Nonprofit Management

Philip Arca has demonstrated a lifelong commitment to social justice that involves direct support of individuals, systemic change, sustainability, creativity, and the joy of allowing all to realize their fullest potential. On a practitioner level, he is a seasoned turnaround leader with broad and deep experience.

Most recently, he has been Interim Executive Director for an art/science center, foster youth program, senior nutrition services, a youth science outreach effort in the East Bay, a law center in Marin, consulting with various real estate/social enterprise projects in Oakland, and on the advisory boards of the Sustainable Business Alliance, The International Toy Museum, and with The Inspire Awards. Arca was recently accepted as a Charter Member of the National Association of Accredited Interim Executive Directors (NAAIED).

He is formerly the Executive Director of a $7 million, 85 employee, 800 volunteer, faith-based social services organization working throughout Alameda County. In addition, he has worked with The Oakland Zoo, startup of a new U.S. fair trade coffee initiative, and the strategic alignment and growth of a statewide communications organization focused on children’s issues.

Recently he has been involved with OpenIDEO, the SF MeetUp organizing team and is a fan of human centered design. He was on the editorial board of the Social Enterprise Reporter. He has taught classes at CSUEB and JFK University. He has published articles in Advancing Philanthropy and The Nonprofit Times. He is a graduate of Santa Clara University with an MPA from USC.

He enjoys family, theater, ukulele/guitar, Dragonboat paddling, cycling, and motorcycling. If requested to be a dog, would be a basset hound — improbable with a consequently necessary sense of a humor.

Amira Barger serves as a leader in nonprofit management and has done so for the last 14 years. The foundation for her leadership and community-building was set at an early age when her family moved from San Diego, CA to the tiny Pacific Island of Guam, USA to serve as missionaries in the 90’s. Barger was intrigued by the budding ideas around what would one day be coined “collective impact” and her upbringing entrenched the desire to live a life of service. She decided to use her skills to continue forward movement in the nonprofit sector. She received a BA in Marketing from Vanguard University, an MBA from Letourneau University, and invested in her professional development by receiving both the CVA (Certified Volunteer Administrator) and CFRE (Certified Fund Raising Executive) designations. In addition, Barger serves on the Council for Certification in Volunteer Administration’s Board as Chair and part of the External Relations Committee. She's also an active member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners, the Public Relations Society of America, and the American Public Health Association.

Stephanie Casenza has devoted her career to helping advance the mission and vision of a broad range of organizations as a professional and a volunteer. Moving easily between the business and not-for-profit worlds, she has held management, development, and public relations roles for advertising/public relations agencies and for social services, higher education, healthcare, and arts organizations throughout California. Casenza has taught courses at University of California, San Diego Extension; at San Diego State University; and Nonprofit Management Solutions in San Diego. In addition, she has served on more than a dozen nonprofit boards. She currently serves as director of development for LSS of Northern California, which provides supportive housing services to formerly homeless individuals, families, and emancipated foster youth in multiple counties.

She earned a master’s degree in executive leadership from the School of Business at University of San Diego and her undergraduate degree in journalism from San Diego State University. She also received the universal accreditation for public relations from the Public Relations Society of America and is a candidate for the CFRE.

Douglas Cook, C.P.A., M.P.A. is Principal of Cook & Company, an accounting firm specializing in performing independent audits of nonprofit organizations. He has nearly two decades of professional accounting experience and has become a well-respected specialist in nonprofit accounting and tax issues. Cook has also taught at San Francisco State University and Golden Gate University.

Jeff Cook believes marketing is all about developing thoughtful, strategic, and exciting solutions for successfully supporting and advancing your nonprofit organization's mission. Cook has been a faculty member in the nonprofit management program since 2005. A New York native, he graduated from Delaware Academy before earning a bachelor's degree at Hartwick College. After moving to California, he entered the University of San Francisco, graduating with a master's degree in nonprofit administration. Today, he serves as chief communications officer at California State University, Fullerton. Cook has volunteered with and served on the governing boards of political, environmental, religious, LGBT, and refugee/immigrant-services nonprofits.

I sincerely believe as professionals that we have a duty to bring along the next generation of professionals. The joy of teaching is to inspire students to move forward with the desire of learning and doing and not be afraid to take risks.Life is not about the ultimate destination but the journey getting there and what we experience and learn along the way.

Dwight Dickerson, Esq. is the Director of the Paralegal Studies Program at California State University, East Bay and a former member of the ABA Standing Committee on Paralegals Approval Commission and an active member of and presenter for The American Association for Paralegal Education.

He has been a member of the faculty of the CSUEB Paralegal Studies Program since 1991, and is an instructor of Contract Law and Nonprofit Law on the CSUEB Hayward Hills campus. Dickerson graduated from Brandeis University with honors majoring in American Urban Studies and received his J. D. from the University of Michigan Law School. He has been an active member of the State Bar of California since December 1977, specializing in real estate, consumer business, and non-profit law related matters.

A respected social media marketing and personal branding expert, Irene Koehler has helped thousands improve business results by strategically developing marketing strategies and personal brands. Driven to support others' success, she works closely with clients to understand their objectives and challenges to create a unique plan tailored to fit their needs. Koehler is a highly sought-after speaker, trainer, and strategist, and she also teaches social media marketing courses at San Francisco State University and Cal State East Bay. Connect with Koehler at Irene Koehler Consulting on Twitter, Facebook, or LinkedIn.

A graduate of the University of California, Los Angeles, Koehler has a lifelong passion for community service and has held leadership positions in civic, cultural, educational, and non-profit organizations.

Joel Mackey is an attorney currently serving as the Executive Director of the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund, aka the Ed Fund. Joel is also an instructor with University of San Francisco, San Francisco State University and California State University East Bay. Joel is also a graduate student at Northwestern University seeking a master’s degree in mental health counseling.

Prior to joining the Ed Fund, he worked as the legal and policy analyst with Making Waves in Richmond, CA. Previous to Making Waves, Joel served fourteen years as the Executive Director of East Bay Habitat for Humanity and nearly four years as the Executive Director of Harbor House in Oakland. Before embarking upon a career in the nonprofit sector, Joel was employed as an attorney in law firms in both San Francisco and Chicago. He maintains his license to practice law in both California and Illinois. His legal expertise in nonprofit legal issues augments his nonprofit legal advising and consulting practice focusing on group facilitation, strategic planning, organizational development, and mediation services.

Joel’s nonprofit experience includes service on numerous nonprofit boards, including East Bay Asian Local Development Corporation, Berkeley Community Law Center, the Homeless Action Center, Consumer Credit Counseling, the People’s Credit Union, and the Family Independence Initiative.

Joel is a graduate of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California, Berkeley, and Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary at Northwestern University. He completed his undergraduate studies at Trinity College.

Joel’s avocation is coaching youth sports. He is currently the head coach of the girl’s varsity basketball team at Making Waves High School. He has also coached boy’s high school basketball and youth soccer for more years than he can remember.

Dr. Sonia Mañjon, the CEO of LeaderSpring, is an experienced executive director with a demonstrated history of working in the non-profit organization management industry. Her experience ranges in higher education, nonprofit management, and government administration. She served as the inaugural director of the Lawrence and Isabel Barnett Center for Integrated Arts and Enterprise at The Ohio State University (OSU). Before joining OSU, Dr. Mañjon was Vice President for Institutional Partnerships, Chief Diversity Officer (CDO), and Visiting Associate Professor of Theatre at Wesleyan University. She was appointed by Connecticut Speaker of the House to the State Latino and Puerto Rican Affairs Commission. In California, she was a member of the Alameda County Education Reform Policy Board for secondary and postsecondary education. Dr. Mañjon is also the former executive director of the Center for Art and Public Life at California College of the Arts. She enjoys yoga, swimming, and spending time with her sons Zyan and Ezra.

Dr. Renee Rubin Ross works with nonprofit organizations to align board and staff, plan for the future, and tell the stories of their accomplishments, strengthening fundraising, communication, and overall effectiveness.

Her consulting practice includes work with nonprofit organizations in several capacities: Governance and Board Development, Strategic Planning, Facilitation, Fund Development and Grant Writing, and Assessment and Capacity Building.

Renee has worked with many different kinds of nonprofit organizations, including arts and cultural, religious, educational, environmental, social service and advocacy organizations.Renee also has over 20 years’ experience in the education sector, with a deep knowledge of teacher training, educator professional development, and learning processes.

Renee utilizes the Technology of Participation: Inclusive, participatory facilitation methods that structure conversations and workshops to surface thinking, build investment and engage the wisdom of the group.

Renee is the Program Director of the Cal State East Bay Nonprofit Management Certificate Program and teaches grant proposal writing for the program. She has presented workshops and webinars on board development and grant writing for a variety of nonprofit groups.

Eleanor A. Smith, principal of Eleanor A. Smith Associates, has provided strategic consulting services to foundations and nonprofit organizations since 1997. Services include strategic planning, evaluation, grant-making guidance and support, best practices research, program development, market and stakeholder research, and feasibility analysis. Smith teaches workshops and courses in Program Evaluation and Program Development at CSUEB and Strategic Planning and Program Evaluation at SFSU.

She holds a master's degree in City and Regional Planning from the University of California at Berkeley and a BA in Comparative Culture from the University of California at Irvine.