Category Archives: New Member

Media-Sales & Marketing

Sabrina is originally from Argentina. Her dream of coming to the US was fulfilled when she was able to participate in an exchange program during her freshman year in high school.  She stayed with a family in Indiana who invited her back to finish her senior year with them. She then attended St. Joseph’s college to obtain her degree in Biology and Pre-Med before returning to Argentina.

Determined to return to the US, Sabrina packed up her $200 on her 27th birthday and returned to her “hometown’ of Indiana.  A series of moves and career changes with NBC Universal/Telemundo would ultimately land her here in San Diego where she served as the company’s Vice President of Sales.

Sabrina is looking forward to her next life adventure with her husband Robert and her 9-year old daughter, Mia.

Tina Jenkins, Anthony Llompart and Chris Sichel were  her sponsors. 

Consultant-Life Care Planning

Andrea is a life care planner and nurse practitioner.

She works for expert witnesses providing research and writing life-care plans for clients seriously ill or critically injured in life-altering accidents.  The data she collects will decide what will be needed for life-long care and is used by attorneys, case managers, insurance carriers and families.

Andrea and her husband Frank (a physician) raised 4 boys and have 2 (almost 3) grandchildren.  She volunteers with the Armed Services YMCA’s surf clinic and also volunteers to do physical exams at the JFS Migrant Family Shelter.

She is a happy supporter of the Natural History Museum, she loves plants and is currently trying to perfect her sourdough recipe.

Penny Robbins,  Phil Blair and Mel Katz were her sponsors. 

Genomics Sequencing

Kat is the Alliances & Partnerships Manager for Illumina.

She grew up on the island of Kauai, and received a scholarship from a local Rotary club that helped fund her college education.

She completed her undergraduate at the University of Hawaiʻi Mānoa, her Masters in Engineering at Cornell and her Ph.D. in Biology at Salk/UCSD.

Kat is passionate about STEM education and supporting underserved communities. She enjoys Polynesian dancing, loves to surf and is an avid traveler.

Divya Kakaiya, Duke Sobek and Doug Arbon were  her sponsors. 

Social Service and Welfare-Burundi Friends Intl

Julie is the Executive Director of Burundi Friends International, a local nonprofit working to empower Burundian youth, women and families towards building sustainable communities through education and economic development.  Burundi is a land-locked country located in east, central Africa. (Last year, our Rotary International Foundation Grants Committee allocated $3,000 of their funds for a new library in Burundi.)

Julie is originally from Iowa.  For twenty years, she has worked throughout San Diego as a music director at various churches. Besides spreading the joy of music, she is also passionate about reaching underserved individuals and communities.

For several years, Julie visited the RJ Donovan Correctional Facility to practice Buddhist meditation with inmates.  In 2010-11, she traveled to the Himalayas and taught English to Buddhist nuns, then volunteered for four months teaching English at Light University in Bujumbura.  Over time, she returned regularly to Burundi which eventually led to her position at Burundi Friends International.

Mike Meaney, Roger Haines and Walter Lam were her sponsors.

Law-Litigation Practice, Additional Active

Eric is a litigation partner at Barnes & Thornburg LLP.

He is originally from Long Island, NY.  He completed his undergraduate at the University of Pennsylvania and then attended Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law in Chicago, where he met his wife, Anne.  They have been married for 23 years and have three children, one of whom is a sophomore at Northwestern.

Before going private, Eric spent the last 22 years of his career in public service. He started as a federal prosecutor for the US Department of Justice in D.C., then moved to San Diego to work for the US Attorney’s Office, which is where he met his club sponsor and role model, Roger Haines.

Eric says he learned from Roger that “your persuasiveness is not in the volume of your voice, but in your credibility and conviction.”

Roger Haines, Walter Lam and Jeff Hill were his sponsors. 

Commercial Lending

Revel is the Director of Business Development for Innovative Capital Corporation.  He is a 2004 SDSU graduate.

Revel’s company recently led a fundraising effort for fellow Club 33 member Jabez LeBret’s Sisu Academy (tuition-free boarding high school for girls) and offered a $5,000 match.  They are also rehabbing a residential care facility near SDSU to be utilized as a transitional home by a local-non-profit.  And recently, Revel started working with the Tariq Khamisa Foundation.

His father was a Rotarian and Revel wrote a paper in high school discussing the 4-Way Test (and won!)  He and his wife, Melissa, have two young children who keep them very busy.  It is his desire to give them a visible example of the importance of giving back to the community.

David Oates, Frank Caperino and Doug Taber were his sponsors. 

Social Services-GenerateHope

Annie is the Executive Director of GenerateHope, a non-profit that serve San Diego’s sex trafficking victims by providing long-term, comprehensive programs.

She has over 25 years of experience working in non-profit organizations and 17 years of experience working in positions of leadership. She received a Master of Social Work in 2005 and a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology in 2001 from San Diego State University. Early in her career she had the opportunity to serve as a therapist for foster youth who have been sexually exploited.

Annie is a native San Diegan who is deeply invested in the community and demonstrates this through her passion for leading quality programs. She lives in Carlsbad with her husband and two sons. She and her family are long time members of Calvary Chapel Carlsbad, where Annie has been serving in the Children’s Ministry for over 15 years.

Duke Sobek, Mona Minton and Wendy McKinney were her sponsors. 

Law-Litigation Practice, A.A.

Dan is a Partner at Witan Law Group LLP.  He is a business litigator and trial attorney for companies and individuals involved in commercial, real estate and personal injury disputes.

Dan graduated from UC Santa Barbara and UC Davis School of Law.  He moved to San Diego in February 2018 and considers himself  a “ wanna-be writer.”

Steve Coopersmith, David Oates and Frank Caperino were his sponsors. 

Senior Care-Placement Services

Kathy is the President and CEO of TLC Senior Advisors, a referral agency for seniors and their loved ones looking for independent, assisted or memory care living.

Kathy has an extensive background in sales and marketing, from radio and television to fashion and the restaurant industry.  She has a passion for creating and customer service.  She and her husband opened a Mediterranean restaurant and she has produced 22 30-minute cooking shows!  Kathy founded a non-profit, The Art of the Brain, to raise money for brain cancer research at UCLA.

She was a member of the Rotary Club of Bakersfield West for 7 years.  Kathy loves to travel, having spent the summer in Italy, and she is looking forward to her trip to Dubai in the Spring.

Massey Pitts was her sponsor. 

Education-State University-Development

Jordan is a Development Officer at San Diego State University and raises philanthropic support for the College of Professional Studies and Fine Arts.

She graduated from SDSU with a degree in Business Administration and is currently pursuing her Masters in Public Administration.

Jordan attended RYLA as an Interact and has continued to serve as a counselor at the camp for the last 5 years.  She was a SDSU Rotaract from 2013-2017, having served as their Executive Vice President.  She has also served as a Rotaract for District 5340.

Jordan has been fortunate to attend 3 consecutive RI Conventions and to see Rotary’s impact everywhere from Brazil, South Korea and Atlanta.

In her free time, she enjoys golfing, traveling and exploring new food spots in San Diego.

Chuck Pretto, David Oates and Bobby Marsh were her sponsors.