Desert Charities - Women in Philanthropy - Oct-Nov-Dec 2023

RoxAnna Breitigan The Living Desert Chief Operating Oƒcer Making A Dierence After eight years as director of animal care at The Living Desert Zoo and Gardens, I am honored to take on a new role as chief operating o©cer. It has been a privilege to lead the animal care team the last eight years, elevating animal wellbeing and fostering a culture of greatness. I look forward to continuing to advance The Living Desert’s impact and mission of desert conservation by protecting desert wildlife and wild places, both in the Coachella Valley and around the world. Personally, I hope to continue giving of my time, sponsoring and volunteering with nonprofits that supports the needs of animals and children locally. Shari Brasher Fresh Start Surgical Gifts Chief Executive Oƒcer Making A Dierence As CEO of Fresh Start Surgical Gifts, Shari Brasher’s mission is to ensure that children in need of reconstructive or plastic surgery get the highly specialized medical care they need regardless of their ability to pay. Shari believes that there should be no barriers for children to access medical care and she works daily with Fresh Start’s all volunteer medical team and partner hospitals (Rady Children’s Hospital, Comer Children’s Hospital and Uni- versity Health) to create treatment plans to ensure that the kids receive exactly the care they need to live a happy, healthy life. Kristin Bloomer Angel View Major Gifts Oƒcer Making A Dierence I am proud to be the new Major Gifts O©cer for Angel View. For 69 years Angel View has been making a di’erence in the lives of children and adults with disabilities. The Angel View clients benefit from the generosity of the local community that donates and shops in the Angel View thrift stores. You are changing lives when you shop or donate to Angel View. Ashley Blanc Girls Rising Executive Director Making A Dierence Having a trusted adult that you can depend on and go to for support is one of the most important things a young girl can have. At Girls Rising, we empower girls to see their value and reach their full potential through the power of mentorship. I am fortunate to work alongside a community of female leaders from diverse walks with a shared goal of sustaining Girls Rising to make a di’erence in the life of girls and young women. I would love to speak with anyone interested in joining us to support this important mission of service through mentorship. Lindi Biggi Founder - Loving All Animals Owner: - Shadow Mountain Golf Club Making A Dierence Lindi has spent the majority of her life in the pursuit of making it a kinder world for homeless companion animals and is now using all her time and energy to insure the continuing existence of the very first golf course in Palm Desert. The course, opened in 1958 as designed by the famous golfer, Gene Sarazen_(2/27/1902 - 5/13/1999). Lindi dreams of the site becoming “The Place where the Community comes to play”. It will be a fun place to visit for golfers and non-golfers. Pamela Bieri Bieri Marketing & Media Relations Owner Making A Dierence Certified in Nonprofit Management and Grant Writing, Pam has the privilege to provide grant writing services for several of the Coachella Valley’s most interesting and diverse nonprofits. Wonderful organizations that bring opportunities for kids that build character through the game of golf, teaches them about our unique desert and mountains environment, or provides adaptive mobility equipment and social inclusion to kids with disabilities. One NPO that o’ers critical therapy and support to adults with neurological issues to another that is striving to save local journalism to preserve democracy and our freedom of speech. It is an honor to be part of such incredible work. Lanay Berry Caritas Realty Owner & Real Estate Agent Making A Dierence I have strongly believed that giving back is a core value of daily business. Supporting others through your giving, acts, talents, volunteering, whatever it may be creates a win-win for all people involved. At Caritas Realty everything we do is centered around the love we have for helping our clients and the non-profit communities. We give back 15% of our net commissions to our clients’ charity of choice. Through our mission of “BUY, SELL, DONATE,” we are beyond grateful to say we have donated over $130,000 to date to charities worldwide. WOMEN IN PHILANTHROPY - PAGE 2 DESERT CHARITIES NEWS Marly Bergerud Strategic Alliance Solutions President Making A Dierence Marly’s professional career spans 30+ years in the education environment, primarily in senior management as Dean of Business and a Vice President within the California Community Colleges. She raised an incredible son and co-authored two dozen computer textbooks. Marly is a recognized educational leader, author, and teacher of new technol- ogies and presented seminars to educators around the globe. She believes in the spirit of philanthropy in that it improves the human condition and enjoys giving her expertise, passion, talent, and experience to that end. Marly serves on the Board of the World A’airs Council of the Desert and recently published her memoir, My Dance with The Devil.