Chairman: Mary T. Roche
Indian Wells City Council Member Mary T. Roche was elected to the council in 2000, named Mayor in 2003, and reelected in 2004 and 2010. She currently serves as Indian Wells’ representative to the CVAG Public Safety (Chair), CVAG Animal Campus, Indian Wells Public Safety commission.
Roche has extensive community involvement with an impressive list of leadership positions. She founded the Homeowners/Residents Association of Indian Wells, and Indian Wells Historic Preservation Foundation. She is founding president of Desert Horizons Women’s Club, as well as past president of Desert Horizons Homeowners Association. Roche is active in many other community organizations such as RAP (Regional Access Project (Chair), Shelter From The Storm (President), Pegasus Riding Academy for Handicapped, KPSP Local 2 Advisory Board and Chairwoman & Founder of Women Leaders Forum.
An educator and businesswoman, Roche retired from Los Angeles Community College District after 25 years as an administrator and professor. She founded and served as CEO/president of Linens Unlimited II, a retail bed and bath chain.
Roche earned her master of arts in educational administration from California State University, Long Beach, and her bachelor of arts from California State University, Los Angeles and attended McGeorge School of Law.
President: Rebecca Kenary
President@wlfdesert.org
Rebecca Kenary retired from a successful 20-year career in investment banking in 1999. Born and raised in Worcester, Massachussetts, Kenary earned a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business. During her career in foreign exchange sales and trading, she worked for several institutions including Citibank and UBS, living in Chicago, New York, London, Paris and Singapore. Her clients included the world's largest hedge funds, Central Banks and investment advisors.
Rebecca served as Treasurer of Women Leaders Forum for 2 years prior to being elected President. She has been Co-Chair of WLF's Scholarship Committee for 3 years and was Chair of Wall Street Teens for 3 years before folding it into WLF's Young Women Ambassadors Program in 2010. Kenary continues to be very actively involved in WLF's YWA Program, overseeing its expansion to over 100 young women in 2010/11. She is thrilled to be able to use her career experience to help young women discover the thrill of "Financial Independence!"
Secretary: Margot Nelligan
secretary@wlfdesert.org
Margot spent 28 years in the corporate world, working for Xerox Corporation in various positions, including training, marketing, and strategic alliance management. She retired from Xerox in 2002, and moved to the desert in 2003, where she started a retail clothing business.
Margot has been a member of WLF since 2006, and participated in organizing WLF’s Nite Out with the Girlz and the TIAW Conference co-hosted by WLF in 2007. Margot currently chairs the WLF/TIAW Microbank Program, which raises funds to provide small – or “micro” loans to working women in underdeveloped countries.
Her previous volunteer leadership roles include:
- Secretary and Chair, Tree Musketeers, El Segundo, CA, a non-profit run by kids using environmental programs to teach them leadership and social skills
- President and Board Member, Lake Mirage Homeowners Association, Rancho Mirage, CA
- President, Surfside Homeowner’s Association, Redondo Beach, CA
- President, Xerox Women’s Information Network
- Member, Redondo Beach Environmental and Public Utilities Commission, Redondo Beach, CA
- Founder and member representative, South Bay Business Environmental Coalition, El Segundo, CA
- Advisor to the El Segundo Citizen’s Committee on Environmental Programs
Margot lives in Rancho Mirage and enjoys travel, hiking and reading.
Treasurer: Paula Tapia
Treasurer@wlfdesert.org
Paula Tapia, Assistant Vice President with Pacific Western Bank, began her career in banking 6 years ago, following her graduation from California State University, San Bernardino where she attained a Bachelor’s of Science in Business Administration and a Minor in Finance. Since joining Pacific Western Bank in 2004 Paula has tenaciously moved her way up the ladder from Financial Services Representative to Assistant Vice President, Client Services Officer.
Paula is passionate about the importance of community service and is actively involved with many local organizations including the American Heart Association, United Way of the Desert and Soroptimist International. She is also a member of various professional groups including the Community Association Institute, National Notary Association and is a 2009 graduateof Leadership Coachella Valley.
"GIRLZ & Our Leaders" Chair: Renell E. Burch, Esq.
GIRLZ@wlfdesert.org
As a Coachella Valley resident since 2000 and having practiced law at one of the valley’s top litigation firms, Renell recently decided to take on the exciting challenge of opening her own law practice. Located in Indian Wells, the Law Offices of Renell E. Burch, a Professional Corporation offers legal services in the areas of civil litigation, real estate and corporate law. The firm engages in all aspects of business related matters from preventive and pre-litigation counseling through trial and post trial proceedings.
Renell is a graduate of the University of California at Irvine and the University of West Los Angeles School of Law. She is an active member of the local American Inns of Court, Warren Slaughter-Richard Roemer Chapter, the American Bar Association, the Desert Bar Association and the State Bar of California. Renell has been listed on the Who’s Who in the legal profession and has been awarded the top rating for her years in practice among her colleagues for her legal ability and ethical standards. An advocate of early resolution, Renell sits on the civil bench panel of mediators with the Riverside Superior Court offering mediation services to the community.
Active in her community, Renell has served on the Board of Directors for the Family YMCA of the Desert and as a member of the Junior League of the Palm Springs Desert Communities. She is also a volunteer at many of local nonprofit organizations throughout the valley. Renell is a firm believer that the Coachella Valley offers tremendous opportunities not only in the business arena, but for our youth in the desert. As the valley grows Renell is excited to play an integral part of what our valley has to offer.
L.E.A.D. Chair: Robin Costello
LEAD@wlfdesert.org
Robin Costello is co-owner of Eventertainment, a full-service entertainment booking agency. Prior to owning her own business, Robin worked at the Palm Springs Desert Resorts Convention and Visitors Authority where she was responsible for supporting sales and marketing efforts with convention services and event management. She has 20 years of hotel sales and event experience for companies such as Wyndham, Hilton, Hyatt and Red Lion hotels. Robin is still involved in Desert Resort's tourism sales by volunteering her time planning various events for the hospitality community in an effort to promote the valley's tourism and convention industry.
Board Member: Jenell Fontes
Jenell has been a Coachella Valley resident for the past sixteen years. She has founded several companies in the valley and has always felt a strong need to be involved in the local community. Currently Jenell is on the board of Olive Crest, an organization dedicated to strong families and safe children. Her passion for the community has led to her involvement with WLF and several other organizations.
Jenell's considerable business experience, negotiating skills and attention to detail have resulted in her being a top agent at Windemere, Rancho Mirage. Currently she is focused on providing impeccable service to her Short Sale sellers and delivers her buyers with hard-found deals that maximize profit.
Membership Chair: Connie Golds
membership@wlfdesert.org
Connie Golds is the President and Co-Founder of Desert Best Friend’s Closet, a non-profit organization that provides clothing for low-income residents of the Coachella Valley. Desert Best Friend’s Closet focuses on work-appropriate clothing for men and women and prom attire for high school girls. Her organization’s motto—“a new outfit creates a new outlook”—supports the belief that reusing, recycling and repurposing can help others and reduce our carbon footprint.
Connie has a strong commitment to and record of community service in the Coachella Valley, particularly with charities that benefit youth or education. She dedicated 13 years to volunteering as a Girl Scout leader, earning honors like Outstanding Leader, Outstanding Volunteer and the GSUSA Appreciation Award. Today she is an active member of numerous volunteer organizations, serving on the Scholarship Committee of the Desert Community Foundation, as Board Secretary for Sheltering Sisters, the Auxiliary of Shelter From the Storm, and as co-chair of the UCLA Alumni Scholarships Committee. She was recently elected by her fellow directors to Chair the Marywood-Palm Valley School Board of Trustees.
Her enthusiasm for education comes from her work as a teacher; she taught American Sign Language at College of the Desert for ten years and prior to that, she was an interpreter and tutor for Deaf students around the Coachella Valley.
Stephanie, owner and CEO of FG Creative, Inc., heads up strategic marketing, planning, account management, and media planning and placement for all clients. She brings over 25 years of experience in a variety of industries including Tourism, City marketing, Native American Casinos, attractions & entertainment, residential real estate, shopping centers, consumer electronics, financial, medical, retail and packaged goods. She spent over 10 years managing and marketing shopping centers, and earned the coveted Certified Marketing Director designation. She also spent 3 years as Marketing director at Spotlight 29 Casino, guiding its expansion and transition to Trump 29 Casino.
Stephanie is a graduate of the 2007 Leadership Coachella Valley program. Her Professional Affiliations include Fashion Group International/Palm Springs & Desert Communities, Palm Desert Chamber, La Quinta Chamber, Palm Springs Desert Cities CVA, Media Mavens and AdFed of the Desert. Professional Recognitions include Westminster Chamber "Businessperson of the Year," President of Westminster Chamber, President of Westminster Soroptimist International, Vice President of SC Marketing Directors Association, and various Board positions.
YWA Co-Chair: Dr. Nicole Ortiz
ywa@wlfdesert.org
Dr. Nicole Ortiz is the co-founder of Live Well Clinic in La Quinta, where she is a primary care doctor with a focus on holistic family medicine. She received her doctorate in naturopathic medicine from the National College of Natural Medicine in Portland,OR, a four-year, post-graduate medical program. Her passion is helping individuals achieve a better quality of life through a holistic preventative and proactive approach to health. She was recently featured in Suzanne Sommer’sbook, “Knockout,” for a contribution in treating patients with cancer through supportive integrative approaches. She believes that any dream can be realized with a bit of common sense and intelligent persistence.
Nicole has a track record of leadership initiative and has organized and directed numerous projects over the years, which are in line with her core philosophy. This includes serving on Boards, heading women’s solidarity projects through her sorority Delta Gamma, mentoring young girls pursing medicine, raising money to fund an orphanage in Ecuador and founding a public speaking group, Action Potential, for medical students to share their education with the community. Since moving to the Coachella Valley, Nicole's community service includes working with Pathways to Success mentoring local high school women, co-chairing the first annual Desert’s Biggest Loser Challenge and Charity, and seminars focused on empowering women to achieve better health. Nicole is amember of WLF's Education Series Committee and presented one of WLF's Educational Seminars. As a WLF Board member, she is particularly interested in working to expand on the opportunities for Young Women Ambassadors and leading the mentor program helping women of any age believe in their full potential and vision a clear path toward reaching their dreams.
Board Member: Nona Solowitz
Nona began her business career as an entreprenuer, starting and buiolding a successful delicatessen business in Palm Springs. After selling that operation to spend more time with her family, she returned to school to supplement her degree and sit for her CPA license. She subsequently went to work for the area's largest CPA firm (Maryanov, Madsen, Gordon & Campbell), starting as a staff accountant and working her way up to senior accountant during her 3-year tenure.
Nona was then recruited by the Palm Springs International Film Festival to serve as Director of Finance and Administration, where her duties included oversight of all financial activities, human resources, office administration, management of computer and phone systems and financial reporting to the Board of Directors. She served in that position for 5 years.
Nona was subsequently recruited by the largest Jewish Synagogue in the Coachella Valley to serve as Executive Director. Her duties during her 6-year tenure included facilities management, human resources, financial oversight, budgeting, forecasting, event planning and membership development.
Lured by the entrepreneurial spirit, Nona has started her own CPA practice. She specializes in tax planning and preparation, business management and consulting, small business and non-profit accounting and general business planning. Nona is also experienced in computer consulting, tax and financial projections, control and budgeting, labor management and financial reporting.
YWA Co-Chair: Sheila Stillman
ywa@wlfdesert.org
Sheila Stillman, a transplanted New Yorker, has made her home in Southern California for many years and the Coachella Valley for the past sixteen years. She’s spent 30 years in the world of banking and finance for a variety of entities as a commercial lender, a mortgage lender, and a retail lender as well as run desert Financial Services for Riverside Superior Court for 10 years. Concurrently Sheila owned and operated a construction permit service and was a correspondent for the Hemet News. Returning to her creative roots Sheila is presently completing a novel and is writing a screenplay.
Always active in her communities Sheila has served on the Board of Soroptimists, acted as treasurer and president for Toastmasters, been a Rotary speech contest judge, served twice in an elected council seat for AVMAC in an unincorporated area of Riverside County, spoke countywide on behalf of State Ballot Propositions and developed and taught seminars for the courts and other government agencies on subjects such as “Handling Change” and “Time Management.”
Sheila has been a member of WLF since 2006 heading theTIAW speaker liaison committee, a committee member for all subsequent “Take theLead” events, and most recently as a mentor with WLF’s Young Women Ambassadors program. She believes one of our organization’s most important goals is to find, include, encourage and support our valley’s young woman toward developing their leadership potential.
