CHAIRMAN

William “Bill” Blake is the Southwest Executive, SVP for Zurich in North America and is responsible for the business that Zurich transacts in Southern CA, Southern NV, AZ, CO, UT, NM and WY.  Bill joined Zurich in 1997 and also served as the Regional Vice President for the Construction Business Unit’s Southwest and Northwest regions.  Prior to joining Zurich, he served as Assistant Vice President at General Star Management Company.  Bill received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Hobart College in Geneva, NY.

PAST CHAIRMAN

Dan Burgner is the CEO of Burgner Experiential.  Previously, he was the Executive Vice President of Strategic Alliances and Entertainment for Caruso Affiliated.  He has over 30 years of diverse experience in real estate development and management with top nationally recognized companies. He has set new standards in the areas of fully integrated and immersive brand experiences and events, revenue generation and new business platforms stemming from technology and broadcast opportunities. He also held the position of Executive Vice President of Asset Management & Specialty Income and Senior Vice President of Operations where he successfully led the openings and operations of iconic centers such as The Grove in Los Angeles, The Commons at Calabasas and The Promenade at Westlake.  Prior to Caruso Affiliated, Dan oversaw the community and neighborhood properties of the Irvine Company as VP of Hollis & Associates and the Portfolio Director of The Carlson Company.  His career began in real estate development where he managed and developed industrial, R&D, hotel and retail properties with the Dillingham Corporation and Trojan Enterprises.

SECRETARY

Greg Ferree is the Vice President of Distribution in the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) organization at Southern California Edison (SCE).  Elected to that position in December 2013, he is responsible for all aspects of electrical and civil design, construction, maintenance and inspection of the overhead and underground distribution network at SCE, as well as material oversight, vegetation management and all associated field accounting activities.  Greg joined SCE in 1984 and has held a variety of craft, line, staff, supervisory and senior leadership positions.  Greg earned a BS in Business and Management from the University of Redlands and an MBA from the University of Southern California.

TREASURER

Alan Wright is a Senior Banking Executive with over 15 years experience in banking and finance.  He currently managers complex banking relationships with middle market companies throughout the Greater Los Angeles area.  Alan holds dual undergraduate degrees from UCLA and an MBA in Finance from Pepperdine University.  Additionally, Alan is an adjunct professor teaching finance, economics and accounting at the undergraduate and graduate level.

Tom Clarke is a Tax Partner with PwC and has been with the firm over 25 years serving clients in the technology and government contractor sectors, as well as other industries.  Tom has a broad background in all areas of taxation, and has assisted his clients with working through new legal entity structures, revamping their compliance/provision process and capitalizing on newly legislated tax benefits.  Tom also leads a regional team focused on tax department effectiveness.  He chairs PwC’s Southern California CFO Forum and regularly meets with leading CFOs in the area to discuss pressing issues.  Tom has a BA in Business Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara.  He is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in California and is a member of the AICPA, and the California Society of CPAs.

Ranjan Goswami is the Vice President, Sales – West for Delta Air Lines.  He has over 10 years of experience in his field and is also a Board member for the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Kingsley Trust Association.

Terri A. Haack is the President of Terranea Resort.  Her career spans more than 30 years in hotel and resort operations management, with nearly two decades based solely in resort community development, operations and real estate.  Terri joined Terranea as Executive Vice President and Managing Director in 2007, spearheading pre-construction operations and guiding start up through the resort’s acclaimed debut in June 2009.  Prior to Terranea, Terri has overseen developments such as Wild Dunes in South Carolina and Kingsmill Resort in Virginia.  Terri holds a B.S. in Business Administration and Master of Arts in Organizational Management.

Carl Jordan is the Senior Vice President and Regional Manager for the In-Store Division in South California for U.S. Bank.  Carl has been in banking for over 35 years, including 21 years with U.S. Bank.  He has served in various roles that include branch management, small business sales management and district management.  Carl attended Long Beach State University and in 2008 graduated CBA’s Graduate School of Retail Bank Management at Furman University in South Carolina.  Carl currently serves as the Management Advisor of the U.S. Bank Development Network in Orange County and is also involved with many community organizations and non-profits.

Eva Kalawski is Partner, General Counsel and Secretary for Platinum Equity, where she oversees Platinum’s in-house legal staff and is responsible for addressing legal issues relating to due diligence, mergers and acquisitions and transitions, as well as the legal affairs of its portfolio companies.  Prior to joining Platinum in 1997, Eva was Vice-President of Human Resources, General Counsel and Secretary for Pilot Software, Inc.  Eva earned a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and French from Mount Holyoke College and a Juris Doctor degree from Georgetown University Law Center.

Kim McManus is the International Pastor for Mosaic LA.  She is an international speaker, ministering to women of all ages and walks of life from New Zealand to Germany and everywhere in between.  Her faith has given her a passion for people and she is committed to the value that everyone has a critical need for a safe, secure and stable home.  Her husband Erwin McManus is an author, lecturer and the lead pastor for Mosaic LA, one of the largest Christian Communities in Los Angeles with a global outreach to 60,000 people weekly.

Michelle Meghrouni is a Real Estate and Environmental Law attorney in Downtown Los Angeles with over twenty-seven years of experience.  She spent fourteen years in private practice with one of the City’s oldest firms and was one of only two women partners at the firm at the time she left to become in-house counsel at Los Angeles Unified School District.  Over her eleven years at LAUSD, as lead real estate counsel and eventually the manager the Facilities Legal Team, Michelle was responsible for the legal oversight of the construction of more than 140 new schools in Los Angeles County.  For the past two years, Michelle has served as in-house senior counsel for Southern California Gas Company, with a significant portion of her work focused on natural gas pipeline safety and reliability projects.   Michelle has dedicated countless hours to pro bono services in the areas of wildlife preservation and education, children’s rights, affordable housing and homeless rights advocacy. Ms. Meghrouni received her undergraduate degree at UC Berkeley and attended Law School at University of San Francisco.

Lori Raya is President of Albertson, Vons and Pavilions, where she is responsible for the Southern California division of 343 stores.  Raya, who was the first woman President in the 106 year history of Vons and only the second woman to lead a Safeway division in all of North America, began her career with the grocery giant in 1987, as a Courtesy Clerk.  Over her 25 years, her duties and responsibilities have steadily expanded and she has served as a District Manager at Vons, Vice President of Retail Operations, Group Vice President of Deli/Food Service and Senior Vice President of Main Meals, Beverages/Snacks.  Raya has been named  to Progressive Grocer’s “Top Women in Grocery” listing for three consecutive years.

Craig Russell, Chief Design & Project Delivery Executive, Walt Disney Imagineering

Craig Russell is the Chief Design and Project Delivery Executive for Walt Disney Imagineering and is responsible for the design, engineering, production, installation and project management functions for Imagineering Theme Park & Resort projects around the world. In addition, Craig is responsible for WDI’s legal, contracts, facilities and operations teams. During his over 30 year tenure with WDI, he has led the design—from concept through opening—of some of Imagineering’s biggest, most complex and highly successful projects, and worked on the preliminary design of Disney’s Animal Kingdom and Walt Disney Studios Park in Paris and most recently Disneyland Shanghai. He is an active leader and participant in Disney’s volunteer program.  He received his bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering Systems from UCLA.

Raul Salinas is the Managing Shareholder of the Los Angeles office of AlvaradoSmith.  He has over 27 years of experience in business, government and international litigation and handles a wide range of cases in a number of industries for public and private sector clients.  Raul is also a prominent member of the community, having founded the California Hispanic Corporate Council Leadership Institute, as well as serving as a board member of the Los Angeles Universal Preschool and the White Memorial Hospital in East LA.  Raul graduated from Loyola Marymount University and Georgetown University Law Center.

Troy Thrower is the Founder and Managing Partner of The Woodward Group, a premier boutique executive search firm specializing in the placement of finance and accounting professionals in the Southern California area.  After starting his career in public accounting and obtaining his CPA, Troy joined a national executive search firm and quickly became a top producer.  He went  on to start his own company in 1997 and has successfully serviced leading Southern California companies since that time.  The Woodward Group’s clients include Fortune 500 companies, major motion picture studios, private equity firms and numerous other small to mid-size businesses in a wide range of industries.  Troy received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University Northridge.

Ken Walker is a Partner with Ernst & Young LLP with more than 30 years of experience serving clients in the entertainment, media and technology industries.  Ken is a Certified Public Accountant and was promoted to Partner in 1997. He serves large multinational companies as well as entrepreneurial enterprises in both advisory and audit related capacities.  He received his Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from California State University Northridge.

Heidi Snyder is the Managing Director – Regional Sales Manager of Union Bank.  She has over 34 years of experience in her field, including 32 years at Bank of America, most recently as the Consumer Market Executive.  She is currently a member of AAREA and NAHREP.