Officers/Chairs

Krishna Kabra

President

Executive Director

Krishna is the Executive Director of the San Diego Children’s Discovery Museum. She recently transitioned to nonprofit work after 22 years in the corporate world, working on innovation and marketing strategies for some of the world’s biggest brands. She holds a BSc in Management Sciences from the University of Manchester (UK) and an MSC in International Politics from the University of Bristol (UK).

Julie McKay

Immediate Past President

Real Estate Asset Manager

Julie has been an active Women’s Foundation member since 2016. Julie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Accounting from San Jose State University. She has worked in the finance industry for the past 11 years and has been involved in numerous community and volunteer organizations during that time. She is passionate about financial education and currently works as an Investment Analyst for The Resmark Companies.

Rosette Garcia

President-Elect & GEC Vice-Chair

Community Leader

Rosette is a 30-year resident of North County San Diego, where she and her husband raised their two children. She has been an active member of the community, previously serving on the Cardiff School Board and as a volunteer and board member on several local nonprofits. She was recently appointed to the County of San Diego Independent Redistricting Commission. She supports the SDWF because of its commitment to equity and to improving the lives of historically marginalized or underserved San Diegans.

Ellie Bucklin

DIG Co-Chair

Vice President Project Manager

Ellie has worked for U.S Bank since 2007, most recently as Vice President Project Manager in Digital Banking. She holds a bachelor’s degree from Washington State University in Social Sciences and Master’s degree from Point Loma Nazarene University in Organizational Leadership.  Ellie is passionate about working alongside the San Diego community to advocate and drive change that impacts future generations (along with yoga, tennis, hiking, reading, and traveling the world)!

Sabrina Carnell-Williams

Programs Vice-Chair

Grant Consultant/Writer

Sabrina Carnell-Williams, a San Diego native and 35-year government retiree, is a dedicated Grant Consultant/Writer with degrees in business administration and global management. Certified in Grant Writing and Training, she empowers organizations through her professional services and online grant training workshops. Married with one son and two dogs, Sabrina enjoys the outdoors, gardening, and entertaining. She prioritizes God, family, and career, and is grateful for the opportunity to give back to her community.

Nadia Farjood

Governance Chair

Attorney

Nadia Farjood is an attorney and a lifelong advocate for gender equity. She serves as Vice Chair on the San Diego County Commission on the Status of Women and Girls and as Vice Chair of the Tariq Khamisa Foundation, an educational nonprofit that teaches youth compassion and forgiveness. Nadia is a graduate of Torrey Pines High School, Harvard College, and Harvard Law School.  She lives in East County with her husband and their two Schnauzers.

Rochelle Hershfield

GEC Chair

Retired Attorney

Rochelle (“Rocky”) joined SDWF in 2016.  She received her B.A. in Political Science from San Diego State University and her J.D. from California Western School of Law.  She practiced law in San Diego for 35 years, spending most of her legal career in her own civil litigation practice where she collaborated with other law firms.  She also clerked for the San Diego Superior Court, was an associate in a private firm, and worked for the Social Security Administration as a senior attorney advisor.

Kathleen Lennard

DIG Co-Chair

President & CEO of Good Work Partnership

Kathleen Lennard has been an active member of SDWF since joining in 2021 and is chair of the Discovery, Inquiry and Guidelines committee. She has held leadership and fundraising positions in several non-profits and is currently the President of Good Work Partnership, a consulting firm specializing in program evaluation, organization design and strategic planning for nonprofit organizations. Kathleen earned an Ed.D. from Vanderbilt University, a M.S. from Johns Hopkins University, and a B.A. from Boston College.

Shannon Pavell

Membership Chair

Chief Development Officer

Shannon Pavell is a nonprofit professional with over 10 years of experience in fundraising and marketing. She joined the San Diego Women’s Foundation as a Fellow in 2016. Shannon is a Senior Development Officer at Coronado Hospital Foundation. She holds a BA in Business Administration with a minor in Nonprofit Management and International Development. She is also a member of the Coronado Optimist Club and is passionate about supporting local organizations making a difference.

TD Smith

Fellowship Vice-Chair

Vice President of Development

With over a decade of leadership experience, TD Smith is dedicated to supporting marginalized communities and excels in fundraising and team building. As the Development Director for the YMCA of San Diego County, she secured over $500,000 for flood relief. Previously, she obtained over $4.1 million in grants for Mama’s Kitchen. TD holds a business administration degree and a grant writing certification. Her primary objective is to establish sustainable solutions for our communities’ most pressing issues.

Carolyn P. Taylor

Finance Chair

President of Weatherly Asset Management

Carolyn leads Weatherly’s ultra authentic culture of client service, lifelong learning, ethics, industry expertise, and community impact. Her B.S. and B.A. from Stanford and foundation in investment banking at Dean Witter and portfolio management at Neuberger Berman and Payden & Rygel enabled her successful launch of Weatherly in 1994, a team-based RIA providing best-in-class financial planning and investment management services to HNW and UHNW clients.

Kelsey Wadman

Fellowship Chair

Director of Foundation and Government Relations

Kelsey is the Director of Foundation and Government Relations at Outdoor Outreach where she enjoys connecting youth to the transformative power of the outdoors. She joined SDWF in 2021 as a Fellowship member and assisted the SDWF in converting their granting model to multi-year funding. Kelsey has 10 years experience working at local nonprofits, including Just in Time for Foster Youth, Center for Community Solutions, San Diego Audubon, and Champions for Health. She’s an avid birder and loves all things nature.

Members At-Large

Tiffany Ayres

Member At-Large

Nonprofit Professional

Tiffany joined SDWF in 2018. She is the Director of Development for Student Support and Success at UC San Diego, with more than 10 years of experience in fundraising. Tiffany graduated from the University of Central Florida (UCF) with a BA in Political Science and minors in Business and Nonprofit Management. She previously served on the UCF Nonprofit Advisory Board and the Taiwanese American Professionals – San Diego Board.

Keshia Javis-Jones

Member At-Large

Director of Community Partnerships

Keshia is currently the Director of Community Partnerships at Foundation for Women Warriors, leading all FFWW community partnerships and professional development education. Keshia is a 2020 alumni of LEAD San Diego, currently serves on the City of San Diego Veterans, Military, and Families Council, and is an advisor to the KPBS GI Film Festival. Keshia believes the most rewarding aspect of her work is that she can use her leadership and personal experience to advocate for the women veteran community and directly impact the success of transitioning veterans.

Amanda Lopez

Member At-Large

Marketing Professional

Amanda Lopez (she/her) is a nonprofit marketing professional with over a decade of experience in digital marketing, social media content strategy, and campaign management. Her past community involvement has included serving as the Marketing Co-Chair on the Board of the San Diego Emerging Museum Professionals, being a member of the Museum Council, and more. Today, Amanda utilizes what she knows to move the mission forward at The San Diego LGBT Community Center, advocating for the LGBTQ+ community in San Diego and beyond as the Communications and Marketing Manager.

Susan Perkins

Member At-Large

Development Professional

Susan, affectionately known as “Perky” brings over 26 years of fundraising and leadership experience. She is active in various community organizations and currently works as Donor Engagement Manager for San Diego Habitat for Humanity. Susan received certification in Non-Profit Leadership and Fundraising from Penn State University.

Annie Rodriguez

Member At-Large

Executive Director

Annie is the Executive Director of GenerateHope and has over 25 years of nonprofit experience. She previously served as VP of Early Childhood Development at the Neighborhood House Association, and is a proud member of Rotary Club 33. She received a Master of Social Work in 2005 and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2001 from San Diego State University.

Tonya Torosian

Member At-Large

Chief Executive Officer

An advocate for children and youth throughout her 30 year career, Tonya is the Chief Executive Officer of Promises2Kids. Best known for building the Polinsky Children’s Center, Promises2Kids is dedicated to creating a brighter future for foster children. She has served as the President of the San Diego chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and on the board of many nonprofits. She is a certified fundraising executive and received her Masters of Social Work degree from Arizona State University.