Recognizing our Nonprofit Leaders

40th Anniversary Edition

March 2023

Leaders in the Field is a monthly communication celebrating Fieldstone Leadership Network San Diego members,

their contributions to and achievements in

our community.

Dana Toppel was recognized with the Debra Zanders-Willis Excellence in Leadership Award by the County of San Diego for her outstanding leadership in improving the lives of families and children in San Diego.

Dana works for Jewish Family Services and is a graduate of our Nonprofit Leaders Learning Group.

Rakesh Patel, MD is a member of the 2023 class of ACHE Fellows, earning the distinction of board certification in healthcare management. ( ACHE stands for the American College of Healthcare Executives)

Rakesh is the CEO of Neighborhood Healthcare and has participated in The Equity Journey as well as our 360 Degree Review Program for Executive Teams. He currently serves as a Fieldstone Coach.

Congratulations Rakesh!

Barbara Reuer, Founder of Resounding Joy, was recently featured in Kiplinger Personal Finance "Paying it Forward" section. This feature in the magazine profiles individuals whose work involves notable examples of altruism. Resounding Joy provides music therapy to medically fragile people, the elderly and those in the military.

Barbara is a graduate of our Executive Learning Group and coaching programs and was a Clare Rose Sabbatical recipient in 2019.

Read About Barbara Here!

Krishna Kabra, CEO of San Diego Children's Discovery Museum, was selected to present at the TEDxSDSU Limitless Event. She will be talking about why we need more play in our lives. According to Krishna, “We don't stop playing because we grow old; we grow old because we stop playing. We have much to learn from kids!" And from Krishna!

In it's ninth year, TEDxSDSU took place on March 19, 2023. "Limitless" explored the barriers and boundaries that so often get in the way of our goals and how we overcome and break such limits.

Krishna is a 2000 Learning Group graduate.

Congratulations to Network members Sean Spear, Community Housing Works, and Don Wells, Just In Time for Foster Youth, for being honored by the San Diego Business Journal as one of San Diego's Top 50 Black Leaders of Influence.

Sean graduated from our Executive Learning Group last year and is a presenter at our March Fieldstone@40.

Don serves as a Fieldstone Coach in our peer coaching program.

Congratulations to Accessity CFO Javier Islas on winning the CFO of the Year award fromat the San Diego Business Journal. Javier was recognized in the business nonprofit category for his achievements in innovation and financial excellence in the CFO role. Javier started at Accessity in 2010 and brings over 35 years of finance, auditing, and accounting experience to the organization.

Javier recently participated in Fieldstone's 360 Degree Review Process with the Executive Team at Accessity. He is also a graduate of our Nonprofit Leaders Group.

Sue Carter Kahl was the featured guest on Advancing The Profession podcast with Rob Jackson. Their conversation focuses on measuring volunteering activity and impact and writing for the profession.

Sue is a learning group graduate and currently serves as a Fieldstone coach.

Listen to Sue Here

Current Executive Learning Group Member, John Brady shared his story of homelessness in The San Diego Union Tribune recently. Brady leads Lived Experience Advisors -- a fiscally sponsored project of Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties -- which works to recruit, train, and develop advocates with lived experience to spread the message that Housing Solves Homelessness.

Read John's Piece Here

Steve Morris was recently featured on the Carlsbad Chamber of Commerce podcast which highlights Community Champions. Steve is the Executive Director of I Love A Clean San Diego and is in our current Leadership Reading Group while being coached in our Coaching Program.

Steve's episode is entitled The " War Against Litter" Takes Education, Engagement and Outreach. In the podcast, he discusses ways we can all take action to care for our planet, the Zero-Waste Lifestyle and upcoming plans for Earth Day 2023.

Listen to Steve Here

Congratulations to Valerie Attisha, PNC Bank, on her recent election to the Board of Directors of the Globe Theatres.

Valerie is a graduate of our Emerging Leaders Learning Group, having participated when she was the development director at Voices for Children. Valerie has also participated in our Leadership Reading Group.

Janine Mason has earned her Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional credential from the Nonprofit Leadership Alliance.

The Advanced Certified Nonprofit Professional (ACNP) credential recognizes knowledge about the successful management and leadership of nonprofit sector organizations, ongoing professional development, continued experience in the sector, and a commitment to volunteer service. The new credential is renewable, requiring credential holders to verify requirements every three years.

Announced in January of this year, Janine joins a select few across the nation who have earned this advanced professional designation to date.

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Leaders in the Field

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