Keith Swayne served as CEO of Case Swayne Co. and the successor company, Universal Food Solutions, a subsidiary of BestFoods/Unilever. Following retirement, He, along with his wife, Judy, co-founded the Keith and Judy Swayne Family Foundation. Keith has remained active in the community, and in business, serving on a number of private company boards as well as non-profit boards; recently serving as Chair of the Orange County Community Foundation Board of Governors and currently as Chair of the Charitable Ventures Board. In 2022, in conjunction with the Orange County Community Foundation, Keith established the Orange County Social Justice Fund. In 1997, Keith was a regional winner of the Entrepreneur of the Year Award. The California Association of Human Rights Organizations also recognized him that same year for his work in the Human Rights field. He was named Orange County Philanthropist of the Year at National Philanthropy Day in 2019.

Rick Reiff is a Pulitzer-Prize winning journalist. He has been with the Orange County Business Journal since 1990. He served 10 editor and originated and wrote the paper’s “OC Insider column for 15 years. From 2004 through 2018, Reiff hosted and produced “Inside OC with Rick Reiff” and “SoCal Insider with Rick Reiff,” which aired on PBS SoCal, KDOC-TV, and Cox Cable. “Inside OC” won the Golden Mike Award for Best News Public Affairs Program in Southern California, Division B, in 2011 and “SoCal Insider” won the same award in 2012 and 2013.

Jeannie G. Kim, Ph.D., President Santiago Canyon College, has dedicated over 32 years in higher education, holding diverse leadership positions, including Interim Vice Chancellor of Educational Services and Strategic Planning and Associate Vice Chancellor of Grants and Economic Development at Riverside Community College District. She was appointed president at Santiago Canyon College in January 2023. Dr. Kim is committed to fostering socio-economic mobility and dismantling barriers for underrepresented students. Dr. Kim excels in succession planning, organizational infrastructure, and facilitating culture shifts. A sought-after global keynote speaker on higher education and leadership, she has influenced educational policies at state and federal levels in the U.S. and served on national boards, including co-president of the Alliance of Hispanic Serving Educators. Dr. Kim, an immigrant and the first in her extended family to earn a doctoral degree, holds a Ph.D. in higher education policy, evaluation and reform from Claremont Graduate University, a master’s from California State University, Fullerton, and a bachelor’s from the University of California, Los Angeles, in Cultural Anthropology with an emphasis on Asian and Asian-American Women.

Stephen O’Leary serves as a Member of the Leadership Council and Marketing Director at the University of California, Irvine’s Institute of Memory Impairment & Neurological Diseases, where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the organization’s strategies and outreach efforts. Simultaneously, he holds the prestigious position of Chairperson for the Master’s in Advertising and Brand Responsibility at the University of Oregon School of Journalism and Communications, highlighting his leadership in academic initiatives. As the Founder, President, and Chairperson of O’Leary and Partners Advertising Agency, Stephen’s entrepreneurial spirit has left an indelible mark, growing the agency from its inception to a thriving entity with a staff of seventy-five employees and substantial billings. His dedication to professional development is evident in his extensive training, mentoring, and industry involvement, including serving as a visiting university instructor and conducting workshops. Beyond his professional achievements, Stephen is a devoted philanthropist, dedicating his time to leadership roles at St. Margaret’s Episcopal Church and actively participating in Alzheimer’s support groups. Stephen has published several books and received prestigious honors such as the Significant Contribution Honoree at the UCI MIND Gala and induction into the University of Oregon Journalism School- Hall of Achievement.

Andrew (Andy) Horowitz is a twenty-year telecommunications entrepreneur and founder of Office Telephone Management (OTM), a Southern California telecom company he started in 1983 to provide voice and data services to tenants of multi-tenant commercial office buildings.  After selling the business in 1995, Mr. Horowitz joined the National Cost Reduction Strategy practice of Deloitte and Touche in 1997 where he managed its telecommunications unit until the practice was sold to a group of outside investors at the end of 1999. Since then, Andy has pursued an assortment of domestic and international telecommunications consulting engagements, mentoring activities, and investment opportunities involving local telecom and other startup companies.  Today, Andy spends most of his time mentoring social entrepreneurs and promoting educational reform in Orange County.  He was a founding member of Innovators OC, a nonprofit that invests in individuals in Orange County working in innovative ways to create self-sustaining enterprises that address social and community problems.

Barbara Kimler brings a major newspaper experience to her Orange County-based public relations consulting business. As former Community Relations Manager of The Orange County Register, Barbara managed media campaigns, special events, and community programs that benefited hundreds of organizations, charitable causes, and civic groups. An accomplished writer, she’s published articles in local and national publications and is proficient in preparing both press documents and marketing copy. As a media expert, she’s successfully placed stories in local and regional newspapers, magazines, digital media sources, radio outlets and broadcast news. She serves as a guest lecturer for nonprofit public relations classes at Chapman, Concordia and Vanguard Universities.

Pete Neumann has spent the last 17 years advising a Western Colorado real estate development firm with the acquisition, development and disposition of over one million square feet of retail, industrial and office properties. During the same time frame the firm constructed more than 1,000 residential lots and 750 manufactured homesites. Development clients included Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage a publicly traded specialty grocer headquartered in Denver Colorado, with 160+ locations, EOS Fitness a 100+ location fitness chain, Los Alamos National Laboratory and GE Oil and Gas. Prior to this position, he spent almost 18 years in the Banking industry as a commercial and private banker. He has owned and operated several businesses, in the publishing industry, human resources and automotive services. He spent time on the board of Habitat for Humanity, Home Builders Association, and Montrose Economic Development Corp.

Marshall Kaplan served as senior staff and/or as a principal advisor to HUD in four Presidential Administrations. He focused on remedies for poverty and affordable housing, as well as authoring a national evaluation of the new Model Cities Program. Marshall went on to become Dean of the Graduate School of Public Policy at the University of Colorado. During his tenure as Dean, he and his colleagues succeeded in making the school a respected national and internationally educational institution. He also helped launch the Aspen Global Forums, the Center for Public Private Sector Cooperation, and the Center for the Improvement of Public Management within the School. Marshall left the University after roughly two decades to join the Paul Merage Institute in Newport Beach, focused on helping Israel startups do well in America and helping immigrants fulfill their American Dream. While with Paul Merage, Marshall began his 2O year journey with El Sol Science and Arts Academy in Santa Ana. El Sol is his full-time passion as Principal Advisor. In his spare time, Marshall has written or cowritten several books and many articles on urban policy, private sector development, poverty, and urban growth.

Gaddi Vasquez was the 8th United States Ambassador to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture, in Rome, Italy. He was nominated by President George W. Bush and unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. Vasquez was the first person of Hispanic ancestry to head the Peace Corps.

James Rosebush is a renowned leader in the corporate and philanthropic sectors, offering expertise in wealth management. As founder and CEO of GrowthStrategy, Inc., an international advisory firm, he drives measurable growth for Fortune 500 companies and startups. James served as President Reagan’s “point man” on philanthropy and public-private partnerships, managing initiatives such as Private Sector Initiatives. As the longest-serving Chief of Staff to the First Lady, he played a vital role in the success of President Reagan’s domestic policy programs. With a rich background in philanthropy management, James has directed corporate contributions for The Standard Oil Company and held leadership positions in various foundations. He holds an M.A. in Public Affairs from Boston University and a B.A. in Business from The Principia College. Recognized for his outstanding contributions, James was appointed by the President as U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO and has served on various boards, displaying his commitment to both civic and cultural endeavors.