Board of Directors

The Board of Directors serves on a voluntarily basis and is made up of committed community member from various walks of life.

Loraine Stuart, President
Loraine is a former Farm worker Advocate with Napa Valley Community Housing and is keenly aware of the needs of low-income families in our community.  She has served on the St. Helena Unified School District Board of Directors and as a Director of the Arts Council of Napa Valley.  The diversity of her experience, as well as her success as a consensus builder, plays a major role in our program development.

Meg Scrofani,Vice President
As a teacher, school principal and employee of the State Department of Education, Meg spent nearly four decades working to improve the public education system in California.  She has also been an active participant in many worthy causes including a Child Abuse Prevention Program, Battered Women’s Shelter and Foster Care Casework Team.  This strong combination of knowledge and compassion is truly an asset for our organization.

Deborah Chambers, Secretary
Deborah has a long and varied history in the hospitality and wine industry.  She created and operated a B&B, a restaurant, a tasting room and an art gallery on the East Coast before coming to the Napa Valley where she has applied her business management and marketing skills at Copia, Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars and, currently, at Chappellet Vineyard and Winery.  Her knowledge of the inner workings of the valley’s leading industries provides valuable insight for our Center.

Doug Calkin, Treasurer
Doug works in the Napa County Health & Human Services Children’s Division.  He currently sits on the Child Welfare Director Advisory Panel, is a member of the Foster Kid’s Fund Board and is involved in church and community organizations in St. Helena.  His experience in county social service programs and his role in initiating the Calistoga Family Center are of great value.

Kathy Carrick
Kathy has recently retired from 30 yeras working as the Recreation Director for the City of St. Helena. She also teaches at Napa Valley College.  She has a remarkable knowledge of the inner workings of city government and a keen interest in the welfare of the children in our community.  She also serves as a board member of the St. Helena Community Center and the Rianda House Senior Center.

Sue Fish
Sue Fish has a background of being involved with inter-country adoption.  She has worked as a Board Member and Staff Member for a small agency in Montana.  She has also served on the St. Helena Public Schools Foundation Board for ten years.  Sue currently is involved with Opportunity International as a volunteer on their Board of Governors.  This is a large NGO who serves the world’s poor with micro-financing and other assistance.

Don Fraser
After an extensive career in licensing and international consulting, Don now keeps busy as Board Member of the Napa Valley Heritage Fund and as the Director of the Oral History Project for the Charles M. Schulz Museum.  Don was the chief fundraiser for the St. Helena Library and a long time member of the Napa Valley Wine Library Board.  His proven ability to turn a vision into a reality serves us well.

Pam Krell
Pamela G. Krell, Ph.D. is a licensed clinical psychologist with 30 years experience working with children and families. Dr. Krell specializes in Forensic Child and Family Psychology and Child and Adult Assessment.  Her expertise includes the high-risk zero to three years population as well as the school-age child and adolescent. She has provided consultation services as well as expert testimony in counties throughout the state of California and served as a psychological consultant to the San Mateo Human Services Agency and the Bridge School in Hillsborough, California. She has given frequent presentations throughout the years to parent groups, educators and family law professionals focusing on topics such as parenting, learning disabilities, and issues associated with divorce.

 

Chris Meineke
Chris is a Certified Public Accountant with Brotemarkle, Davis, & Co. in St. Helena.  His accounting expertise, his experience working with non-profits and in developing the financial infrastructure for start-up organization has helped us develop and maintain good fiscal policies.  As a father of a small child, he brings the voice of young families to our Center.

Liz Mendez
Liz was born and raised in St. Helena.  She is a first generation American with a large extended family in the area.  She attended Napa Valley College before beginning her career in banking.  Currently, the Manager of the St. Helena Westamerica Bank branch, Liz brings a unique combination of financial acumen and local connections to the Center. She is our youngest board member and she represents her generation well within our group.

Lisa-beth O’Connor
Lisa is a former Sales Executive in the Technology Industry where she accumulated 22 years of experience in building and growing relationships with clients.  She and her husband moved to the Napa Valley 10 years ago and are now raising their young daughter here.   Lisa believes that everyone in the community should have access to critical services that can provide immediate assistance to individuals and families in need. Lisa also serves on the board of Sunrise Horse Rescue here in St. Helena.  Her empathy and communication skills are a great asset to the St. Helena Family Center.

Libby Shafer
After receiving a BA in Anthropology from the University of Arizona, Libby Shafer relocated to the Bay Area where she worked in print production for J. Walter Thompson, and later in investments with Merrill Lynch and Wells Fargo Bank. In 1979, she came to Napa Valley to participate in the creation of her family’s winery, Shafer Vineyards, where she spent three years working on PR, marketing, and sales. After raising her three children, all of whom are now adults, Libby has sat on the board of Shafer Vineyards, St. Helena Public Schools Endowment Trust Fund, and the St. Helena Family Center, while pursuing her interests in archeology, yoga, hiking, tennis and golf.

Helen Walka Dake
Helen is a developmental psychologist with 30 years experience working with infants, young children, and families in research, clinical, and applied settings. While at Sonoma State University, she worked on federal and state early childhood projects as an evaluator, researcher, and developer of curriculum and materials. She has a special interest in early childhood interventions particularly in the area of early literacy and family literacy. As an evaluator, her work has focused on promoting sustained changes in practice within early childhood and other settings.

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St. Helena Family Center
1440 Spring St. St. Helena, CA 94574
info@sthelenafamilycenter.org office (707) 963-1919 fax (707) 963-2153