Fred Samulon, PhD
Management Consultant Executive Service CorpsBoard President
For more than eight years Alfred Samulon has been a management consultant for non-profits. Prior to focusing on the non-profit sector, he was a Vice President of Citigroup with responsibilities including new technology development, worldwide support of Citibank’s ATMs, quality, and information security. Before going to Citi he was a section manager at TRW responsible for signal processing. Mr. Samulon currently serves as president of the El Nido board of directors, as chair of the Los Angeles County Community Action Board, as vice chair of the Los Angeles County Information Systems Commission, as a member of the board of Chamber Music Palisades, as an arbitrator for the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, and as an advisor to the Information Systems Security Association of Los Angeles. In the past he served on the board of the Executive Service Corps and as president of the board of the Epilepsy Foundation of Greater Los Angeles. For two years he taught a UCLA Extension course on Multimedia Data Compression. Samulon is co-author of 4 patents. He holds a B.S. and Ph.D from UC Berkeley and a Masters from Stanford University, all in electrical engineering. He is married and has two adult children.
Paul Doucette, MBA
Management Consultant, Doucette Corporation Executive Service CorpsVice President
President of $250 million distribution and manufacturing divisions for 9 years. Results-oriented manager who led employees to consistently exceed the company’s EBIT, ROI, and sales goals. This was accomplished while continuously improving customer satisfaction. Managed distribution, manufacturing, and startup businesses. Developed high-producing, empowered employees who maximized their potential while improving the company’s results. An innovative leader, strategic planner, teacher, and motivator who utilized the controlled-profitable-growth process to enhance shareholders’ equity.
Edith Eddleman-Robinson, LCSW, BCD
Retired, Health Care-Administrator, Southern California Permanente Med GroupVice President
Edith Eddleman-Robinson received her Masters of Social Welfare from UCLA. She has served as a social worker assisting individuals and families since 1965. Her last position was as Director of the Department of Social Medicine at Southern California Permanente Medical Group. In the past, she has served on the Board of Directors for the American Lung Association and South Bay Lutheran School. She joined the El Nido Board of Directors in May of 2008.
John Abel
Retired Business Executive, Unocal CorporationBoard Secretary
Retired Director of Investor Relations and former Assistant Corporate Secretary for Unocal Corporation, John has been among El Nido’s volunteer leaders since joining El Nido’s Board of Directors in 1986. Over the past two decades, John has played every major role on the Board, from President and Treasurer, to selecting and training new Board members, and setting an example as a major donor. John has worked tirelessly in recruiting highly diverse new Board members, who represent El Nido’s varied constituencies and in whom clients can see themselves, encouraging youth and families to imagine how they too may benefit others. He has also been supportive of programs and clients directly, regularly attending Parent Education graduation ceremonies and scholarship luncheons, as well as guiding at-risk youth on hiking tours through the Santa Monica Mountains. John holds degrees in both Engineering and Business from Stanford University and served in the Korean War. In his spare time, John enjoys spending time with family, especially his daughter, son and two young grandchildren.
Stuart Berton, Esq.
Entertainment Industry LawyerTreasurer
Formerly a lawyer with Bank of America in San Francisco, began his career as an entertainment lawyer with Mitchell, Silberberg & Knupp, then ran business affairs for Playboy’s film and television arm before joining Warner Bros. legal department. He returned to private practice and became chairman of the Entertainment Law Dept. at the boutique firm of Hayes & Hume, then opened his own firm in 1984 which he’s maintained since then except for a six year period when he was partnered in the firm of Berton & Donaldson. Still involved in the private practice of entertainment law, he has also embarked on a new career as a film and television writer and producer. Charitable endeavors have included stints on the John Anson Ford Theater Foundation board and as chairman of the boards of the Back Alley Theatre in Van Nuys and the Celebrity Outreach Foundation. He is currently on the board of Cornerstone Theater Company in Los Angeles. He’s married to Susan Schwarz, a partner in SDB Partners, Inc., a talent agency, and they have one daughter, Kate, who will receive her Master’s in Clinical Psychology and is an MFT intern at the Maple Counseling Center.
Bill Canup
Public Affairs/Communications ConsultantBoard Member
Bill worked as a print journalist in Los Angeles, press secretary for a Los Angeles city councilman, chief of staff for a county supervisor and as a senior executive for government relations at an international for-profit hospital firm, a national trade association and a major West Coast public affairs counseling firm. He has designed and managed professional lobbying campaigns and supportive public communications outreaches in 38 state capitals and Washington, D.C.
He served on and chaired a number of state and national corporate-government committees and task forces that worked on health care and public safety matters, receiving several awards and honors for leadership in fostering private-public sector partnerships to cooperatively address major public policy issues.
When his daughter, now a children's social worker for the county, started her career as a case manager at El Nido, he learned that the agency had no political relationships despite its long history. He volunteered to create and help implement its first informational/educational outreach to targeted elected officials, leading to his term on El Nido’s advisory board before moving up to the board of directors. He also serves on the executive committee for the annual Bollens-Reis-Hoffenerg Lecture on Government and Politics at UCLA and was on the board of the L.A. chapter of the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation. His son is an investment banker in Los Angeles.
Audra Collier, MA
Public Safety Communications Operator/USCBoard Member
Audra Collier is a native of Los Angeles and a former client of El Nido. She received her M.A. in Sociology from California State University Dominguez Hills in 2005 and currently works at the University of Southern California. She is presently pursuing her Ph.D. in Public Administration at USC. She joined the El Nido Board of Directors in September of 2009.
Bruce Eddy, CPA
Vice President Tax, NBC / UniversalBoard Member
Bruce Eddy is the Vice President of Tax at NBCUniversal and primarily focuses on tax issues related to the operations of Universal Studios. Bruce joined the El Nido Board in February 2009 and is a member of the Finance Committee and the Chair of the Scholarship Committee. Bruce is a Chartered Accountant in Ontario Canada and a CPA in the District of Columbia. Bruce and his partner Randy Hirt live in Venice, CA with their two foster children.
Dan Ezra, BS
LA Metro Customer Service Manager, Wells FargoBoard Member
Dan Ezra received his B.S. in Business Administration from Chapman University in Orange, California. He began his career with Wells Fargo in 1989 and today he serves as a Vice President. He joined the El Nido Board of Directors in September of 2006.
Bianca L. Guzman, PhD
Psychologist and Asst. Professor of Chicano Studies California State University Los AngelesBoard Member
Dr. Bianca L. Guzmán is a psychologist and assistant professor of Chicano Studies. She received her doctoral degree from Michigan State University in Ecological Community Psychology. For over 20 years she has been working in the field of health promotion and is a leading authority in the study of teenage sexuality. Since 1987 she and her colleague have been running a non-profit organization called Choices that provides teenage pregnancy prevention and safer sex education to primarily Latino youth. She has written numerous empirical articles that have been published in peer reviewed journals, and she has also co-written/edited a book entitled “Latina Girls: Voices of Adolescent Health in the U.S.” published by New York University Press in 2006. Dr. Guzmán has many more accolades that she is proud of, however what she is most proud of is being the mother of two young daughters.
Allan C. Jones, DDS
Private PracticeBoard Member
Allan Jones joined the El Nido Board of Directors in September 2003.
Mindy Lamont, MBA
Vice President Wealth Management Services, One Capital Management, LLC
Board Member
Offering a rare blend of corporate management experience and entrepreneurial thinking, Mindy Lamont has met with much success in her career. Recently, after eleven years with AXA Advisors, she joined One Capital Management, LLC as Vice President, Wealth Management Services. Mindy first came to Los Angeles while attending California State University, Northridge, and continued her education by earning an MBA from Pepperdine University's Graziadio School of Business and Management. A big believer in the value of education, Mindy actively supports philanthropic organizations focused on educating today's children. She currently serves on the Southwestern Board of Operation Hope, and the Boards of the Dubnoff Center for Child Development and El Nido Family Centers.
"We are very excited about this year's event and the highlight it will give to the creative programs El Nido's clients engage in. As in the past, the event will serve as a window seat to the good work El Nido does for the families of Los Angeles."
Cecilia Menjivar
EHS Policy Council Member Elementary Education Teachers' AssistantBoard Member
Cecilia Menjivar is the single parent of a child currently enrolled in Early Head Start and serves on the Policy Council. She has worked for 15 years in elementary education as a teacher’s assistant for Pre-K; this last year she has worked in Pre-K special education. Even though she is currently attending college to become an R.N., Cecilia is an active participant at all levels of the EHS program. Cecilia says that she loves the El Nido EHS program because she has seen her daughter’s social skills and development really blossom since her enrollment. She joined the El Nido Board of Directors in July of 2010.
Deborah M. Pratt
CEO, Pratt EnterprisesBoard Member
Deborah M. Pratt is a Director/Writer/ Producer and Author of The Vision Quest Science-Fantasy Trilogy of books. Deborah was Co-Executive Producer and head writer of the award winning, Sci-Fi hit, “Quantum Leap”. Executive producer for The Net for USA Network. She Directed of Cora Unashamed for Masterpiece Theater. She is also Author of “Inner Knowings” and “Visionary: Being One”. Writer, Director/Producer for the upcoming Web Series “Warrior One” and in development with her passion feature film, historical epic, Chevalier & Antoinette. Deborah is a single mother of two living in California and donating her time to El Nido Charities and through her work, the advancement of humanity.
Monica Rogan, MBA
Owner and Project Manager, Indie Management, Historic Renovations
Board Member
Monica Rogan is the principal and founder of Indie Management, a project management firm specializing in historical renovations and construction of commercial and residential properties. Prior to founding Indie Management, Monica’s Real Estate Development experience includes eco-hotels in Central America, public schools throughout Southern California and portfolio management of various West Coast commercial properties for a private equity firm. Monica holds an MBA from Pepperdine University, a BS in Integrated Science and Technology from James Madison University and studied Spanish at the University of Malaga in Spain.
Kathryn Scott
Area Director, SFV, CitibankBoard Member
In March of 2011, Kathy celebrated 20 years with Citibank. She began her career in Retail Banking as a part time Teller, while working towards a Liberal Studies Degree in College. In 2002, Kathy was promoted to an Area Director with responsibility for 12 branches during the Citi/ Cal Fed acquisition. In 2008, her territory was expanded to 20 branches which now totals over $2.6B in AUMs. Kathy is a 4 time Annual Citistar’s winner and was recognized once as a Branch Manager, once as an Area Operations Director and twice as an Area Director. Kathy is very involved in the communities that she manages and she volunteers with Habitat for Humanity and Junior Achievement. Kathy is on the Board of Directors for El Nido Family centers for over 3 years. El Nido is an important community partner of Citibank. Kathy is married and a mother of 3, who enjoys spending her remaining free time at the soccer fields, cheering on her children, Kylie, Justin and Taylor.
Jeff Thomas, CPA
Senior Manager, Grant Thornton
Board Member
On May 28, Jeff. Thomas, a senior manager at Grant Thornton, joined the El Nido Board of Directors. In his 10 years of audit experience, Jeff has managed engagements in the engineering and construction, retail, technology, not-for-profit, higher education and the healthcare sectors. Prior to joining Grant Thornton, Jeff was a Senior Manager with PriceWaterhouseCoopers where he spent the first 9 years of his career. Jeff’s clients have included Parsons Corporation, idealab, Cherokee, Inc., Select Staffing, Screen Actors Guild, Jewish Community Foundation, Norton Simon Museum of Art at Pasadena, University of Southern California, University of Judaism, Columbia University, New York University, Institute for International Education, Hackensack University Medical Center and Health Quest.
Jeff is a licensed CPA in the states of California, New York, New Jersey and Utah. In addition to being a member of the AICPA, he is also a member of the California Society of Certified Public Accountants (CalCPA), the New York State Society of Certified Public Accountants (NYSSCPA), and the Healthcare Financial Management Association (HFMA). He has a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Southern California.
Why I decided to volunteer to serve on the Board: “I was approached by Fred Samulon after a recommendation from a trusted business colleague and was hooked from the beginning. The vision and mission is so crucial in our world today and my wife and I strongly support and believe in the programs offered by El Nido. I am both happy and excited to be involved and help further the mission of El Nido."
Eugene Tuch, CPA
Retired CFO, Management Consultant, Executive Service CorpsBoard Member
Mr. Tuch has spent the last fifteen years involved with nonprofits as a volunteer consultant and financial officer. Prior to this, he spent thirty five years as a financial officer with corporations and as a CPA. In addition, he served on various nonprofit boards as President of three organizations: Rutgers Alumni Federation, Los Angeles Chapter of Financial Executives International and a NJCPA Chapter. He currently serves on the board of Amigos de los Rios and a volunteer at LACMA.
Itelia Walker, BS
Owner, Printing Alternatives
Board Member
Itelia Walker earned her B.S. in Education from the University of Maryland. Since moving to California she has worked with various organizations for the benefit of mothers and children, is a past president of the Carson Women’s Club and served on the Board of Directors of Peace and Joy, Shelter for Women and Children of Domestic Violence. She is a native of Virginia, wife and a mother of two daughters and grandmother to four children. She joined the El Nido Board of Directors in September of 2009.
Board Advisors