President
Tony Truong

(he/him/his)
Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy
Hoag Hospital Foundation

Tony Truong is a philanthropy executive with two decades of experience across healthcare, higher education, social services, and the arts. In his current role as Senior Vice President, Strategic Philanthropy at Hoag Hospital Foundation, Tony leads gift planning, annual giving, prospect management & research, and campaigns. As Associate Vice President for Advancement at the University of Redlands, he helped lead the team to increase fundraising during the COVID pandemic to close a $200-million campaign. He previously served at Providence St. Jude Medical Center, UC Riverside, the Child Abuse Prevention Center, and the Contemporary Austin (formerly the Austin Museum of Art). Originally from Vietnam by way of Texas, Tony graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a BS in communications and is a past president of Charitable Gift Planners - Inland Southern California council. He enjoys theatre, concerts, and trying new foods.

President-Elect and Sponsorship Co-Chair 
Heidi Simpson-Sandoval

(she/her/hers)
Associate Director, Planned Giving, Development & Communications
Doheny Eye Institute

Heidi Simpson-Sandoval leads the Planned Giving Program at Doheny Eye Institute in Pasadena. 

Heidi spent most of her career in banking, with more than 26 years of experience in the financial services industry. She held various roles on the institutional side of the business working with large corporations and nonprofit clients, before transitioning to work with High Net Worth, Ultra High Net Worth and Family office clients in private wealth management. 

Heidi earned a bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University and holds FINRA Series 7 and 63 licenses. She previously served a 5-year term on the Board of Directors for Los Angeles Master Chorale. Heidi currently serves on the Board of Directors and Executive Committee for Pasadena Literary Alliance. She is a member and volunteer for Women In Institutional Investing (WIIIN) and Los Altos Auxiliary. 

Immediate Past President and Conference Co-Chair
Cris Lutz, CSPG, CAP®, IPA

(she/her/hers)
Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning
The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens

Cris Lutz is the Assistant Vice President of Gift Planning at The Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, which she joined in 2005. Prior to The Huntington, she served as Director of Individual Giving at Big Brothers Big Sisters, among other roles. Cris has served on the board of directors of the American Council on Gift Annuities (ACGA) and the Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners (LACGP). She earned her master's degree in psychology from California State University, Fullerton, and bachelor's degrees in art history and social science from the University of California, Irvine. Cris is a certified specialist in planned giving (CSPG) and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP).

Treasurer
Fernando Sanchez, CFP®, EA

(he/him/his)
Manager, Wealth Management
Aspiriant

Fernando is a wealth manager with Aspiriant who works with ultra-high-net-worth families within the Exclusive Family Office Group. He advocates for a client-first approach and finds great joy in helping clients connect their wealth to their vision, values, and goals through comprehensive financial and charitable planning. In addition to his involvement with SoCal CGP, he is on the board of directors for the Opera League of Los Angeles, serving as Treasurer and a member of the finance and strategic planning committees. He earned a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and economics from the University of California, San Diego, and graduated from the personal financial planning program at UCLA. Fernando is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER™ professional and an Enrolled Agent, the highest credential the Internal Revenue Service awards.

Secretary
Rudy Flesher CAP®, CEPA®

(he/him/his)
Regional Director, West
National Philanthropic Trust

At National Philanthropic Trust, the nation’s largest independent sponsor of donor-advised funds, Rudy helps donors and their financial, tax, and legal advisors to maximize lifetime and legacy charitable giving. He is passionate about helping donors to leverage their best assets, often illiquid assets that few charities are equipped to accept, to fulfill their charitable intent. As a Certified Exit Planning Advisor, he educates business owners and their advisors on building charitable planning into their business exit. Prior to joining NPT, Rudy has experience as a community foundation program officer and as a frontline fundraiser for small nonprofits.

2025-2026 Board of Directors

Conference Chair
Danese Bardot, JD, CFRE, IPA

(she/her/hers)
Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving, University Advancement
California State University, Los Angeles

Danese Bardot, JD, CFRE, Senior Director of Development, Planned Giving, California State University, Los Angeles (“Cal State LA”).  Ms. Bardot brings over 15 years of specific knowledge in Advancement with a proven track record of in securing five, six and seven figure current, deferred, and blended gifts. This experience includes leadership, planning and management of complex campaigns. She also has experience working on special advancement projects such as, drafting gift acceptance policies and expanding planned-giving opportunities for non-cash assets, such as real estate, life insurance, appreciated securities, and personal property. Prior to joining Cal State LA, Ms. Bardot served in various leadership advancement positions at both academic and nonprofit organizations. Ms. Bardot holds a B.A. in Management from the University of Redlands, a J.D. from Syracuse University College of Law, and currently working on her certification in Planned Giving at CSU Long Beach.  Ms. Bardot is also a Certified Fundraising Executive (CFRE).

Legislative Chair
Janice Burrill, JD, CAP

(she/her/hers)
Philanthropic Consultant
JB Consulting

Janice has served on the boards of many nonprofits both nationally and locally, including the Board of Directors of the National Committee on Planned Giving (now CGP) where she chaired the Public Affairs Committee which oversaw the “Leave a Legacy” national initiative. She is also past president of LACGP and former Chair of the Western Regional Planned Giving Conference. She is also a member of the Gift Planning Councils of Loyola Marymount University, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and the Catholic Education Foundation. She is an active volunteer and speaker within the philanthropic sector and participated in the first-ever White House Conference on Philanthropy.

Legislative Co-Chair
Kimberly Jetton, MNM, CFRE

President and Founder
Pleiades Nonprofit Advisors

Kimberly is a national award-winning leader in fund development and gift planning. She is Founder and President of Pleiades Nonprofit Advisors, where she helps nonprofits with gift planning implementation, marketing, and strategies. She has served as the Executive Director of the Orange Catholic Foundation, Director of Planned Giving for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, and as Director of Advancement in the Archdiocese of Denver.  Kimberly holds a CFRE certification, a Master's in Nonprofit Management from Regis University, and a BA in Political Science from the University of Arizona. Kimberly is a proud veteran of the Colorado Army National Guard.

Marketing and Communications Chair
Clare Grotting, MBA, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Planned Giving Officer, Southwest
Humane World for Animals

Clare Grotting joined Humane World for Animals in 2024, where she focuses on stewarding donors in the process of setting up various planned gifts in support of programs that protect animals throughout the world.

Prior to joining Humane World for Animals, Clare worked to raise funding for medical research in the forms of major and planned gifts at La Jolla Institute for Immunology. Before that, she spent 10 years in the public media industry, where she straddled community engagement, marketing and development. Clare served on the board of the San Diego Planned Giving Partnership from 2020-2024, and currently volunteers on the board of Wayword Radio, Inc., the organization behind the A Way With Words radio show and podcast.

Marketing and Communications Co-Chair
Andrea McFarling

(she/her/hers)
Philanthropy Officer of Legacy Giving
Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History

Andrea McFarling is the Philanthropy Officer of Legacy Giving at the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Since entering the field of fundraising as a student at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Andrea has accumulated more than 30 years of professional fundraising experience in the Santa Barbara area. Armed with a B.A. in Social Science and a minor in Management from UCI, Andrea’s prior experience encompasses more than 20 years in educational settings in addition to having worked with social services organizations and medical research foundations. She is a Past President of the Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties Chapter of Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP).

Membership Chair
Lizzie Knol, JD, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Gift Planning Officer
Caltech

Lizzie joined the Caltech Office of Gift Planning in July 2022, returning to her native Los Angeles. She received her BA in History and Sport Sociology as well as her JD from Indiana University. After experience in the fields of nonprofit legal services and university advancement and alumni relations, Lizzie began her professional development career in Annual Giving. She then moved into major gifts as the Senior Associate Director of Development for the Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center. Lizzie is an active volunteer leader, with past board service for a women’s giving circle and her local chapter of the Indiana University Alumni Association, as well as committee service for the National Association of Cancer Center Development Officers and Junior Leagues of Indianapolis and Los Angeles.

Membership Co-Chair
Aaron Levinson

Vice President, Planned Giving
Los Angeles Jewish Health

Aaron Levinson currently serves as Vice President, Planned Giving for Los Angeles Jewish Health, formerly known as Los Angeles Jewish Home. Aaron is a past president of the Southern California Council of Charitable Gift Planners and also served as an instructor of planned giving at UCLA Extension. He received his Bachelor’s Degree from UC San Diego, his Master’s Degrees from Hebrew Union College and the University of Southern California, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by Hebrew Union College in 2020. He is also a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving.

National Liaison
Patience Boudreaux, MBA, CSPG, CFRE

(she/her/hers)
President
Rideout Foundation at Adventist Health and Rideout

Patience leads the ambitious campaign to bring new technological advancements and renovations, as well as provide for patient care and community health initiatives, to Adventist Health and Rideout. She has a background in planned giving with a focus on gifts of complex assets and bequests. She has degrees from Johns Hopkins University and the Drucker School of Management at Claremont Graduate University. She received the Distinguished Service Award from SoCalCGP in 2022 and has previously served in the roles of President, Programming Chair, and Conference Chair. She also currently serves on the board for the National Association of Charitable Gift Planners.

Program Chair
Abigail Oduol, MA, CFRE

(she/her/hers)
Senior Development Officer, Planned Gifts
Earthjustice

Abigail helps donors figure out their why and how to holistically connect to the mission and their values. She also helps fundraisers connect their DEI values to their day jobs through presenting and training others at places like AFP Icon, NACGP and various podcasts. She is a contributor to Community Centric Fundraising's website and enjoys connecting the superhero universe to fundraising. 

Program Co-Chair
Rashaan Coleman, CFP®, CEPA®

Financial Advisor
Morgan Stanley

As a dedicated Financial Advisor, Rashaan works with high-net-worth families to design and implement strategies aimed at preserving net worth, enhancing income, and setting long-term investment goals. Rashaan joined the Huffman Volpei Zimmerman Group in 2022 to better serve his clients with the broad capabilities and resources of a top Morgan Stanley team. Rashaan creates custom financial plans for the team’s clients to address complex needs and help them pursue their goals. Rashaan also helps the team with investment manager research/selection, portfolio construction, and asset allocation. Additionally, clients leverage Rashaan’s expertise to specifically assist with concentrated positions, charitable giving strategies, multigenerational planning, tailored lending, and cash management. Rashaan has experience providing wealth management solutions to family enterprise owners, founders, executives, physicians, fund principals, artists, and athletes.

Rashaan grew up in Lafayette Indiana and later moved to Portage Indiana before attending Austin Peay State University. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree focused in Finance, while also starting four years for the university’s football program. Currently, Rashaan is a member of the Los Angeles Council of Charitable Gift Planners. He lives in Valencia with his wife Ilyana, where they enjoy going to their local yoga studio and spending time with friends and family.

Program Committee
Michele A. Bignardi, CFRE, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Vice President
Netzel Grigsby Associates

Michele is a senior vice president with Netzel Grigsby Associates who works with a variety of nonprofit organizations to enhance their fundraising strategies and increase the impact of their work. Michele has served as lead counsel on a number of successful feasibility studies and capital campaign projects. Michele trains and coaches both professional and volunteer fundraisers. She has been an instructor with the UCLA Fundraising Extension program. In additional to her involvement with LACGP, she is on the board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals – Orange County Chapter, and the Southern California Association of Healthcare Development. Michele holds a BA from San Francisco State University.

Program Committee
Cindy Trinn-Rorman, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Senior Director of Development
Braille Institute

Cindy is an experienced fundraising professional with a background in healthcare and social services philanthropy. At Braille Institute, she leads the planned giving program and manages a major gifts portfolio, focusing on building meaningful relationships that drive long-term impact. Previously, she held development roles at Providence Mission Hospital and City of Hope. She holds a B.A. from Cal Poly, Pomona, and is a Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG).

Cindy believes philanthropy is one of the most powerful ways we can create lasting change for the communities we care about. She is especially passionate about using philanthropy to expand access, equity, and opportunity—particularly for underserved communities.

Program Committee
Amy Walling, M.A. AEP®, CAP®, CSPG

Associate Vice President for Planned Giving, Estate Administration, and Annual Giving/Digital Marketing
San Diego State University

Amy Walling is the Associate Vice President for Planned Giving, Estate Administration, and Annual Giving/Digital Marketing at San Diego State University. She previously worked at The San Diego Foundation, Rady's Childrens Hospital, University of Florida, University of California San Diego and Sharp Healthcare. 

Amy is a fundraising professional with over 30 years progressive experience, including capital, comprehensive, and endowment campaigns in higher education, healthcare, and community foundations. Over the last 18 years, she has been focused on planned giving and estate administration and recently started overseeing Annual Giving/Digital Marketing; she has enjoyed the marketing of gift structures and has been exploring various A.I. technologies such as the Planned Giving Virtual Engagement Officer (VEO) and A.I. emailed streamed systems; she looks to this technology to amplify and advance planned giving marketing. Previously, she oversaw Advancement Operations and spent over 17 years in the areas of prospect research, prospect management and database management. She received the CARA Service Award in Prospect Research.  Amy enjoys serving as a resource in understanding planned giving options and strategies to help folks reach their charitable goals.

Amy has the following certifications: Certified Specialist in Planned Giving (CSPG) , Accredited Estate Planner (AEP®), Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®), SDSU Academic Applications of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) micro-credential.

Amy received her MA (Sharp) in Organizational Management and BA in Communications with minors in Business Management and Information Systems from Old Dominion University.

Sponsorship Chair
William LaBore

(he/him/his)
Planned Giving Officer
Loma Linda University Health

William is a Planned Giving Officer at Loma Linda University Health, a premier non-profit healthcare provider in the Inland Empire. Before assuming his current role, he served as a Major Gift Officer for the School of Medicine at Loma Linda University.

From 2005 to 2015, William and his family volunteered as medical mission aviation workers in Guyana, South America. They continued their service on the island of Palawan in the Philippines from 2016 to 2019. In both locations, William was responsible for project management and fundraising efforts.

William also contributed to the fundraising community as a board member of the Inland Empire chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals from 2020 to 2023. Outside of his professional commitments, he enjoys travel, hiking, golf, and pickleball.

Sponsorship Committee
Genevieve Goetz, CSPG

(she/her/hers)
Director, Gift Planning
Los Angeles Philharmonic

Genevieve Goetz received her BA in Theatre from USC where she took a class titled “Fundraising for the Arts” and has never looked back. Genevieve joined the Los Angeles Philharmonic in 2014 and currently serves as Director of Gift Planning. Before the LA Phil, Genevieve wore many hats at Opera Santa Barbara, including Assistant Stage Manager. Genevieve finds joy in connecting donors to the mission of the LA Phil, harnessing the transformative power of live music to build community, foster intellectual and artistic growth, and nurture the creative spirit, while redefining what an orchestra can be.

Volunteer and Mentorship Chair
Sara K. Whelan, J.D.

(she, her, hers)
Trust & Estate Administrator, Gift Planning and In-Kind Gifts
Loyola Marymount University

Sara Whelan joined Loyola Marymount University as trust and estate administrator, gift planning in 2022. Her role involves directing and managing the settlement of trusts and estates, and she is responsible for managing all of the University's in-kind gifts. She also serves as a Staff Senator. 

Whelan brings a decade of experience working in the legal field, having previously worked as an administrator, office manager, and paralegal in various law firms.

She earned her Bachelor of Arts from LMU in political science and her Juris Doctorate from the University of West Los Angeles. Over the last decade, she has also been a full-time mom, community leader, and fundraiser for schools and local nonprofit organizations. She currently serves as a Board Member for the Friends of Ballona Wetlands and has enjoyed being a Girl Scout leader for the past 10 years. In her free time, Whelan likes to hike with her husband and two children, explore vineyards and sample their fruits, travel, bake, try new restaurants, and spend time with her friends and family.

Administrator & Event Planner
Alex Kerstner

(she/her/hers)
Group Concepts

Alex stumbled into the non-profit association management world 20+ years ago and has held various positions from administrative assistant to executive director, until joining Group Concepts in 2019. She enjoys the variety and multi-tasked environment associations bring to the table, managing projects from conception to reality, and the many personalities she works with. Born and raised in Germany, Alex’s favorite activities include enjoying the outdoors, backpacking, camping, attempting to grow a garden, and caring for a variety of pets.