Board of Directors

SCG Board of Directors

Board Officers

Carl A. Ballton, Chair
Senior Vice President & Deputy Group Head of the Corporate Social Responsibility Group of Union Bank; President and Chief Operating Officer
Union Bank Foundation

Carl A. Ballton is responsible for implementing the charitable contribution policies and initiatives of both Union Bank and the Union Bank Foundation. In 2010, Union Bank contributed more than $10 million as part of its commitment to reinvest at least 6.5 percent of assets back into the community. Grants made by the Foundation are focused primarily on community economic development, affordable housing, education and the environment.

Kafi Blumenfield, Vice Chair
President and Chief Executive Officer
Liberty Hill Foundation

Kafi Blumenfield is president and Chief Executive Officer of Liberty Hill Foundation. Since 2007 she has led the organization in its mission of bringing about change in Los Angeles through support of community and grassroots organizations. Before taking the helm at the Foundation she was involved in its LibertyVote! program, which is nonpartisan and increases turnout among low-income neighborhoods and disenfranchised groups.

William H. Ahmanson, Treasurer
President
The Ahmanson Foundation

William H. Ahmanson oversees The Ahmanson Foundation's grantmaking, which serves Los Angeles County by funding cultural projects in the arts and humanities, education at all levels, health care, programs related to homelessness and underserved populations as well as a wide range of human services. Prior to joining the Foundation, Ahmanson was in the banking industry. He also serves on the boards of several major cultural and charitable institutions.

Board Members

	Magdalena Beltrán-del Olmo Vice President of Communications The California Wellness Foundation As vice president of communications at The California Wellness Foundation, Magdalena Beltrán-del Olmo oversees all communications and public education efforts for the Foundation, which is nationally recognized in the field of philanthropy for its grants to improve the health of the people of California through education, disease prevention and other health programs. Beltrán-del Olmo has also served as director of public affairs and communications with Kaiser Permanente and vice president of the social marketing firm Coronado Communications.
	Edmund J. Cain Vice President, Grant Programs Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Edmund J. Cain oversees all domestic and international grant programming at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, including overall responsibility for the Foundation's strategic planning. Prior to joining the Foundation, he served for five years as director of The Carter Center’s Global Development Initiative. A senior member of The Carter Center’s Peace Program team, he advised President Carter on global development issues and participated in election monitoring missions.
	Wendy Garen President and Chief Executive Officer The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation Wendy Garen became president and chief executive officer of The Ralph M. Parsons Foundation in 2008, after working for the Foundation in increasing levels of responsibility for more than 20 years. She was a founding staff member of the nonprofit Crystal Stairs and headed the Los Angeles Child Care and Development Council. Garen is a member of the Philanthropy Leadership Group, The Trusteeship and serves on the California advisory board of the Milken Institute.
	Melissa Harman Partner, Moss Adams, LLP Senior Partner, Moss Adams Foundation Melissa Harman has been in public accounting since 1998. She provides professional services to a wide variety of nonprofits, primarily institutions of higher education, private foundations and other nonprofit organizations. Harman is the national not-for-profit practice leader for Moss Adams LLP.
	R. Christine Hershey President and Founder Hershey\|Cause Individual philanthropist R. Christine Hershey is the founder and catalyst for Hershey\|Cause, guiding its overall strategic and creative vision. She consults regularly with CEOs and senior executives throughout the country, advising on positioning, identity and strategy. Her experience in both the corporate and philanthropic sectors includes such Fortune 500 companies as Disney, Wells Fargo and AT&T (Cingular) as well as the World Health Organization, the Institute of Medicine and The Nature Conservancy.
	Cathy Hession President and Executive Director The Carol and James Collins Foundation Cathy Hession is president and executive director of The Carol and James Collins Foundation, where she has served since 1998. The Foundation is a family foundation that does grantmaking in Los Angeles County in a variety of areas, with a special interest in education and youth services.
	Debbie Ives Vice President and Treasurer Weingart Foundation Debbie Ives joined the Weingart Foundation in 2002 with more than 22 years of nonprofit financial management experience. Prior to accepting the position of vice president and treasurer at the Foundation, Ives worked at the Greater Los Angeles Zoo Association, starting as vice president of finance and administration in 1992, and becoming the Association’s president in 2001.
	Rachel Levin Executive Director Righteous Persons Foundation Rachel Levin is executive director of the Righteous Persons Foundation, which she helped establish with Steven Spielberg in 1994. The Foundation has made grants totaling almost $75 million to strengthen and revitalize Jewish life in the United States as well as the Foundation's recent Fund for Co-Existence. Previously, she worked in the California political scene. Levin is also a co-founder of Reboot and Joshua Venture: A fellowship for Jewish Social Entrepreneurs.
	Deidre Lind Director, Corporate Affairs and Executive Director Mattel Children's Foundation Deidre Lind is director, corporate affairs and executive director, Mattel Children's Foundation for Mattel, Inc.--responsible for leading Mattel's global sustainability programs and philanthropic presence nationally and internationally in support of building Mattel's reputation as a responsible corporate citizen. Previously she served as Kaiser Permanente’s California Division associate director for government and community relations and worked on social policy for the chief of staff to Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan.
	Sylia Obagi Director of Operations The Annenberg Foundation Sylia Obagi serves as the director of operations for the Annenberg Foundation, one of the largest private family foundations in the United States. In her role as director of operations, her portfolio of responsibilities includes overseeing the Foundation’s Los Angeles program staff and strategic grantmaking, capacity building initiatives, finance, information technology, operations and business administration, human resources and the new Annenberg Space for Photography.
	Mary Odell President UniHealth Foundation Mary Odell is president of the UniHealth Foundation. Established in 1998, the UniHealth Foundation is a private health care foundation that aims to support activities that significantly improve the health and well being of individuals and communities in Southern California. Prior to joining UniHealth, Ms. Odell served for eight years as president of The Riordan Foundation and its associated public foundation, Rx for Reading.
	Hugh J. Ralston President and Chief Executive Officer Ventura County Community Foundation Hugh Ralston serves as president and chief executive officer of the Ventura County Community Foundation, and brings extensive nonprofit and private sector experience to his leadership role. Ralston serves on the Boards of the San Francisco Theological Seminary, Scripps College, the Community Arts Music Association in Santa Barbara, the Workforce Investment Board of Ventura County, the Community Foundations National Standards Board and as treasurer of the League of California Community Foundations.
	Trent Stamp Executive Director The Eisner Foundation Trent Stamp joined The Eisner Foundation as executive director in 2008. In that role, he directs and manages all aspects of the Foundation's operations and represents the organization externally to various community audiences. Prior to joining The Eisner Foundation, Stamp was the founding president of Charity Navigator. Earlier in his career he served as vice-president, communications for the national nonprofit Teach For America.