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Foundation Staff

Rick Ventura
Executive Director

As an experienced not-for-profit manager and fund-raising professional, Rick has had an accomplished career in fund development with major capital campaign experience with universities, hospitals, and the arts.  He  has served as COO and as Vice President, Development, with the national ALS Association, as well as Associate Dean, Development, for the College of Letters, Arts & Sciences at the University of Southern California, and Vice Provost, Development, for the College of Letters & Science at the University of California, Los Angeles.  In addition to his not-for-profit experience, Rick also held three presidential appointments to federal service, including the position of Assistant Secretary, Policy, Budget & Management with the Department of the Interior and Deputy Director of ACTION, the umbrella agency whose oversight includes the Peace Corps and Vista programs.  Born and raised in southern California, Rick has traveled extensively and lived in Washington, DC, New York City, and Connecticut, as well as in the San Francisco Bay Area.

 

Karen Wallace
Director of Administration & Events

A native of Toronto, Canada, Karen pursued a career in advertising and marketing, working at Reader’s Digest, in Toronto, as well as behind the scenes in television and radio. Moving stateside, she worked as assistant to the president of DDB Needham Advertising, in Detroit. After relocating to Healdsburg, she was elected to the Healdsburg Animal Shelter board of directors in 1997 and became president of the board in 1999. While serving the Animal Shelter, Karen studied French at Santa Rosa Junior College, which included a semester in Paris. As a member of the Camp Rose Players and the Raven Players, she has performed in many plays, which include her favorite roles as Kathy in Singing in the Rain and Betty Johnson in Funny Money.  Karen joined Healthcare Foundation as the events coordinator in 2003.

 

Lindsay Smith
Administrative Assistant

Lindsay was born and raised in Sonoma County and now lives in Novato. She played volleyball throughout high school and received a full-ride volleyball scholarship out of high school to Cal State Fullerton. She graduated from Sonoma State in 2004 with a Sociology degree. She has worked at Exchange Bank in the Wealth Management Department and now is coaching volleyball at Empire Volleyball Club, as well as the varsity team at El Molino High School. She came to the Foundation in February of 2005.

 

 

 

Rick Ventura

 

 

 

Karen Wallace

 

 

 

Lindsay Smith