Services by Board members are crucial in helping the Children’s Receiving Home successfully transition to changing federal and state funding priorities while also continuing to ensure care and support of abused, neglected and traumatized children and teens in the Sacramento region and neighboring counties.
Brian, a Board member since 2009, was drawn by the CRH mission to positively impact children, youth and families affected by abuse, neglect and trauma. He is particularly driven by the programs for toddlers because he wants to help ensure these children can become a great part of our community’s future. Brian is the VP Lending Manager for the Wells Fargo Small Business Administration, where he focuses on creating jobs and investing in the communities through new loans. He is happily married to Jeanine, has two daughters and lives in Roseville.
Linda joined the CRH Board of Directors in 2009 where she serves on the Community Relations Committee. She previously served on Fundraising and on the Executive Board. Her special interest is preparing older youth to age out of the system by teaching them skills necessary for independent living. To this end, she has worked with teens to create Vision Boards and to encourage life and goal planning. She spent many years mentoring foster children and victims of sex trafficking, sharing her skills, experience and enthusiasm to help improve their mindset and future.
A.G. is a member of the Board’s Community Relations Committee and also serves as at-large member of the Executive Committee. Now retired, he was a California political reporter and editor for 25 years before founding a public-affairs journalism program at the University of California’s Sacramento Center. As Center associate director, he also managed the university’s Sacramento internship program. A.G. joined the Board in 2009, attracted by CRH’s unique role as a safe haven for traumatized and abused children.
Kelly is serving her first term on the Board, and is excited to have been recently elected chair of the Program Review and Development Committee. She works in Covered California’s External Affairs unit. Kelly previously worked as a volunteer and development coordinator on the CRH staff, where she saw first-hand the good work that the staff of CRH is doing for children in our communities every day. Kelly is proud to support the Children’s Receiving Home because its comprehensive services work to strengthen the entire family.
Christine has volunteered with CRH since 2007, and was a resident of CRH in 1988. She serves on the Board’s Fund Development Committee, sharing her personal success story as an example of the difference CRH makes in the lives of the children it serves. She is the Director of the Service Retirement Division at CalSTRS. Christine is married to Rick Briceno and enjoys time with her children, sports and the performing arts.
Rebekah was drawn to the Children’s Receiving Home by her desire to serve children in crisis in the Sacramento community. Inspired by the joy she receives from raising her own young son, Rebekah hopes to make a difference in the lives of youth, from toddlers to teenagers. Rebekah works as a legislative advocate for education organizations.
Janeen’s connection to the Children’s Receiving Home began as a 12-year-old child escaping years of abuse. As a result, CRH’s emergency shelter services are dear to her heart because dedicated, compassionate, nurturing staff helped her learn to feel safe at a time of deep personal trauma.
Josh Edlow, a lifelong Sacramentan with strong community ties, built his relationship with the Children’s Receiving Home by organizing community groups to play basketball with its teenage residents. He joined the Board in 2016 and chairs the Finance Committee, which oversees the Home’s budget—balanced from various public and private sources, including donor contributions. Josh is happily married and has four children. An attorney with Dreyer, Babich, Buccola, Wood & Campora, he represents individuals and families for personal injury, wrongful death and product liability claims.
Jackie joined the board in 2018 because of her desire to help at-risk youth in our community. A former CRH employee, Jackie worked as the Executive Administrative Manager where she was part of a team that witnessed and executed the CRH mission. Jackie retired from the United States Marine Corps as a Gunnery Sergeant in 2015 and currently serves as vice president for Operations for the Goodwin-Cole Company. At CRH, she serves on the Governance Committee where she is able to use her skills to implement process improvement in board’s performance.
Becky is chair of the Board’s Community Relations/Advocacy Committee and teaches communication courses, including persuasion, at Sacramento State University. She was a political reporter at the state Capitol for more than a dozen years and is a former editor of the state Senate’s public-policy research office. She feels privileged to have joined the Board in 2016, given its 75-year history of aiding the county’s abused, neglected and traumatized youth.
Nick is the immediate past president of the Board, having formerly served as chair of the Finance Committee. Nick is an attorney who handles transactions involving business, real estate and estate planning. He also is a licensed real estate broker who facilitates the purchase and sale of businesses and real estate of all types. In 2009, Nick inquired about volunteering at the Home. Expecting to work directly with children, he was instead asked to help with the Finance Committee, leveraging his knowledge of business and real estate for the good of the organization.
Teri has been a Board member for six years and currently serves on its Fundraising Committee. For the past 10 years, she has worked for the Community College Chancellor’s Office and hosted at the Los Rios Community College District. She previously spent 30 years in the tech industry. As a former foster mother, Teri knows firsthand the effects of trauma, abuse and neglect on children. She understands the value of CRH’s trauma-informed care services to the children CRH serves. Teri has served on many boards but none as critically important to our community as CRH. Fundraising is vital to the Home’s future and to its services for children, and Teri’s concern for suffering children drives her commitment to the board and its fundraising efforts.
As a mother of two adult children and the family member of a human trafficking victim, Michele was drawn to the Children’s Receiving Home’s emphasis on mental health services, particularly trauma-informed therapy, and crisis intervention. Now that her own children are grown, Michele looks forward to devoting her newfound time and energy to supporting CRH’s efforts to help traumatized youth heal and live productive lives. Michele is an attorney and the Chief of the Legislation and Research Bureau at the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration.
Tara Porter has served on the Board since 2009 and is passionate about helping youth and families in the community. She strongly believes in CRH’s mission to positively impact youngsters and families affected by abuse and neglect, and supports CRH’s values of respect, innovation, stewardship and excellence. Tara is a Business Process Support Supervisor at SMUD, where she has worked for more than 17 years. She is happily married with two children. In her spare time, she enjoys cooking, reading, and spending quality time with her family.
David joined the Board in 2009 and has served as vice president of the Membership and Fundraising committees. He was drawn to the Board by CRH’s comprehensive approach to helping abused and neglected children and youths, from providing shelter, food, clothing and counseling to social work intervention and life-skills training. David analyzes tax legislation as Chief Consultant for the Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation, and previously worked as a Sacramento attorney and in the District Attorney’s Office in Marin County.
Drawn by her passion for children, Michelle joined the Children’s Receiving Home Board in 2016 after first becoming a volunteer during the holiday season. She now is honored to serve as chair of the Board’s Fund Development Committee. In that capacity, Michelle and her committee work closely with CRH staff to sustain the Home’s around-the-clock support for children in crisis by raising thousands of dollars from donations, in-kind contributions, grants and a host of other sources.
