Board of Directors
JOSH DRISKELL
Board Chair, Primuth & Driskell. LLP CARLA BUIGUES Board Co-Vice Chair, The Agency MARY SPELLMAN Board Co-Vice Chair, The Fletcher Jones Foundation KRISTEN SCHWARZ, Board Secretary, DBS Law Group, APC MANUEL CARMONA Board Treasurer, City of Pasadena Department of Public Health DR. HEATHER BACKSTROM Chair, Programs Backstrom Leadership Strategies COREY CASTILLO, Ed. D. United Way Los Angeles PHYLLIS LYNES Chair, Board Development Retired Asst General Manager, City of Los Angeles US Army Veteran and Reservist/ DAR Regent |
NATHAN GRAESER, MDiv, LCSW, DSW
Chair, Veterans Services Occidental College ALAN ROMERO Romero Law, APC PATTI TRAGLIO Co-Chair, Recruitment Inspirus/Sodexo USA LOUIS TERAN Co-Chair, Recruitment SLC Law Group Appointed Positions: Liz Jackman, Co-Chair, Alumni Relations Caltech Y Veronica Francis, Co-Chair Alumni Relations Calleton, Merritt, De Francisco & Bannon, LLP Susan Prado, Historian Community Volunteer |
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 TOM COSTON President, Light Bringer Project ANN ERDMAN Public Information Officer (retired), City of Pasadena SETA KHAJARIAN, Ph.D. Faculty, Pepperdine University and Educational Consultant |
CYNTHIA KURTZ
Special Advisor, Management Partners 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 |
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. She is a sought after coach and key note speaker across the country as well as a contributor on Forbes Coaches Council. www.carolinacaro.com/
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![]() 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 over her 40 year volunteer career. She currently volunteers with Leadership Pasadena, Los Altos Auxiliary for Hathaway-Sycamores and Professional Child Development Associates. |
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
Leslie Swanson, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach
Harold "Doc" Martin, Ed. D., US Army, ret., Psychology Professor and Student Veterans' Advisor, Pasadena Community College
Tom Coston, President, Light Bringer Project
Mic Hansen, Community Leader and Preservationist
Kat O’Sullivan, CEO KShift/People Strategist
Leslie Swanson, Organizational Development Consultant and Executive Coach
Harold "Doc" Martin, Ed. D., US Army, ret., Psychology Professor and Student Veterans' Advisor, Pasadena Community College