BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Jeffrey Wohler
President & CEO
Jeff has been a success-oriented professional with 40 years of progressively responsible management experience including 30 years at the Presidential and Chief Executive Officer level. Some of his areas of expertise include budget and financial planning, marketing analysis, risk assessment, and corporate team development. He has owned and/or operated multiple corporations, including a publicly traded company, in industries to include water remediation, export trading with offices in fourteen countries, and offshore shipping. Jeff has also acted as a consultant to a single multi-billionaire client for over thirty years. This engagement centers on solutions oriented problem solving for his clients diverse portfolio of companies. Early in his career Jeff was a special agent with the U.S. Treasury Department. He has served on the boards of many non-profits to include the YMCA of San Diego County, Bring Me A Book Foundation, and Palomar College Foundation. In addition to being a third degree black belt in karate, he has been associated with horses for over fifty years in the areas of western competition, team penning, and western versatility.
Brad Gastineau
Treasurer
Brad Gastineau is a tax partner with Gatto, Pope & Walwick, LLP (‘GPW’), a local CPA firm established in 1983. Brad began his career in 2000 with GPW and in 2005 moved to Montana to work for KPMG, LLP and Eide Bailly, LLP, finding his way back to sunny San Diego and GPW in 2010. Brad spends most of his professional time on tax matters related to mergers & acquisitions, equity compensation, international and multistate matters, and consulting with professional athletes and other high net worth clients on tax mitigation strategies. He has been interviewed and quoted in articles in Boston Globe, San Diego Business Journal and KUSI. Brad received his B.A. in Accounting from Point Loma Nazarene University in 2000 and his M.S. in Taxation from Golden Gate University. In his spare time Brad maintains an active lifestyle and regularly enjoys traveling and hiking trips with his wife and kids.
DIRECTORS
Sean Daneshmand, MD
Director
As a Perinatologist and Medical Director of the Scripps Clinic Division of Maternal and Fetal Medicine, I have focused my career on developing programs to improve resources for woman and children to ultimately improve clinical, quality of life, and health outcomes during pregnancy. At Scripps Clinic, I have offices at multiple locations in the San Diego region including La Jolla, San Diego, Encinitas and Chula Vista. As the Director of the Department, I am involved in the teaching and mentorship of nursing students, sonographers and junior faculty, while also participating in clinical conferences and educational activities for our referring providers. For 20+ years, my passion has been on the delivery of care in high-risk pregnancies where I care for a wide range of conditions and complications that can occur during pregnancy, including preterm labor, hypertension, preeclampsia, diabetes, abnormally invasive placentation and clotting disorders. Within my capacity at Scripps, I have been fortunate to deliver thousands of babies while offering my dedication and continued commitment to reducing premature birth and preeclampsia with a goal to improve the health of mothers, neonates and infants. In addition to my clinical experiences, I am the founder of a nonprofit organization, Miracle Babies, where our mission is to provide financial assistance and support to families with newborns in the NICU and to enhance the wellbeing of women, children and families through education, prevention and medical care. Healthy Women, Healthy Children (HWHC) is a preventive arm of Miracle Babies, which I established to enhance the wellbeing of women and children in partnership with federally funded community clinics to provide comprehensive health and nutrition programs for low-income women who are likely to have at-risk pregnancies. The HWHC, along with other investigators, study fetus' development to assess if environmental impacts (such as nutrients, stressors, or toxins) can affect or even reset organ, tissue, and cell function by changing the child's genetic makeup via epigenetics. I was recognized as a CNN Hero of the week in 2010 and received the Health Care Champion Awards in 2010 and 2018 by the San Diego Business Journal because of my work with Miracle Babies. I am also the founder and medical director for A+B Medical Spa (2005 – Present) and co-founder of A+B Clinical Research (2018 – present). I have been nominated by my fellow colleagues as joint venture between San Diego magazine and San Diego County medical Society as “Top Doc” each year from 2007 until present.
John DeBello
Director
Mr. DeBello boasts an illustrious career marked by creative and strategic achievements in entertainment programming, major events, and brand initiatives for global audiences. His portfolio features collaborations with heavyweight brands like Disney, Google, and EA SPORTS, alongside directing award-winning documentaries and feature films, including the cult classic "Attack of the Killer Tomatoes." DeBello's innovative contributions to digital media and marketing have garnered acclaim, including his induction into the Silver Circle by the National Association of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS) for his 25 years of special achievement in television. A University of California San Diego alumnus, his early interest in film and storytelling has crafted a legacy of impactful narratives and groundbreaking campaigns across industries.
Dave Lehmann
Director
Dave, is an experienced executive who, as a leader and member of management teams, has successfully built businesses in the size range of $10 million to greater than $2 billion annual sales. Most of these businesses are high technology capital goods manufacturing businesses with global sales and service. Currently the Chairman of the Board of a private equity funded business for zero emission all-electric, rapid charge, mass transit buses. Also the Chief Operating Officer for Workplace Technology Research Inc., working with executives to making a break-through in the growth of their business. And, President of Applied Cognitive Science Inc.
Ray Drasnin is a veteran public relations professional with more than three decades of agency experience and a strong entrepreneurial background. In 1989, Drasnin founded Drasnin Communications, a national public relations firm based in San Diego, and in 2002 launched Foundation Makers, a marketing firm targeting professional athletes. In 2015, Drasnin opened the doors to Purple Penguin PR, an entirely new type of PR Agency built on promoting "feel good" stories. Drasnin has been nominated for Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and Brooks Brothers’ Man of the Year. His highly awarded agencies have served Debbi Fields of Mrs. Fields Cookies, American Express, General Electric, Eisenhower Medical Center, Hang Ten, Ken Blanchard, DC Shoes and others. Drasnin has served on a number of boards including the Salvation Army, the Young Entrepreneurs Organization, San Diego Wholesale Credit Association, the San Diego Executives Association, the Black Mountain Ranch Community Association and the San Diego Harbor Police Foundation. A frequent speaker at marketing seminars, universities, business groups and associations, he contributes by sharing his experiences with others to encourage and publicize socially conscious businesses. Drasnin lives in San Diego with his wife and 14-year-old twins.
Ray Drasnin
Director
Dr. Kathleen Kiernan
Director
Dr. Kathleen Kiernan, as President of NEC, National Security Systems, heads up a world-class, mission-driven team delivering advanced technologies across the national security, homeland defense, law enforcement, and intelligence communities. NEC NSS is backed by NEC Corporation’s 122-year heritage and history of innovation and $1 billion investment in research and development. Our focus is on the deployment of groundbreaking, end-to-end systems for access control and security, identify management and verification, scene processing, advanced analytics and intrusion detection.
Dr. Kiernan believes experience brings an obligation to foster professional development in others through mentoring and education which she does both inside and outside of formal classrooms. She developed an approach to citizen engagement and education to increase confidence and decrease victimization in active threat environments (pwporg.org). Her dedication to public service includes her support to Veteran organizations and her 18-year participation in the Susan G. Komen 3-Day walk to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research.
Marc McGuire
Director
Marc McGuire is a successful businessman and industry leader with over 40 years of entrepreneurial experience and spirit. Bringing his business to San Diego in 1985 and growing it to over 200 employees, Marc held himself to a higher standard, leading the industry in developing employee relations standards such as insurance and 401K benefits for field staff to regulations and industry oversight. He has extensive experience in contract negotiations, sales development, and production scheduling. Being involved in development throughout San Diego, Marc has witnessed the progress and challenges experienced, developing from a big city with a small town feel to the major metropolis with international border and port. With an emphasis on giving back to the community, Marc has served on several boards including as Palomar Collage President’s Associates and then as chair for the Palomar College Foundation. He has served in trade association leadership roles including industry spokesperson for national media. His involvement has focused on a “hand-up” approach to opportunities for those most needing. Marc is an avid outdoorsman, enjoys surfing, hiking, and biking local trails, motorcycles and snowmobiling as well as spending time with his family.
Jeff Monday
Director
Jeff Monday is Vice President of Sales for Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. In this role, Monday has global responsibility for Enterprise and Channel Sales across Consumer, Commercial and Public Sector channels. Monday’s team drives end user demand for Qualcomm’s Snapdragon compute, internet of things, extended reality, and edge artificial intelligence solutions.
Additionally, Monday is responsible for driving digital transformation across Qualcomm and is the global lead for diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives for the commercial team. Monday founded and is the executive sponsor of the Qualcomm Women Sales group and has led many successful DEI initiatives for the company.
Prior to joining Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., Monday served as an executive at Apple Inc. directing award-winning sales and go-to-market teams. During his 20 years at Apple, Monday held leadership roles across Enterprise Sales, Carrier Sales, Apple Retail, and Apple Education. Monday brings to Qualcomm experience managing strategic sales teams and developing successful go-to-market programs.
Monday lives in San Diego with his wife and two children. He sits on the non-profit board of Sprockids San Diego as treasurer and Chief Fundraiser. Monday holds a Bachelor of Economics degree, with an emphasis in Game Theory, from University of California, Irvine. When he’s not with his family or growing Qualcomm’s revenue, you can find him on his mountain bike on the amazing trails around San Diego and Southern California.
Maria Pelayo
Director
Maria is a seasoned hospitality professional with over 13 years of dedicated service at Hyatt, spanning six diverse locales within Mexico. Currently serving as the Director of Rooms at Grand Hyatt San Diego, her tenure reflects a steadfast commitment to excellence and leadership. In her role, Maria oversees operations with a focus on delivering unparalleled guest experiences. Beyond her professional achievements, Maria finds fulfillment in her role as a devoted mother to her five-year-old son, Alex, and cherishes her fourteen-year marriage. Her multifaceted expertise, coupled with her unwavering dedication, continues to drive success in the dynamic world of hospitality.
Bo Reed
Chairman
Bo Reed is Senior Corporate Counsel with Solar Turbines Incorporated, a subsidiary of
Caterpillar Inc. Bo has been with Caterpillar since 1998, and with Solar in San Diego since 2003. During his 21-year career with Caterpillar/Solar, Bo has had several different roles/responsibilities in different locations, and has extensive experience with international business transactions, asset-based lending/leasing, regulatory compliance, government affairs/trade policy, and commercial litigation. Prior to joining Solar in San Diego, Bo worked for Caterpillar Financial in Nashville, Miami, and Singapore (as Lead Counsel for the Asia Pacific region). Bo is also an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of San Diego School of Law, and previously served as the Executive Chair of the San Diego & Imperial District Export Council, on the Board of former World Trade Center of San Diego, and as a volunteer with Casa Cornelia. Prior to joining Caterpillar, Bo was with the law firm of Moore & Van Allen in Charlotte, North Carolina, and a foreign intern with a law firm in Mexico City. Bo received his J.D. in 1993 from the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Va., and his B.S. in Finance in 1987 from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, La. Bo is married with two teenage daughters, and enjoys surfing, traveling and spending time with his family.
Stacy Slagor has guided multiple successful fundraising campaigns at universities and
nonprofit organizations over the past 20 years. Currently, Stacy is the director of major gifts at California State University San Marcos and leads the development of comprehensive fundraising strategies for the College of Business Administration and College of Education, Health and Human Services. Stacy has a bachelor's in English and American literature with a concentration in writing from New York University and an MBA from California State University San Marcos.
Stacy Slagor
Secretary
Mark Stainbrook
Director Emeritus
Beverly Hills Chief of Police, Mark G. Stainbrook, has been a Port of San Diego employee for eight years. Mark retired as a lieutenant from the Los Angeles Police Department, where he served in a variety of assignments including patrol, gangs, internal affairs, intelligence, and counter-terrorism. Mark is a graduate of the FBI National Academy. In his second career, he is a retired lieutenant colonel from the United States Marine Corps Reserve with 31 years of military service. Mark graduated with honors from California State University Long Beach with a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Administration. In 2007, Mark was a US-UK Fulbright Fellow at Leeds University in the Religious and Theology Department and was seconded to the West Yorkshire Police Force. Mark has worked with the U.S. State Department in Kenya, Chad, Nepal, and India to train their police forces on counter-terrorism, criminal intelligence, and community policing methods. Mark joined the Potomac Institute for Policy Studies as a Senior Fellow in June 2016.
ADVISORY COUNCIL
Magda Fernandez was appointed Harbor Police chief/vice president of public safety in
May 2022 after previously serving as acting chief and acting assistant chief. Chief Fernandez is the first Latina chief of Harbor Police. She joined the Port of San Diego Harbor Police Department as a recruit in 2001 and rose in the ranks to captain in February 2021. Over the years, she has led various department units, including investigations and intelligence, professional standards, and training as well as the patrol and administrative sections. Chief Fernandez also represented Harbor Police as a detective on the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and helped establish the department’s Terrorism Liaison Officer program, which focuses on educating officers and members of the Port community on being aware of potential terrorism and criminal activities. From 1994 to 2018, she served in the U.S. Coast Guard in various roles including as a criminal investigator and as an environmental and marine casualty investigator. Earlier in her career, she was an emergency medical technician, and then a rescue diver with the Santa Cruz Search and Rescue Team. Chief Fernandez’s achievements include receiving the Port’s 2018 Chairman’s Cup Award for her peer support work in the department and being named Harbor Police Officer of the Year in 2008. Chief Fernandez is a graduate of the National Command & Staff College Leadership Program and holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Colorado Technical University.
Magda Fernandez
Advisory Council
Cristiano Amon
Advisory Council
Mr. Cristiano Renno Amon is president and chief executive officer of Qualcomm Incorporated, and also serves on the Company’s board of directors. Amon assumed the role of CEO on June 30, 2021. He has served as President of QUALCOMM Inc. from January 04, 2018, until June 30, 2021, served as the President of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies and served as its Executive Vice President from November 19, 2015, until January 2018, and served as its Co-President of Qualcomm CDMA Technologies since June 2012. Mr. Amon served as an Executive Vice President of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc., at QUALCOMM Incorporated from October 2012 until November 2015. He was responsible for the oversight of all activities related to Qualcomm’s semiconductor business within the mobile and computing segment. During Amon's 18-year tenure, his leadership is instrumental in driving revenue growth in the core business and the expansion into adjacent areas. He served as Co-President of Qualcomm Mobile & Computing at QUALCOMM Incorporated since June 2012. He has provided exceptional leadership in expanding QCT's product roadmap - positioning Qualcomm as the industry leader in mobile technology; successfully building the chipset strategy and business in China, establishing Qualcomm's position in this critical region; and developing deep and strategic customer relationships critical to its long-term success. He began his career at Qualcomm in 1995 and served as Senior Vice President of Product Management at QCT, managing the company’s wireless chipset portfolio. While at Qualcomm, he was also the Chief Technical Officer of Vésper. He joined Qualcomm in 1995 as an engineer and throughout his tenure held several other technical and leadership roles. He served with NEC and Ericsson. He served as Vice President for Technology at VeloCom, Inc. Mr. Amon holds a B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from UNICAMP – Universidade Estadual de Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.
Fernando Hernandez
Advisory Council
Fernando Hernandez was born and raised in San Diego. He attended Chula Vista High School and went on to receive his bachelor’s in political studies from UCLA in 1992. In 1995 Hernandez completed his master’s at SDSU, including both his teaching and administrator credentials. After receiving his master’s that year, he began teaching at Perkins K-8. In 2003, he was named principal at Perkins and in 2022, he completed his 19th year in the position which he still holds today. Hernandez also teaches astronomy and Russian, which he speaks fluently. His wife teaches at Joyner Elementary, and his two children both attended Perkins. His son attends USCD, and his daughter is currently in 11th grade at San Diego High School.
Michael LaFleur
Advisory Council
Michael LaFleur joined the Port of San Diego as the Vice President of Maritime in October 2019 and oversees the Maritime Department. For seven years prior to joining the Port, LaFleur served as CEO of Seacor Island Lines, a shipping, terminal, and warehousing company servicing South Florida and the Bahamas. He was previously COO of both Seacor Island Lines and Trailer Bridge, a shipping company servicing the US mainland to Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, and the Dominican Republic. LaFleur has also served as CEO of Seacor American Marine Highways, an inland tug and barge operation in the U.S. river network. Prior to those positions, he was the commercial operations manager for both Seabulk Island Transport and Seabulk Tankers. Earlier in his career, LaFleur worked at sea shipping for both Chevron and Military Sealift Command and sailed up to chief officer transporting cargo around the world. LaFleur served honorably in the United States Navy Reserve for nine years, achieving the rank of lieutenant commander, holds a United States Coast Guard Unlimited Master’s License, and earned a bachelor’s degree in marine transportation from the United States Merchant Marine Academy.
James Cathey
Advisory Council
Jim Cathey is Chief Commercial Officer of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. In this role Cathey has oversight for global sales, account management, strategic partnerships and business development, sales operations, and customer support across the company. Cathey began his career at Qualcomm in 2006 and during his tenure has held several positions. Prior to his role at Chief Commercial Officer, Cathey served as Senior Vice President and President of Global Business for Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. where he had responsibility for all regional activities, including business development, operations, distribution channels, carriers, and sales, as well as assisting with in-country relationships. Cathey has also held the position of President of Qualcomm Technologies’ businesses in Asia Pacific and India, President of Qualcomm Technologies’ operations in Japan, and country manager in Taiwan. Prior to joining Qualcomm, Cathey served as an executive at Micron Technology and MicroDisplay, as well as the head of Investor Relations for PixTech. He also has provided strategic business consulting services to companies such as DuPont Display, DuPont PhotoMask and Applied Materials. Cathey holds seventeen patents and is on board of directors at CTIA. Cathey earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in marketing from Boise State University. Cathey sits on the board of San Diego Harbor Police Foundation.