPartners.org
Janny works with the finance and administration staff and assists the Vice President of Finance and Administration in matters relating to finance, human resources, technology, and office administration. Her career started in the for-profit sector with Wilshire Associates and The Walt Disney Company. Janny has since progressed to focus in the non-profit sector and has accumulated over nine years of experience in finance and administration for conflict resolution services organizations. She has a MBA from the Peter F. Drucker Graduate School of Management at Claremont Graduate School, and a Bachelor of Science degree from University of California, San Diego.

Janine Lim
Finance Analyst, Accounts Payable
213.346.3278
jlim @ CommunityPartners.org
Janine Lim supports Community Partners’ finance team as a finance analyst in accounts payable. Janine has a background in fiscal sponsorship, previously working with the Education Consortium of Central Los Angeles handling funds for projects sponsored by USC’s Neighborhood Outreach grant. She obtained a B.A. in Economics from the University of California, Santa Cruz, where she cultivated her interests in community activism and social justice. Janine is an advocate for the arts with a strong belief in the transformative power of movement.

Bekah McLean
Senior Program Assistant
213.346.3205
rmclean @ CommunityPartners.org
Bekah provides support to Community Partners' two health program offices: Building Clinic Capacity for Quality (BCCQ) and Specialty Care Initiative (SCI). Bekah comes to Community Partners from the Alzheimer's Association, where she worked as a helpline specialist and executive assistant, helping families and patients cope with the challenges associated with dementia. She has a Bachelor's degree in cultural anthropology from California State University, Fullerton, and a passion for social justice, community service, and advocacy. On her days off, Bekah can be found enjoying local fare from a hole-in-the-wall café, planning her next international getaway, or laughing endlessly with her beautiful son Gram.

Nikh Mendez
Finance Analyst, Accounts Receivable
213.346.3227
nmendez @ CommunityPartners.org
As finance analyst, Nikh is in charge of accounts receivable and ecommerce. His long-held interest in civic and community action and his background in finance makes him a well-rounded addition to the finance team. Nikh graduated from the University of California, Riverside with a B.A in political science and continues his quest for knowledge via university extension classes and at the local community college.

Sachiko Murakami
Program Associate
213.346.3214
smurakami @ CommunityPartners.org
Sachiko supports Community Partners' program team in all activities pertaining to the management, support, and training of fiscal sponsorship projects. Sachiko is a graduate of the University of Southern California, where she received a dual B.A. in comparative literature and international relations focusing on the East Asian region. It was there that she became interested in how nongovernmental organizations shape pubic policy and their importance in maintaining a consolidated democracy. Prior to Community Partners, Sachiko interned with the Pacific Council on International Policy, Assembly Member Chu, and Congresswoman Hilda Solis.

Donna Roberts
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
213.346.3202
droberts @ CommunityPartners.org
Donna oversees and directs all of Community Partners’ finance and administrative operations, drawing on her 20+ years of experience in finance and program management both in the corporate and nonprofit sectors. Starting out in the film industry, Donna served in a number of positions for Paramount Pictures, managing their theatrical exhibition and international finance divisions, with consolidated revenues of $200 million. She also established the presence of the Paramount Picture/Universal Studios joint venture in Italy, managing all aspects of developing the business. Making a jump into the nonprofit sector, Donna then became the chief financial officer for Para Los Niños, where she was instrumental in determining growth opportunities that led to a jump from $7.4 million to $21 million in revenues during her 6.5-year tenure. Following that, Donna worked as a consultant to both local and statewide nonprofits.

Ravi Shah
Program Associate
213.346.3269
rshah @ CommunityPartners.org
Ravi provides technical assistance and support to Community Partners’ fiscal sponsorship projects and strategic initiatives, and assists the organization in matters relating to communications and technology. Previously, Ravi worked for the United Nations Association of San Diego and the National Peace Corps Association in Washington DC. From 2007 to 2009, he served as a Peace Corps Volunteer teaching English to primary, secondary, and university students in Ukraine. Ravi received a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California, and a B.A. in political science from University of California, San Diego. In his free time, Ravi enjoys traveling, going to Disneyland, and rooting for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Arpiné Shakhbandaryan
Senior Program Associate
213.346.3280
ashakhbandaryan @ CommunityPartners.org
Arpiné provides technical assistance, peer learning opportunities, facilitation, and project management for the Kaiser HEAL Zone Initiative. Prior to joining Community Partners, she worked at the City of El Monte coordinating the PLACE (Policies for Livable, Active Communities and Environments) initiative funded by the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health. The program is dedicated to fostering policy change that supports the development of healthy, safe, and active environments for all community residents. Arpiné brings experience in policy and program development for healthy eating and active living initiatives, coalition building, and public sector, nonprofit, and community collaboration. She received a Master’s of Public Health and a B.A. in Biology from the University of Southern California.

Lupe Solorio
Program Director
213.346.3208
lsolorio @ CommunityPartners.org
Lupe coordinates Community Partners’ fiscal sponsorship services. She also provides project leaders with individualized technical assistance and facilitates internal and external trainings in program planning, board development, proposal writing, and evaluation. In addition to her work at Community Partners, Lupe has served as a reader for the Proposition 10 Commission, as a selection panelist for Public Allies LA, and on the steering committee for the Asian Pacific Islander American Heritage Month for the City of Los Angeles. Lupe continues to be active in the community, serving on the board of the Asian Business League. She received a dual B.A. in international relations and Spanish from the University of Southern California.