Board of Trustees

Mo`olelo’s Board of Trustees is composed of a dynamic and diverse group of individuals who lend their support, time, talents and expertise to strengthen and advance the Company.

Ilene Hubbs (President)
Ilene served on the founding Board of Mo`olelo, then termed off and served on the Advisory Board, and is happy to be back on the Board of Trustees. Ilene was the President & CEO of the Make-A-Wish Foundation from 1991-2003. Prior to that she served as Development Director of the Multiple Sclerosis Society (1985-1991), the Development Director of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation (1983-1985), and Cultural Arts Director of the San Diego Jewish Community Center (1978-1983). Since retiring from the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Ilene has volunteered as a nonprofit consultant and also served as Associate Editor of the Presidio Sentinel.

Alison M. Whitelaw, FAIA, LEED ap (Vice President)
Alison is a licensed architect, Principal of the firm Platt/Whitelaw Architects. She received her architectural degree from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. During her 30 years of architectural practice in the San Diego region, Ms. Whitelaw has become recognized for her award winning work on projects for private, governmental and institutional clients. For much of her career, Alison has worked to refine her knowledge and skill in the field of sustainable design. For ten years she taught Sustainable Design classes at the NewSchool of Architecture and Design and has lectured on Sustainable Design across the country. She is a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects, Past President of the AIA San Diego Chapter, Past President of the San Diego Architectural Foundation, President of the Academy of Neuroscience for Architecture and member of the NewSchool of Architecture & Design Advisory Board.

Gerard J. Buckley (Board Secretary)
Jerry is Vice President, External Affairs and Chief Development Officer at the California Center for the Arts, Escondido where he directs the development, public relations and marketing efforts. He is also on the faculty of UCSD Extension and teaches in the Fund Raising and Development program. Well known in the global gem and jewelry industry, Jerry most recently was director of global sales for the International Gem Tower in New York City, held a similar position with the World Jewelry Center, and previously directed international fund raising operations at the Gemological Institute of America (GIA). Prior to joining GIA, Jerry was with Scripps Health Foundation in La Jolla, CA as vice president for special gifts. CASE acknowledged his accomplishments with awards for best annual giving, best fund raising program in the West and he was honored in 1990 as Fund Raiser of the Year in San Diego by the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Clients of his consulting firm, Buckley Consulting Group, have included the University of California, San Diego, Girl Scouts, Carlsbad Public Library, San Diego Chamber Orchestra, Palomar Pomerado Health Foundation, Chula Vista Public Library and The Children’s School in La Jolla, CA. Jerry was a Trustee and served as President of the San Diego Performing Arts League from 1989-94; president of Malashock Dance in 1995-96. He was a consultant for the City of San Diego Commission for Arts and Culture and is on the Advisory boards of Cygnet Theatre and San Diego Dance Theatre.

Jacob Freifeld (Board Treasurer)
Jake served on the founding Board of Mo`olelo from 2004 to 2009, took a year off and is happy to return to the Treasurer role again. After heading up trading at Cerebellum Capital from 2008 to 2011, he recently launched Chilmark Hill Capital LLC, an investment management firm helping individuals find income in the Mortgage market. He founded Southbrook Capital Management LLC in San Diego in 2003. Prior to that he was a Portfolio Analyst with The Bank of New York and a Bond Trader at Lehman Brothers.

 
Garet Clark (Board Member At Large)
Garet Clark, a native of San Diego, worked as a banker specializing in trust, investment management, and private banking services from 1962 until 2004, when he retired as Region President of Northern Trust. He is past president of the La Jolla Rotary Club and is currently a member of the Downtown San Diego Rotary Club. He served on the Boards of the Downtown San Diego YMCA and the La Jolla YMCA, and was a recipient of the YMCA Golden Triangle of Distinguished Service Award in 1996. For eight months in 2002, as a volunteer, Mr. Clark served as the Interim Managing Director of The Old Globe. During that time, he was named as an Honorary Associate Artist of the Globe.  He is also a Director Emeritus of the Old Globe.  Mr. Clark is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Patty Ducey-Brooks (Board Member At Large)
Patty Ducey-Brooks is the publisher and executive editor of The Presidio Sentinel, which has been operating since April 2000.  The Presidio Sentinel is an urban newspaper that is distributed to 8,000 households in Mission Hills and Point Loma, and to 7,500 other distribution points throughout the city. In addition, she is the founder and sole proprietor of Presidio Communications.  Since 1990, Ducey-Brooks has provided services to an extensive list of businesses locally, statewide and nationally.  These services have included: marketing (radio, TV, print and collateral); research; public relations; media relations; producer (videos, TV and radio commercials); script and copy writer (newsletters, videos, press releases, brochures, sales letters, and promotional materials); production manager (annual meetings, shows and special events); training and staff development (sales & service); media buying and consulting; and coalition building and coordination.

Gerald (Jerry) E. Hoffmeister  (Board Member At Large)
After managing and expanding several global technology companies serving the energy industries worldwide until his retirement in 1997, Jerry provides strategic support and mentoring to early stage technology companies and community nonprofit organizations. His dedication and active leadership at The San Diego Foundation includes his current role as Past Board Chair, as well as service on the Executive Committee and Board Governance Committees, the Science & Technology Working Group, the Center for Civic Engagement Leadership Counsel, and Strategic Planning Committee. He is also the Chairman of the Board of Chhahari, a home-stay orphanage in Nepal, the President of the Board of Trustees of EJE Academies, a charter school located in El Cajon, Chairman Emeritus of Project Walk, a spinal cord injury recovery center headquartered in Carlsbad and Board Member of Ebert Composites, Inc., an innovative composites research and development company located in Chula Vista. Jerry earned his BS in Mechanical Engineering from Valparaiso University.

Joani Nelson (Board Member At Large)
Joani Nelson currently serves as Special Event Planner for Torrey Pines Bank. Previous positions include Special Events Planner at the San Diego Symphony and Les Clefs d’Or concierge at  Westwood Marquis Hotel (LA) and La Costa Resort.  Her past community involvement includes Minding the Arts fundraiser for the Neurosciences Institute, La Jolla Music Society Summerfest, John Malashock Dance Company, San Diego Performing Arts League Board, San Diego Concierge Association, SummerQuest HIV-AIDS Benefit Event and BRAVO San Diego. She is a Graduate of the Impact Program at LEAD San Diego.

Christina Rathbun (Board Member At Large)
Christina Rathbun has over 11 years experience with San Diego Gas & Electric planning energy efficiency seminars and implementing customer programs. Currently a Senior Segment Advisor, she was instrumental in the development of SDG&E’s Commercial Demonstration Kitchen- an equipment demonstration facility for the food service industry. Christina’s expertise includes customer program development and a “Professional Explainer” for small businesses. In addition, Christina holds a BS in Business Communications from the University of Phoenix and has over 15 years of experience in sales and fundraising management serving as Director of Special Events for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation and District Director for Entertainment Publications. Through this work she was able to help local organizations, many of which were diverse and under-served. She was inspired to be a part of Mo`olelo after attending the play Yellow Face and meeting Seema. With a mission to be green and to offer socially-conscious theater, Mo`olelo has been a great fit both personally and professionally.

Clifford D. Sweet III (Board Member At Large)
Clifford Sweet is Chairman of the Board and Founding Firm Member of Heggeness, Sweet, Simington and Patrico, LLC. He has been a California Certified Workers’ Compensation Law Specialist since 1981, received the 2nd Annual Warren L. Hanna Lifetime Achievement Award in 2002, and served as President of the California Workers’ Compensation Defense Attorneys’ Association in 2003. Cliff helped write important workers’ compensation laws, including the Workers’ Compensation Fraud Act. Cliff received his Juris Doctorate from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles, and his Bachelor of Arts Cum Laude from University of California, Los Angeles. As a foreign exchange student, he studied Swedish Political Science at the University of Lund, Sweden.  He served as President of the Board of Trustees of Mo`olelo from 2006-2009, and the Advisory Board from 2005-2006 and 2009-2012.

Mitsuo Tomita (Board Member At Large)
Mitsuo Tomita, M.D., born and raised in Los Angeles, received his undergraduate degree at UCLA, and his M.D. degree from UCSF.  After completing his internship and residency in family medicine in Fresno, he jointed Kaiser Permanente in San Diego in 1975. He retired from Kaiser in 2008 but remains active on the voluntary teaching faculty at the UCSD School of Medicine and does some work in federally-qualified community health centers for low-income/no-income persons in the San Joaquin Valley. Mits chaired Mayor Dick Murphy’s Asian/Pacific Islander Citizens Advisory Board to encourage more civic involvement of APIs  and  organized a variety of community forums to better understand local government, gangs and law enforcement, the media, and various other topics. In 1998 he was chosen by his physician colleagues as “Partner of the Year” and in 2008 received a “Golden Apple” Award from United Way/CHAD for his community service.  July 22, 2008 was also proclaimed “Dr. Mitsuo Tomita Day” in the county in recognition of his community service.   He has served on the boards of UPAC (Union of Pan Asian Communities), Planned Parenthood, and LEAD San Diego, and currently serves on the board of the San Diego chapter of the Japanese American Citizens League.

Jason Whooper (Board Member At Large)
Jason Whooper works as an attorney in San Diego primarily providing transactional and litigation solutions for small businesses.  He opened his own solo practice in 2012.  Before becoming an attorney Jason received his Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law and his Master of Business Administration from San Diego State University.  His passion for literary arts and theatre grew from his experiences and exposures while earning a Bachelor of Arts in English at San Diego State University.