Ventura County Community Foundation Announces Five New Board Members
Camarillo, CA – The Ventura County Community Foundation welcomes five community leaders as new members of its Board of Directors: Michael Januzik, Leslie Leavens, Dr. César Morales, Brando Pozzi and Dr. Richard Yao.
Januzik is vice president and chief financial officer of the RAND Corporation. He holds a B.A. in economics and political science from UCLA, an M.B.A. from the University of Southern California and a Chartered Financial Analyst designation. He served as senior vice president and CFO at the Jewish Community Foundation of Los Angeles, and as CFO for The California Endowment, in addition to several senior-level finance and administration roles in the information technology and telecommunications fields.
Leavens recently retired as vice president of finances and operations of her family’s farming company, Leavens Ranches LLC, after working there for 30 years. She is a member of the Ag Future Alliance and chair of House Farm Workers! Leavens is also past president of the Farm Bureau of Ventura County and a graduate of the California Agricultural Leadership Program of the University of California, Los Angeles.
Morales serves as superintendent of schools for the Ventura County Office of Education. He is the chair of the Board of Directors of the Fiscal Crisis Management and Assistance Team, advisory board member for the California Collaborative for Educational Excellence and past president of the California Association of Latino Superintendents and Administrators. As a county-wide co-chair for the Isabella Project, convened by VCCF, he is a firm believer in the power of education to help young people achieve their dreams.
Pozzi manages BP Innovations, a family business focused on property investment and management. He is the grandson of one of VCCF’s founding board members, developer and philanthropist Martin V. “Bud” Smith, and served on the Smith Foundation Board at VCCF. He is proud to carry on his family’s legacy of local philanthropy, and serves on the Investment Committees for both VCCF and the McCune Foundation. Pozzi is also an alumnus of Leading from Within’s 2023 Katherine Harvey Fellows cohort.
Yao has served as president of California State University, Channel Islands since January 2022. He has 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. Yao came to CSUCI from Nevada State College, where he served as founding dean of students, chief student affairs officer and senior lecturer in psychology. He also chaired the Nevada System of Higher Education Student Affairs Council.
“VCCF is honored to have these five esteemed leaders join our board,” said Sean Leonard, chair of the VCCF Board of Directors. “Their wealth of experience and unique skills will greatly contribute to our efforts in serving Ventura County. Their dedication and passion for our community is inspiring, and each brings valuable insights that will advance our strategic initiatives. We couldn’t be more excited and grateful to welcome them to the team.”