President
Heidi Simpson-Sandoval

(she/her/hers)
Associate Director, Planned Giving, Development & Communications
Doheny Eye Institute

Heidi Simpson-Sandoval leads the Planned Giving Program at Doheny Eye Institute in Pasadena. 

Heidi spent most of her career in banking, with more than 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. She held various roles on the institutional side of the business working with large corporations and nonprofit clients, before transitioning to work with High Net Worth, Ultra High Net Worth and Family office clients in private wealth management. 

Heidi earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses. She previously served a 5-year term on the Board of Directors for Los Angeles Master Chorale. Heidi currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Pasadena Literary Alliance. She is a member and volunteer for Women In Institutional Investing (WIIIN) and Los Altos Auxiliary. 

President-Elect and Legislative Chair
Danese Bardot, JD, CFRE, IPA

(she/her/hers)
Director of Gift Planning and the Madeleine Society
Providence Saint John's Health Center Foundation

Danese Bardot is a seasoned philanthropy professional, bringing over 15 years of experience in Advancement in education, medical research, and various nonprofit organizations. Currently, Danese serves on the leadership team at Providence Saint John’s Health Center Foundation leading charitable gift planning and various noncash gift opportunities that include real estate, appreciated securities, and business interests. Before joining Providence Saint John’s Health Center Foundation, she worked in philanthropic roles at Cal State LA, St. Mary’s Academy High School, Huntington Medical Research Institutes, Dr. Susan Love Research Foundation, Western Washington University, and Secondary Education, further establishing herself as a strategic and effective fundraiser. Danese holds a Juris Doctor from Syracuse University School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Management from the University of Redlands. Her qualifications also include certification as a planned giving specialist (CSPG), recognition as a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE), and designation as an Impact Philanthropy Advisor (IPA). As a volunteer with the Southern California Council of Gift Planners, Danese serves on the Board and various leadership roles that include Western Regional Planned Giving Conference Program Chair for 2024, Co-Chair for the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference in 2025, and Chair for the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference in 2026.

Immediate Past President and Treasurer
Tony Truong

(he/him/his)
Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy
Hoag Hospital Foundation

Tony Truong is a philanthropy executive with two decades of experience across healthcare, higher education, social services, and the arts. In his current role as Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Hoag Hospital Foundation, Tony leads gift planning, annual giving, prospect management & research, and campaigns. As Associate Vice President for Advancement at the University of Redlands, he helped lead the team to increase fundraising during the COVID pandemic to close a $200-million campaign. He previously served at Providence St. Jude Medical Center, UC Riverside, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, and the Contemporary Austin (formerly the Austin Museum of Art). Originally from Vietnam by way of Texas, Tony graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in communications and is a past president of Charitable Gift Planners - Inland Southern California council. He enjoys theatre, concerts, and trying new foods.

Secretary, Conference Co-Chair, Sponsorship Co-Chair
Rudy Flesher CAP®, CEPA®

(he/him/his)
Regional Director, West
National Philanthropic Trust

At National Philanthropic Trust, the nation’s largest independent sponsor of donor-advised funds, Rudy helps donors and their financial, tax, and legal advisors to maximize lifetime and legacy charitable giving. He is passionate about helping donors to leverage their best assets, often illiquid assets that few charities are equipped to accept, to fulfill their charitable intent. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he educates business owners and their advisors on building charitable planning into their business exit. Prior to joining NPT, Rudy has experience as a community foundation program officer and as a frontline fundraiser for small nonprofits.

2026-2027 Board Members

Conference Chair and Sponsorship Committee
Cris Lutz, CSPG, CAP®, IPA

(she/her/hers)
Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning
The Huntington

Cris Lutz is the Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning at The Huntington, which she joined in 2005. Prior to The Huntington, she served as Director of Individual Giving at Big Brothers Big Sisters, among other roles. Cris has served on the board of directors of the American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) and the Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners (LACGP). She earned her master's degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and bachelor's degrees in art history and social science from the University of California, Irvine. Cris is a certified specialist in planned giving (CSPG), a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP), and a certified Impact Philanthropy Advisor (IPA).

Legislative Co-Chair
Rebecca Gennaro, JD, CAP®

(she/her/hers)
Senior Philanthropic Advisor, Executive Director
Wells Fargo Trust

Rebecca L. Gennaro is a Senior Philanthropic Advisor and Executive Director with Wells Fargo Bank’s Wealth & Investment Management division. She advises individuals, families, and nonprofit organizations on charitable planning including donor-advised funds, private foundations, and estate and multigenerational strategies. Prior to Wells Fargo, Rebecca worked at UC San Diego and the American Red Cross as a planned giving specialist and earlier practiced as a trusts and estates attorney. She holds a Bachelor of Arts with honors from UC Riverside and a Juris Doctor from Pepperdine University School of Law and is a CAP® professional.

Marketing and Communications Chair
Clare Grotting, MBA, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Planned Giving Officer, Southwest
Humane World for Animals

Clare Grotting joined Humane World for Animals in 2024, where she focuses on stewarding donors in the process of setting up various planned gifts in support of programs that protect animals throughout the world.

Prior to joining Humane World for Animals, Clare worked to raise funding for medical research in the forms of major and planned gifts at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Before that, she spent 10 years in the public media industry, where she straddled community engagement, marketing and development. Clare served on the board of the San Diego Planned Giving Partnership from 2020-2024, and currently volunteers on the board of Wayword Radio, Inc., the organization behind the A Way With Words radio show and podcast.

Marketing and Communications Co-Chair
Andrea McFarling

(she/her/hers)
Philanthropy Officer of Legacy Giving
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Andrea McFarling is the Philanthropy Officer of Legacy Giving at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Since entering the field of fundraising as a student at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Andrea has accumulated more than 30 years of professional fundraising experience in the Santa Barbara area. Armed with a B.A. in Social Science and a minor in Management from UCI, Andrea’s prior experience encompasses more than 20 years in educational settings in addition to having worked with social services organizations and medical research foundations. She is a Past President of the Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Marketing and Communications Committee
Chria Hazlitt, CAP®, CSPG

(he/him/his)
Senior Planned Giving Officer
Environmental Defense Fund

Chria Hazlitt is a Senior Planned Giving Officer at Environmental Defense Fund, which he joined in 2021 after working in annual and major gifts at UCLA and Providence. Chria “fell” into fundraising as an escape from sales in the bicycling and golf industries. It turns out “do what you love” isn’t always the best advice, though he does love planned giving and EDF. He works from his home in the Westchester neighborhood of LA and when he’s not talking taxwise giving and charitable estate planning, he is raising his two daughters (15 and 19), traveling, bicycling or playing golf.

Membership Chair
Lizzie Knol, JD, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Gift Planning Officer
Caltech

Lizzie joined the Caltech Office of Gift Planning in July 2022, returning to her native Los Angeles. She received her BA in History and Sport Sociology as well as her JD from Indiana University. After experience in the fields of nonprofit legal services and university advancement and alumni relations, Lizzie began her professional development career in Annual Giving. She then moved into major gifts as the Senior Associate Director of Development for the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Lizzie is an active volunteer leader, with past board service for a women’s giving circle and her local chapter of the Indiana University Alumni Association, as well as committee service for the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers and Junior Leagues of Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

Membership Co-Chair and Program Committee
Tessa Bowman, CSPG, CFRE

Director of Planned Giving
Claremont McKenna College

Tessa leads the distinguished Planned Giving team at Claremont McKenna College. She joined CMC in 2016 and, after 10 years in Advancement Operations, successfully supporting CMC’s historic $1B campaign, Tessa moved to planned giving in 2023. Through her bachelor’s degree in legal studies from UC Santa Cruz and her career as a mortgage broker and managing a fundraising database, she has developed a deep understanding of the complexities of planned gifts through a variety of lenses. In her role as Director of Planned Giving, Tessa has advanced the college’s goal to engage alumni in the legacy process. Tessa is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) and a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE).

Membership Committee
Patrice Cablayan, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Director of Gift Planning
Occidental College, Office of Institutional Advancement

Program Chair
Abigail Oduol, MA, CFRE

(she/her/hers)
Senior Development Officer, Planned Gifts
Earthjustice

Abigail helps donors figure out their why and how to holistically connect to the mission and their values. She also helps fundraisers connect their DEI values to their day jobs through presenting and training others at places like AFP Icon, NACGP, and various podcasts. She is a contributor to Community Centric Fundraising's website and enjoys connecting the superhero universe to fundraising. 

Program Co-Chair
Rashaan Coleman, CFP®, CEPA®

Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley

As a dedicated Financial Advisor, Rashaan works with high-net-worth families to design and implement strategies aimed at preserving net worth, enhancing income, and setting long-term investment goals. Rashaan joined the Huffman Volpei Zimmerman Group in 2022 to better serve his clients with the broad capabilities and resources of a top Morgan Stanley team. Rashaan creates custom financial plans for the team’s clients to address complex needs and help them pursue their goals. Rashaan also helps the team with investment manager research/selection, portfolio construction, and asset allocation. Additionally, clients leverage Rashaan’s expertise to specifically assist with concentrated positions, charitable giving strategies, multigenerational planning, tailored lending, and cash management. Rashaan has experience providing wealth management solutions to family enterprise owners, founders, executives, physicians, fund principals, artists, and athletes.

Rashaan grew up in Lafayette, Indiana and later moved to Portage, Indiana before attending Austin Peay State University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree focused in Finance, while also starting four years for the university’s football program. Currently, Rashaan is a member of the Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners. He lives in Valencia with his wife Ilyana, where they enjoy going to their local yoga studio and spending time with friends and family.

Program Committee
Michele A. Bignardi, CFRE, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Vice President
Netzel Grigsby Associates

Michele is a senior vice president with Netzel Grigsby Associates who works with a variety of nonprofit organizations to enhance their fundraising strategies and increase the impact of their work. Michele has served as lead counsel on a number of successful feasibility studies and capital campaign projects. Michele trains and coaches both professional and volunteer fundraisers. She has been an instructor with the UCLA Fundraising Extension program. In addition to her involvement with SoCalCGP, she is on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Orange County Chapter, and the Southern California Association of Healthcare Development. Michele holds a BA from San Francisco State University.

Program Committee and Marketing and Communications Committee
Braycy L. Moran, MBA

(she/her/hers)
Director of Business Development
Cherry Bekaert Advisory LLC

Braycy Moran is the Director of Business Development for California at Cherry Bekaert, where she serves as a strategic growth leader and go-to-market (GTM) strategist focused on expanding the firm's presence across key industries and markets. In this role, Braycy partners closely with Cherry Bekaert's advisory partners and also serves as a strategic partner to the firm's nationally recognized Nonprofit Practice.

Braycy brings over 15 years of experience in the financial services and professional services industries, having held leadership roles at Wells Fargo, First Republic Bank, PNC Bank, and now Cherry Bekaert. She specializes in business development, institutional relationship management, & strategic growth initiatives, with a proven ability to translate complex financial and business concepts into practical, client-focused solutions.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts from Woodbury University and her MBA from the University of Southern California's Marshall School of Business, with a graduate certificate in Strategy and Management Consulting. Braycy serves on advisory and nonprofit boards and actively supports organizations focused on education, youth development, nonprofit advancement, and community engagement.

Program Committee
Cindy Trinn-Rorman, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Director of Development
Braille Institute

Cindy is an experienced fundraising professional with a background in healthcare and social services philanthropy. At Braille Institute, she leads the planned giving program and manages a major gifts portfolio, focusing on building meaningful relationships that drive long-term impact. Previously, she held development roles at Providence Mission Hospital and City of Hope. She holds a B.A. from Cal Poly, Pomona, and is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG).

Cindy believes philanthropy is one of the most powerful ways we can create lasting change for the communities we care about. She is especially passionate about using philanthropy to expand access, equity, and opportunity—particularly for underserved communities.

Program Committee
Amy Walling, M.A. AEP®, CAP®, CSPG

Associate Vice President for Planned Giving, Estate Administration, and Annual Giving/Digital Marketing
San Diego State University

Amy Walling is the Associate Vice President for Planned Giving, Estate Administration, and Annual Giving/Digital Marketing at San Diego State University. She previously worked at The San Diego Foundation, Rady's Children's Hospital, University of Florida, University of California San Diego and Sharp Healthcare.

Amy is a fundraising professional with over 30 years of progressive experience, including capital, comprehensive, and endowment campaigns in higher education, healthcare, and community foundations. Over the last 18 years, she has been focused on planned giving and estate administration and recently started overseeing Annual Giving/Digital Marketing; she has enjoyed the marketing of gift structures and has been exploring various A.I. technologies such as the Planned Giving Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) and A.I. emailed streamed systems; she looks to this technology to amplify and advance planned giving marketing. Previously, she oversaw Advancement Operations and spent over 17 years in the areas of prospect research, prospect management, and database management. She received the CARA Service Award in Prospect Research. Amy enjoys serving as a resource in understanding planned giving options and strategies to help folks reach their charitable goals.

Amy has the following certifications: Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG), Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), SDSU Academic Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) micro-credential.

Amy received her MA (Sharp) in Organizational Management and BA in Communications with minors in Business Management and Information Systems from Old Dominion University.

Sponsorship Chair
Emma Welch, JD, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Advisor Relations & Gift Planning Officer
California Community Foundation

Emma Welch is a Senior Planned Giving Specialist at the California Community Foundation, where she helps donors align their philanthropic goals with the most effective charitable vehicles. She works closely with professional advisors to develop customized giving strategies and supports legacy planning for donors throughout Los Angeles.

Emma holds a degree in Public Policy from Duke University, a JD from Loyola Law School, and is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) through the American Institute for Philanthropic Studies. A Los Angeles resident for 10 years, Emma is passionate about helping others make a meaningful impact in their communities.

Sponsorship Committee
Genevieve Goetz, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Director, Gift Planning
Los Angeles Philharmonic 

Genevieve Goetz received her BA in Theatre from USC where she took a class titled “Fundraising for the Arts” and has never looked back. Genevieve joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2014 and currently serves as Director of Gift Planning. Before the LA Phil, Genevieve wore many hats at Opera Santa Barbara, including Assistant Stage Manager. Genevieve finds joy in connecting donors to the mission of the LA Phil, harnessing the transformative power of live music to build community, foster intellectual and artistic growth, and nurture the creative spirit, while redefining what an orchestra can be.

Sponsorship Committee and Membership Committee
William LaBore

(he/him/his)
Planned Giving Officer
Loma Linda University Health

William is a Planned Giving Officer at Loma Linda University Health, a premier non-profit healthcare provider in the Inland Empire. Before assuming his current role, he served as a Major Gift Officer for the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University.

From 2005 to 2015, William and his family volunteered as medical mission aviation workers in Guyana, South America. They continued their service on the island of Palawan in the Philippines from 2016 to 2019. In both locations, William was responsible for project management and fundraising efforts.

William also contributed to the fundraising community as a board member of the Inland Empire chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals from 2020 to 2023. Outside of his professional commitments, he enjoys travel, hiking, golf, and pickleball.

Administrator & Event Planner
Alex Kerstner

(she/her/hers)
Group Concepts

Alex stumbled into the non-profit association management world 20+ years ago and has held various positions from administrative assistant to executive director until joining Group Concepts in 2019. She enjoys the variety and multi-tasked environment that associations bring to the table, managing projects from conception to reality, and the many personalities she works with. Born and raised in Germany, Alex’s favorite activities include enjoying the outdoors, backpacking, camping, attempting to grow a garden, and caring for a variety of pets.