The San Diego Center for Children Board of Trustees is committed to supporting the Vision, Mission and Strategic Goals of the Center. In this leading volunteer role, members bring their talent, expertise and passion, as they personally invest in the success and well-being of our entire San Diego community.
Ann Garland, Ph.D.
Ann Garland, Ph.D.
Ann Garland, PhD. is a Professor at USD where she was Founding Chair of the Department of Counseling & Marital and Family Therapy. She is also an Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry at UCSD. Her teaching, research, and practice have been devoted to improving mental health care for youth and families. She has trained hundreds of mental health professionals from multiple disciplines.
Throughout her career, Dr. Garland has earned research and training grants totalling over $13 million. She has published more than 120 peer reviewed articles and book chapters and is a widely cited scholar. Her research has identified barriers in mental health care, racial and ethnic disparities in care, and how to deliver evidence-based practices in local and global settings. In 2022, Oxford University Press will publish her book, Pursuing a Career in Mental Health: A Comprehensive Guide for Aspiring Professionals.
Dr. Garland earned her PhD in Clinical Psychology from Yale University, as well as an M.A. in Human Development from Columbia University, and a B.A. in Psychology from U.C. Berkeley, where she was a proud member of the women’s swim team. Ann is a native San Diegan. She and her husband, Saul, have a daughter at UCSD; she also has three step-sons and daughters-in-law, and seven step-grandchildren living in the U.S. and Canada.
Ann enjoys swimming, hiking, tennis, and gatherings with her bookclub. She also loves visiting family in Canada where she loves to swim in Quebec’s Laurentian lakes.
Stephanie Cone, MD
Stephanie Cone, MD
Stephanie Cone is an MD and Fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has a B.S. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics and a B.A. in Spanish Literature from the University of Arizona. She earned her MD from the University of Arizona College of Medicine in Tucson, AZ and trained in Pediatrics at the University of California Irvine and Children’s Hospital Orange County (CHOC). She has previously worked as a pediatrician as part of a group of private practice clinics affiliated with Rady Children’s Hospital and provided primary care for children from age 0-18 and newborn hospital care in select Sharp and Scripps hospitals. When not working, Stephanie stays busy by caring for her two young sons, playing in a women’s soccer league, relaxing with crochet or needlepoint projects, or decorating cakes.
Dori Wittman
Dori Wittman
Dori is the Vice President of Employee Benefits at HUB International. Dori began her career in the Employee Benefits industry in 2003 and joined HUB in 2015. She has gained extensive experience in the areas of employee benefits that matter most to employers: cost containment, compliance, employee communication and administrative simplification. Her knowledge is exceeded only by her passion for helping HR leaders and business owners flourish.
Over the years, Dori has devoted time and energy to nonprofits servicing at-risk youth. Dori, a California Native, grew up in Poway. She earned her B.A. from University of Washington in Seattle and then spent 12 years in the Los Angeles area. Dori moved back to San Diego in 2015 and currently resides in San Marcos with her husband and two sons. She enjoys running, traveling and spending time with her family and friends.
Vince Nowicki
Vince Nowicki
Treasurer
Vince Nowicki’s career spans more than 28 years in consumer and residential mortgage lending including retail, wholesale, and bulk acquisitions. Vince started with Mission Fed in April 2011 and is currently Chief Lending Officer, responsible for Mortgage Originations, Loan Servicing, Secondary Marketing, Consumer Lending, Indirect Auto Lending, Auto Leasing, and Insurance Services. Also, through Mission Fed’s subsidiary, Vince helped create, and currently performs as director of operations for LiveSmart Escrow, a captive Escrow Company that serves Mission Fed’s members and partners.
Vince lives in Valley Center with his wife and two daughters. They enjoy travel, especially road trips, and are huge fans of anything Disney related.
Dr. Cynthia M. Avery
Dr. Cynthia M. Avery
Cynthia M. Avery, Ed.D., recently retired from a 32+ year career in student affairs in various higher education institutions, including the University of San Diego and San Diego State University. Cynthia provided executive-level leadership to multiple units throughout her tenure.
Dr. Avery's career focused on striving for equitable outcomes for all students. She demonstrated dedication to uplifting the needs and voices of students most in need and students from marginalized identities.
Outside of her professional work, Dr. Avery has volunteered with Voices for Children since 2008 as both a court appointed special advocate (CASA) and an outreach team member in San Diego and Riverside counties. Dr. Avery also served on the Board of the San Diego Education Foundation.
Dr. Avery earned an Ed.D. in educational leadership from UCSD/SDSU/CSUSM, an M.S. Ed. in College Student Development from Alfred University, and a B.S. in Management Science from the State College of New York at Geneseo. Cynthia and her husband reside in Riverside County and have four adult children. They enjoy traveling, especially to New Zealand, where their youngest daughter and oldest grandchild live.
Melanie L. Balestra, NP, ESQ
Jodie Brokowski
Jeffrey Gering, FACHE
Jeffrey T. Gering, FACHE
Jeff Gering is a proven leader of health care organizations who inspires action, develops programs and leads change to achieve organizational objectives. He has effectively cultivated community collaborations and instituted data systems to achieve population health objectives.
Most recently, as the Senior Vice President of Support Services & Planning of Family Health Centers of San Diego, Jeff oversaw a diverse array of departments for the tenth largest Federally Qualified Health Center in the nation. The departments under Jeff’s direction include physical rehabilitation services, the largest outpatient mental health program in the county, one of the seven county-funded substance use disorders treatment programs, homeless services, a high complexity laboratory, HIV services, specialty services and medical records. In addition, Jeff had authority for Family Health Center’s Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly (PACE), which is an integrated approach to comprehensive care and a full-risk health plan for frail elderly seniors. Jeff retired from his Senior Vice President role in June of 2024.
Mr. Gering began his healthcare career as an administrative resident at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center. After holding a series of positions in the VA of progressive responsibility, he assumed the role of CEO and Director of the VA Medical Center in Chillicothe, Ohio in 2007. In 2012, Jeff left Ohio to become the CEO of the VA San Diego Healthcare System, one of the most complex VA hospitals in the country.
He has Bachelors of Science degree from Indiana University School of Business and a Masters of Health Administration from Saint Louis University, School of Public Health. He is a Fellow with the American College of Health Care Executives. Previously held an Adjunct Professor appointment with Ohio University. Up until July 2024, he was a member of the board of CAlPACE, the association of all PACE programs in California. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors for NAMI San Diego.
Louis Y. Lau, CFA
Louis Y. Lau, CFA
Louis is a Director in the Investments Group at Brandes Investment Partners, a global investment firm headquartered in San Diego. He joined Brandes in 2004 and serves as an Investment Committee Member and Senior Research Analyst. Louis is a Limited Partner of the firm’s parent company. He has over 22 years of Finance and Investment experience. Louis previously worked at Goldman Sachs in Investment Banking and Equity Capital Markets.
Louis earned his MBA in Finance and Accounting with Honors from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. He holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and has been a member of the CFA Society of San Diego since 2013.
Louis and his family enjoy being actively involved in giving back to the community.
James Shira
James Shira
James Shira is PwC’s Network & US Chief Information & Technology Officer, responsible for leading and driving PwC’s goal to technology enable the Network of Firms. In addition, James is PWC Network & US Chief Information Security Officer. He joined PwC in 2015 as the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) where he built and continues to lead our US and global information security function, driving the evolution of PwC’s cyber posture.
Over the course of 20 years, James has led various security and technology transformation and modernization programs in large organizations. James is known primarily for his information security experience having won the prestigious RSA Excellence in the Field of Information Security award in 2014. Furthermore, he is known for his approaches to people management and aggressive use of emerging technologies to enable business strategies.
James was one of the inaugural students in Columbia's Executive Technology Management program and has a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Baylor University with concentration in Management Information Systems. He, his wife and 2 children reside in Southern California.
Dustin Sutton
Dustin Sutton
Dustin Sutton is a Real Estate and Business Development Manager with Meissner Jacquet Commercial Real Estate Services. Since joining the firm in 2017, he has played a crucial role in managing commercial real estate and increasing the value of his clients’ real estate portfolios.
Dustin has over 12 years of real estate experience. During his career, Dustin he has managed over $5 billion of commercial and residential real estate assets. Prior to joining Meissner Jacquet, Dustin was a Commercial Real Estate Manager for Realty Income Corporation, a publicly-traded REIT currently included in the S&P 500.
Dustin graduated from the University of Delaware where he earned a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Communication. He is originally from Philadelphia, PA, and is a licensed real estate broker in California. He is the co-founder of the Black Commercial Real Estate Network (BCREN), a member of NAIOP, and a member of the Promises2Kids Men’s Leadership Network. In addition to serving the needs of his community, Dustin enjoys basketball, golf, music, the outdoors, and spending time with his family and friends.
Matthew Van Eck
Matthew Van Eck
Matthew Van Eck serves as the Senior Vice President and GIS Principal at GIS Surveyors, Inc., and is a co-founder and principal at ICON Utility Services. With over two decades in the industry, Matthew specializes in leveraging geospatial technologies to manage large-scale utility and construction projects. His strategic leadership roles at both companies allow him to provide comprehensive solutions that serve a broad array of clients—from local governments to Fortune 500 corporations. A holder of a Bachelor of Science degree in Geography from Northern Illinois University, Matthew's holistic approach has been pivotal in diversifying client portfolios and pioneering advancements in geospatial solutions and utility management.
Matthew is a resident of California and is actively involved in his community. When not working, he enjoys an active lifestyle that includes hiking and camping. He also values spending quality time with his wife and three children, including a daughter in college and two sons in elementary school.
Cheryl Rode, Ph.D.
Cheryl Rode, Ph.D.
President & CEO
Cheryl Rode, Ph.D., was thrilled to join San Diego Center for Children’s leadership team in 2010. She is passionate about ensuring that children and families have access to high quality, effective behavioral health care, and to improving the quality of life for children with behavioral and emotional challenges. Dr. Rode brings experience and commitment to developing a clinical workforce that provides outstanding care, using evidence based and proven practices.
Dr. Rode completed her doctorate in Clinical Psychology at West Virginia University, where she specialized in working with children, teens, and families. She completed her clinical internship training at the UCSD Department of Psychiatry – Veterans Administration Medical Center Consortium; and her postdoctoral fellowship at UCSD and (Rady’s) Children’s Hospital of San Diego. Dr. Rode spent the next 12 years as a member of the Psychology Service at Sharp Mesa Vista Hospital as staff psychologist for the child and adolescent programs, and as the Assistant Training Director of Sharp’s APA accredited psychology internship and fellowship programs. Her favorite aspect of working at the Center is to see children and families recover and blossom in our healing environments with the help of truly dedicated staff.
Winston Churchill – “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.”