Board of Directors
JOSH DRISKELL
Board Chair, Primuth & Driskell. LLP CARLA BUIGUES Board Vice Chair, The Agency SUSAN PRADO Acting Secretary, Community Volunteer MANUEL CARMONA Treasurer, City of Pasadena Department of Public Health DR. HEATHER BACKSTRON Chair, Programs CEO, Backstrom Leadership Strategies FELICIA FRIESEMA Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Foothill Transit MELISSA GERSH Chair, Marketing and Communications Melissa Radke Gersh Innovative Marketing |
PHYLLIS LYNES Chair, Board Development Retired Asst General Manager, City of Los Angeles US Army Veteran and Reservist/ DAR Regent KIM MILLER-ANDERSON Chair, Veterans Services MSK Consulting Services ALAN ROMERO Chair, Alumni Services Romero Law, APC KRISTEN SCHWARZ, Partner, DBS Law Group, APC MARY SPELLMAN Co-Chair, Strategic Planning Executive Director, The Fletcher Jones Foundation PATTI TRAGLIO Chair, Recruitment Inspirus/Sodexo USA |
Advisory Council
GREG APODACA
CEO and Vision Holder, Community 2.0 WILLIAM BOGAARD Former Mayor (1999-2015), City of Pasadena GEORGE BRUMDER VP, Past President, Pasadena Education Foundation COREY CASTILLO, Ed. D. Director of Business Development and Operations United Way Los Angeles TOM COSTON President, Light Bringer Project ANN ERDMAN Public Information Officer (retired), City of Pasadena SETA KHAJARIAN, Ph.D. Faculty, Woodbury University and Educational Consultant Additional Support...
![]() Carolina Caro is Leadership Pasadena's Leadership Coach and Program Facilitator for the 8-month Leadership Pasadena program. Carolina is Founder of Core Centered Leadership, specializing in developing conscious leaders and mindful workplaces through a lens that cultivates potential, enhances engagement and celebrates diversity and inclusion to achieve results that benefit the collective good.www.carolinacaro.com/
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CYNTHIA KURTZ COO, LA River Revitalizatin Corp/RiverLA KATHLEEN O'SULLIVAN CEO, KShift MARTHA SHENKENBERG Kaiser Permanente TOM SELINSKE Co-Founder, Focus Out/Business Consultant and Educator GORDON SQUIRES Director of IPAC Communications, Caltech/JPL CHIEF BERTRAL WASHINGTON Pasadena Fire Department ![]() Cynthia Bengtson is the Executive Management Consultant for Leadership Pasadena. Cindy is retired from a management role at ARCO/BP and has a long history of grass roots non-profit work starting in 1979 when she created Big Sisters of Los Angles, now merged with Big Brothers of Los Angeles www.bbbsla.org
Cindy has served on various Boards and volunteered for many non-profits as well as run local political races. She currently volunteers with Leadership Pasadena and the Los Altos Auxiliary for Hathaway-Sycamores. |

Lisa Raggio is a non-profit executive strategist serving as the Executive Director of Wellness Works for Veterans and Program Consultant for Veterans Services with Leadership Pasadena. She is the Chair and co-founder of the Veterans Coalition of Glendale and the Verdugos (VCGV); a member of the Veterans Advisory Committee for Congress member Cardenas of the 29th district; the Community College Student Veterans Advisory Committee under Intelecom Learning; the YWCA Regional Advocacy Council and is co-chair of Glendale’s first collective impact initiative, We Own the Health of the Community. In addition, she is the co-founder of the Veterans Education Assistance Fund for student Veterans at Glendale Community and Pasadena City Colleges and College of the Canyons. Raggio is honored to have been awarded the Business Life Women Achievers Award in 2017 for her work advocating for Veterans; the national YWCA USA Advocacy Award; and lastly, was a VIP guest of the White House and First Lady Obama for a “Champions of Change" event representing the national YWCA.
Leadership Pasadena Training Team
Our thanks to these talented Leadership Pasadena alumni and community leaders who donate their time and skill to provide community leadership training to city organizations and other non-profit groups.
Dr. Heather Backstrom, Backstrom Leadership Strategies
Tom Coston, President, Light Bringer Project
Mic Hansen, Community Leader and Preservationist
Kat O’Sullivan, CEO KShift/People Strategist
Tom Selinske, Business Instructor; Co-Founder, FocusOut
Leslie Swanson, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach
Kate Walters, President, Human Capital Consulting
Dr. Heather Backstrom, Backstrom Leadership Strategies
Tom Coston, President, Light Bringer Project
Mic Hansen, Community Leader and Preservationist
Kat O’Sullivan, CEO KShift/People Strategist
Tom Selinske, Business Instructor; Co-Founder, FocusOut
Leslie Swanson, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach
Kate Walters, President, Human Capital Consulting