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 Board of Directors

Claudia Castillo Ross
CEO
Cross Marketing

Chair, Raphael House Board of Directors
Claudia Castillo Ross founded Cross Marketing in 2005 to pursue the cross between marketing and philanthropy. Cross Marketing makes the connection to customers through marketing, advertising, special events and philanthropy. Claudia serves on the board of Care through Action. She is an active community volunteer and has served as Chair for several large-scale fundraising opportunities. Claudia is a part-time marketing instructor at FIDM, Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising. Claudia and her husband live in the Bay Area with their two small children.

Sophie Azouaou
Principal
SophiSticate Interiors

Chair, Press Committee
Sophie is a French native and the owner of SophiSticate Interiors, a prominent San Francisco Bay Area Interior Design Firm. An Interior Designer for sixteen years she has earned a laundry list of credentials in the field of Design including a Law Degree with a minor in Art. She is also a certified Color Specialist and an Accredited Staging Professional (ASP™). Sophie is a founder and member of several Design organizations and she routinely mentors Bay Area Design students. She is an active member of the San Francisco Community, writing for local newspapers, sponsoring sports events, and speaking to many women’s groups. Sophie believes in “giving back” to the city that has afforded her so much success.

Bishop Benjamin
Diocese of the West, Orthodox Church in America
Live-in Community Representative

Bishop Benjamin overseas 65 parishes and institutions of the Orthodox Church in the Western United States.  He sits on the board of several community organizations including Life Giving Spring Retreat Center in Boulder City, Nevada and Martha and Mary Home in Escondido, California.   The Bishop is also the former Dean of St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak Alaska and St. Innocent Cathedral in Anchorage, Alaska

Kevin Brennan
Executive Vice President & Co-Managing Partner
Studley, Inc.

Kevin Brennan has 18 years of commercial tenant advisory experience rooted in the San Francisco Bay Area. His areas of commercial real estate expertise include structured finance, trends analysis, market assessment, transaction strategy and execution. Kevin is President of the Board of Directors for Young Entrepreneurs at Haas (YEAH) at the School of Business at UC Berkeley. YEAH is focused on helping underserved middle school and high school students learn about business and enter college. With his wife, son and daughter, Kevin lives in Orinda and is part of the Lafayette-Orinda Presbyterian Church.

Tara Trask-Bunch
Principal
Tara Trask and Associates

Chair, Governance Committee
Tara is a trial consultant and litigation strategist. Her company, Tara Trask and Associates operates offices in San Francisco and Dallas, consulting on “bet-the-company” cases all over the country. She also serves on the San Francisco Committee of Global Green USA, the US arm of Green Cross International, Mikhail Gorbachev’s foundation for a sustainable world. Tara and her husband, Brian, live in Marin County with their two small children.

Debbie Degutis
Marketing Consultant

Co-chair, Program Committee
Debbie is a seasoned high-tech marketing communications professional, specializing in turning strategic plans into measurable results. She focuses on event planning, collateral development, advertising, and web strategy. Debbie has been a volunteer at Raphael House for many years. She is a CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocate) for children in foster care, and supports other local non profits. Debbie and her husband live in San Francisco.

Chuck Doyle
President
Business Capital

Chuck is President of Business Capital in San Francisco CA, a leading commercial financial services firm providing comprehensive, customized and strategic business solutions for clients across the United States. Business Capital offers a vast spectrum of services, including debt restructuring; asset based lending, asset protection, capital raising and business turnaround offerings. Chuck is actively involved in the San Francisco community. He has served on development and fundraising committees for various charities. He is also actively involved in recruiting, development and fund raising for his alma mater, Holy Cross. Chuck and his wife Jennifer live with their 4 children and split time between their homes in Mill Valley and Southport CT

William Freeman
Principal
Spyglass Capital LLC

Bill manages a real estate development fund in the Pacific Northwest. He is also the owner of Patxi’s Chicago Pizza restaurants in Palo Alto and San Francisco. In addition to his dedication to Raphael House, Bill donates time and support to Children of Shelters where his wife, Kathryn Freeman is, is a member of the board. He and his wife split their time between Portland, San Francisco and Palm Springs.

Ed Hass
Partner
RoecaHaasHager LLP

Ed is a real estate and professional liability attorney. He represents principals in transactions and other professionals, including attorneys and real estate agents in litigation. Ed is involved in a number of community organizations including Marin Montessori School, Sir Francis Drake High School focusing his time on the Mountain Bike team as a parent volunteer. Ed has been married for over 20 years to Patricia Oji. They reside in Fairfax and have two sons, one of whom is a junior at Cal and the other a sophomore at Sir Francis Drake High School.

John Hinman
Partner
Hinman & Carmichael LLP

Chair, Long Range Planning Committee
John is the founding partner of Hinman & Carmichael LLP, the nation’s leading alcoholic beverage regulatory law firm. John has been practicing law in this area for over 30 years, is a published author and is a national expert on beverage law.
John, a former Chairman of the Raphael House Board, currently serves on the board of the Specialty Wine Retailers Association and the American Wine Alliance for Research and Education. John is also a long-time elder in the Presbyterian Church. John, who has two grown children and a grandchild, lives with his wife Charmaine in San Rafael.

Laurie Kopp
Associate
The Capital Group

Co-chair, Program Committee
Laurie works as an Investment Group Coordinator for The Capital Group. In 2006, was awarded Volunteer of the Year by the Capital Group for her tireless work in the community. In addition to her work with Raphael House, Laurie is actively involved with The San Francisco Ballet. Laurie is a Connecticut native, now enjoying her life here in San Francisco.

John Latta
Principal
Orion Group LLC

Chair, Finance Committee
John provides operational and financial advice to professional service organizations. His current clients include firms and other groups in the legal, consulting, money management and scientific research communities. John is an adjunct professor in the MBA program at Golden Gate University, and has served on the boards of a number of Bay Area nonprofits. John and his wife, Tim, live in Millbrae and have two grown children and one grandchild.

Ann Ferrell Millham
Community Volunteer

Ann Ferrell is an active community volunteer working with several non profits in and around the Bay including the Boys and Girls club of San Francisco where she chairs the gala. In addition to serving on the Raphael House Board of Directors Ann Ferrell has co-chaired the Raphael House One Home, Many Hearts Gala utilizing her extensive planning and special event fundraising experience. Ann Ferrell lives in San Francisco with her husband, Steve, and their two children

Kendall Wilkinson Robinson
Principal
Kendall Wilkinson Designs

Kendall is the principal and owner of Kendall Wilkinson Design and Kendall Wilkinson Home, located on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. She has worked for the past 17 years designing interiors for high-end custom homes, and her retail location features her custom-designed furniture line. Kendall supports many community organizations including Langley Porter Hospital, SFMOMA, and her sons' schools. She lives in San Francisco with her husband, Gardner, and their two young boys.

David Swartz
Vice President
Merrill Lynch

David is a founding partner of the Garrison – Swartz team at Merrill Lynch. The team provides discretionary asset management and financial planning services for individuals and institutions. David is a member of the University of California – San Francisco Foundation Investment Committee and is Chairman of the Trust Subcommittee. David lives in Mill Valley with his wife Diane. They have three children ranging in age from ten to twenty.

Mary Wolfe
Principal
Wolfe + Associates

Chair, Development Committee
Mary is a high tech marketing consultant who works with a variety of Bay Area startups. Her focus is on defining new products, opening new marketing and creating effective marketing programs. Mary serves on the regional board of NCOUR for the University of Virginia, is active in her children’s school and is an avid supporter of many local organizations.

Emeriti

Francis J. Rigney, M.D. - Director Emeritus – Dr. Rigney is a retired Chief of Staff from what is now the California Pacific Presbyterian Hospital and member of the Advisory Council for San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association. He was the first Chairman of the Raphael House Board, and has been an invaluable resource sharing his knowledge of organizational principles and love of Raphael House for over thirty years.

 

 


Officers

Fr. David Lowell - President

Angela Alessandroni – Secretary - Angela Alessandroni is the Human Resources Manager for the agency and a member of the Executive Management Team.