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Fieldstone Changed My Life

I have a confession. 

 When I started the San Diego Asian Film Festival (SDAFF), I had no long-term plan, no experience in organizing a large-scale event, no film background, and had never written a grant.

 What I did have was a deep, unwavering passion to amplify stories of the Asian American diaspora.  As a first-generation immigrant from South Korea who grew up in the Midwest and lived in the Deep South, I know what isolation and marginalization felt like. 

 My world changed on August 11, 2000 when I saw the standing-room only crowd on SDAFF’s very first opening night. I felt an overflowing sense of purpose, joy, and belonging. Though an unplanned pregnancy, I had just birthed my first baby, and it would became the center of my universe for 16 years. 

Without any knowledge on what it would take to turn SDAFF into a mission-driven organization, I felt like I was alone on a dinghy in the middle of the ocean without a sail.

Lee Ann with her Stone Catcher rock

Then I found Fieldstone.

Right away, I jumped on the coaching train.  My wonderful coach, Sheryl Russell, was informative, patient, and responsive. She shared organizational processes, board structure, and insight from a founder’s perspective. While our organizations were different, I was surprised to learn that our challenges were similar.

About five years later, I came back to Fieldstone for another round of coaching.  This time, I had quit my full-time job as a TV news journalist to exclusively run the film festival and its presenting nonprofit Pacific Arts Movement.

By then, I had a whole different set of questions and mentoring needs for my second coach, Matt D’Arrigo.  As a fellow founder, he shared invaluable best practices, HR advice, and was a great listener, especially when I needed to vent.  I still consider him a dear friend.

It’s no coincidence that after each coaching season, the film festival and Pacific Arts Movement continued to grow. I felt more confident, informed, and I had a larger Fieldstone network to tap into whenever I needed help.

I guess I caught the Fieldstone bug. I joined an Executive Learning Group, a facilitated once-a-month program for nonprofit executives.  Over six months, we deep dived into organizational sustainability, leadership skill development, and solved problems in a trusting, intimate environment. 

As a working mother, one of my biggest challenges was time.  I never spent the kind of time I wanted with my two young boys.  Even when I did, my mind was always on work.  I felt ungrounded, guilty, and judged myself constantly.

Lee Ann, third from left, with her Clare Rose Sabbatical Cohort, 2015

Thank God for Fieldstone’s Clare Rose Sabbatical Program, which offered me a chance to be a born-again mother.  For three months, I devoted uninterrupted time to my boys, husband, extended family, and most importantly to myself. I videotaped hours of interviews with my father-in-law and my grandmother – both who passed away during the pandemic.

During the sabbatical, I had space to recharge, reflect, and remember what was most important in life. My boys were already 9 and 10 years old, and my heart spoke loudly that it was time to leave Pac Arts to serve my family.

Remarkably, Fieldstone supported this decision, and the Sabbatical program helped to develop the leadership skills my staff needed to carry the organization beyond my tenure.  I’m happy to say that the SDAFF is now in its 24th year!

It’s not hyperbole to say that Fieldstone changed my life. I am still on the path of self-discovery that began through Fieldstone’s programs. Today, I consider myself a “community plumber” answering the call for help when needed, and sharing my yoga practice as a teacher and a forever student.

Lee Ann Kim, Founder, Pacific Arts Movement (retired)

Lee Ann Kim is a storyteller, video and events producer, ideas generator and instigator. She is a former broadcast journalist and founder of San Diego Asian Film Festival and Pacific Arts Movement.  Lee Ann is recognized for knowing how to create meaningful events and programs from the ground up. She is an experienced presenter, facilitator/emcee of meaningful events, and routinely speaks on topics of race, gender, motherhood, and personal experiences as a Korean American immigrant. Oh, and she make videos… lots of videos, including all of the videos on Fieldstone’s website!  Lee Ann loves helping individuals and organizations find/tell their story to create long-lasting impact.  Lee Ann is a graduate of our Executive Learning Group program, our Coaching program and a Clare Rose Sabbatical recipient.  

Barbara Mannino – A Beloved Member of the Fieldstone Family

It is with a broken heart that I write to you today to share news of the passing of Barbara Mannino. Barbara died yesterday, April 20th, after a devastatingly quick battle with lung cancer.

Barbara served as the CEO of Vista Community Clinic for 30 years. During her tenure, she grew the organization from a staff of 30 with a $500,000 budget and one site to a $35 million budget with 530 employees and five state of the art medical facilities. Barbara and I met in the late 80s, early in her tenure at VCC and early in my career at Fieldstone. We quickly became friends and met regularly. We shared family photos and I watched her daughter, and then grandchildren, grow up and she watched my son too. Our special place was Pacifica Del Mar and I can’t go there without thinking back to those seemingly ordinary lunches that have become treasured memories. Barbara was there when I became the Executive Director of Fieldstone and was always at the ready to be a sounding board and give me sage advice – advice that I still think back to over twenty three years later!

Barbara, second from left front row, was part of Fieldstone’s first Executive Learning Group in San Diego in the early 1990s.

Barbara was a member of Fieldstone’s first Executive Learning Group. Shortly after, she became a Fieldstone Coach and had served continuously in this role since the early days of the program. She blessed her coachees, she had over 25 of them, with her time and wisdom and they were better leaders because of her investment in them. And so was the Network.

I will always be grateful to Barbara for her commitment to the Network, even after she retired from VCC. She continued to coach through December of last year. (She had every intention to coach in 2023, but we didn’t match her. Thank goodness we had the chance to celebrate together at our December gathering.)

It can be hard to remember the early days of creating the Network, mainly because we didn’t know it would grow into a Network at all. We started with individual programs and I have always believed our success was due to the early adopters who trusted us and said “yes” to our invitation and then helped us create what we now understand the Network to be. Barbara was foundational in this work and her participation helped to give us credibility at an important time. I will always be grateful to her for this and for so much more.

Barbara, center in middle row, with her fellow Fieldstone Coaches in December 2022

American writer Brian Andreas once said, “It is still so new and all we see is the empty space, but that is not how it is in the landscape of the heart. There, there is no empty space and she still laughs and grapples with ideas and plans and nods wisely with each of us in turn. We are proud to have known her. We are proud to have called her friend.” I know Barbara will remain with me, with the Network, and with those she coached on Fieldstone’s behalf. I believe she will be with us as we grapple and make plans for what comes next. And I know she will be nodding and cheering us on as we continue to support each other in answering the call to lead and to help each other to do it well.

Rest in Peace, Barbara.

Love,

Janine

A Full Service Support Center

I have had the fortune of being involved with the Fieldstone Leadership Network for over a decade now.  My first opportunity was with an Executive Learning Group.  It was an opportunity to network with other non-profit directors and, over the course of several months, work through actual organization/leadership problems as a team utilizing group feedback and evaluations, resource-sharing, and a facilitator.  Looking back at that application, our organization had 27 paid staff members with an annual budget of $375K.  The six-month course delivered new resources, relationships, and ideas that I immediately implemented for the organization’s benefit.

With the success of the first investment, I was mindful of the different communications Janine Mason and Fieldstone sent out.  The opportunities were plentiful and it felt like a full-service support center that I could tap in to as frequently as I made time for.  Then, a couple years into my Fieldstone journey, a newsletter spoke of a sabbatical for non-profit Executive Directors.  It sent me on a path that inspired questions I had never thought of before:

• Could my organization and staff function without me for three months?
• What would we have to do so that the organization and staff could function without me for three months?
• Why don’t we have a plan so that the organization and staff could function without me for three months, or longer?
• Who else can the organization really lean on to ensure that the programs, clients, and staff will thrive – with or without me?

The sabbatical information spoke of taking the time off that is necessary to re-charge and refresh.  It also spoke of building the capacity of those within the organization so that the organization could sustain its effectiveness in meeting its mission.  I tell you, the sabbatical opportunity sparked day dreams similar to when people think of winning the lottery.  But since it was an actual opportunity, not just a 1 in 300 million chance, it also gave me a goal to focus toward so that I could apply the following year – if the opportunity was made available again.

Anne Vincent (L) with Tonya and Janine Mason (R) receiving her Clare Rose Sabbatical grant.

The Clare Rose Sabbatical Program was made available the following year and my years worth of daydreams, planning, staffing, and coaching were rewarded with an awarded sabbatical for 2016-17.  The experience, for me, was incredible.  I spent time in Africa and South America and did amazing things like a horseback safari through Zimbabwe and Botswana, a live aboard diving trip to the Galapagos Islands, and hiking Machu Picchu.  I hold memories that make me smile whenever I think of them and remind me of the blessings that have been bestowed on me.

As amazing as the opportunity was for me personally, it had a larger effect on the organization.  Those effects are so much clearer to see now, six years later.  Our program staff was really tasked with “leading” during my absence and it made it obvious who was cut out for it, and how we needed to adjust going forward.  Part of the required commitment to the sabbatical was to have a line item in the budget that allowed for continuing education (Fieldstone calls it a development fund).  Although the line item had always been there, we committed more money to it and really emphasized staff members making choices on what they could do to take themselves, and their programming, to the next level.

We are not a big organization, but Fieldstone invested in us so that we have more than quadrupled our budget, doubled our staffing, and are serving three times the clients that we were ten years ago.  Our continuing education took on a new meaning last year when Lead Staff took a mini-sabbatical (three weeks).  In order to participate they had to delegate responsibilities to key staff, have a strong Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) Manual in place, and spend the preceding year  coaching their staff so everyone was comfortable truly leading and acting in their supervisor’s absence.  The ripple effect of Fieldstone’s investment in Executive Leadership and capacity building made way for a terrific break for Lead Staff and worked on duplication/replication of staff leadership another layer down within the organization.

Hopefully there are clear milestones in your life that you can look back to and see where true transformation, improvement, and progress sprang from. Personally, I, and the organization I serve, are blessed to see that several of those milestones have Fieldstone clearly written on them.  On behalf of the children and adults with special needs, Veterans, active-duty personnel, horses, volunteers, and staff that have benefitted from Ivey Ranch as an organization – thank you Fieldstone.

Tonya Danielly, Executive Director, Ivey Ranch Park Association

Tonya is a California native, born in Oceanside at Camp Pendleton Naval Hospital. She grew up in Carlsbad, graduated Carlsbad High School, and moved back to Oceanside in 1991. She attended Mira Costa Jr. College and then transferred to CSUSM. Pursuing a career in the medical field – she worked in both reproductive science and hospital management. In 1999 she was invited to interview for the position of Executive Director at Ivey Ranch and has since worked on revitalizing programs and the facility as well as introducing an equestrian and therapeutic horseback riding program back in 2003. She is now a credentialed Early Education Instructor as well as a state licensed site supervisor. She is a Certified Therapeutic Riding Instructor with Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship (PATH), an Equine Specialist in Mental Health and Learning, a PATH listed mentor for facilities, instructors, and programs, and a past PATH Southern California State Chair. She is an avid traveler and reader, a PADI certified Dive Master, and is working to obtain her Private Pilot’s License. Her passions include animals, children, family, and community.

Tonya is a graduate of Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group and an active member of a Leadership Reading Group.  She received a Clare Rose Sabbatical grant in 2017. 

Finding Family at Fieldstone

I’m a Founder and the Executive Director of a small non-profit Arts organization and it’s lonely sometimes. For the first 12 years of Villa Musica’s existence, I focused a lot of energy finding my people at conferences and workshops through a national affiliate organization based in New York City. This was a great resource but it left me feeling disconnected on a local level. Then I met Janine Mason and realized that I had been missing out on connecting with people right in my own town.

Author’s Insights, part of Fieldstone’s Leadership Reading Group Program, hosted at Villa Musica in 2019 with author Elizabeth Cobbs

In 2018, I signed up for a book club to “test the waters” and very quickly connected with non-profit leaders from multiple sectors, who provided support, a sounding-board, and a special kind of camaraderie that had been missing for me in San Diego. The sparks and energy that ignited in that conference room each month left me feeling inspired, energized and (best of all) CONNECTED. I was hooked.

Next came the Executive Learning Group. We met for the first time in the Fall of 2019. The pandemic hit during our time together and I am absolutely sure that I would not have been able to navigate that time without the support of my cohort. We are still in touch today.

During this time, I also did some Stone-Catcher work and took part in The Equity Journey 1.0 and 2.0 with my Board Chair as we prepared to do some organization wide work on policy around DEIB (Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging). This program was humbling, inspiring and beautifully transparent. I love that program facilitators, like Janine, could speak to feeling vulnerable and a bit overwhelmed; helping us all find our way on a sensitive and important journey.

Then I applied to the Fieldstone Coaching Program. I was pretty clear about my goals for this program. Maybe even a bit demanding! The coach that I was matched with was PERFECT. We worked on scary stuff. A succession plan (yeh, remember I’m a Founder, that’s BIG), a payraise (us Founders are truly terrible at getting paid at industry rates), and best of all we worked on my relationship with my staff and board. It was great to partner with my coach to dig into things I hadn’t had the courage to fully address on my own. The 360 feedback module I participated in was so enlightening. Every now and then I re-visit it to keep things in check.

My work with Fieldstone has enabled me to make connections in San Diego that are life-long. The people I have met through this work have provided so much over the past five years; a sounding board, a shoulder to cry on, a systems model, a construction contact, help to solve problem. In return I have done the same. The reciprocity and confidentiality that the network holds as bastions of its core values engenders a spirit of honesty, vulnerability and trust that I couldn’t be without now.

I am a better leader now. One who is vulnerable, able to step back and watch others take the floor. My “founder grip” is loosening and the organization is all the better for it. I can take time, go on vacation, breath, and laugh. Our team is small but mighty and I feel that my servant-style leadership model is working now that I have learned to receive as well as give. My work is both the most challenging and rewarding part of my life and I wouldn’t have it any other way. With Fieldstone by my side, I am finding balance.

Dr. Fiona L. Chatwin, Executive and Artistic Director, Villa Musica

Dr. Fiona Chatwin completed a Doctorate of Musical Arts from UCSD with a view to a joint career as both teacher and performer. With more than twenty-five years experience as a teacher of voice both here in San Diego and in Melbourne Australia (where she is from), Chatwin has worked with students of all ages, backgrounds and vocal disciplines. Chatwin has worked at both Community College and University levels designing curriculum for programs that range from music theory to opera, vocal music of the 20th century to improvisation.

In 2005, Chatwin founded Villa Musica – San Diego’s Community Music Center. Since its humble inception Chatwin has built Villa Musica into a musical home for aspiring musicians of all ages, providing a stable work environment for local teaching artists and, enabling access to music education for low income families and seniors across San Diego county through Villa Musica’s satellite initiative.

Chatwin’s affiliation with the National Guild for Community Arts Education has provided her with many opportunities to learn about administrative best practices and national standards of excellence. In 2013 she was chosen to participate in the highly competitive Community Arts Education Leadership Institute, and then in 2015 she was invited to participate as a guest faculty member. Chatwin is an ongoing presenter at the Guild’s National Annual conference, specializing in sessions pertaining to small organization start-up strategies, mentoring first time ED’s, and initiatives that highlight the power of collaboration. Chatwin’s practical and straight-shooting style is well received by guild members across the country and she has mentored many leaders through organizational growth and restructuring. Chatwin currently serves on three advisory boards for small organizations across the country.  Chatwin has participated in Fieldstone’s Leadership Reading Group, Executive Learning Group, Coaching Program and is a current member of the All We Can Save Learning Circle.

Balancing the roles of CEO and Artistic Director, Chatwin embraces the entrepreneurial challenges that a young organization reveals, and has guided it through significant growth. It is with a steady and unyielding focus that she maintains Villa Musica’s mission in her sights as she navigates the challenging terrain of the non-profit arts organization of the 21st century.

Fieldstone -There for Every Stage of My Growth as a Leader

I never planned to become a nonprofit CEO. I majored in theater, loved teaching kids, and after finding my passion for disability inclusion, joined the staff of Kids Included Together (KIT) as a program coordinator in 2003. I thrived under the leadership of Jan Giacinti, who encouraged me to help grow KIT from a local to an international footprint. I was so happy, and fulfilled, that it never occurred to me to aspire to the top job.

And then, I became the KIT CEO in April 2012. Suddenly, I was leading a multi-million-dollar budget, a large contract with the US Department of Defense, twenty employees, and an eighteen-member board, with no executive-level experience.  Oh, and did I mention I had never fundraised?

Thankfully, there was Fieldstone. Through the Executive Learning Groups, I gained a peer network, and a safe space to figure out how I would lead my organization. As the Fieldstone Social Entrepreneurship Fellow, I attended the Harvard Business School Executive Education program and then worked through what I learned with the consummate coach, Tom Hall. Together, we debated business models, and he helped me figure out how to pursue growth at a sustainable pace that would not burn out my team.

Through the network, I have had many opportunities to share my experience with other leaders. I’ve marveled at how Janine Mason, FlNSD founder, knows each member of the network well enough to highlight their unique talents and contributions to the field. For instance, recognizing the strength of my relationships with my board members, Janine invited me and my board chair to talk about our partnership at a Fieldstone @4 event. It’s when I really understood the Fieldstone value of reciprocity. So, in the first phase of the pandemic, when I was worried about my organization’s survival, and Janine called to ask me to present a webinar about remote work because she knew I led a team of 32 employees working across the United States, I said, “Yes, of course, I will.”

Torrie with other Clare Rose Sabbatical-Takers, Renato Paiva, Don Stump, John Malashock and Barbara Reuer, receiving the good news of her selection to take a sabbatical.

Now, I’m at a different stage in my leadership journey. With over 10 years as a CEO, and at least 10 years ahead of me, it was time for a reset. Through the Clare Rose Sabbatical Program, Fieldstone made it possible for me to take a four-month break from the responsibility of leading an organization. Calling it transformational sounds like a cliché, but it truly was, not just for me, but for my organization.

As I look back at my nonprofit leadership career, I see how Fieldstone supported me at every phase. I can think of no other educational or networking program that exists in this way and is devoted to the full development of the leader.

The story of an inexperienced, largely unprepared leader taking the reins of a growing organization could have had a disastrous ending. Luckily, thanks in part to Fieldstone, I’m still the CEO 11 years later, KIT has almost doubled in size, and we’ve now served childcare programs in all 50 states and 15 countries.

Torrie Dunlap, CEO, KIT

Torrie has participated in every Fieldstone Leadership Network program except the Book Club (which she does plan to do!).  Currently, she is in training to facilitate the Network’s Learning Groups beginning in 2024.  

Torrie has attended the executive education programs for philanthropy and nonprofit leaders at both Harvard and Stanford University.  She has a degree from San Diego State University.  Prior to joining KIT, Torrie worked for the Boys and Girls Clubs of Carlsbad  and San Diego Junior Theatre.  She is a frequent speaker and essayist on creating inclusive environments for children to thrive.

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.

A Most Valuable Resource

Happy 40^th anniversary to Fieldstone!  What an incredible organization supporting our local leaders in the nonprofit community – Congratulations!  This leadership network has been one of the most valuable resources throughout my journey as a nonprofit leader and I am so grateful for the shared learning, collaborations, and connections that I have benefited from directly, as well as the ripple effects Fieldstone has had for my staff team and our community.

I have learned so much about my leadership style through the resources provided in the network and by participating in many of the learning groups and coaching program.  Our organization has also invested further both in time and budget into our staff and their personal and professional development, which has increased positive impact on the delivery of our important mission. During the time I have participated with Fieldstone, we have grown from a staff of under 10 to almost 35, expanded services from local to regional territories and increased our mission impact.

Elizabeth Schott with Fieldstone Leadership Network Founder, Janine Mason in 2021

I have personally developed connections and friendships throughout this community sharing tangible things like best practices and books, training templates and service providers, but also for moral support with good laughs, some tears, and great food & drinks 😊.  I am forever grateful for the decade plus of support, guidance and resources I have received from this amazing network – thank you!

Elizabeth Schott, CEO, Accessity

In 2004, Ms. Schott joined Accessity, formerly Accion serving Southern California, a nonprofit microlending organization based in San Diego that serves small businesses throughout SoCal with educational resources and access to capital ranging from $300 to $100,000. Elizabeth participated in Fieldstone Executive Leadership Group Program 2012, Executive Coaching Program 2013, Fieldstone @ 4, Equity Journey 1.0 2020, Equity Journey 2.0 2021, and Center for Creative Leadership 360 Assessment through Fieldstone 2022.

In 2022, Schott was recognized at SD Business Journals 500 Influential Business Leaders Award and she is a past 2016 SBA Financial Services Champion of the Year awardee, 2014 San Diego Metro’s 40 under 40 Awardee and the 2012 3rd place SD Advance Fast Pitch Competition by Social Venture Partners. She served as a mentor for LEAD Advance, is a recent graduate of LEAD Influence 2022 and is an active volunteer and board member at various educational institutions.  She enjoys traveling, the outdoors and spending time with her husband, 9 year old daughter and twin 5 year old boys.

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.

Leaders in the Field – March 2023

Read the March edition here

A Community of Leaders I Could Lean On

The word “Fieldstone” means many things to many people in the San Diego non-profit world.  To those over a certain age and who grew up here, they likely remember that Fieldstone was a market-leading home builder.  To others who cut their non-profit teeth in the last thirty or so years, they’d share that Fieldstone is a place where the best non-profit leaders got equipped.  To a younger generation of non-profit workers who spend time around the first couple of groups, it could be a good name for an after-hours drinking game, as the word “Fieldstone” is uttered so fondly by so many in the nonprofit world, so often.

For me, Fieldstone was a lifeline in the first decade of my senior leadership journey, a source of critical connection and fellowship well into my second decade, and a transforming presence in my third.    Always impatient and planning for my next challenge, I was given my first executive director role at age thirty.  Having spent the early part of my career limited to coordinating events, managing small budgets, supervising teams of staff and volunteers and raising a few bucks for modest programmatic endeavors, I was thoroughly unprepared for what came next.  What was a board?  What does good governance mean?  How do you prepare for an audit?  California labor laws, GAAP standards, fiscal years, annual budgets …. It was all quite foreign to me.  One of my toughest board members, a banker and community volunteer, insisted that I go through the Fieldstone “CEO Learning Group” in 1999.  What was a homebuilder going to teach me about non-profit leadership?  I am eternally grateful that she insisted, because that was the beginning of feeling that I was not alone, and that I had a community of leaders that I could lean on, and also support.  I had a non-profit family. 

There we were, a group of ten non-profit leaders from totally different organizations and professional backgrounds.  There were a couple of therapists, a semi-retired restaurateur, a Boys & Girls Club lifer, a pastor, a dancer, a politician and a mix of other well intended and similarly unprepared leaders.  I was younger than the others, and far greener too. Over the next six months, we got to know and trust each other, and possibly even assisted with the organizational problems that we each presented as part of our program journey.  I learned about SWOT analysis and how to address challenges, but what I really got was a group of colleagues and dear friends that I could count on anytime, and every time.

So the years passed, and we all gained the requisite skills to continue to prosper in our careers, and each of us have made significant impacts in our organizations, and our region. Fieldstone continued to evolve to meet us where we were each at.  Some became Fieldstone coaches, others joined the reading group, there were retreats, and me, I participated in the Clare Rose Sabbatical, nearly twenty years after going through the initial learning group.  The sabbatical was the second lifeline that Fieldstone threw to me … and the organization that I was leading. This space is too short to tell the whole story, but suffice to say that the sabbatical had deep and lasting impacts on me personally and professionally, as well as paved the way for one of the best succession stories you’ll ever hear.

For over twenty years, about half of our original ten members have continued to meet for a monthly meal. At our lunches, we talk about our children, our grandchildren, our travels, our health challenges and believe it or not, even at times, our professional challenges.  Many of our class have retired from our paid roles, but leadership rarely has an exclusive relationship to compensation.  We all continue to influence the region in one way or another.

Leadership is a journey best done in fellowship with others. That, among many other things, is what Fieldstone has given me.

Christopher Sichel, President and CEO, Rancho Santa Fe Foundation

After 25 years as a non-profit CEO in the San Diego community, Chris Sichel joined the Rancho Santa Fe Foundation in 2021 as their President & CEO.  Chris is known as a culture setting executive whose career has been marked by year-over-year mission-focused organizational growth, strong boards and long tenured and dedicated staff members and volunteers. 

Chris served as the President & CEO of Make-A-Wish San Diego from 2005 to 2021, and in 2018 served in a dual role as the President & CEO for the Greater Los Angeles chapter of Make-A-Wish, overseeing a financial turnaround, staff restructure and successful CEO search.  Prior to his years at Make-A-Wish, Chris oversaw STAR/PAL, San Diego’s Police Athletic League for seven years.

Chris is well known as a thought leader within the San Diego non-profit and civic communities, and served as the 111^th President of the San Diego Rotary Club in 2020/2021, and as the San Diego Rotary Foundation President in 2021/2022. Chris was awarded  “Most Admired CEO” in 2018 by the San Diego Business Journal, a recognition that he also earned in 2011. Chris was further honored to be named by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego’s 500 most influential leaders in 2020, 2021 and 2022.   

On a personal note, Chris is a native San Diegan and fifth-generation Californian and a graduate of Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.   In 2017, Chris walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain, a 500-mile pilgrimage route that dates back over 1200 years as part of his Clare Rose Sabbatical provided by Fieldstone. Chris is also a graduate of Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group.   Chris’ favorite quote is: “Create a life that you don’t need to escape from”.

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.

Fieldstone Has Served Me and Literacy To This Day

In 1988, my mentor set me free. At that time, and into the mid-1990s, I was immature, not in an irresponsible way, but more in the true sense of the word. I was young and unaware. I don’t think I had the vision for myself that others had for me. I was comfortable being a humble asset to whoever the boss was.

I was a 1993 LEAD graduate. I was not looking for this opportunity and I’m still not sure that LEAD was the best thing for me. I struggled to relate. I tried hard to be liked. I tried hard to be smart. Even though there was a disconnect here, the experience contributed to my growth.

Later, the Eureka Foundation invited me to join as a fellow. It was then that I began to see who I might be in the nonprofit and leadership arena. I felt valued, respected, and a true part of a community of nonprofit executives who benefited from a family of people like them, who gave good counsel, who listened, and who were understanding. I miss Eureka. I still have healthy connections from it.

Then I joined up with the Fieldstone when, yes, in 1995, I was put into an interim leadership seat…a seat I had been avoiding for years. Here’s where I made lasting connections and where I brought my CEO challenges into a risk-free environment and got answers…where I could make mistakes and not feel alone or clumsy. The opportunities to connect and learn were frequent.

In 2013, twenty years after LEAD graduation, there were issues in my organization, and I was losing confidence. All of us were still recovering from the economic crash of 2009. Funding was an issue, and there were other challenges that were unfair and that could happen any time.

In this time, I was assigned a Fieldstone coach and went through a 360 evaluation. I received much-needed fine-tuning and had reinforced for me what I already understood as being good business practices. I gained strength from this. That intervention has served me and literacy to this day. I will forever be grateful to Fieldstone, Janine Mason, Michael Carr, Kathie Lembo, and Keith Johnson for their guidance.

Today, I am the host of a podcast called “The Gap Minders” on Cloudcast Media. My co-host, Nancy Sasaki, and I, interview our region’s top community leaders. The hosts, guests, and listeners benefit from diverse perspectives on community challenges and the role that literacy plays in solutions.

What is the ripple? I sometimes find myself being a coach to emerging stars in the world of nonprofit services. I get to pay it forward. I’m grateful to the Fieldstone Leadership Network for that too.

Sometimes I ask myself, how did I get here? I probably wouldn’t be here without the people who believed in me before I believed in myself. I would not be writing this. The Fieldstone Leadership Network made a big difference.

Jose Cruz, CEO, San Diego Council on Literacy

Jose Cruz is the chief executive officer for the San Diego Council on Literacy, a model urban literacy coalition.  Jose is a graduate of Fieldstone’s Executive Learning Group and was coached in the Network’s Executive Coaching Program. He has 37 of experience in the literacy field and is known for his accomplishments in supporting collaborative efforts for literacy on various scales: national (National Alliance of Urban Literacy Coalitions), statewide (California Literacy), regional (Southern California Library Literacy Network, and local.  He was the recipient of the 2003 San Diego Union-Tribune, “Educator of the Year” award.   In 2014, he was recognized by The Union-Tribune recognized as the Civic Leader of the Year via the Latino Champions Awards. In 2015), he was named to the San Diego High School, “Hall of Honor.” Cruz is a past-president of the San Diego Lions Club (2020/2021) and is the co-host of The Gap Minders, a podcast that focuses on resource issues that affect quality of life in the San Diego region. He is a native San Diegan, a graduate of the University of Southern California, and a proud product of the San Diego Community College District.

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.

A Life Changing Experience

Ten years ago, I participated in the Fieldstone Leadership Network’s Executive Learning Group, a fantastic program that brings new nonprofit executives together to discuss their challenges in a safe and supportive environment. With time and support from my peers, I became more confident in my ability to lead and develop my team, and I graduated from the program feeling empowered and strong.

It was the Coaching Program, however, that I found to be transformational. I vividly remember driving away from my first meeting with my coach, feeling overcome with gratitude, knowing that this person, my coach, was there to support me and only me. From that day on, I looked forward to our meetings with anticipation. No topic was off-limits. My coach always had practical solutions and advice to get me through almost any challenge I was dealing with, which ultimately helped me find more balance in my professional and personal life. To say it was life-changing is an understatement.

Karen, far right, with her “coaching cousins”. Each of these nonprofit leaders was coached by Shirley Cole, in white, and now serve as Fieldstone Coaches.

A year or so later, Janine Mason invited me to become a coach. I was excited and eager to have the opportunity to give back to other nonprofit professionals who were looking for the same support I had been and to guide them on their leadership journey. Since then, I have coached five nonprofit professionals and am looking forward to coaching my sixth this year. Every coaching experience has been a joy and an honor, and I’m pretty sure I get as much, if not more, out of the partnership as my coachee does.

Thank you, Janine and Fieldstone Leadership Network, for the opportunity to be a part of your mission these last ten years. The San Diego community is fortunate to have this incredible resource designed to create and sustain personal and professional relationships among nonprofit leaders. I am honored and proud to be a part of this fantastic organization. Congratulations on celebrating 40 years of making a difference in the lives of hundreds of nonprofit professionals.

Karen Terra, Executive Director, Emilio Nares Foundation

Karen has more than 25 years of experience in strategic planning, development and administration of start-up and non-profit organizations. Areas of expertise include board development and management, fundraising, grant writing, publication production, direct mail campaigns, website and social media development; special events, marketing, community outreach and public relations activities.  Prior to leading EMF, she worked for Special Olympics and Hubbs-Sea World Research Center.  Karen is a graduate of our 2013 Executive Learning Group, was coached in 2015 and became a Fieldstone Coach in 2018.  She is currently coaching her sixth nonprofit professional.  Karen received her degree from St. Boneventure University and has earned a certificate from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance for Coaching as a Leadership Tool. 

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.