About Us

Board of Directors

Michelle Pickett
Chair

Michelle is a corporate and tax attorney with Brownstein Hyatt Farber & Schreck (formerly known as Hatch & Parent). She serves as legal advisor to individuals, emerging and established companies, and private foundations and public charities on business and tax matters. Michelle is actively involved in our community, serving on the boards of The Santa Barbara Foundation, The Children's Project, and KDB Radio as well as participating in other philanthropic activities with her family and friends. The inspiration to Michelle's life are her two children and supportive husband, who together supply a never-ending amount of laughter, joy and memories.

Pat Snyder
Vice Chair

Pat has lived in Santa Barbara for 15 years, after moving from Honolulu in 1995 to join Santa Barbara City College as its chief fundraiser and later as its Foundation's Executive Director. In 2001, she joined Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care as its Foundation Executive Director and served in that capacity until 2008, when she transitioned to part-time work as VNHC's Sr. Gift Planning Director. She also does major gift and planned giving consulting with other local nonprofits. She currently serves on the boards of the Center for Successful Aging and the Children's Museum of Santa Barbara, and is past president of the SBCC Continuing Education Citizens Advisory Council and board member of the SBCC Foundation. She was recognized as AFP Fundraiser of the Year for Santa Barbara/Ventura Counties in 2005, and as the California Community College Fundraiser of the Year in 2001.

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Travis Wilson
Treasurer

Travis moved to the Santa Barbara area from Los Angeles to attend the University of California, Santa Barbara where he obtained degrees in political science and business economics. He is a certified public accountant with McGowan Guntermann working primarily in the areas of financial accounting and consulting, audit, and taxation for not-for-profit, real estate, and small businesses. Travis is currently serving as treasurer of the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation, volunteers as a summer counselor for Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, and is a former Santa Barbara Foundation Katherine Harvey Fellow.  

James Bechtel
Secretary

Jim joined Wells Fargo in 2004 and is currently a Senior Investment Manager with The Private Bank in Santa Barbara, California. Jim manages and designs customized portfolios for individuals, families, endowments, and foundations. Prior to joining Wells Fargo, Jim managed taxable and non-taxable portfolios at Northern Trust Bank and Roxbury Capital Management and has been in the investment industry since 1983. Jim is a member of the Executive Board of Santa Barbara International Film Festival, the Board of Directors for Girls, Inc. and The Investment Committee for the Santa Barbara Trust for Historic Preservation. Both of Jim's daughters struggled with cancer diagnosis as children.

Rosalind Rea Amorteguy
Director

Rosalind is a graduate of SB High, and an honors graduate from the University of California, at Berkeley. She also graduated from the Harvard-Radcliffe Program in Business Administration for Women. Upon returning to Santa Barbara in 1988 she became active with the SB Museum of Art, serving as a docent, and was Chairman of the Museum Collectors Council. Roz was also active with SB Beautiful, and served in various capacities, including President and is now on their Honorary Board.  Presently, she is the former President of PARC (Parks and Recreation Community Foundation), and Vice President of PASF (Performing Arts Scholarship Foundation). She is Secretary of the SB Chamber Orchestra and has served for over 15 years on the board. Roz is also a member of CAN (Community Angels Network). She just retired after 15 years as Director of the Fitness Center at Birnam Wood Golf Club.  She has played on the Women's Golf Team since its inception. She is a former Chairman of the Women's Golf Association. Roz has three children, James, Catherine and Marjorie, who is a SB psychiatrist.

Dr. Richard E. Behrman
Director

Richard is a pediatrician who moved to Santa Barbara in January, 2007, where his son and 2 grandchildren live. He has 4 children and 8 grandchildren. Dick previously held positions as Professor and Chair of the Departments of Pediatrics at Columbia and Case Western Reserve (CWRU) Universities and Physician - Chief at their respective children's hospitals; Dean and Vice President at CWRU Medical Center; Executive Director of The Center for the Future of Children at the David and Lucile Packard Foundation; Chair of the Boards of Directors at the Packard Children's Hospital at Stanford University and its Foundation; and Executive Director of the Federation of Pediatric Organizations. Currently, Dick is Executive Director of Non-Profit Healthcare and Educational Consultants to Medical Institutions and serves on the Boards of Directors of The Children's Hospice and Palliative Care Coalition of California.

Jo Berkus
Director

Jo has lived and worked in Santa Barbara for the past 35 years and was educated at the University of Michigan and Eastern Michigan University. She served as Editor of a sports magazine, arranged world sporting events at the Pasadena Rose Bowl, managed a large fixed base operation at Van Nuys Airport, volunteered at the Special Olympics under Eunice Shriver, was a single mother of two wonderful children and worked in high-profile environments for presidents and owners of large corporations until her retirement in 2004. She and her husband, Barry, support innumerable non-profits and host events in their home, and both are passionate about sharing their time and blessings with those less fortunate.

Stan Fishman
Director

Stan, along with his wife, Roberta have lived in Santa Barbara for 21 years. They have 4 children and 9 grandchildren. Along with being a retired executive and entrepreneur in retail and merchandising, Stan's list of philanthropic activities in Santa Barbara is impressive. He serves on the boards of the Visiting Nurse and Hospice Care of Santa Barbara, and is Vice President of the Foundation for Santa Barbara City College. He also is on the Board of Governors for The Dream Foundation. His vast knowledge and experience in the world of entrepreneurism and philanthropy are greatly beneficial to the Teddy Bear Cancer Foundation's mission and goals.

Eric Greenspan
Director

Eric Greenspan is a recognized thought leader in the area of customer experience, marketing and finding the extreme.  As an entrepreneur, he has built several companies from the "third bedroom" with a focus on extreme customer service and the "mind blowing" custer experience.  Using these factors as means of differentiation, his companies have established strong, cult-like followings.  Eric is currently the co-founder, chairman and CEO of Make It Work, Inc., the Neighborhood Computer Suport company; managing partner of Make It Work Media; executive producer of Tech News, powered by Make It Work on CBS Radio and Make It Work with Jeremy Anticouni on ABC/Citadel Radio.  Eric sits on several boards and is ver active in his local community, schools and assisting entrepreneurs, supporting kids sports and fundraising.  He is married, has a son name Jacob with his second son due in April 2010.

Susannah E. Rake
Director

Susannah was born and raised on the East coast and graduated with a B.A., M. Arch. And M.S. in Historic Preservation and Restoration from Columbia College and the Columbia University School of Architecture.
She is President of coolwater design group, l.l.c. Her New York career encompassed editorial positions with Conde Nast Publications. She has served on the board and committees for the following organizations: Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County, GIRLS, Inc., Santa Barbara Historic Museum, CAMA Fellows, Laguna Blanca School, All Saints by-the-Sea as a Lay Eucharist Minister. Susannah and her daughter are members of the National Charity League in Santa Barbara. The support of services for family and their welfare are a primary mission for her work.

Irene Robles
Director

Irene is a native of Santa Barbara. She attended local schools and graduated from SB City College with an A.A. in Liberal Studies and UCSB with a B.A. in Sociology. Throughout the years she has been involved with various non-profits in the community including TBCF. She has held internships with Sr. Deputy District Attorney Joyce Dudley and CALM. She is also a former Board Member of Police Activities League, SB Jaycees, SB Community Development Block Grant and a Stakeholder with the Downtown/Waterfront Visioning Committee as well as a former Commissioner for the SB Housing Authority. Irene has a 20 year old son, Isaac who will be attending Ventura College this spring. She has been employed with Ty Warner Hotels & Resorts as Executive Assistant/Office Manager for seven years. She is a cancer survivor and believes that exercise, prayer and hope are the keys to fighting not only cancer but any kind of disease!