Board members
The Ventura County Community Foundation Board of Directors understands that participating at the leadership level of a community foundation affords a special and unique opportunity to address the most serious challenges facing our community today, as well as shape the future for a better tomorrow.
VCCF is happy to announce that ALL of our board members are certified in Fiduciary Essentials for Foundations and Endowments (FEFE)!
VCCF Board members
Leah Lacayo
Chair
Bio
Lacayo is a 35-year resident of Ventura County, a native Southern Californian.
Lacayo is a community activist and is currently serving her community through a number of organizations, including the Ventura County Fair Board, (31st District Agricultural Association), Vice Chair, CSU Channel Islands Alumni & Friends Association, immediate past Co-President, Ventura County Women’s Political Council, Congress of California Seniors Education & Research Fund, Chair, and the Congress of California Seniors.
Lacayo serves on the Ventura County Community Foundation Scholarship Committee, reading applications for the Destino Scholarship Fund. The Lacayo Family is one of the founding members of the Destino Fund. Lacayo became a Certified Mediator in 2010, and is a member of the Jewish Labor Committee Advisory Board.
Lacayo is passionate about mentoring young women, giving them a voice, leading by example, and a “yes I can” attitude!
Lacayo is a mother, grandmother, attending grandkids soccer, baseball games, piano and dance recitals. Lacayo was married to Henry L. “Hank” Lacayo (deceased), a former VCCF board member.
Brando Pozzi
Treasurer
Bio
Raised in Camarillo, Brando attended the local public schools of Mesa Union, Rio Mesa, and UCSB, where he studied history and labor studies. He is an alumni of Leading from Within’s Katherine Harvey Fellows 2023 cohort, a program designed to encourage self development and authenticity in community leaders. Brando currently runs a small family business, focusing on property investment and management.
As the grandson of founding VCCF Board Member, Martin “Bud” Smith, Brando is proud to continue his family’s legacy of philanthropy in Ventura County. After serving several years on the Smith Foundation Board, he now serves on both the VCCF and McCune Foundation Boards and their Investment Committees.
Brando lives in Camarillo with his beloved wife, Karla, and their two rescued dogs. His interests include synthesizers, birding, 80’s soul/funk, NBA/WNBA, eBay, and old movies.
Veronica Quintana
Secretary
Bio
Veronica Quintana is a Director at CBIZ Advisors, LLC, and specializes in providing services to companies in the agricultural, construction, manufacturing, restaurant, and professional service industries, as well as government contractors.
Veronica has been with CBIZ Advisors, LLC for the last 29 years, where she has been the director in charge of bookkeeping and tax clients for the Westlake Village office, with overall responsibility for tax and accounting services to commercial entities.
CBIZ MHM, LLC is one of the nation’s leading providers of professional advisory services, focused on accounting, benefits and insurance, HR and payroll solutions. Quintana earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 1995. She serves on several boards including the Boys & Girls Club of Greater Oxnard and Port Hueneme and is an active community volunteer.
Sean Leonard
Immediate Past Chair
Bio
Sean L. Leonard is President and CEO of S.L. Leonard & Associates, Inc., which he founded in 2004. S.L. Leonard is a Camarillo-based firm that provides owner’s representation and project and construction management for nonprofits, public agencies, developers, businesses, and investors. Some of Sean’s more notable projects are the Walt Disney Concert Hall, the Camarillo Public Library, and over 8,000 units of affordable housing throughout Central and Southern California. He has also taught construction management at UCLA Extension and USC’s Graduate School of Civil & Environmental Engineering.
Sean is a first-generation immigrant born and raised in Hong Kong, and the first in his family to graduate from university. He has lived in Ventura County for over 35 years with his wife Gwen and currently resides in Oxnard. He serves on the boards of Casa Pacifica Centers for Children and Families and California Lutheran Homes Foundation, and is a past board chair of both A Community of Friends and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Oxnard & Port Hueneme. Sean has a Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering from UCLA and an MBA degree from USC.
Meryl Chase
Bio
Meryl Chase is co-owner of Clearmont, LLC, a family-owned real estate investment company, but considers serving the community her primary vocation. Recently awarded Emeritus status by the board of directors of kidSTREAM, Meryl served a three-year term as founding VP of Finance on the board of the emerging children’s museum. She is also involved with WEV, Women United and other local organizations, and especially enjoys her involvement with her son’s school. Meryl considers this opportunity to serve philanthropists and charitable organizations throughout Ventura County with VCCF to be an extraordinary honor.
Having married into a wonderful, third-generation Ventura County farming family, Meryl moved to Camarillo in 2007, leaving behind a career in advertising, film and TV production. Her company, LA-based Zystar Films, Inc., worked with giants including Ford, Acura, Intel, Toyota, Fox and Imagine Entertainment. Meryl credits UCLA’s Anderson Graduate School of Management with giving her the financial acumen to build a successful business in a highly competitive industry and has found that she thrives in environments that combine financial stewardship with serving others.
Geoff Dean
Bio
Geoff Dean is the recently retired 19th Sheriff of Ventura County and a 35-year veteran of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office. As Sheriff, Geoff oversaw a department of 1200 people with a budget of $225 million. The Ventura County Sheriff’s Office provides policing for over 500,000 people and patrols over 80 percent of the County’s geography. The Office serves as the police department for five contract cities: Thousand Oaks, Camarillo, Moorpark, Fillmore and Ojai. VCSO also operates three jails, the only regional crime laboratory, air unit, bomb squad, and operates the Regional Criminal Justice Training Center.
Geoff is a lifetime resident of California, born in Los Angeles and raised in Simi Valley. He has lived in Camarillo for the past 21 years. Prior to being elected Sheriff, he worked various assignments throughout the Department including commanding the SWAT Team, as Chief of Police for the City of Moorpark and oversaw three of the Sheriff’s four divisions.
Geoff is involved in various community activities including Camarillo Noon Time Rotary, American Red Cross Presidents Council, the Board of Directors for Casa Pacifica and the American Cancer Society’s Community Council to mention a few. He has been married to his wife Marlene for the past twenty-five years. Marlene is a lifetime Ventura County resident and a mathematics professor. He has two children; Lindsey, who is in law school, and Andy, who is a college junior. Geoff holds a master’s degree in public administration from California State University, Northridge and a second master’s degree in management from Cal Poly Pomona. He is a graduate of the California State Peace Officers Command College.
Jack Edelstein
Bio
Jack Edelstein’s passion in life is to help people who spend their time helping others. Jack provides his business experience, contacts and personal resources to non-profit executives who are seeking help. As a sales outreach trainer and executive coach, he works with local CEOs in creating more efficient non-profit organizations, providing advice in fundraising, internal and external processes, public relations and employee satisfaction.
Experience:
President/CEO of ExpressLink Inc from 1985-2015, growing the company from a start-up to the largest U.S. provider in their category of auto dealer services.
Served as a Board Member for:
- Boys and Girls Club of Conejo Valley
- Fit4The Cause
- Engage Treatment Programs
- Express Systems, Inc
And as a consultant for Caring Hand for Children in Los Angeles and Temple Ner Simcha in Westlake Village.
Jack attended University of California Northridge and University of California Los Angeles for his education in business and mental health treatment.
Mike Januzik
Bio
Michael (Mike) Januzik is the former vice president and chief financial officer of the RAND Corporation. During his time, he oversaw financial reporting and accounting; contracts, grants, and procurement; billing; treasury; and risk management. He continues to work with RAND on a part-time basis.
Prior to RAND, Januzik served as senior vice president and CFO at the Jewish Community Foundation of L.A., where he oversaw investment, accounting, donor relations, IT, and legal functions, as well as staffing the Investment, Finance, and Audit Committees of the Board of Trustees.
Januzik began his professional career with Pacific Telesis Group (subsequently AT&T), where he spent 12 years in areas of investor relations, financial management, and business analysis. His tenure culminated as CFO of the company’s Pacific Bell Information Services unit, a $65 million revenue subsidiary.
Subsequently, Januzik served five years as vice president and portfolio manager for QuantiLogic Asset Management Co., Inc., a SEC-registered investment adviser. He moved on to hold senior-level finance and administration positions with several companies in the information technology and telecommunications industries before shifting to the nonprofit sector at The California Endowment.
At The California Endowment, Januzik’s responsibilities and accomplishments included enhancing transparency and moving governance toward Sarbanes-Oxley Act standards, rebuilding investment and finance staffs, and assisting in the development of that organization’s landmark 140,000 square foot Center for Healthy Communities.
Mike moved to Southern California in 1972 and has a B.A. in economics and political science from the University of California, Los Angeles; an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California; and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He has been a Camarillo resident since 2002. Mike and his wife Renee’s two children graduated from Camarillo High School and received their degrees from the University of California. Mike enjoys working for mission-based nonprofits and welcomes the opportunity to help VCCF be an ever more impactful asset of Ventura County.
Scott P. Hansen
Bio
As the Managing Director—Branch Complex Director in the Valley Market for Wells Fargo Advisors, Scott Hansen has the honor of leading three financial advisor branches in Westlake Village, Woodland Hills and Encino. He also leads Private Wealth Advisors at The Private Bank which operates from offices in Santa Barbara, Westlake Village, Encino and Pasadena. He has been in the financial services industry for 30 years.
Mr. Hansen earned a Bachelor of Arts in English from University of California, Santa Barbara. Scott resides in Ventura with his wife of 25 years and their three children. He volunteers in the community with various organizations including Women’s Economic Ventures, California State University Channel Islands, and Ventura Foothill Little League Baseball.
Investment and Insurance Products are:
* Not Insured by the FDIC or Any Federal Government Agency
* Not a Deposit or Other Obligation of, or Guaranteed by, the Bank or Any Bank Affiliate
* Subject to Investment Risks, Including Possible Loss of the Principal Amount Invested
Brokerage services are offered through Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and separate non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.
The Private Bank is an experience level for qualifying clients of Wells Fargo Wealth and Investment Management (WIM). WIM offers financial products and services through affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company. Bank products and services are available through Wells Fargo Bank, N.A. Member FDIC.
PM-10012025-6519557.1.1
Leslie Leavens
Bio
Leslie Leavens recently retired after 30 years working for her family’s farming company, Leavens Ranches LLC, where she was vice president of finance and operations. The company grows lemons and avocados in Ventura and Monterey counties, and wine grapes in the Santa Lucia Highlands appellation of Monterey County. As a member of the Ag Futures Alliance, she became involved in the critical issue of farm worker housing and is now chair of House Farm Workers!, a nonprofit education and advocacy organization. Leslie also serves on the boards of the Museum of Ventura County, the Ventura County Community Foundation, and several agricultural mutual water companies. She is a past president of Farm Bureau of Ventura County, and a graduate of the California Ag Leadership Program (Class 34) and the University of California, Los Angeles. Leslie enjoys traveling with her partner John Krist in their Sprinter van, exploring and learning about the landscape, people, history and cultures of the American West.
Dr. César Morales
Bio
Dr. Morales is currently the Ventura County Superintendent of Schools. He also served as a District Superintendent in the Oxnard School District. He held leadership roles in the Lawndale and Lennox School Districts in Los Angeles County.
Dr. Morales leads VCOE, which employs nearly 1,000 people and provides teacher training and administrative support services to all the County’s 20 school districts. VCOE also operates schools for students with special needs, at-promise students and provides career education for students countywide.
Dr. Morales received his Doctor of Education degree from UCLA and his master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Loyola Marymount University. He is currently serving as the Chair of the Board of Directors of FCMAT (Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team) and an Advisory Board Member for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence. He serves on a number of local nonprofit boards and is a past President of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators.
Dr. Morales was the recipient of the El Concilio Latino Leadership Award and was named a “Leader to Learn From” by Education Week magazine. His areas of expertise include all aspects of public school management. He has gained recognition locally and statewide for his leadership on critical issues.
He is a passionate advocate for students and a strong believer in the power of education to help all young people achieve their dreams.
Catherine Sepulveda
Bio
Sepulveda moved to California in the early '70s and has been a Ventura County resident for most of her adult life. She pursued her education which includes a Juris Doctor (J.D.).
She is driven by the belief that education can be transformative, not just for individuals, but also for whole families, communities, and nations. Sepulveda imagines children from every walk of life and their potential for the possibility to become change agents through their learning. She believes that is the essence of education: to unlock potential and empower individuals to effect positive change.
Sepulveda’s dedication and belief in the importance of education has been a lifelong passion, starting with founding a scholarship fund with her late husband and educator Ray Sepulveda for students in the Agriculture Science Academy at Santa Paula High School.
After the passing of Ray Sepulveda, she co-founded a scholarship fund at the Ventura County Community Foundation and serves on the committee reading applications for scholarship candidates.
She has traveled extensively, living in Germany as a child and having the opportunity to travel through Europe. Her travels include far away places in Mongolia, Vietnam, Cambodia, and Central and South America. Sepulveda has discovered that people everywhere share a commonality of fundamental human characteristics.
She is a mother, grandmother, wife, and philanthropist serving her community with gratitude, determination, and hope.
Dr. Richard Yao
Bio
Dr. Richard Yao currently serves as President of DataPhilanthropy, which is the philanthropic arm of the Jeff T. Green Family Foundation. The foundation, led by Jeff Green, Co-Founder and CEO of The Trade Desk and signatory of The Giving Pledge, focuses on applying data science to better understand and address economic disparities and ensure philanthropic efforts are as impactful as possible.
Dr. Yao previously served as president of California State University, Channel Islands from January 2021 to August 2025, first in an interim role after having served as Vice President for Student Affairs since June 2018, and then in his permanent capacity after a nationwide search and the CSU Board of Trustees’ appointment in January 2022.
Dr. Yao earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from Fielding Graduate University, an M.A. in clinical psychology from Eastern Illinois University, and a B.A. in psychology from Eastern Illinois University. Prior to coming to California, he resided in Las Vegas, Nevada for 23 years, where he was an active member of the higher education and mental health communities.
Dr. Yao’s leadership is guided by his commitment to data-informed decision-making, transparency, authentic engagement, diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility.
Venkat Yepuri
Bio
Venkat Yepuri is currently the CPO at BioMarin, a global biotechnology company dedicated to translating the promise of genetic discovery into medicines that make a profound impact on the life of each patient.
Prior to that, he was the COO at ImmPACT Bio, a clinical-stage company developing transformative CAR T-cell therapies for treating cancer, which was acquired by Lyell Immunopharma. Previously, he was the Vice President, Global Business Solutions and Chief Procurement Officer of Amgen. Over the 20 years with Amgen, Venkat held multiple roles with increasing responsibility in functions such as Business Development, Corporate Transformation, Information Systems, and Strategic Sourcing/Sustainability.
He has a master’s degree in biomedical engineering from Case Western Reserve University and a bachelor’s degree in electronics & communication engineering from Delhi University.
Venkat has been on the Board of VCCF since October 2020. A resident of Ventura County since 1996, he has actively volunteered locally with his family and has previously served on the Dean’s Leadership Council at California State University, Channel Islands.
Venkat resides in Thousand Oaks with his wife. In his personal time, he enjoys hiking; exploring different cultures with his family through travel; and watching a wide range of sports, including basketball, cricket, and football.
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