Board of Directors

Frank Newell, Chair

Frank Newell is the former principal and President of the law firm Newell, Curtis, Nelson & Burnight, now known as Curtis & Burnight. He specialized in estate planning, business, and real estate law. Frank has been involved with LBCF since its inception, previously serving as Legal Counsel to LBCF. Frank is currently active in Long Beach Rotary, is on the Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation Board, and is a trustee at the Aquarium of the Pacific. In the past, he has served as President or Chair of several organizations, including Long Beach Rotary, Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation, Long Beach Economic Development Commission, and the Long Beach Bar Foundation. Newell joined the LBCF Board in 2016.

Kevin Peterson, Vice Chair

Kevin Peterson is the CEO and a founder of P2S Inc. headquartered in Long Beach. He currently serves as Chairman of the YMCA of Greater Long Beach board of directors, member of the board at the Memorial Medical Center Foundation, member of the board of trustees of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, and through many other charitable activities. He is the past chair of both the Community Hospital of Long Beach and MemorialCare Community Hospital Long Beach Advisory Board

Yair Katz, CFO

Yair Katz is the chief executive for MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital Long Beach, and senior vice president of pediatrics for MemorialCare. He is leading the development and execution of the vision of Miller Children’s & Women’s and related medical center services, as well as pediatrics services within the health system.

Suzanne Nosworthy, Secretary

Suzanne is a long-time volunteer and has served in many capacities as a volunteer in the community. She currently serves on the Boards of the Long Beach Ronald McDonald House, Community Hospital Foundation, and the Long Beach City College Board of Governors. She is also a voting member of Assistance League® of Long Beach and has served as chapter President and National Assistance League President.

Norm Cauntay

Norm is a limited partner at Edward Jones and serves on the firm’s leadership team. He is the President of the Estate Planning and Trust Council for Long Beach and on the council for the Foundation for Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. He also has passion for and experience in real estate for over 20 years.

Suny Lay Chang

Suny is a lifelong resident of Long Beach and the President & COO of Linc Housing, a nonprofit affordable housing developer and provider of social services. Her leadership includes service on the Boards of the Long Beach Center for Economic Inclusion, Long Beach Economic Partnership, Long Beach Rotary Scholarship Foundation, St Mary’s Medical Center, and United Cambodian Community.

Bryce Cullinane

Bryce Cullinane is a partner at the law firm of Keesal, Young & Logan. He practices corporate litigation, with an emphasis in employment, maritime, securities, and corporate disputes. He has been a resident of Long Beach since 2015 and is active with the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce and the Long Beach Yacht Club.

Mark Guillen

Mark Guillen is the West Regional Manager of Public Affairs at Crown Castle, Int. He is currently a Board Member of The Rumba Foundation of Long Beach, the Ukleja Center for Ethical Studies at CSULB, a Finance Committee Member for the Downtown Long Beach Alliance, and on the Advisory Committee for Long Beach Community Action Partnership. Mark joined the LBCF Board in 2017.

Steve Keesal

Steve Keesal is a financial advisor for Oppenheimer & Co. He is a graduate of Cal State Long Beach and served as an Airborne Ranger in the United States Army Special Operations Command. He is very involved in Long Beach as an active member of the Long Beach Rotary, the Fisher House Southern California, and the American Gold Star Manor. Steve joined the LBCF Board in 2016.

Brenda McDowell

Brenda is a long-term Board member of Precious Lamb Preschool and volunteer childcare specialist. She served as the coordinating pre-school teacher for Long Beach Unified School District for more than fifteen years and is an active member of the Leadership Long Beach Institute.

Jane Netherton

Jane is an LBCF Founder and past Board Chair of the Long Beach Community Foundation. She has served the Long Beach community through the Rotary Club’s Scholarship Foundation, the Long Beach Conservation Corps, and numerous impactful organizations. She is President emeritus of Southern California Special Olympics and is one of the first women to serve as a bank president in California, a title she held at International City Bank for over 25 years.

Suzie Price

Suzie served as the Long Beach 3rd District Councilmember from 2014-2022 and is a Senior Assistant District Attorney. She has served on the CSULB Alcohol, Tobacco, and Other Drugs (ATOD) Advisory Board, and is a Board member for the CSULB Lois J. Swanson Leadership Center. Suzie is actively involved in local non-profit organizations including Pathways to Independence, Steel Magnolias, MADD, and Musical Theatre West.

Susan Wise

Susan has been a resident of Long Beach since 1974. She and her husband, Erich, have two daughters, who attended Long Beach public schools, and four grandchildren. After practicing commercial litigation for several decades with small firms in Long Beach, she now practices law parttime and most recently has focused her practice on corporate governance and employment issues. In addition to her practice, she has a mediator for the Los Angeles Superior Court and a hearing officer for the Long Beach Civil Service Commission.

Marcelle Hope Epley, President & CEO

Marcelle Hope Epley is the President & CEO of the Long Beach Community Foundation. She has both an undergraduate degree and a Master of Business Administration degree from California State University, Long Beach. Her small and large business experience and leadership positions served at local organizations including Long Beach Transit and the Press-Telegram bring a wealth of knowledge and valuable background to the Community Foundation. She is actively involved in the Long Beach community through a broad range of charitable organizations including Long Beach Rotary, the Long Beach City College Foundation, and Leadership Long Beach.

Jon Alban, Professional Advisor Committee

Tony Gales, Accounting Committee

Laura Hartigan, Asset Development Committee

Amanda Johnson, Grants Committee

Scott Magee, Professional Advisor Committee

Sumer Temple, Marketing Committee

In compliance with National Standards, all LBCF Board members, staff, and committee members are required to read and sign a confidentiality policy.