Board of Directors
Douglas K. Freeman, J.D., LL.M.,
Chairman
Senior Managing Director, First Foundation Advisors, where he provides strategic planning and organizational management advice for businesses, not-for-profit organizations, family and independent foundation, and families. Doug Freeman founded the law firm of Freeman, Freeman & Smiley, LLP, located in Los Angeles and Irvine, California. From 2005-2008, Doug was Read More
recognized by Worth magazine as among the top 100 attorneys in the United States and, in 1999, he was featured by Bloomberg Financial as one of the nation’s leading estate planning attorneys. He is the founder of National Philanthropy Day, proclaimed by Congress and celebrated throughout the US since 1986. He is co-author with Lee Hausner of The Legacy Family…The Definitive Guide to Building a Successful Multigenerational Family (Palgrave Macmillan 2009), and A Founder’s Guide to the Family Foundation, (Council on Foundations 2005). Doug is the Immediate Past Chair of the UC Irvine Foundation Board of Trustees, and prior Chair of the Pacific Symphony. He is also a director on four family foundations and oversees the operations of 14 family and independent foundations. Doug is a graduate of Stanford University (A.B. with Distinction, 1967), University of California at Los Angeles (J.D., 1970), and the University of San Diego (LL.M. in Taxation, 1984). He retired as a Certified Specialist in Taxation under the State Bar of California in 2008.
Sue Tucker
President/CEO
Sue Tucker’s career background as a philanthropist, educator, publicist and journalist has focused on the nonprofit industry for over 27 years. Sue founded OC Public Relations in 1996, specializing in cause marketing, media relations, special event planning and publicity for nonprofit organizations. Sue’s journalism career includes over 17 years in positions as society Read More
editor, master calendar editor and editor for philanthropic publications. She was awarded “1998 Honorary Service Award” by the California Congress of Parents, Teachers & Students, Inc. for her literacy work in Orange County elementary schools. In 2000, Sue founded the first online magazine calendaring system for charity events in Orange Coast magazine, which expanded to 26 cities nationwide, earning her the “2002 Business Woman of the Year” by American Women’s Business Association. She also educates on topics of special event publicity, media relations and nonprofit marketing at Cal State University, Fullerton, Volunteer Center OC, and UCI Extension Program. Sue has served on the various nonprofit boards over 25 years to include 13 years in all capacities as board member of The Sophisticates of ATSC who supports free counseling for troubled at-risk school-age children. Sue graduated Magna Cum Laude from Cal State University, Fullerton (B.S., Human Services and Community Development) and studied her master’s degree at CSUF in Counseling & School Psychology. She attended the University of California, Irvine Extension Program in the studies of nonprofit fundraising and public relations.
Lee Hausner, Ph.D.
Senior Managing Director, First Foundation Advisors. Lee Hausner is an internationally recognized clinical psychologist, business consultant and family wealth advisor. She served as the senior psychologist for the Beverly Hills Unified School District for 17 years. An acknowledged expert on psychological issues involving wealth and wealth transfer, she was a presenter at the World Economic Forum in Davos and is a frequent participant at the high Read More
wealth/private client conferences for major financial institutions. Lee is co-author with Doug Freeman of A Founder’s Guide to the Family Foundation”, published by the Council on Foundations, and The Legacy Family…The Definitive Guide to Building a Successful Multigenerational Family. She is the author of the seminal work regarding wealth and the family; “Children of Paradise: Successful Parenting for Prosperous Families” and co-author of the critically acclaimed family business resource book “Hats Off to You 2: Balancing Roles and Creating Success in Family Business”. Lee is a graduate of Northwestern University (B.A., Psychology), San Francisco State University (M.A., Psychology), and Kensington University (Ph.D., Psychology).
David Long, Ph.D.
David Long has more than 40 years of experience in education, including 21 years teaching in the classroom and serving in a variety of positions: assistant superintendent, principal, associate principal, athletic director and coach. He is currently the CEO of Dave Long & Associates, an education consulting firm. In September 2008 he signed on as a consultant to the California School Boards Association. David also served as Secretary of Education Read More
under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from 2007-2008. Prior to his appointment as Secretary of Education, served as the superintendent of schools for Riverside County having oversight over 23 school districts serving more than 400,000 students. He previously was the superintendent for the Lake Elsinore Unified School District from 1992 to 1999, and he held the same position in the Banning Unified School District from 1989 to 1992. He served on the Board of Directors and as president of the California County Superintendents Educational Association. David chaired the Federal Education Safe and Drug Free Schools and Community Advisory Committee. He also served as a commissioner for the First 5 Commission of Riverside and chair of the United Way Educational Countywide. David earned a doctorate degree in educational administration from Iowa State University, a masters degree in physical education from Missouri State College and a Bachelor of Arts degree in physical education from the University of Northern Iowa.
Fernando Niebla
Mr. Niebla has extensive experience in operational management, management consulting for entrepreneurial firms, and as a Board of Directors member of companies with ownership structures that include New York Stock Exchange listed companies, Mutual companies and privately owned companies. Mr. Niebla holds a B.S.E.E. from the University of Arizona and a M.S. Q.B.A. from the Graduate School of Business at U.S.C. Mr. Niebla worked 18 years Read More
in the U.S. aerospace industry with assignments in California and Cape Kennedy Florida during the Apollo Moon Landing Project. Other assignments included management of satellite processing laboratory and project management responsibilities for communication, navigation and observation satellites. Mr. Niebla founded and managed two successful high technology companies. Infotec Development Inc. (IDI) specialized in Mission Control Centers for satellites and complex computer networking systems. IDI had offices throughout the U.S. and in Mexico City and grew to over 850 engineers and technicians prior to being merged with a publicly held company in 1996. Mr. Niebla also founded Infotec Commercial Systems (ICS) to provide technology training and certification throughout the U.S. ICS grew to over 20 offices throughout the U.S. prior to his exit in 1999. During this time Mr. Niebla was also co-founder of CompuServe Mexico, later sold to AOL. Currently Mr. Niebla serves on the Board of Directors of 5 companies: Union Bank, Pacific Life Insurance Company, Granite Construction Inc., IHHI (public holding company that owns 4 hospitals) and a rapidly growing entrepreneurial high technology company. In addition Mr. Niebla Chairs two organizations sponsored by the Mexican Govt. equivalent of the U.S. Small Business Administration to promote, advise and support companies interested in cross national business development.
Marshall Kaplan
Marshall Kaplan is President of the new nonprofit group, Pathways to Opportunities. For the past seven years he was Executive Director of the Merage Foundations. He is the former Dean of the University of Colorado’s Graduate School of Public Affairs, where he also headed the Wirth Chair and Institute for Public Policy. Marshall was a senior official at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and a principal in the national policy advisory firm Marshall Kaplan, Gans & Kahn. He has written widely on urban Read More
policy, the environment, infrastructure financing, and poverty. He holds a BA degree in Political Science and MA degrees in Political Science and Public Administration from Boston University, as well as an MCP degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Robert DeVan
Robert DeVan has over 45 years of experience in business, the last 20 of which he operated as a CFO in the consumer goods industry. Robert has served on various Boards of Directors including the Credit Research Foundation in New York, the Credit Educational Foundation (President) in Los Angeles, and the North San Diego Convention & Visitors Bureau (Treasurer). He also served as the City Commissioner in Finance & Banking for the City of Laguna Niguel. Robert received Read More
a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Miami and was given an Executive Award from Stanford University Graduate School of Business in Palo Alto, CA.
JoAnn Albers
JoAnn Albers, founder of Albers Consulting, a professional fundraising consulting firm with over 25 years of direct non-profit experience, as a philanthropist has become known for her expertise in fundraising, insight and resources to help non-profit organizations carry out their visions, and exceed their expectations. She has served both for profit, and non-profit organizations, successfully conceptualizing, and implementing sales, and marketing programs. Read More
Her background includes co-founding a non-profit organization using her skills in fundraising development, and strategic planning to benefit Doerbecher Children’s Hospital in Portland, Oregon. JoAnn also served as a board of director of the hospital for six years focusing on a $35 million capital campaign solicitation committee, where she also served on the Executive Committee, as Director at Large. JoAnn has a leadership role with a nationally renowned Women’s Health Center at Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon in organizational development cultivation, community involvement, and awareness. She also co-founded a Circle of Giving for the center for research raising over $600,000 in three years. JoAnn is on the Board of Trustees for Oregon Health & Science University for eight years doing board enhancement during a $300 million campaign, and also served on a branding committee, as well. JoAnn lives is involved as a member of the Orange County Women in Philanthropy, board of director for Act Today, a non-profit raising money, and awareness for treatment, and care of autistic children.
