Noemi brings more than a decade of experience serving under-resourced communities to the 4Cs Board of Directors. She earned a B.A. in Sociology with a minor in Chicano Studies from UC Davis and a Master’s in Social Work with an emphasis in Child Welfare from San Francisco State University. Since 2022, she has worked as a Bilingual Child Protective Services Social Worker with Sonoma County Family, Youth and Children Services, after previously serving as a Medical Social Worker at Kaiser Permanente. Noemi has supported foster youth, first-generation, and immigrant communities throughout her career and is committed to helping families achieve safety, stability, and well-being.
Our regular board meetings take place on the 4th Tuesday of the month from 5:30pm – 7:30pm at the 4Cs Main Office (located at 131-A Stony Circle, Ste. 300 in Santa Rosa, CA). The Board of Directors does not meet in March, July, or November. Meetings are open to the public.
If you’d like to attend a board meeting, please contact Taylor Fletcher at tfletcher@sonoma4cs.org.
Board Members
Jenny Juhl
Chair
Jenny has spent her career working in the non-profit sector of the San Francisco Bay Area, focusing on capacity building for growing organizations. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Music Education from Sonoma State University and a Masters of Science in Management and Leadership from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business. Jenny joined the 4Cs Board of Directors in 2023 to help expand opportunities for working families in Sonoma County. In her spare time, Jenny enjoys exploring the Bay Area with her 9-year-old son and cooking.
Brandon Kelsey
Vice Chair
Brandon strives to have a measurable impact on the local community, with a specific focus on strengthening families and ensuring the establishment of strong foundations for the children of Sonoma County. He joined the board in 2018 and serves on the Development Committee. He’s a Director – Surgical Services at Kaiser Permanente. When not leading teams of managers, physicians, and clinical staff to provide direct patient care to Kaiser Permanente members, he likes to spend time with his family, hike, watch movies, play golf, travel and visit Disneyland whenever possible. As a child, his favorite toys were Batman and He-Man.
Anthony Diehm
Secretary
Driven by a strong belief in giving back to causes that matter, Anthony joined the 4Cs Board of Directors to support early childhood care and education in Sonoma County. As a law enforcement professional with years of leadership experience including contract negotiations, political advocacy, and board service, he brings a broad and valuable perspective to the board. As a father of two, Anthony has firsthand experience with the challenges families face in accessing and affording childcare. His professional background also includes investigating child-related cases, giving him a unique lens into the importance of safe, quality care. Outside of work, he enjoys golfing, fishing, and cheering on his son after eight years of coaching youth baseball.
Kim August
Chair of Finance Committee
Seeking out an organization that allows children to flourish during critical early years, Kim joined the board in 2016. As Chief Financial Officer for Burbank Housing, Kim brings her strong communication, analytic and risk assessment skills to her role as Chair of the Finance Committee. She’s proud to be an ambassador for 4Cs, sharing news about all the work 4Cs accomplishes. She fills her time laughing with her three children and grandson, going on walks and baking chocolate chip cookies. Goodnight Moon is her favorite children’s book, and her favorite children’s toy is the Etch-a-Sketch.
Alberto Botello
Alberto has worked at after school programs in college, Boys and Girls Club of Central Sonoma County, mentored via Salvation Army and the Big Brothers program. In addition to serving on the board of 4Cs, he volunteers as a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate with Verity. He has helped run Camp Núñez since 2006 and is a Member of the Active 20-30 Club of Santa Rosa #50. He currently works for the Sonoma County Department of Child Support Services. Alberto believes in equipping our children for success as it all starts at an early age. In his spare time, likes volunteering, hike and running. Growing up his favorite toy was a soccer ball and his favorite children’s books were The Boxcar Children and Parrot in the Oven.
Amy Famini
Amy has been working in children’s health for the past 2 decades. She is a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner at Sutter Medical Group of the Redwoods. Through her work in Pediatric Primary Care, she has seen firsthand the tremendous impact 4C’s makes in improving the lives and health of the children and families served through safe, high quality childcare and meals. She is thrilled to join the board to help support the 4C’s mission. Amy received a Bachelor’s of Science in Child Development at UC Davis and then completed her Master’s in Pediatric Nursing at UC San Francisco. She grew up in Sonoma County and is now raising two teens of her own with her husband of 20 years. Amy is a voracious reader, loves to craft and spend time outdoors and is a dog-lover with two very large and very frisky rescue pups. As a child, Amy loved to play dress up and spend every Saturday in the library checking out Baby Sitters Club books.
Marceau Merchat
Marceau is dedicated to making a significant impact on his community by ensuring equitable access to resources for all children, a mission that aligns closely with the goals of 4Cs. Currently, Marceau is in Human Resources at Keysight Technologies, following valuable experience in various HR roles at publicly traded companies and as a crisis responder at the non-profit Cunningham Children’s Home.
Marceau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Master’s degree in Human Resources and Industrial Relations from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Outside of his professional endeavors, he enjoys traveling to visit friends, attending music festivals, and volunteering. Marceau is passionate about giving back and ensuring children have the resources they need to thrive. As a child, he enjoyed playing Super Nintendo!
Leanne Nelmes
Leanne Dougherty (Nelmes) brings more than 20 years of experience in early childhood education to the 4Cs Board of Directors. She previously worked at a nonprofit childcare center in Novato and now owns and operates a large family childcare program, as well as a licensed childcare center in Cotati serving infants through preschool-aged children.
Leanne holds an Associate of Arts degree in Social & Behavioral Science and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development with a concentration in Early Childhood Education. She is passionate about advocating for children and strengthening high-quality early learning opportunities in her community. Outside of work, Leanne enjoys spending time with her three active children and supporting their many sports and outdoor activities.
Angela Ryan
Angela Ryan, Ph.D., is a Sonoma Valley native and philanthropic leader, dedicated to driving community impact through strategic innovation and deep local engagement. Since returning to her hometown in 2013, she has become a pillar in Sonoma Valley’s nonprofit ecosystem, leading organizations such as the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation and helping launch initiatives like Impact100 Sonoma’s NextGen program. Currently, she directs the Sonoma Valley Catalyst Fund, advancing community-centered solutions with heart and vision. She is a passionate advocate for early childhood education and the vital services provided by 4Cs. Angela lives in Sonoma with her partner Doug and their two children, and enjoys recreating her favorite childhood traditions with them, like blackberry picking, trail hiking and pizza nights.
Stacy Small
Stacy has more than 25 years of banking and people management experience, and is the AVP/Customer Care Manager at Exchange Bank. She joined the 4Cs board in 2016 because she wanted to be involved in helping children grow and develop through early education. She serves on the Personnel Nominating Committee. Stacy has recently started mountain bike riding, and loves hiking and walking with her dog. She’s also obsessed with true crime podcasts. As a child, she loved watching “The Sound of Music” over and over again.
Christine Tenorio
Christine has spent her career working with children in both early childhood and elementary school. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies with a Concentration in Child Development from CSU, Stanislaus, a Master of Arts in Multiple Subject Teaching from the University of Southern California, and an active California Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Currently, Christine works at Santa Rosa Junior College as faculty in the Child Development and Teacher Education Department. On her own time, Christine enjoys spending time with her husband and two boys. She also loves travelling, reading, and gardening with her family.
Noemi Villagomez
Candy Yandell
Candy currently serves as Vice President and Cash Management Service Manager at Summit State Bank. In this role, she assists customers who are seeking solutions to manage their money. Candy also supports branch managers and the Business Development Officer in building customer relationships across the organization. She has been in the banking industry for 29 years, including 20 years with Summit State Bank. Most of her tenure has been in branch operations before transitioning into her current position. Candy is passionate about giving back to the community and has served on the Board of the Healdsburg Chamber of Commerce, Healdsburg Young Professionals, and the Advisory Board for the Healdsburg and Geyserville Boys and Girls Club.
Emeritus Board Members
Gary Hochman
Gary served on the 4Cs Board of Directors from 2001-2010, acting as Treasurer, Vice President and President. Principal and co-founder of the HR Matrix of Santa Rosa, his consulting firm specializes in organization development and human resources. In addition to his commitment to his family and the local non-profit community, Gary served on the faculty of the Organization Department Program at Sonoma State University for six years and University of San Francisco for four years.
Tom Schwedhelm
Tom served on the 4Cs Board of Directors in 2007. He has lived in this community for over 25 years. He is the former Chief of Police for the Santa Rosa Police Department. Tom and his wife Jackie have been married for over twenty years and have two children. He has a Bachelor’s degree from St. Mary’s College in Business Management and a Master’s degree from Sonoma State University in Psychology – Organizational Development. Currently, Tom is serving as mayor of Santa Rosa.
Michael E. Snow
(Posthumously)
With a passion for always giving back and supporting the next generation, Michael (Mike) E. Snow was an active member of 4Cs Sonoma County’s board and Development Committee from 2017-2020. Mike made numerous connections for 4Cs supporting our preschools and through his work as a member of the Active 20-30 Club #50. Through his connection to both organizations he was able to supported the work of 4Cs by sending children on a back to school shopping spree, acquired a washer and dryer for a preschool, and supporting our grant request for a storage shed to name a few. Mike’s expertise as a Financial Advisor with Morgan Stanley supported the Board’s work to constantly consider sound investment strategies for the future sustainability of our organization. He attended our events and was a board buddy to the 4Cs Wright Start preschool. Mike’s passion was helping children in our community and his impact, smile, and kind heart will keep him alive in all of our hearts and minds forever.
Advisory Board Members
Riley Flanagen
Riley became involved with 4Cs in 2013 when she chose 4Cs from an internet search for a 8th grade school project. Riley hosted a wine dinner to benefit 4Cs, raising over $15,000. Since then, Riley has stayed connected with agency and continues to be an advocate for early education. Riley was named an Advisory Board Member in 2015.
