June 2020
Leaders in the Field
Orange County United Way announced that with generous donations from Orange County community members and a $500k dollar-for-dollar match by The Lyons-Smith Family Foundation , the ‘OC Family to Family’ Campaign goal of $1M has been met!

Dedicated solely to homelessness prevention efforts, one hundred percent of the
$1 Million raised will directly help 2,000 Orange County families on the brink of homelessness due to COVID-19 job loss or reduced income. Each family will receive a $500 emergency Bank of America debit card to help with rent, utilities, food, and other basic needs during the pandemic.

Click to learn more here . 
Congratulations to Nicole Suydam, President and CEO of Goodwill Orange County who was honored by the Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce at its annual Difference Makers award ceremony. Nicole was named a 2020 Difference Maker as the
Nonprofit Leader of the Year.

Watch the complete program  here .

Nicole was in the 2010 Executive Learning Group and coached in the 2010 Executive Coaching Program .
Kudos to Dawn Reese , Chief Executive Officer of
 The Wooden Floor, who t ogether with their foundation and corporate supporters, distributed over 220 laptops to their students to continue their virtual summer programming. They also have the distinction that for the 16th year in a row, all high school seniors in their program will be attending college. Great work!

Dawn is a coach with our Executive Coaching Program and many of her staff have participated in all aspects of the Network!
Congratulations to our very own Board Member, Sophie Cripe, for receiving the Presidents Award by the Girl Scouts of Orange County.

In addition to this clever sign delivered to her home, she received a bag with wine, cheese and snacks. A virtual Zoom reception was held the next day. What a creative way to be recognized!
Hats off to Jeff Ahlberg, Executive Director of My Safe Harbor and his staff for finding innovative ways to honor their volunteers during COVID-19! This year they will be holding a Taco Tuesday in their parking lot. Volunteers will be served tacos and churros in their cars and receive a goody bag with stickers, activities, an art project and a t-shirt to say thank you for all they do. During the event they can tune into an FM station where they will be broadcasting games, trivia, and short volunteer testimonies.

Jeff was a participant in our 2019 Executive Learning Group .
Best wishes to Nadia Flores, who joined Nuvision Credit Union as its Assistant Vice President of Community Engagement. In her capacity, she will identify key stake holders and strengthen brand awareness within the communities they serve. Specific programs will include creating and delivering financial literacy, giving back to core groups such as first responders, veterans, and non-profit organizations.

Nadia participated in our 2012 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and was a Coachee in our 2013 Executive Coaching Program.
Shout out to Erik Rees! Erik is the founder of the Jessie Rees Foundation: Never Ever Give Up! who recently sat down with Dr. Bart Asner, Executive VP of Optum to virtually chat about Corporate Culture and how social responsibility plays a part in his organization. To see the entire interview, click here.

Erik participated in our 2016 Executive Learning Group.
Join us in congratulating Wise Plac e CEO, Brateil Aghasi , who was selected as an honoree by the  Santa Ana Chamber of Commerce  of Commerce at the 10th Annual “Difference Makers” virtual Celebration, which recognizes the people helping build a better Santa Ana and OC community for vulnerable populations.

Brateil participated in our 2013 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and is a trained Creative Encounters by Fieldstone facilitator.
Great things are happening at Second Harvest Food Bank ! The Living FarmStand is an innovative partnership between Second Harvest and  Alegría Fresh , a pioneer in regenerative, zero-waste urban farming and is brought to life in collaboration with their partners at Bank of America.

For the complete Voice of OC article, click here.
Casa Youth Shelter has expanded their services by offering free online parenting classes and case management. For more information, click here.

The organization has beds available for youth ages 12-17 who need shelter, and counseling services for anyone in need.

Amy Lakin, Executive Director, participated in our 2018 Executive Learning Group.
Read these powerful words by Innovative Housing Opportunities President & CEO Rochelle Mills, who was featured in Bisnow's In Their Own Words: Black CRE Professionals On Racism, Protests And Accountability answering the question, "What are you feeling in this moment?"

For the complete article, please click here.

Rochelle was a participant in the 2019 Executive Learning Group and is currently being coached in our Executive Coaching Program.
Great job, Billy O'Connell , Executive Director of Colette's Children's Home ! On June 20th the organization hosted a drive-thru food give-away to provide food and supplies to those in need throughout the community.

To read the complete article in the Daily Pilot, click here .

Billy participated in the 2012 Executive Learning Group
Collaboration at its finest! Early Childhood OC , CHOC Children's , Be Well Orange County , Early Childhood Mental Health Collaborative and Extraordinary Lives Foundation came together on June 24 to present Reducing Fear and Anxiety in Children in Challenging Times .

For a recording of the presentation, click here .
Kudos to Megan Klink, Executive Director of Susan G Komen Orange County for getting the word out that you can't let fear of COVID be a reason to avoid getting a mammogram. For the complete commentary in the Daily Pilot, click here .

Megan participated in our 2011 Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and 2019 Executive Learning Group.
Thank you to Orange County United Way for assisting in the 2020 Census. It is so much more than counting all Californians! The census helps policymakers make funding decisions, businesses make crucial hiring decisions, and researchers conduct new projects. We need everyone to be counted so no one is left behind.

To fill yours out, click here.

Leaders in the Field  is a monthly communication highlighting Fieldstone Leadership Network members and their
achievements in the community.

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If you would like to share a personal or organizational accomplishment
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