News Release
Contact: Amanda Schaap
Phone: 858-598-2213
Email: amandas@speakupnow.org
(January 21, 2021) SAN DIEGO—Six community leaders were elected to the Board of Directors for Voices for Children (VFC), the local nonprofit organization certified by the court in San Diego and Riverside Counties to recruit and train Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) volunteers. CASAs serve as consistent, caring adults for children who are in foster care after experiencing abuse or neglect. In addition, CASAs have the opportunity to advocate on behalf of foster children by providing critical information to judges making decisions about the children’s futures.
Luisa Ayala is a partner with Altmann | Ayala Realty Team. She is the immediate past president of the San Diego Chapter of the National Association of Hispanic Real Estate Professionals, where she served as president in 2020 and vice president and membership director in 2019. She has served on the Voices for Children marketing committee since 2019. Ayala is originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, and now lives with her family in Chula Vista.
Andy Christopher is a financial advisor at Dowling & Yahnke Wealth Advisors. Prior to joining Dowling & Yahnke, Christopher had a distinguished career serving in the U.S. Navy as a naval officer and F/A-18 Super-Hornet pilot. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science at the United States Naval Academy and a master’s degree in finance from Georgetown University’s McDonough School of Business. Born and raised in Akron, Ohio, Christopher and his wife now live in Carlsbad.
Jenny Li-Hochberg is a former attorney and active community volunteer, including serving with the National Charity League of San Diego, the UCLA Chancellor’s Society, St. Germaine’s Children’s Charity, Girl Scouts of San Diego, and Jewish Family Services of San Diego. She is the chair of the UCLA Chancellor’s Society and also has served on the boards of the National Charity League and the auxiliary organizations for La Jolla High School, Muirlands Middle School, and La Jolla Elementary School. Before moving to San Diego in 2014, Li-Hochberg practiced law in New York City at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom and at Latham & Watkins. She received her undergraduate degree from UCLA and her law degree from Northwestern University. Li-Hochberg and her family live in La Jolla.
Mia Kelly serves as senior counsel at Tyson & Mendes. A former prosecutor, she has a wealth of trial and litigation experience. Kelly earned her juris doctorate from Syracuse College of Law in 2001 where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society and an editor of the Law & Technology Journal. She graduated from the University of California at San Diego in 1998, where she earned her bachelor’s degree in political science. Kelly is an active member of both the California State Bar and New York State Bar. In addition, she sits on the Gillispie School Board of Trustees and became a member of Las Patronas in 2020. Kelly and her family live in La Jolla.
Katie Nicoletti recently joined Intel to serve as the chief of staff and technical assistant to the CFO. Prior to Intel, Nicoletti was with Qualcomm for six years, where she held the role of senior director of corporate development, leading the Merger and Acquisition Integration Team. Nicoletti also served as technical assistant to the CFO where she supported the finance organization as well as companywide strategic initiatives. Prior to Qualcomm, she held a variety of leadership positions within finance at Applied Materials in FP&A as well as Mergers and Acquisitions. Early in her career, she was with PricewaterhouseCoopers in the audit practice. Nicoletti had the opportunity to serve as a CASA after learning about the program during her time as a Theta at UCLA.
Laura Roos is a partner at Moss Adams LLP. She has been a public accountant since 1991 after graduating from San Diego State University. A seasoned audit partner, Roos leads the firm’s not-for-profit practice in Southern California. She serves on the board of World Learning. Roos and her family live in Scripps Ranch.
Voices for Children’s board is comprised of community and business leaders responsible for financial oversight, goal-setting, and policy development. Members of the board meet regularly and dedicate additional time to participating in fundraising, community outreach, and CASA graduation celebrations. Board officers for fiscal year 2020-2021 include AnneElise Goetz, Esq., serving as chair, Annette Bradbury serving as vice chair, Lise N. Wilson, Esq., serving as secretary, and George Lai serving as treasurer.
###
ABOUT VOICES FOR CHILDREN
Founded in 1980, Voices for Children (VFC) transforms the lives of abused, neglected, and abandoned children in foster care in San Diego and Riverside Counties by providing them with trained volunteer Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASAs). CASA volunteers advocate for a foster child or sibling group in Court, school, and in the community to ensure their needs are met. VFC believes that every child deserves a safe and permanent home, and strives to provide a CASA volunteer to every child in the foster care system who needs one. Last year, VFC CASAs and staff advocated on behalf of more than 2,600 foster children across San Diego and Riverside Counties.
