Youth & Government 2015-2016 Annual Report

INSPIRING CHANGE

FOR YOUTH DEVELOPMENTFOR HEALTHY LIVINGFOR SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY

“Few will have the greatnessto bend history itself; buteach of us can work to changea small portion of events, andin the total; of all those actswill be written the history ofthis generation.” —Robert Kennedy

1 Letter

2 Overview & History

6 Assets

7 Y&G Facts

8 Map/Region

9 Donors

13 Board/Staff

Dear Friends and Stakeholders,

We are proud of the accomplishments of California YMCA Youth & Government (“Y&G”) during the 2015-2016 fiscal year under the leadership of our Board of Directors and Core Staff. In addition, there were countless individuals who gave their time, talent and treasure to assist the organization in reaching its programmatic and financial goals.

• A record high attendance in our MLC program, totaling more than 3,500 high school students.

• Our Model United Nations middle school program also experienced a significant increase, reaching close to 900 participants.

• Our Annual Support Campaign generated more than $250,000 through the efforts of our dedicated campaigners and volunteer campaign committee.

• Core Staff and a dedicated event committee hosted a fundraising gala to honor former Y&G delegate and Senate Pro-Tem Darrell Steinberg, generating $140,000 for our Endowment Fund.

California YMCA Youth & Government remains the premier provider of civic engagement and leadership development for youth throughout our state as a result of the hard work of our dedicated volunteers and program staff and as a result of the generosity of our donors. Our programs embody the YMCA’s cause-driven focus on youth development and social responsibility by providing our delegates with the skills to find their voice and create change in our communities.

As we closed the program year on the 68th Model Legislature & Court and the 15th Model United Nations, we assessed the needs of the organization for the coming year. The following includes just a few of the changes that have already taken place and will continue to be a focus throughout the year:

• Brand Awareness. We are working to spread our message so that we can increase the number of youth that we serve throughout the state. To that end, we have developed new collateral material and new Y&G Website to expand awareness for our organization. Our statewide awareness campaign, “#BeTheChange” is supported by the efforts of our corporate partners, Keenan & Associates, Taber Creative, KCOMM and Ootem.

• Fundraising Capacity. We will seek to increase and diversify our fundraising capacity by expanding our corporate partnership program, expanding our grant initiatives, and increasing our endowment fundraising efforts. In addition, we will seek to further engage our Alumni by launching a new Alumni Association and promoting our participation in both “Giving Tuesday” and the “Big Day of Giving” Campaigns. These efforts will enable us to offer additional financial support to current and new program participants, particularly those in underserved communities.

• Staff Expansion & Realignment. We have expanded our Core Staff to 11 dedicated business professionals who are committed to supporting our organization as we continue to deliver high-quality programming. This expansion and realignment will ensure efficient skill set and resource utilization are in place.

We look forward to helping shape what lies ahead for California YMCA Youth & Government and those we serve. Thank you for your commitment to our mission.

Brian Saenger Debbie Gabelich Chairman President/CEO Board of Directors

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1

OVERVIEWSince 1948, California YMCA Youth & Government has provided outstanding statewide educational

and social experiences for close to 100,000 middle and high school youth. The mission of California

YMCA Youth & Government is inspire young people to become committed leaders by providing

them with the platform to find their voices and to learn how to use them to foster positive change

now, and as they transition into college and beyond.

HISTORY

In the mid 1930’s, Clement “Pete” Duran, a YMCA Director from Albany, New York sought to create

a meaningful experience for young people that might inspire them to become concerned citizens

and active participants in government. He struck upon the idea of a “model” legislature that would

provide “hands-on” learning. With encouragement from the National YMCA, the program spread

rapidly to nearby states.

The California YMCA Y&G received immediate encouragement from then-Governor,

Earl Warren. From that point forward, California YMCA Y&G has received the full support of

every California Governor.

In 2001, California YMCA Y&G was chartered as an independent YMCA organization responsible

for statewide education and civic engagement programs for middle and high school students.

Y&G programming not only continues to provide outstanding experiences through specialized

programs, but also offers the opportunity for youth to find their voice and encourages them to

become involved in making a difference in their communities and beyond.

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2

BEN DRISCOLL59th Lieutenant Governor

In 2004, Ben Driscoll entered Youth & Government as a member of the

El Dorado Hills delegation. He was selected by his group to speak in favor of

their legislation mandating minimum limits of distance away from abortion

providers for protesters. Ben describes this as his first key moment in Y&G.

“Speaking for the first time in front of several hundred people and seeing

the crowd respond to my arguments. That’s when I began to fall in love with

legislation and the law.” During his junior year, Ben broadened his exposure

by participating in the court program, and in his senior year was elected

Youth & Government’s 59th Lieutenant Governor. As Ben described that

experience, “Becoming the Lieutenant Governor, sitting in the presiding seat - nothing is much

cooler than that for a senior in high school that is interested in politics.”

In 2007, Ben attended the University of California, Berkeley, where he studied both Political and

Environmental Science. During his freshman year he also served as an Intern for Y&G. Throughout

his time at Berkeley, Ben stayed involved in politics, including interning for State Senator Loni

Hancock. He went on to the University of Pennsylvania to earn his law degree. During his last year

of law school, Ben spent half of his time in class and the other half in Washington, D.C., interning

first for Senator Dianne Feinstein of California, and then with Senator Carl Levin of Michigan.

After earning his law degree, Ben began a Fellowship with Senator Amy Klobuchar. That turned

into a full-time position and Ben is now her Legislative Aide for Judiciary and Foreign Affairs.

A recent highlight for Ben was when he took the California bar exam in the Sacramento Convention

Center, the same place he fell in love with politics and the law while participating in Y&G many

years before.

Ben credits the Youth & Government program for helping him learn how important it was to

take the time to fully embrace the opportunities he experienced. “Y&G is a place where you

don’t have to worry about being cool. You can find issues you really care about. You throw

yourself into it and pretend like it’s real. You treat it as an opportunity to see how things really

are done.”

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2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T

TRAYVOND JACOBSCONA President, 45th Youth Governor

Trayvond Jacobs was recruited into Youth & Government in 1990, by long-

time volunteer Advisor Oscar Cosby, while playing basketball with a group of

friends. Oscar approached the group, inviting them to a meeting that would

offer them the opportunity to learn about state government. Trayvond was

the only one of the group to show up at the meeting.

As a member of the Weingart-Urban delegation in Los Angeles during

his sophomore year, Trayvond participated in the media program. As a

junior, Trayvond moved into the court program and was elected by his

fellow delegates, to serve as the 45th Youth Governor.

While attending El Camino Community College following his graduation, Trayvond was extended

a hardship exemption, and in turn, served as an advisor for the Weingart-Urban delegation for

the next six years. Soon after, he accepted a position in American Communications in Africa,

working in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe and Tunisia. Eventually, Trayvond was recruited to re-

join the YMCA movement in Dayton, Ohio, working for the West Community YMCA building both

teen programs and the Black Achievers program. He was recognized for his achievements and

became the first African-American Executive Director of the Emerson YMCA, in Ferguson, MO.

Trayvond is currently the CEO of Youth Achiever’s Foundation in St. Louis, running numerous

programs that include youth camps and a Missouri Youth & Government delegation.

In speaking with Trayvond about his time with Y&G, he shared, “Youth & Government had a pro-

found impact on my sense of extended family. I now believe that I can and should play a role in

my community. I don’t think I would have ever felt that way if I had not been involved in Youth &

Government. My expectations of what impact I could have, has definitely been driven by Y&G.”

Trayvond continued, “Helping hundreds of kids from Gardena, Carson and Compton be able to

experience the program was my way of paying it forward.”

2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T

4

ALAN WEILSpeaker of the Assembly, 32nd Youth Governor

Alan Weil joined his Youth & Government delegation at the Berkeley YMCA

in 1977. Having moved frequently while growing up, the YMCA and Youth &

Government offered him a sense of community. Alan joined Y&G his sophomore

year in high school, and by his junior year he was elected as the Speaker of the

Assembly. In 1980, as a senior, Alan was elected as California YMCA Youth &

Government’s 32nd Youth Governor.

After graduating from high school, Alan attended the University of California,

Berkeley. He earned degrees in both Economics and Political Science, during

which time he also volunteered as an Advisor for the West Contra Costa YMCA delegation. After

graduating from Berkeley, Alan pursued further study at Harvard where he entered a unique

four-year program simultaneously earning a J.D. from Harvard Law School and a master’s

degree from the Kennedy School of Government.

Following graduation, Alan worked for the administration for Governor Michael Dukakis, where

he became involved in health care. He next worked for Governor Roy Romer, holding a cabinet

position as executive director of the Colorado Department of Health Care Policy and Financing.

Eventually Alan found his way to Washington, D.C. working as Director of Assessing the New

Federalism at the Urban Institute, one of the largest privately funded social policy research

projects ever undertaken in the United States. Currently, he is Editor-in-Chief at Health Affairs,

a multidisciplinary peer-reviewed journal dedicated to the serious exploration of domestic and

international health policy and system change.

In recalling his time in Youth & Government, Alan said, “What stands out the most is that I was

always interested in government and laws, but in Y&G there was a reality to it. The dynamics. The

breadth of topics. Working with other people and doing the research together so that you could

make a case. Influencing others. That brought it to life for me in a way that you don’t find in a

class or reading the newspaper. And of course, being elected Youth Governor instilled confidence.

I formed enduring relationships in Y&G that that allowed me to become part of communities in my

adulthood, that I would never have had the opportunity to be part of.”

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5

FINANCIAL REPORT

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6

PermanentlyRevenues, Gains and other Support Unrestricted Restricted Total

Contributions $ 251,953.01 $ 0.00 $ 251,953.01

Corporate Contributions 33,235.64 – 33,235.64

Grants/Foundations 52,715.00 – 52,715.00

In-kind Services 89,000.00 – 89,000.00

Program Revenue 3,485,618.33 – 3,485,618.33

Special Events (Net) 137,000.00 40,000.00 177,000.00

Investment Return 232.62 – 232.62

Misc. Revenue 24,250.00 – 24,250.00

Net assets released from endowment 85,000.00 -85,000.00 0.00

NSF Fee Income 0.00 0.00 0.00

Endowment Earnings 0.00 0.00 0.00

Endowment unrealized gain/loss 0.00 -62,629.49 -62,629.49

Total Revenues, Gains and other Support $4,159,004.60 $-107,629.49 $ 4,051,375.11

Expenses

Educational Programs $ 3,111,847.00 – –

Administrative and General 454,660.44 – –

Fundraising 222,330.22 – –

Total Expenses $2,543,427.08 $ 0.00 $2,543,427.08

Change in unrestricted net assets $ 600,749.12 $ 59,639.49 $ 541,109.63

At the beginning of the year $ 511,325.99 $2,035,881.96 $ 2,547,207.95

Net Assets at the end of the year $ 1,112,075.11 $ 1,976,242.47 $ 3,088,317.58

California YMCA Youth & Government carries out it’s mission with a variety of resources: Contributions, Grants, Endowment Fund Earnings and Program Fees. It is our practice to use contributed support to help keep all program fees as low as possible, and to provide specific financial assistance to delegations with additional needs. We conduct our programs with an exemplary number of volunteers, which keeps our salary expenses low. We work to keep Administrative and Fundraising costs low as well, continuing the philosophy of directing fees and contributions to program services.

A few financial highlights include:

• Administrative and Fundraising expenses combined are only 18% of the overall expenses.

• Awarded close to $180,000 in Direct Financial Assistance to delegations.

• Added over $326,000 to total net assets in the 2015/2016 fiscal year.

STATEMENT OF ACTIVITIES (Year ended June 30, 2016)

Programing—82%

Fundraising—12%

Administration—6%

68th Model Legislature & Court

Hispanic 14.27%

Asian/PacificIslander12.53%

Other 18.08%

Multi-racial 6.49%

African-American

3.50%

Caucasian45.13%

15th Model United Nations

Female47.30% Male

52.70%

Female57.74%

Male42.26%

Other 7.30%

Hispanic 9.73%

Multi-racial 8.51%

Caucasian41.48%

Asian/PacificIslander 27.43%

African-American5.50%

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Y&G FACTS

California YMCA Youth & Government serves over 3,500 high school and

close to 900 middle school students statewide.

California YMCA Youth & Government was honored by the White House in 2013 as a CHAMPION OF CHANGE because of the program’s successful work in youth development.

Students who join Youth & Government

are 88% more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Youth & Government alumni are 30% more likely to register to vote.

Last year student delegates in the state of California received scholarships totaling $140,000.

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MUN

117NORTHERN

MLC

776NORTHERN

MUN

83CENTRAL

MLC

132CENTRAL

MUN

414METRO L.A.

MLC

1,387METRO L.A.

MUN

95SOUTHERN

MLC

1,199SOUTHERN

MUN

31GREATER

SAN DIEGO

MLC

151GREATER

SAN DIEGO

CALIFORNIA YMCA YOUTH & GOVERNMENT PARTICIPANTS BY REGION

MLC—Model Legislature & Court MUN—Model United Nations

8

2015-2016 DONOR LIST

PLATINUM FOUNDER GIFTS OF $20,000+

Irvin C. Chapman Foundation

Classique Catering

Fresno Convention Center

Keenan & Associates

Sacramento Convention Center

The Pipkin Foundation

DIAMOND FOUNDER GIFTS OF $10,000-$19,999

Third Ear Sound

Sheraton Gateway LAX

Sight & Sound Audiovisual, Inc.

GOLD FOUNDER GIFTS OF $5,000-$9,999

Arnold Alvarez-Glasman

Brian Birkett

Dustin Buss

Fresno Convention & Visitors Bureau

Steve & Debbie Gabelich

Hanson McClain

Cherie Harrison

Hyatt Regency Sacramento

Alex Mircheff

NCDM Class of 2016

Sacramento Convention & Visitors Bureau

Walmart Stores, Inc.

YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

EMERALD FOUNDER GIFTS OF $2,500-$4,999

Waheed Baqai

Michelle Benham

Janine Vivienne Bera

DLA Piper, LLC

Johnjay Edell

Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Scott & Valerie Hanson

Alan Hostrup

Intel, Inc. for Coby White

Veronica Rodarte

Nadya Scott

Taylor & Suzanne Scott

The Saenger Family

Andrew Urushima

Daniel Walker

Wilmor & Sons Plumbing

YMCA of the Central Bay Area

Ed Taniguchi

Marshall Taylor

The Shipley Family

Union Bank

Westside Family YMCA

John Whitaker

Whombo, Inc.

YMCA Orange County Association

YMCA of the Foothills

BENEFACTOR GIFTS OF $500-$999

Deb Kelly & Roger Avedon

Martha Alvarez

AstroJump

Daisy Baby

Cathy Barankin

John Biedebach

Yvonne Bogdanovich

Borrow Lenses

Thomas Burke

Rodolfo Davidson

JP, Kristin & Albert Decall

Kim Delgado

Alison & Anthony Dobay

Joseph Gabriel

Nicolas Gardner

Christopher Andrew Gibson

Kimberly Harbison

Patrick Harbison

Gordon & Marjorie Hart

Cathy Hession

Kayla & Jake Hunnewell

Ideate, Inc.

In Memory of Frank Catanho

Micah Jacobson

Kathy Catanho & David Eakin

for Bud Hoffman

Richard Kolomejec

Mario Lafaurie

Christy & David Lundy

Jennifer Manuel

Sue & Joe Marasco

Don & Annamarie McCowan

Helen Nusbaum & Steven Meinrath

Katherine Movalson

Ryan & Shara Murphy

Mike Nakawatase

Bryan Nogucchi & Emily Noh

Bill & Laura Olhasso

Terry Palhidai

Pardini’s

The Prouhet Family

Peter & Melinda Riechert

RUBY FOUNDER GIFTS OF

$1,500-$2,499

Anaheim Family YMCA

Channel Islands YMCA

Bradley Chin

Sal Cisneros

City of Fresno

Color Labs, Inc.

COMMLine, Inc.

Tim & Karen Crawford

Patricia de Felice

Direct Connect Charter

Tim & Kelli Fuller

Eric Guerra

Paul & Heather Haaga

Mark Helm

In Memory of Michael White

James Looney

Jeff Maier

Old Tyme Kettle Corn

Jackie Parks

Caitlin Scott

Jordan Scott

Sean Minor Wines

Silicon Valley YMCA

Sterling Transportation

Bob Warnock

SILVER FOUNDER GIFTS OF $1,000-$1,499

Paul Andresen

Big Hairy Dog Information

Systems, Inc.

Kristen L. Buppert

Carol & James Collins

Foundation

Bryan & Marlena Cook

Donahue Shriber

Scott Hanson

Bethany Herwegh

Richard Hsu

IBEW Local 340

KCOMM

Labuda Foundation

Bridgette McCown

David & Joyce Mercer

Michael Arnold & Associates

Dayton Nakahara

Paul & Diane Netzel

Jon Edward Palmer

Sandy & Pamela Ryan

Victor & Jilla Rodarte

Leon Saliba

Tom & Betty Saliba

Michael Scott

Oren Rothenberg

Sacramento Masonic Temple

Sameera Sani

Santa Maria Valley YMCA

Santa Monica Family YMCA

Richard & Maria Sears

Bud & Pam Sheble

LeRoy Simmons

Jozelle Smith

Mary & Richard Stone

The Lancey Family

The McClain Family

The Setzer Foundation

The Welles Remy Crowther Charitable Trust

David Tierney

Rowan Wilson

Randall Winston

Dave Wright

SPONSOR GIFTS OF $250-$499

Paul Altieri

Richard Amerian

Larry & Erlene Benevento

Bitglass, Inc.

Dean & Catherine Borg

Sue Bost

Laurie Braly

Lynn Bride

Adrian Brown

Missy Brunetta

Ms. Darcie Burk

Linda Burns

Craig & Rosemary Canfield

Sara Carroll

Chris Ceballos

Lucero Chavez

Katie Clancy

Brad Cohen

Benjamin Coombs-Perez

Ruben Corona

Marissa Cowan

Gretchen Craford

Dalby Wyant Law Firm

Rebecca Baumann & Dan McVeigh

Michael DeCarlo

Betty Ann Downing

Steve & Lori Drengson

Niloo El-Maissi

Lisa Engelken

Paula Falsetta

Fabian & Lauren Fierro

Brandon Fischer

Patricia Ford

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California YMCA Youth & Government, its Board of Directors, volunteer staff, youth participants

and core staff wish to thank all donors for their generous support during the 2015-2016

fiscal year.*

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2 0 1 5 - 2 0 1 6 A N N U A L R E P O R T

Karl Frisch

Addison Gabelich

Alexander Gabelich

Marilyn Glick

Ellen Gray

Jon Greenbaum

The Greer Family

Alex Hachigian

Ray & Theresa Hamel

Intissar Hanouneh

Blake Hanson

Ralph & Carol Hansen

Diane & Tom Hofsommer

In Honor of 1972-73 Santa Barbara YMCA

Mari Snyder Johnson

Scott Layne

Steve & Sheryl Leichenger

Danny Levy

Mark Linscomb

Kelly Lockett

Vahan Manoogian

Debbie & Paul Markos

Boyd Martin

Michael May

Sabrina McDaniel

Mr. Trevor Michels, Esq.

Stephanie Morimoto

Andrea Mullarkey

Steven Novak

OkiDoki Dining Corporation

Allan Paine

Newport Beach Community

Marshall & Judy Pike

Mike Garcia

CENTURY GIFTS OF $100-$249

Pamela Rector

Andi Brukman Redecker

Paul Reisz

Relenz, LLC

Miss Lovedeep K. Sahota

Cathy Saliba

Mike & Cathy Saliba

Ann Samson

Santa Ynez Elite Rentals

Irwin & Carol Scott

William Sheats

Torie Steele

Fred & Sally Stickney

Supinger Strategies, Inc.

Super Shuttle

The Lizer Family

Steve & Cheryl Thomas

Marianne Tipton

David Titus

Alfredo Velasco

Sean Walsh

Dwayne White

Bob & Pat Wrenn

Parsa Yazdi

YMCA of the Desert

Stephanie Younger

Your Oaks Christian Fans

Roxann Zarchin

Andrea Abrahams

Jeff Alexander

Linda Alger

Ben Allen

Mr. Paul Lawrence Alpern

Muhammad & Rozmeen Amirali

Carol Arnold

Richard Asher

John & Laurel Ayoob

Michelle Bader

Carol Baer

Kim Bailey

Dave & Sue Baker

Casey Banks

Kathy Bari

Morgan Bauer & Christine Foster

Jena Baughman

Susie & Dan Berry

Melissa Bettis

Charlie & Tracy Biltz

Lisa Black

Amanda Blackwood

Andrew J. Blumenfeld

James & Jackie Bodnar

Heather & Louie Bogdanovich

Ken Bossing

Michele Breslauer

Jim Brooks

Courtney Brousseau

Art Brown

Barbara Brown

Joan Buchanan

Steven Burgess

Jean Burroughs

Bonnie Pierone

Brenda Burt

Brenda Butler

David & Sally Cardenas

Becca Carrizosa

Bria Cartwright

Karen Cavarozzi & Family

Lynne Caver

Craig Cerro

Marty & Tereza Chandler

Bill Chen

Patricia Chiu

Leah Griffin & Cindy Hicks

Janice E. Clark

Lynn Clark

Cleveland HS Students

Lauren Colton

Corona-Norco Family YMCA

Cox Communications

Ms. Carol Craford

Coach Boz

Dennis & Peggy Croxen

Nathan Dahl

Jim & Trish David

Colin Davidson

Miss Shannon Davidson

Shawn Sanbar

Sebastian de la Rosa

Joann Delgado

Demetri

Donald Ayoob & Dru Devlin

Jolene Dougherty

Ralph & Marilyn Drengson

DVB

Kristy Dwyer

East Bay Community

Foundation

Ms. Cristina Echiverri

Audrie & Jeremy Echnoz

Rob & Meg Ervais

Joseph Eustermann

Karen Fairty

Chen Family

Susan Fletcher

Mimi & Sal Flores

Eleanor & Herbert Foerster

Butch Ford

Brett Foster

Rebecca Foust

Sean Fox

Frazier College Admissions Counseling, Geri Frazier

Kent & Judy Frewing

Marilyn Fuller

Ryan Gales

Mike Garcia

Tom & Judy Garey

G. Phanendra Babu

Chad Gasman

Mike Gates

Brandon

Larry & Carolyn Giacalone

Dora Gil-Rodriguez

Rich Good

Lou Goodman

Julie Goulart

Grandpa & Grandma Vincent

Jason Hagensick

Chris Hansen

Harbilas

Deidre Harvego

Byron & DeAnne Hayes

Dr. & Mrs. Michelle Heckle

Ms. Christina Herinckx

Alison Hostrup

Shelley Hultine-Smith

Kathryn Iannucci

Jake & Joan Jakubowski

Frank, Lori & Matt Jarmacz

Jim / DGP, Inc.

Reyn Blight & Joanne Saliba

Renee Jones

Sanam Jorjani

Darren

Mr. Jack Kane

Charles, Isabel & Zander Kaplan

Debbie Karaman

David Keller & Karen Martin

Mary J. Kelly

Ms. Julia A. Khan

Kim Family

Tae Jun Kim

Mary Kirlin

Simone Kleinert

Heather & Jon Kline

Bev Klocki

Ernie Knapp

Robert Koshimizu

Shelly Kurtz

Rebecca Kutzer

Lori LaBruna

Robert Laird III

Ms. Jennifer Lamkins

Kristen Lau

Cindy Leong & Michael Lim

Lexa Jean Most & Martin Mieger

Dorothy Lindner

Miyoko Linscomb

Dana Liston

Kim Lockett

Suzette Lovely

Lyon’s Orthodontics

Marc & Mandy Maister

Maltzan Family

John Lindner & Mark Perry

Juliet Markowitz

Hank Marsh

Judy & Mace Mavroleon

Alex McDavid

Virginia McKone

Kirsten & Chase McLaughlin

Mary McVeigh

Ms. Nancy Ann Melton

Jasmine Menard

Tony & Marilda Mendes

John Merry

Charles Merz

Emily Michael

Jennifer Kleinert

Kami Molin

Lisa Morrison

Virginia Mullen

Suzanne Murillo

Matt

Joe Naylor

Mr. Adam Jason Newman

Kelly Nick

Jennifer Novak

Ken & Karen Nycum

Beth Olhasso

Lori Onderwyzer

Ms. Karen Osborne

Matthew Ott

Kari Parks

Paul Chiu, Glen Chew

Max Pedrotti

Ron & Helen Perry

Sangeeth Peruri

Ted & Nadine Pflueger

Sally Pierone

DONORS (continued)

10

Michelle Wrenn BenhamYouth Governor’s Cabinet, Y&G Board of Directors

To say that Michelle Wrenn Benham has done it all in Youth & Government is almost an under-statement. Her first experience with Y&G was

at Tri-Counties, a precedent of our current Training & Elections I conference, where she was part of the media program. During her time in Youth & Government she was also named Sgt.-at-Arms and Senate Committee Chair, and in her senior year, Michelle served on the Youth Governor’s Cabinet. She says, “Y&G opened my eyes beyond my community. It got me thinking and talking about local, national and international issues. I gained the confidence to speak in front of large groups, where I learned to think before I spoke. I still use that tool to this day.”

After graduating and starting college at UCLA, Michelle was recruited to back to Y&G to volunteer. Soon after, she began advising a dele-gation first at the South Pasadena-San Marino YMCA, and then the Beverly Hills YMCA. She later started a new delegation at the South Coast YMCA. “My time in Y&G as a delegate made me want to give back, to spend time with kids to help them find their passion, as I had found mine”, Michelle shared.

While advising, Michelle also starting helped with the press program and then served as a committee advisor, eventually running that pro-gram. She credits that program with helping her get a job in the school district where she still works today. During an interview with the selection committee, one of the interviewer noted Michelle’s involve-ment in Y&G. The woman shared that her son had been in Y&G and it had completely changed his life. It turned out that Michelle had been her son’s committee advisor.

Michelle joined the Youth & Government Board of Directors in 2002. She currently serves on the Internal Affairs committee and is actively involved with the creation of the new strategic plan.

“To stand and give a speech in the Senate chambers is not something that most people will ever have the opportunity to do. The memory and confidence gained will never go away. It made me realize I can do more every day. If you see something that needs to be changed, you can find a way to change it.” Michelle continued, “When you do some-thing that you know really matters, there’s nothing better than that. Y&G gave me that opportunity.”

Jaime Piscione

Doug & Jackie Price

Primuths

Norah Prouhet

Calvin Quach

Laura Reed

Jeff Rekers

Doug & Gene Reinhardt

Mark & Brynn Reinhardt

Ricciardullis

JM Rindner

Vivian Rodarte

Walter & Sheila Roth

Steve Roth

Mr. Ronald Rowe

San Luis Obispo County YMCA

Jessica Saucedo

Mary Saucedo

Martha T. Schuur

Stephen & Gloria Seiff

Emebeth Selassie

Chris Senti

Tyler & Yazmin Sheble

Diana Shepherd

Marisa Shipley

Erika Siao

Lisa Simmons

Eric Sloane

Gloria Seiff

Kenneth Smith

Kyle Smith

Sherine Smith

Soman, Duvvuri, Rao, Soman & Dwivedi Families

Speech & Debater Katie

Billie M. Spinat

SPPY-WY Wilmington

James Stark

Michael Stern

Sophie, Micki & Sean Stern

Jason Straw

Norm & Shari Stump

Jennifer Sullivan

Stim & Betty Suzuki

Michele Taber

Cathy Tang

Matthew Tassell

Laura Tenner

Cindi Tenney

Sandy Tenney

The Calderon Family

The Fagan Family

The Osorio Family

The Perry Family

The Ragusa Family

The Sharpe Family

The Wilhelmy Family

Dave Thornton

Thurman Legal

Tidwell & Associates

W. David Tierney

Nancy & Jack Tillman

Tom & Renee Tolliver

Richard Torres

Marsha Wietecha

Dewi Wilson

Rocky Wilson

Barbara Wolleck

YMCA of Glendale

YMCA of Pomona Valley

Wendy Towns

Uncle Mike

Jeff & Erika VanDam

Pat Verducci & Ryan Rowe

Saileel Vijaykar

Michele Waxman

YMCA of West San Gabriel Valley

Katherine Yoshii

Jessi Brown

Irene Zacharz

Andrew Zearbaugh

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*The donors and levels reflected represent both monetary and in-kind donations of $100.00+ made during the 2015-2016 fiscal year. A full list of donors can be found on calymca.org.

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SPECIAL TRIBUTE TO DARRELL STEINBERG

Darrell Steinberg has been part of the California YMCA Youth & Government family for more than four decades. He began his journey with the Y&G family as a delegate in the program during his high school years.

Although Darrell Steinberg’s career escalated through several levels of the political arena, from Sacramento City Councilmember to 49th President Pro Tem of the California State Senate, he never forgot his time in the California YMCA Youth & Government program. When asked to serve on the Legislative Advisory Council for Youth & Government he enthusiastically agreed and did so for many years to come, even serving as Council Chair. He has dedicated countless hours speaking to thousands of teen delegates that have participated

in our Model Legislature & Court program, encouraging each to fulfill their dreams and strive for a brighter future.

Darrell Steinberg’s passion for the program that spurred his passion for a life of Civil Service has never wavered. We thank and honor him for his decades of support and dedication to our state’s youth.

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BOARD OF DIRECTORS

STAFF

Brian Saenger Board Chair The Ratkovich Company

Waheed Baqai Baptist Medical Center Jacksonville

Cathy Barankin Capitol Advocacy

Michelle Benahm Capistrano Unified School District

Brian Birkett Governance Chair LeanData

Dustin Buss External Affairs Chair HsuBu Consulting Group

Sal Cisneros Channel Islands YMCA

Tim Crawford Keenan & Associates

Debbie Gabelich President/CEO

Jena Baughman Office Manager

Linda Burns Fund Development Administrator

Richard HsuDirector of Event Operations

Marty Garcia-CotterVolunteer & Alumni Relations Manager

Jeff MaierLogistics & Risk Manager

Summer PettekCommunication & Outreach Specialist

Meghann PopovichAdministrator

Jennifer ProuhetSr. Director, Marketing & Business Development

Regan SmurthwaiteProgram Support Coordinator

Anthony VolkarSr. Director, Program Services

Samantha Donaghey Youth Board Member

Debbie Gabelich President California YMCA Youth & Government

Acacia Gabriel Youth Board Member

Alan Hostrup YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles

Alex Mircheff Internal Affairs Chair Gibson Dunn & Crutcher

Allan Paine Tech Life, Inc.

Aaron Rios Walmart Stores, Inc.

Nate Rowe Youth Board Member

Sandy Ryan Houlihan Lokey

Cathy Saliba Nonprofilt Fundraising Consultant

Taylor Scott Financial Management Consultant

Ariana Trujillo 69th Youth Governor

Alfredo Velasco YMCA of Greater Long Beach

Victoria Vera Youth Board Member

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