Ram Krishnan, Chair
Board of Directors
Jeff Rowland, Vice Chair & Treasurer
Kate Nyce, Secretary
Mari Pili Becerra
Jen Keyes
Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq.
Blanca Melendrez
Hazzy Pipo
Kristine M. Smith
Board Chair
Ram Krishnan
Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm
Ram Krishnan is Vice President of Engineering at Qualcomm, a multinational semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company that designs and markets wireless telecommunications products and services. In his current role, Ram leads the Cellular Engineering projects in Qualcomm’s Technology Licensing Division, with a particular focus on 5G technology and intellectual property (IP). Over his 25 years at Qualcomm, Ram has been integral to the development and deployment of groundbreaking technology, including Qualcomm’s flagship QCT chipsets and the world's first commercial LTE deployment. Ram has led the technical due‐diligence for many of Qualcomm’s major acquisitions, including the 2014 HP‐Palm acquisition.
Ram has a BS in Electrical Engineering from University of Kerala in India; an MS in Computer Science from The University of Texas at Dallas; and a certificate in Intellectual Property Law from UC San Diego. Ram and his wife Rekha have two children, and the family shares a passion for ending hunger, both domestically and worldwide. The Krishnans have donated countless hours volunteering for local hunger relief organizations and support an array of local nonprofit organizations.
Vice Chair & Treasurer
Jeff Rowland, CPA
Chief Financial Officer, Library Foundation SD
A CPA and a graduate of the Masters of Science in Taxation program at Walsh College of Troy, Michigan. Jeff started his literacy nonprofit career with Beyond Basics in Troy, Michigan, a one-on-one reading tutoring organization in the City of Detroit. Jeff worked as the Controller for more than five years, developing financial processes, organizational procedures, and programming. He increased revenue through more structured contracts, as well as networking and soliciting corporate sponsorships. He has spent a great deal of his life studying literacy and its positive impact on communities.
As a Young Leader Member with the Detroit Economics Club, Jeff and 49 other young professionals met monthly with local CEO’s to discuss their keys to success as well as community improvement projects. Jeff currently serves on the Board of Hope2Water as the co-founder and Treasurer.
Secretary
Kate Nyce
Partner, Tribble & Nyce LLP
Kate Nyce is an experienced attorney based in San Diego, with a legal career spanning over two decades. As a legal advisor, she successfully guides local and national organizations through complex legal landscapes enabling them to strategically advance their initiatives and priorities. In her previous role as Special Projects Advisor to County Supervisor Nora Vargas, Kate worked to advance the needs of underserved communities.
Kate’s commitment to serving our community is a lifelong passion. Her volunteer work focuses on direct legal services, voting rights, and reproductive health care, education, and advocacy. She is Past-Chair of Planned Parenthood of the Pacific Southwest and a member of Planned Parenthood Federation of America’s Governance Committee.
Members At Large
Mari Pili Becerra
Senior Business Development Manager, Entravision
Mari Pili Becerra transitioned from radio into television, joining Entravision in October 2024. Prior to that, she was instrumental in enhancing advertising and community relationships at TelevisaUnivision. With over 30 years of experience as a media executive across various markets, she has demonstrated exceptional effectiveness in roles with Uniradio Corp., Salem Media Group, Energy Communications Corp. (U.S. Representative for Televisa TV), Entravision Communications Corp., CBS Radio, and the former Califormula Broadcasting Group.
Under her leadership, TelevisaUnivision’ s media platforms maintained strong ratings and audience share in rapidly growing markets. Mari Pili's expertise in strategic account development, management, marketing, public relations, training, and motivating sales staff significantly contributes to TelevisaUnivision’ s ongoing success and growth.
Fun Fact: Beyond her media career, Mari Pili is also a musical theatre professional. She performed internationally on the TV series "The Love Boat" in 1986 and on Broadway. She has been married for 24 years and is a proud mother of two teenage daughters, aged 18 and 20. Mari Pili is a foodie, wine enthusiast, and lives by the motto, "Life's too short to be anything but happy!"
Jen Keyes, CPA
Jen Keyes is a CPA and seasoned financial executive with over 20 years of experience in corporate, nonprofit, and consulting finance. As a Managing Director at TGG Accounting, she partners with clients to build scalable systems, improve financial clarity, and align operations with long-term strategy.
Jen has served as CFO and COO at organizations like National University and the San Diego Hunger Coalition, where she led audits, secured federal funding, and implemented key financial reforms. Her background also includes public accounting roles at Moss Adams and CohnReznick. Jen is a graduate of San Diego State University, a LEAD San Diego alumna, and an active board member in the San Diego nonprofit community.
Managing Director & CFO, TGG Accounting
Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer, California CASA Association
Sharon M. Lawrence, Esq., Chief Executive Officer, joined California CASA in November 2017 after a successful 20-year tenure as CEO of Voices for Children, the CASA program for San Diego and Riverside counties. Under her leadership, the organization experienced extraordinary growth (from $400,000 in 1997 to nearly $7,000,000 in 2017) and national recognition. Sharon has brought to the state’s CASA network and the California CASA association her deeply felt passion for helping foster children and improving the foster care system, as well as her strong leadership skills, legal and legislative expertise, and fundraising and managerial knowledge. To date, Sharon’s most significant accomplishment has been the securing of $60 million in state funding for the CASA network. The recipient of many honors over the years, she serves on numerous statewide and regional committees addressing the needs of foster youth, and promotes CASA to individuals, foundations, corporations, elected officials, and government agencies throughout California and beyond. Prior to joining Voices for Children in 1997, she was an attorney and litigator at Lewis, D’Amato, Brisbois & Bisgaard, a large law firm in San Diego; she specialized in medical malpractice. She received her J.D. from the University of Texas School of Law, Austin, where she was managing editor of the Texas International Law Journal, among other honors, and her B.A. from the University of Denver, Colorado, with a triple major in Speech Communications, Psychology, and Political Science.
Blanca Melendrez
Executive Director, UC San Diego, Center for Community Health
Blanca Meléndrez (she/her/ella) is the Executive Director of the UCSD Center for Community Health, joining them in 2001. She leverages two decades of leadership within a university-based center focused on community-engaged public health practice. She is deeply committed to addressing health disparities and advocating for health equity, particularly within communities of color. Blanca’s work is rooted in personal experiences as an immigrant from Mexico, facing firsthand the challenges within healthcare systems and the impacts of social determinants of health. Blanca’s career has been characterized by the development of pioneering health programs and the establishment of critical community-based coalitions, securing over $80 million in funding to enhance community health and reduce disparities. This work is underpinned by a deep-seated belief in social justice and equity, driving her to advocate for health as a fundamental right for all.
Blanca’s journey at CCH began with the foundational SNAP-Education Program, initially through the 5-a-Day pilot in partnership with the California Department of Public Health. This early work laid the groundwork for innovative initiatives like workplace wellness, faith-based wellness, healthy schools, and healthy retail projects. Among these, the Southern California ¡Más Fresco! Nutrition Incentive Program stands out as a flagship effort, marking the first of its kind in the University of California System to combat food insecurity through a collaborative approach involving community, food systems, and health systems.
Furthermore, under Blanca’s leadership, CCH has been instrumental in establishing and leading various community-based collective impact coalitions and initiatives that embed just research and evaluation of programs, including the San Diego Refugee Communities Coalition, Advancing Health Literacy, Healthy4You, Youth Advisory Council, and San Diego County Obesity Initiative. These initiatives aim to embrace young people and community leaders in co-creating new ways to improve access to education, economic opportunities, and health, particularly for communities that have been historically marginalized and affected by systemic health inequities.
Rooted in a commitment to social justice and equity, Blanca continues to lead with the conviction that health is a right, not a privilege. She is driven by the belief in the power of community-informed interventions to transform health outcomes and advocate for sustainable health equity for all.
Hazzy Pipo
Human Resources Director, Episcopal Community Services
Hazzy Pipo brings over 15 years’ experience in human resources. Throughout her career, Hazzy has held leading human resources positions in not-profit, private,and publicly traded companies in financial services,youth development, homeless services,and mental health.
Hazzy began her career in Human Resources at Arrow Financial Services,a subsidiary of Sallie Mae Corporation, then moving to U.S. Financial Management where she helped build the company from a team of 25to over 75 employees in a span of two years. Hazzy shifted to the nonprofit world joining Girl Scouts San Diego as their Human Resources Director for over five years. Since 2013, Hazzy serves as the Human Resources Director for Episcopal Community Services, a social services agency supporting more than 6,000 clients in San Diego in the areas of early childhood education, mental health, and nutrition.
Hazzy received her BS in Business Administration from USIU/Alliant International University and achieved professional HR designations of PHRca and SHRM-CP. Hazzy was awarded San Diego Business Journal’s 2nd Annual HR Professional of the Year Award. Over the years, Hazzy has volunteered at Mama’s Kitchen, Girl Scouts San Diego and San Diego Society for Human Resources Management. In her free time, Hazzy enjoys spending time with family and friends, exploring locally owned restaurants, and scenic walks.
Kristine M. Smith
Chief Programs & Services Officer, Serving Seniors
Kristine is committed to good stewardship in the community, ensuring that resources are used effectively and sustainably to benefit those in need. Her commitment to improving the health and well-being of the San Diego community is evident in all her efforts.
Dedicated to serving the community and advocating for the underserved, Kristine is an active member of the San Diego Rotary, where she contributes to the Military Affairs and Youth Homelessness committees. She has also served on the boards of the National Farm to Preschool Network and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.