OCNPN Advisory Board
OCNPN is led by an all-volunteer board of enthusiastic and mission-driven professionals. Learn more about our leadership below:
Jacob Mize
Board Chair
Development Director | Mercy House
Jacob Mize is the Development Director for Mercy House, a nonprofit organization that addresses homelessness through a spectrum of supportive services and housing opportunities. Jacob has worked at Mercy House for five years with the last two years focused on fund development, volunteer management, communications and marketing. Jacob has dedicated his entire professional career to ending homelessness and combating housing insecurity. Prior to working at Mercy House, Jacob managed a mentorship program at Future in Humanity, a small nonprofit that worked with homeless individuals by helping them get connected to community resources. Additionally, Jacob has spent much of his time volunteering with Big Brother Big Sister Orange County, where he was a finalist for 2019’s Big of the Year, as well as working on various political campaigns. Jacob holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University, Fullerton in Human Services with a minor in Chicano Studies, and lives with his wife and daughter in Buena Park, CA.
Haley Cooper
Past Board Chair
Founder | The Savvy Fundraiser
Haley is a Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) with experience raising millions of dollars for local non-profits. She is a passionate, impact-driven, experienced fundraising professional who seeks to help nonprofits achieve their mission and vision. She enjoys helping small and large nonprofits raise funds more effectively. She specializes in obtaining private and public funding for local human services agencies that serve the homeless, the youth and the underserved.
Haley is a co-founder of PB+J Foods Inc., a non-profit with the mission of eradicating severe malnutrition in Malawi, Africa. She is an active member with the Association of Fundraising Professionals of Orange County (AFP OC) as a Board Member and Chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee.
Victoria Torres
Director of Community Impact | Samueli Foundation
Victoria Torres serves as Director of Community Impact, overseeing the foundation’s work as it relates to the City of Anaheim, including capacity building, community relations, project management, evaluation, reporting, and managing The Hive (a shared co-working space for nonprofits).
Born and raised in Orange County, Victoria has been volunteering and working in the non-profit sector for over 15 years. She is passionate about making connections that are strategic and meaningful with the intent of building strong relationships and partnerships. Skilled in nonprofit management, team building, facilitation, evaluation, and talent development. She graduated from California State University, Fullerton with a Bachelors in Human Services and Masters Degree in Counseling.
Pamela Lares
Board Treasurer
Program Director| Pure Game
Pamela is the Program Director of Pure Game, a nonprofit organization focused on youth development through the power of sports. She holds a Bachelors of Science: Health Science from California State University Fullerton. Pamela has dedicated her life to serving the Orange County community, specifically in her home city Santa Ana, Anaheim, & Garden Grove. Passionately serving in the nonprofit sector since 2017 and holding a variety of leadership roles has equipped her to serve on the OCNPN Board and support the mission to inspire, connect and elevate nonprofit professionals through experiential learning opportunities.
Mike Olson
Director - Resources and Partnerships
Director of Major Gifts | Orange County United Way
Mike serves as the Director of Major Gifts at Orange County United Way, leading individual giving initiatives. His efforts support the programmatic work specific to ending homelessness and supporting families and students in need in our community.
With a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Wisconsin and a Master’s Degree from the University of Minnesota in Civil/Structural Engineer Mike brings a unique skill set of project management and an engineering mindset to the non-profit sector. Using that education and fully utilizing training from OneOC he is building relationships and processes to ensure more people get the help that they need in Orange County.
Floridel Martinez
Marketing Director | South County Outreach
Floridel Martinez is a nonprofit manager specializing in marketing and communications. She has over ten years of experience working in the nonprofit sector across Los Angeles and Orange County for organizations including South County Outreach, Anaheim Community Foundation, Union Station Homeless Services, Working Wardrobes, OneOC among others. In addition, she serves as a Board Member and Alumni Representative with Ryman Arts, a nonprofit which offers free arts education and college/career guidance to high school students in the Los Angeles and Orange County areas. She has a diverse background in strategic marketing, graphic design, PR & communications, and social media. Floridel earned a B.A. in Studio Art, a B.A. in English, and minor in Digital Arts from the University of California, Irvine and a Certificate in Digital Media Art, Graphic Design from Irvine Valley College.
Elia Renteria
Director - Networking Events and Meet-ups
Passionate about making a positive impact, Elia is a seasoned professional with a strong commitment to creating meaningful change through a distinguished career in the non-profit sector. With over two decades of experience, she has become a driving force behind successful initiatives, leveraging expertise in event management, community engagement, and leadership to uplift and empower communities.She is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, collaborative environment that empowers individuals and communities alike.
In her role as Director of Community Engagement & Philanthropic Giving, Elia orchestrated transformative projects that significantly increased donor funding, expanded the philanthropic pipeline, and sparked widespread community interest. She championed the creation of strategic plans, leading teams to surpass fundraising goals and demonstrating a deep understanding of the financial dynamics crucial for non-profit sustainability.
Prior experience at the Anaheim Police Department showcased Elia’s dedication to social causes. As a Senior Police Services Representative, she spearheaded initiatives to reduce missing person cases and enhance victim advocacy services. Her work extended beyond law enforcement, creating innovative partnerships with community organizations, and implementing programs to support vulnerable populations.
Samantha Abelove Murillo
Samantha Abelove Murillo received her Master of Public Administration with a specialization in Nonprofit Management from USC Sol Price School of Public Policy. She previously served as Program Manager of the California Voter Foundation (CVF) where she was the sole full-time staff member and managed many aspects of the organization’s operations including program development, fundraising, communications, event planning, and maintaining the organization’s website. Prior to working at CVF, Samantha held several positions at UCLA. Most recently, she was a Contract and Grant Analyst with the Office of Contract and Grant Administration where she reviewed proposals for grants and cooperative agreements for compliance with institutional policies and managed awards from a diverse set of federal and nonprofit funders.
Samantha is not only passionate about being a nonprofit leader, but she is also committed to driving positive social change through innovative public policy. Samantha received her BA in Politics and International Relations, with a minor in Religious Studies from Scripps College.
Briana Stickney
Donor and Community Engagement Associate | Orange County Community Foundation
Briana Stickney is a Donor and Community Engagement (DCE) Associate at the Orange County Community Foundation. In her role Briana is a liaison to nonprofits, provides program support, manages the daily operations of Collaborative Giving Days, organizes nonprofit engagement, and provides administrative support to the DCE Lead Team.
Over the past 14 years Briana has worked for, served in, or led charges around collaborative efforts and solutions addressing areas of disparities in Orange County. She has utilized her strengths in community engagement, administration, and organizing to provide vehicles of support, mobilization, and problem solving in grassroot movements, nonprofit organizations, and government settings through her career.
Tiffany McCain
Director of Development | Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County
Tiffany McCain serves as Director of Development at Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) of Orange County. Tiffany has been volunteering and working in the Orange County philanthropic sector for over 15 years. Prior to her role at CASA, she partnered with Bracken’s Kitchen on Mission Engagement, served as Interim Executive Director for Orange County Grantmakers, Donor Relations & Programs at Orange County Community Foundation, and Client Services Specialist and CBRE Cares Chair at CBRE. Tiffany enjoys bringing people together and connecting and inspiring individuals to get involved within their community to make a positive impact.
John Paul Bryan
Grants Manager | MOMS Orange County
John Paul is thrilled to be joining the OCNPN Advisory Board as part of the 2024 cohort of new Members! After graduating college, John Paul began his professional career in education as part of the Teach for America Service Corps in Brooklyn, New York. There, he developed a perspective and appreciation for the complex social and environmental factors that impact educational outcomes alongside larger concerns of health, housing, social, and economic justice. Inspired by the resilience of his students, John Paul sought to target the roots of inequality and entered the non-profit field after moving home to Orange County in 2018. Beginning as a Grant Writer at Mercy House, John Paul has engaged in various interagency partnerships, collaboratives, and networks toward the goal of uniting philanthropy, community-based organizations, and government in efforts to lift up the most vulnerable among us. This approach has followed John Paul to his current role as Grants Manager at MOMS Orange County, an organization dedicated to advancing maternal-child health equity by way of care coordination, screening, and education. He couldn’t be prouder to represent the interests of our newest local families in his work with OCNPN.
Jared Bigman
Board Secretary
Senior Associate Director of Development| UCI Health
Jared has been a member of OCNPN’s board since 2016, serving in roles to cultivate membership and engage the OC nonprofit community with opportunities to learn, connect, and grow. After graduating from James Madison University in Virginia and managing digital media marketing for an automotive group in his hometown of Washington, D.C., he moved across the country to Orange County for a sales role with his friends’ gourmet foods start-up. While contemplating a more meaningful career path, he accepted a position with the American Cancer Society in 2015, leading peer-to-peer Relay For Life fundraising events throughout OC. Today, his passion for eliminating cancer is front and center as Senior Associate Director of Development at UCI Health, where he connects grateful patients and their families with meaningful philanthropic opportunities to support clinical trials and lifesaving research, primarily in cancer prevention and treatment. Jared lives in Orange, CA, with his wife Jamie, who supports fundraising initiatives at the UCI Langson Institute and Museum of California Art.
