Board of Directors

The Board of Girls on the Run of San Diego is comprised of fourteen inspirational and committed members. Each director serves two year terms.

	Nancy Davis is the 2012 Chair of Girls on the Run of San Diego.  She has been involved with the organization since 2009.  Nancy believes strongly in the importance of exercise and healthy living education for kids, teens and adults.  She is committed to helping Girls on the Run provide healthy solutions in neighborhoods throughout San Diego County.  Nancy is founder of ION Business Development, a marketing and media relations firm focusing on professional service and non-profit organizations.
	Taramae (Tara) Baize became involved with Girls On The Run of San Diego as a running buddy for the fall season 5K in 2009. She has been coaching at Carmel Valley since 2010 and loves to work directly with the girls as much as behind the scenes. Her passion for running and exposing others to the joys it can bring made her and Girls On the Run a great fit. In her free time she spends traveling the globe with her husband to run half and full marathons. To date Tara has completed 22 half marathons and 6 full marathons.
	Kendra Berger joined the Board of Girls on the Run in November of 2011 and she currently serves as our Assistant Treasurer.  Kendra is married to an assistant coach of a Girls on the Run team and has a daughter in the program.  Kendra is an avid runner and has also recently competed in several triathlons.  Kendra is excited about being part of an organization that can influence and impact the lives of the youth in our community by encouraging positive thinking and healthy choices.
	Jessica Bledsoe knew Girls on the Run of San Diego was exactly the organization she wanted to get involved with when she first heard of it.  Herself a runner, she had experienced the power of running in her life in many ways and wanted to share that experience with girls in her community.  Shortly after being a running buddy in 2009 she became a SoleMate and raised money for Girls on the Run scholarships.  In 2010 Jessica joined the board as the SoleMates chair, eager to expand the program and bring the power of running to more people (both girls and adults) here in San Diego.
	Monika Carlson joined the Board of Girls on the Run in 2010 and has served as a Head Coach for Carmel Valley for five seasons.  She loves running and racing and has completed over 30 half and full marathons since her first event in 2005. Monika is always eager to share her passion for fitness and running with others and thinks San Diego is a perfect place to get outdoors and be active each and every day. When she’s not running or coaching she works as a Marketing Product Manager at Suneva Medical, a local medical aesthetics company.
	Suzanne (Suzi) Cohen co-chairs the 5K Race Committee.  In 2007 Suzi learned about Girls on the Run of San Diego and immediately recognized the benefits a program like this would have had on her life.  Excited to get involved she coached and helped with the events committee for 4 seasons.  In 2009 she joined the Board with a vision to help strengthen & expand the GOTR program in San Diego.  Suzi has lived in San Diego for over 15 years and is Vice President of Operations and Corporate Secretary at Private Asset Management, Inc.
	Tiffany Farnsworth became involved with Girls on the Run of San Diego in 2007 when she was asked to participate in the 5k as a running buddy.  She loved the experience and her enthusiasm for and participation in GOTRSD has only grown since; she now chairs the Events Committee. She is an Education Specialist for the Solana Beach School District and was honored as teacher of the year for Skyline School 2009-2010. When not teaching or working with GOTRSD Tiffany is also a volunteer at Rancho Coastal Humane Society and enjoys hiking and other outdoor sports.
	Lana Gill has been involved with Girls on the Run of San Diego since 2010 serving as a head coach in the Carmel Valley area.  She has been volunteering in her local community and working with children for years, and upon moving to San Diego, GOTR was a natural fit for her desire to continue influencing young women to make healthy choices.  She believes in the positive power of running and staying active and loves to be a part the emotional changes individuals experience when they reach fitness goals they never thought possible.  Lana is an avid runner and is actively working to complete her goal of running 50 half marathons in 50 states.  When she is not traveling for races, Lana stays busy working as the Director of Business Development for ISPN.
	Shana Hood has been involved with Girls on the Run of San Diego since 2008, first as an assistant coach at the Carmel Valley site, then as a member of the Development Committee and currently as Grants Chair.  Her personal experience of the physical, emotional and mental benefits of running  sparked her interest in GOTR and learning about the nature and objectives of the organization and its program inspired her to become involved. She hopes to help increase grant funding so that GOTRSD can reach as many girls as possible in San Diego County and continue and expand its scholarship sites.  Shana is the Associate General Counsel at ADVENTRX Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NYSE Amex: ANX), a specialty pharmaceutical company located in San Diego.
	Denise Jackson has been involved with Girls on the Run of San Diego since 2006 serving as a running buddy, Assistant Coach and Board Member.  Denise is General Counsel and Senior Vice President for AMN Healthcare and has been with AMN in the San Diego Community for ten years. Denise’s tenure at AMN speaks volumes to the Company’s encouragement of its team members to give back to their communities. AMN’s emphasis on issues impacting health and the advancement of women in its philanthropic giving is perfectly aligned with Denise’s support of organizations that focus on empowering and advancing women in all aspects of their life.
	Jorge Marquez serves as the Treasurer of Girls on the Run of San Diego. A San Diego native, Jorge prides himself on his Southern California connections. Jorge is a member of the CalCPA and started his career with KPMG in Tax and eventually became a Tax Associate. After four years he joined Deloitte where he worked for the next three years as a Sr. Audit Associate. In 2007 Jorge found his passion in recruiting and hasn’t looked back. He is a family man and a father to Olivia and Gabe, who are 6 and 9 years old respectively. When he’s not hanging around with the kids or training for his next marathon, he also serves as a baseball coach for North Park Little League.
	Maria Mello was first exposed to the Girls on the Run SoleMates program in 2009 while working for AMN Healthcare.  She joined the Board in 2011 and in May 2011 raised money for the GOTR SoleMates program by running a marathon on the Great Wall of China.  Maria enjoys running regularly and has competed two full marathons and several half marathons.  She is also passionate about the positive development of young children and instilling the habit of healthy activities at a young age.  In addition to serving on the GOTR Board, Maria is involved in faith formation at St. Brigid and is a CEO matchmaker at Vistage International, a chief executive membership organization committed to helping business leaders grow professionally and personally through peer development.
	Kathryn Reid started coaching for Girls on the Run of San Diego in 2006.  She was drawn to the idea of encouraging young girls to run and have fun outdoors and became more involved after discovering the life lessons that are discussed through the curriculum.  After seven seasons of coaching, she served as Executive Director for 2 years.  Kathryn has now rejoined the Board as a co-chair of the 5K Race Committee.
	Anne Sneed chairs the Development Committee. She is the founder of the Howard-Sneed Architecture Firm, one of San Diego’s premier commercial architectural firms.