Meet Our Expert Volunteer Faculty

Kristen Andersen
Kristen is an associate attorney with The Law Firm for Non-Profits providing a full range of legal services to nonprofit organizations. Her passion for working with nonprofit organizations began at a young age when she would volunteer at the local animal shelter. Ever since, she has assisted numerous nonprofits by donating her time and expertise in any way she can help. Kristen has a B.S. in Mathematics, a J.D. and an LL.M in Taxation Law. Kristen is a Certified Legal Specialist in Taxation law with the State Bar of California. As an attorney at The Law Firm for Non-Profits, Kristen loves that she can make assisting nonprofits her life’s work.

Dennis Baker
Dennis is a consultant to numerous established corporations, non-profits, and high-profile individuals. As a development specialist, he’s helped raise millions of dollars for non-profits as diverse as museums, hospitals, universities, and international aid organizations. Dennis is also a public relations expert having managed several New York Times bestselling authors and leading public relations campaigns for advocacy groups, movie projects, and entertainers. A graduate of Westmont College and a Hansard Scholar at the London School of Economics, Dennis has worked for the United States Senate, the British House of Commons, and FOX Entertainment. He is now CEO of DM Baker Media.

Alisa Chatinsky
Working with nonprofit organizations since the early 90’s, Alisa brings a wealth of knowledge, honed skills, and passion to her work to help nonprofits grow. For the past decade, she has consulted with dozens of social benefit organizations throughout Arizona and Washington. Alisa combines her business acumen and her love for nonprofits, working to make her community a better place. She is a change agent, helping nonprofits identify their lifecycle stage, assets, areas of improvement, organizational goals, and the strategies to accomplish their objectives. As principal of NPO Success, she is currently providing interim leadership, organizational assessments, succession planning, fund development plans, and strategic planning.

Kellie Conn, SPHR
Kellie is an organizational development professional with 30 years of experience in coaching, organizational design, communication, and culture. She has served the community as a board member, volunteer, and/or consultant for The SLO Film Festival, Coastal Performing Arts Foundation, Ecologistics and more. Kellie co-leads People and Culture Leadership Group, a coaching and culture consulting group specializing in leadership and career coaching, nonprofit culture consulting, and meaningful time away programs. She holds a Master’s Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the Florida Institute of Technology and is certified as a Senior Professional in Human Resources by the HR Certification Institute.

Lynette Dunn
Lynette Dunn is a Commercial Risk Advisor with Morris & Garritano Insurance, specializing in risks for Nonprofits, Agriculture and Construction. A Central Coast resident for nearly 30 years, Lynette has strong ties to her community and takes pride in being a trusted advisor to friends and neighbors, ensuring they have the best protection and the coverage they need. Outside of work, Lynette volunteers with Students for Eco-Education & Agriculture, the Allan Hancock Boosters, Angels Foster Care and other nonprofit organizations. She graduated from Fresno Pacific University with an English and Psychology degree.

Francine Errico
Francine is the founder of Must Writing Services. She has been writing successful grant applications for over 10 years and has a deep understanding of the critical requirements for successful grant applications. Her expertise spans project management, event management, journalism, research, and nonprofit organizational experience, all of which contribute to creating persuasive grant proposals and impactful funding strategies. She is passionate about supporting nonprofits in their pursuit to create positive community impact.

Cozy Faber
Cozy Faber is the Deputy Director of Partnership and Giving at AGE Africa, a nonprofit providing life-changing opportunities to young women in Malawi through targeted initiatives in education, mentoring, and leadership development. Prior to AGE Africa, Cozy served as the Development Director at SLO Classical Academy. She proudly serves as President of the Association of Fundraising Professionals’ SLO Chapter and actively participates in local and online fundraising forums.

Kathleen King
Kathleen is a superstar in the nonprofit and public sectors in Santa Clara County. Following a successful career as the first female sales executive at Applied Materials, her passion for children, families, and equitable access led her to found Healthier Kids Foundation, a nonprofit that has positively influenced thousands of Silicon Valley children and their families. Kathleen has served on numerous boards, including FIRST 5 Santa Clara County, The Silicon Valley Leadership Group Foundation, and Child Abuse Prevention Council. Currently a member of the Leadership Advocate Team for Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector, Kathleen has helped thousands of people working in nonprofits elevate their leadership and management skills.

Loren Leidinger, CFRE
Loren is currently the Outreach and Development Director at the Community Action Partnership of San Luis Obispo (CAPSLO) and is the Past-President of the Board of the Association of Fundraising Professionals of SLO County. Prior to joining CAPSLO, she served as the Regional Chief Development Officer for the American Red Cross Central California Region, as well as the Executive Director for the Pacific Coast Chapter of the Red Cross. Throughout her career, she has worked closely with board members in the areas of Fund Development, Board Governance, and Planning, and is currently a board member for two nonprofit organizations.

Erin Nagle
Erin Nagle is a principal and CPA at Glenn Burdette, a local full-service pub­lic account­ing firm. With extensive experience in nonprofit auditing and accounting, she is instrumental in helping get clients back on track with timely financial reporting, internal controls and accounting processes. Erin has led projects with nonprofits and private companies in a variety of industries, including wine, agriculture and construction. Erin currently sits on the board and finance committee of Big Brothers Big Sisters of SLO County.  Erin is a graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, with a degree in Business Economics.

Debby Nicklas
Debby is the former vice president of the French Hospital Medical Center Foundation. She has served in a leadership role for many boards, including: San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce, Lumina Alliance (formerly RISE), Association of Fundraising Professionals San Luis Obispo County Chapter, Children’s Health Initiative of San Luis Obispo County, Rotary San Luis Obispo de Tolosa, and Friends of Prado Day Center. Her steadfast dedication to public service earned her the Citizen of the Year award by the San Luis Obispo Chamber of Commerce and the Cuesta College Woman of Distinction Award.

Joy Pedersen, Ph.D.
Dr. Pedersen has more than eighteen years of experience in higher education and the nonprofit sector. Growing up in a biracial family, her experience with social justice and diversity is both personal and professional, leveraging her knowledge to engage in collaborative initiatives that address complex community issues. She is a founding member of the Asian Pacific-Islander Faculty and Staff Association at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, where she also serves as the Dean of Students and teaches multicultural counseling. She has a B.A. in Psychology from Claremont McKenna, an M.A. in Counseling and Guidance from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, and a Ph.D. in Educational Leadership from University of California, Santa Barbara.

Dolly Sandoval
Dolly has spent her life serving the Santa Clara County community. As the first in her family to attend and graduate from college, she became an educator while simultaneously serving on the Foothill DeAnza Board of Trustees, as a Cupertino city council member, and finally as mayor for the city of Cupertino. Dolly graduated from the inaugural class of MALDEF (the Mexican-American Legal Defense & Education Fund) Leadership Development Program and has served on a number of nonprofit boards. As a member of the Leadership Advocate Team for Applied Wisdom for the Nonprofit Sector, Dolly’s experience as a committed public servant and skilled educator has been integral in helping unlock excellence in nonprofit leaders and teams.

Sierra Smith
Sierra is a Wealth Advisor at Blue Marble Investments, dedicated to reshaping the financial system through a triple bottom line approach—balancing people, planet, and profit. With a background in Sociology and Sustainable Development from Cal Poly, she brings a multidisciplinary lens to consulting organizations nationwide. Previously, she led corporate sustainability initiatives at the U.S. Green Chamber of Commerce and now serves as a Human Relations Commissioner for the City of San Luis Obispo. Driven by a commitment to impact, Sierra works to harness capital as a tool for long-term sustainability and social progress.

Lita Unruh
Lita has more than 30 years of experience in Human Resources, holding key roles at both large public companies like Sun Microsystems and smaller private firms within the high-tech and services industries. She holds a degree in Communication Studies and Sociology from the University of California, Santa Barbara. With a strong commitment to volunteerism, Lita has dedicated much of her time to making a positive impact on both individuals and the community, including supporting immigrant populations.