State funds alone cannot provide for all the costs associated with providing the finest education possible to our students. The CSU Channel Islands Foundation, a non-profit 501(c)(3), was established for the purpose of encouraging and accepting private gifts to the University. The Foundation is the catalyst and conduit through which gifts and endowment income flow to provide immediate and long-term support of the University.
Board of Directors
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Mark Lisagor, Chair
Ventura County Office of Education Board Member
Dr. Mark Lisagor received both his Bachelor of Science degree in Public Health and his degree in Dentistry, at UCLA. Following service in the United States Public Health Service (Indian Health Branch), he completed his residency training in Pediatric Dentistry at UCLA-Harbor General Hospital. Now retired, Dr. Lisagor, a Diplomate of the American Board of Pediatric Dentistry, was the founding partner of a large pediatric dental group practice serving Ventura County since 1977. A frequent volunteer in third world countries, including Vietnam, Guatemala, Honduras, Israel, Bhutan, Jordan, India, and Nepal, Dr. Lisagor leads four volunteer teams each year. To date he has led more than sixty teams and been a volunteer on many more.
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Armando Casillas, Vice Chair
Vice President, Branch Manager Montecito Bank & Trust
Armando Casillas is the Vice President and Branch Manager at Montecito Bank & Trust in Oxnard. He has over 23 years of leadership experience in the financial sector. He earned his Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from The University of La Verne. In addition, he has been Vice President of Kids 2 Kids since 2015 and is an Executive Board Member and Vice President for the Boys and Girls Club of Ventura.
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Chris Meissner, Secretary
President, Meissner Filtration Products, Inc.
Mr. Meissner was born and raised in Southern California. He attended Santa Clara University in Northern California, and graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering. In 1989 he established Meissner Filtration Products, Inc., which develops, manufactures, supplies and services advanced microfiltration products and single-use systems worldwide. Mr. Meissner has been a part of numerous local organization’s boards and committees. The Meissner family resides in Camarillo where Mr. Meissner enjoys giving back to his community.
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Sylvia Acevedo
Tech Executive, Former CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USASylvia Acevedo is a leader whose career spans NASA, where she worked as a rocket scientist on the Voyager 2 mission, to executive roles at Apple, Dell, and IBM. As CEO of the Girl Scouts of the USA, she spearheaded the largest program expansion in its history, focusing on STEM. A champion of education, she led national initiatives to bridge disparities and served as a White House Education Commissioner, influencing early childhood education policy. Named "Cybersecurity Person of the Year" and recognized by Forbes as one of America’s Top 50 Women in Tech, Acevedo also authored the bestselling memoir "Path to the Stars." She continues to inspire through her leadership and advocacy for STEM.
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Cheryl Broome
Mrs. Broome is a long-time friend and neighbor to CSU Channel Islands. The John Spoor Broome Library is named in her father-in-law’s namesake. She has served on the planning committee for the President’s Dinner for several years. Cheryl is a steadfast supporter of higher education. She has learned about and supported the community’s goals to provide local students with an accessible four-year college experience.
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Charles Cohen, Esq.
Partner Cohen, Begun and Deck, LLP
Mr. Cohen is an attorney with specialty in land use and real estate since 1972. Arbitration of real estate matters through the American Arbitration Association. Land development and land use law representing public and private entities in the development of commercial, residential, industrial and institutional projects in numerous southern California cities and counties. Served as city Planning Commissioner, Councilman, and Mayor Thousand Oaks CA. Served on the Water Bond Committee, which brought Metropolitan Water to the Conejo Valley leading to incorporation of the City of Thousand Oaks. Highly involved citizen on several boards and non-profits in Ventura County and is known for counsel and facilitation.
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Kevin Cruz
General Counsel CheckAlt
Kevin Cruz graduated from CSUCI in 2008 and has two decades of experience working in large financial institutions including Bank of America, PennyMac, MUFG Union Bank, and Logix Federal Credit Union. He currently works as General Counsel at CheckAlt, a small FinTech Payments vendor, and supports hundreds of banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and property managers. He oversees the CheckAlt legal team and provides legal guidance to all areas of the business.
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Linda Dullam
Former Owner of Mandalay Berry Farms
Ms. Dullam is a longtime member of the Ventura County agriculture community. She is an active volunteer in the community. She serves on the Camarillo Hospice board and is a former board member of the California Strawberry Festival and FOODShare of Ventura County.
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Christine Garvey
Montecito Bank & Trust, Retired
Ms. Garvey is currently serving as a director on two public company boards: Montecito Bank & Trust and Toll Bros. Additionally, she is a director on the not-for-profit boards of Public Square, Suffolk University Law School, and Habitat for Humanity. While in banking, Christine has managed over 150 million square feet of space at the Deutsche Back in London, Cisco Systems, and Wells Fargo, as well as managing real estate lending at Bank of America.
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Betsy Grether
Joint Owner, Grether Farming Company
Betsy Grether is a business woman in agriculture and a trained landscape architect. She holds bachelor’s degrees from USC in Art History and Cal Poly in Landscape Architecture. She has served in various capacities with non-profit organizations such as St. Johns Healthcare Foundation and The Thacher School in Ojai, among others. Betsy is the daughter of John Spoor Broome, the benefactor for the University’s Library.
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Marty McDermut
Retired CFO Resonant Inc.
Martin “Marty” McDermut, with more than 30 years of broad financial leadership, has a strong track record in strategic and financial planning, business development, mergers and acquisitions, and public equity markets for technology companies. Most recently Marty was the Chief Financial Officer of Resonant Inc., an industry leader in RF Front End design, from 2018-March 2022. McDermut holds a BA in economics from the University of Southern California and an MBA from the University of Chicago Booth School of Business. He is a Certified Public Accountant.
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Marianne McGrath
Chair, Art & Art History
Associate Professor of Art
Marianne is a native of Oxnard, and an Assistant Professor of Art at CSUCI where she serves students by creating opportunities in sculpture and ceramics. She co-founded Boulder’s first gallery for emerging and underrepresented artists and has exhibited her work widely across the U.S. and Canada. As a member of the Board of Directors for the Santa Paula Art Museum and an active participant in NCECA’s Projects Space, she continues to impact the art community while inspiring her students with her commitment to public art and community engagement.
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Angela Ogbechie
Chief Supply Chain Officer, Deckers Outdoor Corporation
Angela Salanoa Ogbechie is a highly experienced professional in the field of supply chain management and operations. Currently holding the position of Chief Supply Chain Officer at Deckers Brands, Angela has held various senior leadership roles within the company since June 2008. Prior to her current role, Angela was a consultant. She holds a BA in Economics from Stanford University and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Columbia Business School. A graduate of Hueneme High School, Angela was born in Ventura County and raised in Oxnard. She continues to reside locally with her husband, five children, and extended family.
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Rudy Pereira
President/CEO of Premier America Credit Union
Rudy Pereira is the President/CEO of Premier America Credit Union. Previously, he served as President/CEO at Royal Credit Union in Eau Claire, Wisconsin and served as Senior Vice President of Operations and Technology at Alliant Credit Union in Chicago, Illinois. Prior to his career in financial services, he worked at Hughes Aircraft and Hewlett-Packard. Pereira received his Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from California State University, Northridge; Master of Business Administration at Norwich University; Honorary Alumnus University Wisconsin, Eau Claire and he has a Black Belt in Six Sigma from Motorola University.
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Irene Pinkard
Pinkard Youth Institute
Dr. Irene Pinkard has lived in Ventura County for over thirty years. She served on the Oxnard City Council from 2008 to 2012, including a term as Mayor Pro Tempore, before running for Mayor in the 2012 election. She is the first African American woman to serve on the Oxnard City Council. Prior to her service on the city council, Dr. Pinkard served for ten years as a Trustee on the Oxnard Union High School District board and was an administrator in the Ventura County Community College District, retiring in 2003 as Associate Vice Chancellor for Human Resources.
Dr. Pinkard is truly passionate about bettering the lives of those in her community. She, along with her late husband Bedford, founded the Pinkard Youth Institute in 2014 to provide young African American students the opportunity to attend college. The institute offers college tours and partners with local colleges and universities to provide programs for students that allow them to immerse themselves in a higher education setting while still in high school. Dr. Pinkard is deeply committed to seeing the Ventura County community thrive and is an active participant in its betterment.
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Philip Ruston
Charles Schwab Corporation
Mr. Ruston has born and raised in Santa Barbara and received his education at Colby College in Maine, Pune University in India, King's College in London, and China People's University in Beijing. He served as US Foreign Service officer in Africa, East Asia, and the United Nations, and as a Bureau Chief for Voice of America radio, before joining the Charles Schwab Corporation where he has worked for more than 20 years in emerging technologies, security, and privacy, much of that time as the corporation's Chief Privacy Officer. Mr. Ruston has two children in their 20s. He has served on school boards in San Francisco and recently moved back to Santa Barbara.
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Cari Shore
Former Senior Vice President and Director of Community Banking, Montecito Bank & Trust
Cari Shore was recently the Senior Vice President and Director of Community Banking at Montecito Bank & Trust. In her role, she oversaw the branch network, business banking, treasury services, MB&T Advisors and the Service Center.
Cari began her banking career nearly 25 years ago as a teller. She has enjoyed a number of roles that allow her to do what she loves: building relationships, problem solving, innovating and continuous learning. She is a graduate of Pacific Coast Banking School at the University of Washington.
Shore is a lifelong resident of Santa Barbara and Ventura counties, and currently lives is Ojai where she enjoys camping, cycling, hiking, reading and music.
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Lisbet Soriano De Jesus
Student Representative
Lisbet Soriano De Jesus is a current CSUCI Senior, majoring in Psychology with a minor in Business. She was born and raised in Ventura, California, and holds a strong tie to her community. Lisbet currently works in the Department of Student Academic Success and Equity Initiatives (SASEI) as a College Outreach Mentor and sees firsthand the impact that education has on students and the community. She is excited to serve on the board to represent student voices and highlight the importance of the support invested in scholarships, support programs, and the university.
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Natalie Yanez
Government Relations Manager, Southern California Edison
Natalie Yanez is a Government Relations Manager within Local Public Affairs for Southern California Edison (SCE). Before joining SCE, Natalie spent over 15 years in the financial sector, including her time with Ventura County Credit Union, where she oversaw the credit union’s payment services, strategic community partnerships, corporate giving, and financial literacy program. Philanthropy is truly at the heart of her work and she has dedicated her time, talents, and treasures to nonprofits throughout Southern California. She holds a Bachelor of Applied Arts & Sciences from San Diego State University, an MBA from California State University Channel Islands, and is an alumna of Ventura County Leadership Academy - Cohort 19. Outside of work, you will find Natalie alongside her husband cheering on their three children at athletic events, camping, or soaking up the sun at the beach.
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Zohar Ziv
Retired, C.O.O.
Deckers Outdoor CorporationMr. Ziv has over 25 years of executive management experience and an excellent track record across a diverse set of business environments, including large to small size and public and private companies. Prior to Deckers, he held the CFO position for eight years at various diversified companies and industries. Mr. Ziv received his B.S. in Accounting from CSU Northridge and his M.B.A. in International Management from the American Graduate School of International Management (Thunderbird). He was born and raised in Israel for 22 years and worked and lived in Asia for two years. Subsequently he moved to the U.S.A.