Our Team
Committed to
a Vibrant Future
President/CEO
Gary Byrne
Gary has over 30 years of nonprofit development and management experience. A native of Dublin, Ireland, he now lives on the central coast with his wife and two children. He enjoys spending time with his grandchildren, traveling (local and afar), skiing, and hiking.
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Director of Finance and 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.
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Director of Community Outreach and Operations
Shawna Picha-Freitas
Shawna is a lifelong resident of San Benito County and loves spending time with her husband and their two awesome sons. She joins us with a Master's Degree in Human Resource Management and Organizational Development as well as over a decade of experience in administrative leadership. Shawna is thrilled to continue making a difference in the community through the works of the Foundation.
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Executive Assistant
Meg McCullough
Meg is a previous Community Foundation staff member that has decided to rejoin us again, bringing her previous knowledge and all she gained from working at the San Benito County Court House.
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Epicenter Manager
Carly Zanger
Carly is a proud Hollister local that grew up in a big family with four brothers. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree in Media Communications at St. John’s University in New York and is eager to bring back what she’s learned to her hometown. Fun fact: In her spare time, you can often find Carly at the beach.
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Community Relations Manager
Nikita Vora Johnson
Nikita is a new resident of Hollister from sunny Arizona, and adores living in our friendly, cute town. She received her Bachelor of Science in Sociology from Arizona State University. She enjoys reading, writing, and spending time all over the Central Coast with her husband Stephen and their dog Dexter.
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Community Foundation Epicenter Receptionist
Kahea Gonsalvez
Originally from the Bay Area, Kahea moved to Hollister in 2011 and is proud to have raised her daughter in such a beautiful community. She was a caregiver for local veterans and is an active member of Hollister Elks Lodge.
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Community Foundation Epicenter Receptionist
Gloria Alvidrez
Born and raised in Hollister, Gloria attended school in San Benito County and graduated Class of '85. After a long career in customer service and caretaking, she is a wonderful addition to the Community Foundation! In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her son, cooking, and appreciating art.
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Our Board of Directors
Dedicated to Serving
San Benito County
Business Owner, Hollister Super
Chang So, Chair
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.”
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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.
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Retired Business Owner, Redmond Transportation
Brent Redmond, Vice Chair
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.
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Retired Business Owner, True Value Hardware
Fernando Gonzalez, Past Chair
A lifelong resident having served on the city council and many other boards, Fernando is a business owner and respected community leader.
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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.
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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.
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Business Banking
Phil Fortino
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 a mother of three, and has lived in San Juan Bautista since 1982. Beverley is very involved in community services throughout San Benito County, and her professional background has been a major benefit to our Women’s Fund and National Philanthropy Day Committees for many years.
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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 as a former founding member of 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.
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Attorney, Farmer
Bill Tiffany
Bill has dedicated over 40 years of service as an attorney and business owner through his Law Firm, Balbas and Tiffany. He is a father (and grandfather,) of 3, has lived in Hollister since 1956, and has spent many years as an active community member and volunteer for San Benito County.
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Retired Educator
Jose Zepeda
Jose has dedicated over 40 years of service as an educator, including teaching at Hollister Elementary and High Schools, Assistant Principal and Principal at Gilroy Unified School District, and Migrant Coordinator for San Benito County. He has developed award recognition for both his student and parent educational programs. He has lived in Hollister since 1978 and has spent many years as an active community member and volunteer for San Benito County.
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Retired School Teacher
Gerry Wright
Gerry grew up in rural California then spent 35 years in public education as a teacher of primary grades, a reading specialist and a school administrator. She moved to Hollister in 2009 after her retirement. Besides being Dave’s wife, she has attended the CFFSBC Leadership Training Program and started volunteering in the county. Over the years, she did 10 years of volunteer tax preparation for AARP members, volunteered for Farm Bureau events, Library Committee, Saddle Horse and Rodeo Parade, and a grant reader for SFFSBC. She is an avid traveler and worked with teachers in Indonesia and Japan.
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Retired Public Servant, Small Business Owner
Margie Barrios
I’ve called San Benito County my home for almost 60 years. My husband Ed and I raised our three children in Hollister and now are proud grandparents of three. I served on the Hollister School Board District Board of Trustees for over 20 years and on the San Benito County Board of Supervisors for 8 years, It has been an honor to serve my community in the company of many others in numerous organizations including YMCA, 1st 5, Behavioral Health, and Homeless Coalition. Regionally I currently serve on the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.
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Retired Engineer
Larry Barr
After 43 years with Pacific Scientific, Larry is now retired. As an active member of Hollister Rotary for nearly 30 years, he also served as President. Larry served as President of the Hazel Hawkins Hospital Foundation, the San Benito County Business Council as well as the Community Food Bank of San Benito County.
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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 Schwabacher - 2011 - 2020
Chris Breen - 2015-2020
Marilyn Ferreira - 2007-2022
Kathleen Sheridan - 2020-2024