Transforming the San Diego Community Networked As One
This past weekend while listening to an On Being podcast, host Krista Tippet referenced a quote from evolutionary biologist Lynn Margulis: “Life did not take over the world by combat, but by networking.” While this quote’s direct context reflects on the natural world, we all know it is not uncommon that truth in one area often mirrors a universal truth that pervades all things. I find this visual of interconnectedness warming, affirming and inspirational. I immediately thought of the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego.
While I could list numerous management tips, tricks, and tools I have learned since joining Fieldstone in 2011, my favorite part and the most meaningful aspect of the Network for me has been that all these skills were nurtured and grounded in the soil of authentic relationships.
Joe, (bottom left), with Justin Apger, bottom (right) and some of his 2011 learning group members on a Zoom reunion in 2023.
Not long after joining SAY San Diego, then Executive Director and longtime Fieldstone member, Michael Carr, recommended I check out the Fieldstone Leadership Network. My initial participation included becoming part of the Emerging Leaders Learning Group class of 2011. Over a decade later many of us have remained in touch. On the regular you can find Justin Apger and I in the corner of a San Diego bar somewhere keeping the Fieldstone energy alive scheming about the future of the sector, pursuit of personal milestones, and achieving professional goals big and small.
As part of the Fieldstone Coaching Class of 2012, I have a vivid memory of coffee at Twiggs on Adams with my coach, Matt D’Arrigo. In the middle of our session, I got the call that a major grant came through for a new SAY initiative I had been shepherding. Behind the scenes Matt’s wisdom was instrumental to fine tune the effort’s vision, its direct connection to my personal passion, professional growth and cultivating the alignment with the funder. I will forever remember that feeling of excitement and celebrating with Matt across the table.
I have the fondest memories from the 2018 Fieldstone Courage to Lead Retreat, standing cliffside in Malibu overlooking the ocean reflecting on gratitude with longtime SAY colleague Kevin O’Neill. Not to mention, how still to this day Katie Sawyer and I will laugh about the 2018 Fieldstone strategic planning session in Anza Borrego, where at one point a bunch of us were wandering around the desert at midnight just trying to cool down as the 110+ degree heat had shut down the entire AC electrical grid for the area making the Resort rooms uninhabitable.
Joe, right, with Janine Mason and Matt D’Arrigo facilitating Creative Encounters by Fieldstone at Mission Bay Park in 2018
I’ve loved each moment since 2017 helping Learning Group facilitator Tom Hall kick off the first day of Learning Group cohorts as a Fieldstone Creative Encounters Facilitator. Including how every year, whether alongside Renato Paiva, Sue Schaffner, Matt D’Arrigo or Janine Mason, at the last minute we freak out as to whether we tied those darn “Dreams of Change” straps correctly to give participants at least a chance of solving the activity. 🙂
Further, longtime Fieldstone Alum and Coach, Valin Brown and I serendipitously became neighbors a few years back. Some of the best growth-oriented conversations I’ve ever had, have happened over a casual last minute happy hour on the patio in the Brown backyard (or more specifically, I should say vineyard!).
The Fieldstone ethos is truly rooted in relationships. The On Being episode ended with reference to the Pando Aspen Grove in Utah. Scientists discovered this grove of over 100 acres of trees is, in fact, connected by a single root system. What on the surface appears to be thousands of individual trees, is one organism sharing the same DNA.
Where and how will San Diego evolve and grow? What challenges and social problems will the leaders of the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego membership face over the next 40 years? One thing I do know, we will face them together. As members past, present and future, The Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego DNA is in all of us. We will continue as a life force transforming the San Diego community networked as one.
Joe Buehrle, MSW, Vice President, SAY San Diego
Joe Buehrle serves as Vice President of Strategy & Development for Social Advocates for Youth (SAY), San Diego. He started as the Coordinator of SAY’s military family programs in 2009. Joe received his Master of Social Work from the University of Michigan with an emphasis in community organizing, social systems and management. He strives to contribute in the movement for justice by championing community building that activates healing, belonging, resilience and transformative communities.
Joe is the founding Board President of San Diego’s Zero8hundred Military Transition Support Project, a Partners In Prevention Advisory Board Member, Steering Committee Member of the California Family Support Network, a Fieldstone Leadership Network Creative Encounters Facilitator and certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt. Joe is a graduate of Fieldstone’s Emerging Leaders Learning Group and its Executive Coaching Program.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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Has Made A Difference
As I reach the retirement milestone in my 43-year career advancing arts and culture, I reflect on what has made a difference to my achieving success as a leader in my organization, the arts sector, and in the community.
The list is lengthy, filled with Mentors, Colleagues, Nonprofits with impactful missions, and Volunteer Experiences.
Alan with fellow Fieldstone Member Nancy Jamison at a Fieldstone event in November 2013
Also, on my list of ‘what has made a difference’ has been my multi-decade experiences with Fieldstone and its executive leadership programs.
My slightly altered definition of “Fieldstone” – as in “actual in the field stone” – sums up what a difference Fieldstone programs have made for me:
Fieldstone… is a great way to add some structure to your career and create different ways of leading success within your organization. It is also desirable to be used to create pathways… to leadership.
Alan, center, with Janine and FLNSD member John Malashock at his retirement party on June 14, 2023
As far back as 25+ years ago, I had the good fortune to participate in the Executive (CEO) Learning Group, and in the Coaching Program, first as a mentee, and then as a mentor. Both programs were great opportunities for peer-to-peer learning and sharing, and to run up the flagpole new ideas, and discuss strategies to overcome organizational challenges.
The Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego programs offered me new leadership tools as a nonprofit executive director and provided a network of mentors and peers that has proved to be both an invaluable professional resource and a personal gift of professional friendships that have lasted decades.
Congratulations to the Fieldstone on 40 years of making us better nonprofit leaders.
Alan Ziter, Retired Executive Director, NTC Foundation
Since arriving in San Diego from Chicago in 1986, Alan Ziter has advanced San Diego’s arts and culture in impactful ways. Throughout his career in nonprofit arts, he has had the opportunity to work with leading San Diego artists, arts administrators, patrons, civic leaders, board members and audiences to whom he is most appreciative of their collaborative efforts to shine the spotlight on San Diego’s remarkable arts and culture community. He retired as Executive Director from the NTC Foundation, which oversees the development of ARTS DISTRICT Liberty Station, in June 2023.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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A Quiet but Long-Lasting Impact
Coming to San Diego to take a position as a first time Executive Director of a start-up non-profit was a big leap of faith for me. I soon realized that the ED position is challenging in so many ways! At that point, I found out about Fieldstone Leadership Network, which has been crucial in so many ways in my 17-year career. It is clear that Janine Mason has created the perfect environment for non-profit leaders to be safe and to share experiences while learning.
Renato, with Anne Vincent and Janine Mason, receiving his Clare Rose Sabbatical award in 2019
I am a huge Fieldstone fan! I think I have been part of most of the programs offered, starting with the Executive Learning Group, taking part of the incredible retreat, enjoying many Fieldstone@4, sharing ideas at our Leadership Reading Group, and being a coach for the Executive Coaching Program and a facilitator of Creative Encounter by Fieldstone, an experiential learning program.
One of the best experiences of my entire career was being part of a life-changing sabbatical offered by Fieldstone and the Clare Rose Foundation. All these programs have transformed me in different ways, all to the benefit of the students and family we serve at Access Youth Academy.
I am deeply thankful and grateful for Fieldstone! This is the type of organization that has a quiet but long-lasting impact on all the leaders and the organizations they work with. The work that they do should be replicated and modeled all over the world!
Congratulations on 40 years of impactful history!
And, thank you for being a beacon of light in my life!
Renato Paiva, Executive Director, Assess Youth Academy
Renato Paiva has served as the Executive Director of Access Youth Academy since it began. During the past 17 years, he has ably led Access to produce outstanding results and has helped Access to be regarded as one of the leading urban squash and youth development programs in the nation. During that time, Access students have achieved 100% college graduation rates, secured$9.7 million dollars in scholarships, and 13 national squash titles. Working closely with the Access Board, he led the design and construction of state-of-the-art education and squash facility located in a federally designated Promise zone in Southeastern San Diego that opened in June 2021.
A native of Brazil, Renato became an internationally ranked squash player and competed in several countries. Prior to Access, Renato coached in several colleges, including serving as Assistant Squash Coach at Harvard University and a Head Coach at USC. In 2010, Paiva was named Development Coach of the Year by U.S. Squash and was honored as 2011 Coach of the Year by the U.S. Congressional Caucus on Youth Sports in Washington, DC. Renato and his staff are supported by a dedicated board of directors, mentors, and volunteers.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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A Cutting-Edge Leadership Community
In building terms, a fieldstone is important because each one is unique and when put together, they make structures sound and beautiful. What many do not realize, it is the cornerstone that is the most important. A cornerstone is the most important because it is the first stone in which the entire structure rests and it lays the direction for the entire structure.
Janine Mason is the cornerstone of the San Diego nonprofit community. Years ago, Janine had the vision to create a program that would invest in the leadership development and capacity building of local nonprofit agencies. What began under her leadership, as an outreach program of the Fieldstone Company and its foundation, has evolved into to a cutting-edge leadership community and network that connects agencies and leadership in a unique and holistic manner.
Twelve years ago, I was encouraged to enroll in Fieldstone’s Emerging Leaders Learning Group Program. Little did I know, this recommendation would change the trajectory of hundreds of lives in coastal North County San Diego (through my leadership and my organization’s work). I will be forever grateful to Janine and the entire FLNSD community.
My staff and I have taken full advantage of the programming at FLNSD. We have participated in the Emerging Leaders Program, Executive Coaching, Equity Journey, and various book clubs. The program that has had the greatest impact on me, my staff, and Casa de Amistad is the Clare Rose Sabbatical.
In 2019, I began the application process for the Clare Rose Sabbatical. After twelve years, leading Casa de Amistad, I needed to step away and refresh. Little did I know, our entire world was about to change. In April 2020, I was honored to receive the Clare Rose Sabbatical. Unfortunately, the world came to a halt because of COVID-19.
Luckily, I was able to postpone the sabbatical for one year. This past summer, I was able to take full advantage of the sabbatical. The sabbatical not only gave me the opportunity to reflect, but it was also an investment in the leadership development of my staff. The capacity building aspect was equal in importance to the time I had to step away.
During my time off, I realized the importance of the triple bottom line in the nonprofit sector- People, Planet, Profit and how FLNSD honors this in their work.
People– The most important thing we can do as nonprofit leaders is to center all decisions on the people we serve and the staff we manage. When we invest in the wellness and personal and professional development of our staff, we all benefit and excel. Collective leadership happens when we are all moving together in the same direction. This only happens when we respect and honor the whole-person who comes to work each day.
Nicole, second from right, with her All We Can Save Learning Circle. Program materials.
Planet– Before my sabbatical, I would wake up, get my kids to school, go to work, and come home. I had lost all connection with nature and being outside. During my time away, I made an effort to be outside every day. This was AMAZING. I forgot how important it is to take a walk, sit in the sun, and just be still and watch birds. I also realized how disconnected I had become from the natural environment.
Upon my return, I had the great fortune of joining Fieldstone’s All We Can Save: Learning Circle. I highly encourage all organizations to participate and read the book. Even though, Casa de Amistad is an academic mentoring program- there are opportunities we can create to heal our planet and address issues related to climate change.
Profit- People outside the nonprofit sector do not realize how difficult it is to run and sustain a nonprofit organization. While corporations and businesses sell a product, nonprofit organizations must sell a theory of change that people will find compelling and worth investing in.
While there are over 15,000 nonprofit organizations in San Diego, there is a perceived need for competition for funding. FLNSD emphasizes the importance of collaboration over competition. Some of Casa de Amistad’s most innovative programs have been a result of working together with other nonprofit agencies. If we are committed to being thoughtful stewards of people’s investments and we all work together- we will all benefit and succeed.
While being in a position of leadership is hard and often lonely, the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego is a community that ensures that we are never truly alone.
Nicole Mione-Green, Executive Director, Casa de Amistad
Nicole has been involved in the nonprofit sector for over 30 years. As a teen and young adult she volunteered as a counselor for the Easter Seals Society and the YMCA. She has spent her career working in education in both Mexico and the United States. Nicole has been in her current role as Executive Director of Casa de Amistad for over sixteen years. She has been an active member of the FLNSD community for twelve years.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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Remembering Judy McDonald
She was my colleague. She was my mentor. She was my friend.
I had a special relationship with Judy McDonald. That’s why, of all the pictures we have taken together over the past 35 years, this is one of my favorites. It was a tender moment of celebration and a moment that held all we had been to each other and would continue to be to each other. And when I look at Judy’s face, I just know that face and I can hear her words. Maybe you do too?
I am guessing, you had a special relationship with Judy McDonald as well. Or at least a special moment; a time she inspired you, believed in you, your idea or your project. She was philanthropy’s First Lady in San Diego and you better believe she would hate me saying that. But that doesn’t make it not true.
People flocked to Judy McDonald. She was the first person or one of the first, community leaders went to to vet their idea and to get her input. If she believed in what you were doing, you were more than half-way to success. If she didn’t, she would advise you and help you get where you needed to be. In rare instances, she would kindly and honestly re-direct your efforts.
People trusted Judy. She was honest. She would tell tales of grantmaking mistakes, like the time a grant she supported was used to purchase a van that was then used to traffic unlawful goods across the border! It takes guts to tell that story, but she did. And often too! And she did so to advocate for transparency and to help people understand that grantmaking, even with the best of intentions, didn’t always accomplish hoped-for outcomes. She did it to be part of the effort to solve problems, not to be thought of as the sole solution or the smart one with all of the answers. Judy was a learner and she was always asking questions. She was always asking “why?”
Before my Dad died, I regularly told people that I had a special relationship with my him and that my younger sister had one with our Mom. One day I over heard my sister tell someone that she had a special relationship with our Dad. I almost cut into the conversation to tell her she really didn’t, that I did! But then I realized, she really did too. That was the gift our father gave us – to not only have us believe, but to actually have a rich and wonderful relationship with both of us- one that made us feel special and unique. And that is the same gift Judy gave each of us. She gave us her attention, her wisdom, her good efforts, and her laugh. And she always gave us her presumptions of good intentions. She made us feel included and necessary to the work of solving the world’s challenges. And that is why we all loved and respected Judy.
It’s impossible to go through San Diego and not see all that Judy has touched in her work as a board member of the Parker Foundation, Catalyst (formerly San Diego Grantmakers), The Nonprofit Institute’s Advisory Board, with the Junior League, LEAD San Diego, RISE or the Arts Commission (to name only a few). San Diego won’t be the same without our First Lady. But we can honor Judy and continue to do the work she loved by participating with the same sense of hospitality and wonder that she did. We can build special relationships that get to the heart of all she cared about – community taking care of each other.
Judy McDonald was my colleague, my mentor and my friend.
We had a special relationship.
And because of that, I know you did too.
Rest in Peace, my dear, dear friend. And thank you for absolutely everything.
Janine
A Celebration of Life will be held on June 19, 2023 at 4 pm,in Building 177 at Liberty Station,
2875 Dewey Road, San Diego, CA 92106.
All are welcome.
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A Ripple Effect of Goodness
A wise soul once said “The purpose of life is to find your gift. The work of life is to develop it. The meaning of life is to give it away”. Fieldstone has helped guide me in all three through their programs, people, and values.
I began my nonprofit career after 20+ years in the for-profit sector, was convinced I found my purpose, and had definite ideas on how I was going to single-handedly change the world! I had a lot to learn and was ready to get started. Around the office, I would hear co-workers say things like “I have a meeting with my Fieldstone coach today” or “I’m going to Fieldstone @ 4” and my curiosity was piqued about this “secret club”. Soon after, my boss recommended me for the Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group and by completing that program, I was in!
It was through the programs at Fieldstone and the people in the network, I learned how truly special the nonprofit sector is. In addition to the learning group, I have also participated in a Reading Group, the Coaching Program, and have attended countless events. I have walked away from each unique experience as a better leader with more confidence, armed with a network of trusted professionals with integrity. Leadership is a very personal journey, and each program met me where I was at the time and gave me the safe space and guidance to allow my personal growth to flourish and, by extension, my professional life.
My organization has also seen growth in the capacity of all employees that have participated in Fieldstone programs. Since joining the organization, Mama’s Kitchen staff has increased 74%, the budget has more than doubled, and we are serving 3x the number of clients. By continuing to stay active in this vibrant network, achieving successes like these are sure to continue for my whole team.
Quantifiable achievements aside, the real magic of Fieldstone is the ripple effect of goodness that is created by each of us doing our individual work and then sharing what we have learned with others. By continuing to support leaders, Fieldstone helps develop a nonprofit’s ability to have a positive impact in the community and the broader society. I am grateful to my organization for supporting me and others with development opportunities. I am grateful for my Fieldstone Coach Deb, who I still have coffee with. And I am grateful to Janine – Fieldstone truly makes this world a better place!
Kelly Sherlock, CFO, Mama’s Kitchen
Ms. Sherlock joined Mama’s Kitchen in 2013 and oversees the financial, human resource, and IT functions and strategy of the organization. She has served as the Board Treasurer of Climate Action Campaign since 2020 and is a proud member of the Fieldstone Leadership Network. Ms. Sherlock holds a master’s degree in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from the University of San Diego and is currently studying for Certified Management Accountant accreditation.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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The Freedom To Be My Whole Self
Like any good adventure, I sort of stumbled into the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego. Through a chance meeting that led to another chance meeting, I found myself enjoying some late afternoon light through an office window, seeking simply to learn more about the logistics of the Fieldstone Coaching program. I quickly realized, however, that I was tapping into something much bigger, much more insightful, much more special than I had initially grasped. Mentorship was only a part of Fieldstone, and in fact, it’s but a tool for this network of authentic and genuine connection, all rooted in a deep care for the San Diego region and its people.
When I think of what FLNSD gave me, it was the safe space to be vulnerable, honest about my joys and fears, and both the real and theoretical place to dream big. My leadership program began shortly before COVID hit our community. I recall us all sitting around a table wondering how bad it would be. The answer was really, really, really bad; COVID exacerbated longstanding inequities and while it made life hard for just about everybody, it continues to make life unbearably hard for those already carrying the burden of our unequal society.
Erin, third from right with her Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group in January 2020.
Some of the people I processed this global trauma and these rising inequities with were my Fieldstone leadership colleagues. We relied on each other and were lucky to have one another, to navigate this new world, and to discuss together what a better future could look like. One thing we landed on was bringing our whole selves to that virtual table, and to our work, and valuing when others did the same. I felt such freedom by getting to do that, I wanted to share it, I wanted all spaces to feel as brave and welcoming.
At San Diego for Every Child, we facilitate a lot of serious discussions and heavy thinking—it comes with the job when you’re trying to tackle the experience of child poverty. What FLNSD gave me was an experience of freedom, of safety in vulnerability, of showing up wholly myself. Since my leadership program, I’ve tried to replicate and create that space for others through my work.
What I’ve landed on both as a manager and as an advocate is that we ALL really need this. 
We all need to be seen as the multi-faceted human beings we are: as parents and children, as nieces and nephews and caregivers, sometimes as a lifeline to friends, family, and beyond. This is our humanity.
This clarity I reached in part through my Fieldstone experience helps me not only in coalition spaces, but also in the systems-level change we seek to bring forward. Because it’s empathy when we recognize humanity in one another, but it’s liberation when we build this humanity into our policies.
Erin Hogeboom, Director, San Diego for Every Child
Erin Hogeboom is the Director of San Diego for Every Child, a regional initiative with the goal of cutting the experience of child poverty in half by 2030. She participated in Fieldstone’s Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group in 2020.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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Clare Rose Sabbatical Awards Granted
Strong Applicant Pool As Program Begins 10th Year
The Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego announced its 2023 Clare Rose Sabbatical Awards on May 8th. After receiving a record number of applications after taking a year hiatus to work through COVID-19 related schedule changes of previously awarded grants, Fiona Chatwin and Villa Musica and Ben Vallejos and Living Coast Discovery Center were selected for this year’s cohort.
The grant, worth $50,000, underwrites the salary and benefits of the Executive for three months so they may take an extended leave from the organization. The program also includes a program consultant to help with the preparation, execution and re-entry phases of the program, funds for additional staff training and bonuses for those who lead in the executive’s absence. The goal of the program is to increase the capacity of the staff by creating opportunities for them to lead in ways only possible when the CEO is not present and to sustain the leader so they will remain in a leadership position in the nonprofit sector. To date, 27 local nonprofit leaders and their organizations have participated in the Clare Rose Sabbatical program for an investment of $1.35 million.
Our 2023 Recipients
Fiona Chatwin and Villa Musica
Established in November 2005, Villa Musica is a place for people of all ages to come together to take music lessons, play in an ensemble or participate in workshops. Villa Musica’s goal is to create a focal point for community music education where students and teachers can meet to exchange ideas and experience the joy of making music. Dr. Fiona Chatwin is the founder.
The agency employs 40 local teaching artists who serve over 770 students each week. Services are offered at the agency’s Sorrento Valley location and throughout San Diego at four satellite library locations. Villa Musica also collaborates with 17 senior living communities and serves over 350 seniors with concerts, musical biographies and other musical educational opportunities.
Fiona is a graduate of Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group, and Coaching Program. She is a current member of our All We Can Save Learning Circle. Aaron Bullard, who will lead during Fiona’s sabbatical, is a also a Learning Group graduate.
Ben Vallejos and Living Coast Discovery Center
The Living Coast Discovery Center, located in Chula Vista, is a zoo and aquarium that features species local to the southern California region. With a mission to inspire the community to connect with and care for our coastal environment, the Center hosts approximately 70,000 visitors annually. Over 13,000 students visit each year on school field trips. The Center employs over 50 people, with nine of those working full-time.
Ben has been with Living Coast for over 21 years, serving as the Executive Director since 2013. He is a graduate of our Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group. Lori Coons, who will be leading in his absence, is also a graduate of our Learning Group and Coaching Programs and is currently participating in our All We Can Save Learning Circle.
The Clare Rose Committee
It is a tradition within the Clare Rose Sabbatical program to have past recipients serve on the interview and selection committee. We have found that those with lived experience ask the best questions and offer the clearest wisdom to the applicants as they have a unique understanding of the program and can interpret answers and conditions which are ripe for a sabbatical experience. They also recognize staff and board support, or lack of preparation or buy-in, more easily. This year, Deborah Martin, Elderhelp; Nicole Mione-Green, Casa de Amistad; Tonya Torosian, Promises2Kids; Barbara Reuer, Resounding Joy and John Malashock, Malashock Dance, joined Janine Mason and Anne Vincent on the Committee. We are grateful for their participation and for living our value of reciprocity.Helping to Inform the Sabbatical Movement
Since the inception of the program, Fieldstone has worked with researchers to study the impact of the program on individuals and organizations. Recently our research was cited by the BIPOC-ED Coalition in the State of Washington. The Coalition is multicultural, cross-sector collective of nonprofit leaders working to promote community wellness and restoration and which has committed $1.37M to fund sabbaticals for BIPOC leaders. Its report, Sabbaticals for BIPOC Leaders, raises the question: What if every state established a coalition that organizes to create avenues for rest, particularly in communities most harmed by systemic oppression? You can access the entire report here Next Opportunity
I Built a Circle of Trusted Colleagues
Participating in Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego programs has provided real world training that has helped to build my confidence and skills as a manager, and leader. At the conclusion of the leaders program, I was pleasantly surprised to have built a circle of trusted colleagues from various nonprofit organizations who shared many of the same challenges I faced on a daily basis. The immersive nature of the program provided a space for us to share and exchange ideas, knowledge, and practical solutions. While our cohort no longer meets regularly, I stay in touch with many members of the group and know that I can call on any of them when needed.
Since I completed the Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group program in 2016, the Living Coast has continued to encourage its leaders to seek professional development through Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego programming. Aside from the networking opportunities and invaluable connections I made through the Network, I learned the value of mental health – ways to be mindful and take time for myself to recharge.
Lori, fifth from left, with her coaching cohort in 2019
In 2019 I was fortunate to be part of the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego coaching program. I met monthly with a knowledgeable Executive Director (coach) who provided me with valuable guidance that I continue to use today. My coach was especially helpful to me as I navigated my way through an unexpected appointment as interim Executive Director. Talk about timing! Little did we know the focus of our monthly conversations would shift to whatever complication I was faced with in the moment. This interim appointment ended after three months, and the support I received from my coach gave me the confidence and insights needed to fulfill the role successfully.
I am grateful to Janine Mason and the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego facilitators and coaches who gave their time and provided their insights in order that I could benefit from their knowledge and experiences, and become a better manager and leader.
Congratulations on 40 years!
Lori Torio, Director, Community Engagement and Development, Living Coast Discovery Center
Self-identified as a “proud alumna of the Fieldstone Nonprofit Leaders program, coaching program, and All We Can Save Learning Circle”, Lori Torio, CFRE, is the Director of Community Engagement and Development at the Living Coast Discovery Center, leading a team of four development and marketing professionals. Prior to joining the Living Coast eight years ago, she worked at UC San Diego in health sciences. In her current role, Lori has led her team to increase awareness of the Living Coast mission, build and strengthen relationships with community members, and sustain fundraising efforts raising $1million annually. Lori was born and raised in Chula Vista and graduated from San Diego State University with a B.A. Liberal Arts/Economics.
She is a board member with Association of Fundraising Professional’s San Diego chapter and Las Primeras, a group of women dedicated to serving the south bay community of San Diego County, and beyond. She is a member of the Chula Vista Rotary, and volunteer with the UCSD Christini Fund supporting the UC San Diego Mitochondrial and Metabolic Disease Center.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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Humbling, Inspiring, and Empowering
I first came to Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego when I was one year into my role as Executive Director of the San Diego Women’s Foundation.
The one-year mark was the perfect time to participate in the six-month Executive Learning Group. The first year in any new job is uniquely draining – you have to learn the job as you do it. That’s even more true in a leadership role, where you’re charged with making decisions that affect your staff and the future of the organization.
After a year, my head was above water but I was still very much learning the role. How fast could I move toward change? What was I even allowed to change? What was the right balance of inclusive versus decisive? How on earth could I find time to get to the important things that had been on my to-do list since my very first day?
The monthly, full-day sessions offered a chance to get out of the day-to-day and think about how I could grow to be the most effective in my role.
Katie, third from left in the back row, with her Executive Learning Group, 2018
It was valuable to spend time each month with trusted peers in similar roles. It was reassuring to hear that we were all navigating variations of the same challenges. I was grateful for their insights and to have the chance to learn from the leadership styles around the table. And I realized that, even in a group of leaders that I so admired, I had learning and insights of my own to benefit the group.
It was humbling, inspiring and empowering. Being part of the Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego continues to be all three of those things.
I’m no longer Executive Director of SDWF, but I am deeply proud of the work I did in partnership with our staff, members and partners. The organization is stronger today than ever, with a dedicated membership, a commitment to trust-based philanthropy, and a well-earned reputation as a strategic funder with meaningful impact.
I’m particularly proud to have hired a Program Manager who has become SDWF’s current Executive Director. Stephanie Cook leads the organization with strategy, expertise and bold vision. She is in the current Fieldstone Executive Learning Group, and I have no doubt that SDWF will continue to benefit from the growth and connection that Fieldstone provides.
Katie, third from right in the back row, with her fellow Fieldstone Coaches November 2022
The lessons and skills I’ve developed have carried through to my role leading donor engagement and philanthropy advising at San Diego Foundation. And now as a Coach in Fieldstone’s Executive Coaching program, I am happy to continue to help leaders in our sector grow.
As leaders, we think a lot about how to develop our staff but not enough about our own development. Landing the CEO/ED role shouldn’t mean that we’re finished learning and growing – especially when the decisions we make shape the sector that serves our community in such vital ways.
It matters that this sector has strong leaders. Fieldstone invests in leaders and connects us to each other. I am grateful and proud to be part of the Fieldstone community.
Katie Sawyer, Donor and Community Engagement, San Diego Foundation
Katie has participated in Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group and Equity Journey 3.0, and is a current Coach in the Fieldstone Executive Coaching Program. She is Senior Director of Donor and Community Engagement at San Diego Foundation and has been in nonprofit and philanthropy leadership roles for fifteen years. She has not (yet) participated in a Fieldstone Leadership Reading Group, but she shamelessly steals book recommendations from Janine and Reading Group participants.
Each week during our 40th anniversary year, a member of our Network will share what Fieldstone means to them and how being a part of this learning and leadership community has impacted them and the work they do to serve the community.
If you have a story you would like to contribute to our collection, please contact Janine Mason.
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