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Leadership Team & Board

don_shafferDon Shaffer, President & CEO

Don Shaffer is President & CEO of RSF Social Finance. Prior to joining RSF, Don served as Executive Director of the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). (read full bio)

 

 

mark_finserMark Finser, Chair of the Board

Mark Finser was a founding member of the group that revitalized RSF in 1984. As President & CEO of RSF, Mark grew the organization’s assets to over $120M by 2007. (read full bio)

 

 

gary_shickGary Schick, Chief Financial Officer

Gary Schick has served as the Chief Financial Officer of RSF Social Finance since 2004, and currently manages all financial and mission related investing activities. (read full bio)

 

 

esther_parkEsther Park, Vice President, Strategy & Business Development

Esther joined RSF in 2005 and is the Vice President for Strategy and Business Development.  She is responsible for the strategic development of the organization.(read full bio)

 

 

john_bloomJohn Bloom, Director of Organizational Culture

Part of John’s work as Director of Organizational Culture at RSF involves developing educational programs that address the intersection of money and spirit in personal and social transformation. (read full bio)

Board of Trustees

Russell Agee became a trustee in 2007. He has spent the past few years traveling the US conducting spiritual retreats, developing a seminar called “Wealth From The Source: Discovering One’s True Inner and Outer Prosperity” and marketing The Now Clock tm, a product focused at the emerging, spiritually-minded consumer. Mr. Agee was a partner at Earle Associates from 1981 to 1987. He then founded and served as president of Network Search from 1987-2003. Both of these search firms focused on the Silicon Valley venture capital backed start-up community providing top talent for early stage technology companies. Mr. Agee serves on the local board of Boulder Meals On Wheels and he is an advisory board member with the local Colorado Camphill initiative. He has been investing in real estate and early stage start-ups for the past 26 years. After attending three years of college, he left in 1976 to start a family and his first business in the recreation arena. He has a passion to develop enlightened business practices, which will reflect social, economic, and environmental health and sustainability.

Ron Alston became a trustee in 2009. He is First Vice President of  the Not-for-Profit and Government Banking Group at SunTrust Bank, where he serves as relationship manager to not-for-profit organizations in metro Atlanta.   He is responsible for providing credit, depository, treasury and other banking services to non-profits.  Ron’s major clients include the YMCA, American Cancer Society, United Way and the Paideia School.  Ron has been with SunTrust Bank for 24 years, the last 7  in the Not-for-Profit and Government Banking Group.  Prior to his current assignment, Ron spent 9 years as a Credit Officer in the Corporate & Investment Banking Division, 2 years managing the Bank’s Credit Department and 4 years as a Relationship Manager in Large Corporate Banking.  Ron is originally from Philadelphia and earned his bachelor’s degree from Northeastern University in Boston and his MBA from the Wharton School.  He is active in the community serving as a board member of the United Way of Metro Atlanta, the Decatur Family YMCA, the advisory board of Hillside, Inc.,  and as a member of the 2008 class of Leadership DeKalb.  He is married to the former Stacey Lewis and is the father of three sons, Christopher, Matthew and Brandon.

Neil Blomquist became a trustee in 2007. He is the former President and CEO for Spectrum Organic Products, Inc., the leading producer of natural and organic culinary and nutraceutical oils, condiments, and essential fatty acid supplement oils in North America. Having also been a sales manager with Fairhill Foods, and the owner of a natural and specialty food retail store in Kalispell, MT, Mr. Blomquist brings over 30 years experience in retailing, distribution, brand marketing and organizational management within the organic and natural products industry. As an extension of that experience, he has established a consulting company, Sustainable Solutions, to specialize in the development and marketing of sustainable business solutions for the industry. Mr. Blomquist spent 10 years on the board of directors of the California Olive Oil Council, and holds board positions on the American Botanical Council and Living Harvest. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree in business management and economics from the University of South Dakota.

Martha Daetwyler, Vice Chair, has been a trustee since 2000. She is an attorney with the firm of Leland, Parachini, Steinberg, Matzger and Melnick LLP and is a Certified Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust and Probate Law. Her practice also includes corporate and tax matters for nonprofit organizations. Ms. Daetwyler earned a BA from Duke University and a JD from the University of Virginia Law School. She is on the board of directors of New Resource Bank serving as Chair of its Governance and Compensation Committee, and is a former trustee of the San Francisco Waldorf School and  Grace Cathedral in San Francisco.

Sara Ellis Conant became a trustee in 2006.  She is a coach that assists leaders in integrating more sustainability into their organizations and lives. Her clients range from Fortune 500 executives to social entrepreneurs. Previously, Ms. Conant was  a Manager with Deloitte Consulting and part of the leadership team that launched and managed Deloitte’s US client services for sustainability and corporate responsibility. Prior to Deloitte, she had a boutique consulting firm, Ellis Group, which offered strategy consulting and executive coaching. Ms. Conant is also founder and Board Member of Young Women Social Entrepreneurs. She has an MBA and BA from Stanford University. She lives with her husband, two children, and golden retriever in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Siegfried Finser has been a trustee since revitalizing RSF in 1984. After teaching in the Rudolf Steiner School in New York, he managed a division of Xerox Corp. Mr. Finser then served as Director of Human Resource Development at ITT, with worldwide responsibility for the development and placement of more that 10,000 of its executives. Since then he has consulted with major corporations and advised clients for RSF. Mr. Finser studied at the Goetheanum in Switzerland, earned a BA from Rutgers University and an MA in Educational Psychology from New York University. Mr. Finser is the author of Money Can Heal, published by Steiner Books.

Rachael Flug has been a Trustee since 1996. She has been the President of the Diaperaps Company since its inception in 1984 and played a significant role in revitalizing cloth diapers as the modern and ecological choice for parents. She holds several diaper patents. Ms. Flug has devoted a considerable part of her life to serving on the Boards of non-profit organizations that are mission aligned with the work of Rudolf Steiner. She has served as President of The Anthroposophical Foundation of Southern California and was the President of the Board of Highland Hall Waldorf School, serving in various capacities for over 15 years. She has served on the Board of The Christian Community in North America and as it’s President for over 15 years, helped to build healthy social and financial relationships between it’s member organizations. She has a deep interest in holistic healing and is a member of the editorial advisory board of Lilipoh magazine. She has been married to Abraham Entin for 36 years and they have three fabulous children who continue to bring them great joy.

Mark Retzloff became a trustee in 2006. He is the co-founder, President, and Chairman of Alfalfa’s Market; a natural food store. In 1969, while a student at the University of Michigan, he co-founded Eden Foods. Mr. Retzloff is co-founder of Horizon Organic Dairy, the United States’ leading organic dairy and Aurora Organic Dairy, a private label organic dairy company. Mr. Retzloff has received numerous business awards, including the Organic Trade Association’s Organic Leadership Award for “Outstanding Individual Achievement” in 2002, the Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s “Entrepreneur of the Year” in 1998, the Naturally Boulder 2009 Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2010 Boulder Chamber of Commerce’s Esprit Entrepreneur Lifetime Achievement Award. He served on the board and chaired the Finance Committee of the Shining Mountain Waldorf School for fourteen years (all three of his children are Waldorf graduates). He has served, past & presently, as a Board Member for numerous public & private companies. Mr. Retzloff is also co-founder of Greenmont Capital Partners, a venture fund financing early stage of growth companies in the LOHAS sector. He and his wife, Terry, are avid organic gardeners on their 71-acre farm in Boulder County.

Jessica Crolick Rolph became a trustee in 2006. She is Founding Partner and COO of HAPPYFAMILY, offering organic, wholesome, and optimally nutritious foods for growing families. Jessica’s career includes working for the greater good in non-profits and government. She was a member of the Full Circle Fund, a Bay Area philanthropic organization, and worked with Lance Armstrong’s business agent to develop the concept for a Lance Armstrong branded food line. Based on Newman’s Own business model, all proceeds were to benefit Lance Armstrong Foundation. Jessica also worked onsite at the national office of Whole Foods Market in Austin Texas as the account manager for SPINS, the leading information provider for the natural products industry. Jessica was awarded the Park Leadership Fellowship, a full-tuition merit scholarship to Cornell University’s Johnson School of Business, and received her MBA from Cornell in 2004. Jessica lives in Boise, Idaho with her husband Decker and welcomed their first HAPPYBABY Leland in June of 2010.

Scott A. Williams became a trustee in 2007, and he is Senior Managing Director for Changing Our World. Prior to joining CW, Mr. Williams gained extensive experience in fundraising beginning at St. John’s University as a Development Officer, and then as the Executive Director of Development and Alumni Relations for the Waldorf School of Garden City. He brings to RSF a broad spectrum of knowledge from his varied and diverse professional background and community involvement. Mr. Williams’ former employment includes coaching both college baseball and football, as well as working as an officer of the U.S. Secret Service Uniformed Division, Foreign Missions Branch. He is a former member of the Advisory Board of The Long Island Community Foundation and the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America and currently serves as a member of the Board of Directors for ERASE Racism, and is on the Board of Trustees for his alma mater, the Waldorf School of Garden City. He is also an Advisory Committee member for Camp Glen Brook in New Hampshire. Mr. Williams is a graduate of Trinity University in San Antonio, Texas, and he holds a BA in Communication as well as a Minor in Sociology. In addition, he volunteers as a football coach at Malverne High School on Long Island. In recognition of his service to community and professional accomplishments, Mr. Williams is a Networking Magazine 2011 David Award recipient.

  • Printed from http://rsfsocialfinance.org/about/board/