She’s guided the organization to record revenue and its greatest impact in more than 55 years, strengthening prevention-focused programs, expanding transformative community partnerships, and supporting more than 1,500 youth and families each year. Before taking on this role, she served as chief operating officer of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Orange County and the Inland Empire and helped triple the organization’s revenue, expanded services to more than 4,000 youth annually, and increased grant funding by more than 50 percent. She’s also served as a board member and Diversity Committee co-chair for the Association of Fundraising Professionals Orange County and contributed to the Orange County Grantmakers Summit Committee.
Are there particular strategies that have helped you accomplish your goals?
Investing in my people first and always. At Project Youth OC, I spend time truly understanding my leadership team. When there’s trust and alignment, we move faster and make better decisions. Everything else builds from that foundation.
How do you approach risk and uncertainty now versus earlier in your career?
In nonprofit leadership, risk is real financially, ethically, and for the youth and families we serve at PYOC. Earlier in my career, uncertainty felt like failure. Now I see it as part of leadership. I’m more thoughtful, less reactive, and more confident in trusting my instincts. I’ve realized that clarity can come after you move forward, not always before.
What have you learned about navigating challenges?
I’ve learned that challenges are just life doing its thing. There’s no “everything will be fine once we get through this!” In nonprofit work, challenges are often signals, not failures. I’m learning not to treat every moment like the sky is falling, but to slow down, get curious, and strengthen what needs fixing so broken patterns don’t repeat.
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