Meet the Words Alive Board of Directors

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Leslye Winkelman Lyons

Words Alive Founder, Board Member Emeritus

Leslye Winkelman Lyons has more than 40 years of nonprofit sector experience as a salaried and volunteer professional. As the Words Alive founder, she has served the organization in various capacities including Board Chair and pro-bono Executive Director. 

She also co-founded Fostering Futures Initiative, a now-completed five year cross-sector collaboration supporting transitioning foster youth and is currently a volunteer in a number of organizations including Jewish Family Services, Funders Together to End Homelessness, and the La Jolla Playhouse.

A former book group facilitator, Leslye facilitated hundreds of book group discussions and served as a consultant to book groups across the country. For more than 20 years, she wrote and distributed Literary Lines, a newsletter for readers and book group members. 

Currently Leslye is COO of Lyons Accountancy Group, a family owned full service tax and accounting firm, where she is also a consultant to non-profits and small businesses.

Leslye earned a bachelor’s degree from Washington University and a master’s degree in social work from Yeshiva University.

Meredith Baratz

Chair

Meredith Baratz’s professional career spanned 30+ years, focused on driving market-based solutions for MetLife, UnitedHealth Group and their clients - with an emphasis on innovation, consumer value and commercial success. Her responsibilities encompassed account management, sales/marketing leadership, strategic insights and innovation to support growth, improve consumer health, and drive cultural change. She was a frequent source of strategic expertise in public forums, client discussions and business coalitions, including the National Business Group on Health and the Berkeley Innovation Forum, hosted by the University of California, Berkeley. Ms. Baratz served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Product Development and Management Association for 6 years. She has been quoted in trade publications and national press.

She graduated magna cum laude from Mount Holyoke College, and holds an Executive MBA from New York University.

Now retired, Ms. Baratz resides in southern California, where she is an active volunteer with organizations supporting military servicemen and women, literacy, and local community preservation and planning.

Julie Dubick

Vice Chair

Julie is the Strategic Partnerships Advisor and Chief of Staff for The Conrad Prebys Foundation, which includes impact investing, public private partnerships and community work on behalf of San Diego’s largest private foundation.

Julie Dubick brings a diverse background in nonprofit work, government and business. She has served on Boards or facilitated strategic planning for a wide variety of local and regional nonprofits, including serving as former President and a co-founder of the San Diego Women’s Foundation, former Board Chair of The Monarch School, former governance chair of the San Diego and Imperial County Girl Scouts, former Audit Chair of the California Women’s Foundation, member of the Scripps Health Foundation board, and former Board Chair, PsychArmor.

Julie served as the Director of Policy and Chief of Staff to former Mayor Jerry Sanders. She is a founding and current Board member of Endeavor Bank, a local community bank supporting San Diego small and medium sized businesses.

Julie was a partner and member of the executive committee for the law firm of Seltzer Caplan McMahon Vitek. Before joining the firm, Julie worked for the federal government as the Assistant Director of the United States Marshals Service and as a trial attorney for the United States Justice Department. She is currently an adjunct Professor of Law at California Western School of Law.

Julie is a contributing author to two books: “The Workers” and “It’s Harder in Heels”, and the recipient of several community awards. She is married to Mitchell Dubick, a partner at Higgs, Fletcher & Mack and they have 3 children: Jessica, David, and Gabrielle.

Karen Malin

Secretary

Co-Chair, Program Committee

Chair, Board-Staff Task Force

After having spent 40 years in education in the San Francisco Bay Area, Karen and her husband Jim moved to San Diego. Karen retired from a very busy career which included teaching students from Preschool through college levels, private practice in learning remediation, and serving as Head of Lower School at an independent elementary school for 14 years. In addition to a teaching credential, Karen has a Masters in Special Education. She loves being a part of learning communities and immersing in the possibilities that always flourish in that environment. Now in San Diego, she loves spending time with her grandchildren, Emi, Landon, and Walker.

Karen is also very involved in silk painting, and enjoys studio sessions with fellows artists, painting images on silk, as well as creating fabric to sew into clothes and scarves for family and friends. She has been lucky enough to exhibit six times. Karen is currently the President of the San Diego Silk Guild and serves on the education committee at Visions Art Museum.

Through Words Alive Karen has been able to fulfill her passion for helping students develop their curiosity, creativity, risk taking and thinking skills.

Nick Giordano

Treasurer

Nick Giordano is a graduate of University of Redlands and a licensed CPA with over 10 years of experience in public accounting and finance. He is now the Vice President, Corporate Controller at WD-40 Company, a public company based in San Diego. Nick specializes in technical accounting, audits, financial reporting and equity accounting.

Nick’s favorite hobby is golf. He used to play competitively through college and he still plays on the weekends with his father, who taught him how to play as a child. He learned about Words Alive after meeting an enthusiastic board member on the golf course. His mother was a strong advocate for avid reading and fostered reading and writing skills with him and his two sisters. After learning about the organization and the mission, Nick was excited to volunteer. He began volunteering for Words Alive in the summer of 2020 as part of the finance committee and now also serves on the audit committee and the board of directors.

Jeffra Becknell

Jeffra Becknell is a soon-to-be retired teacher with the San Diego County Office of Education. She currently teaches high school History, Government, and Economics at Monarch School, where she first became a partner teacher with   the Adolescent Book Group over 10 years ago. 

Jeffra learned how to read from the magazines her parents stuck in front of her when she was having nightmares. Later, she was the student who often had a book hidden under her desk in those classes she found “boring.” As a teacher, she hopes her classes allow students to learn how to learn and to use their voices to improve their communities.  She believes that literacy is a transformative skill that can and must be achieved by every student. 

Jeffra graduated from Colby College in Waterville, Maine, where she played defense on the women’s ice hockey team and served as a student representative to the Board of Trustees. She won a Watson Fellowship that allowed her to travel throughout western Europe interacting with and learning from women soccer and ice hockey players. After graduating from Columbia Law School, she practiced law in Washington, D.C. for three years before discovering her true calling in education. 

Jeffra lives in Encinitas with her wife, also an educator. They have 2 dogs and 2 daughters who come home from college to see the dogs. 

Tammy Carpowich

Tammy Carpowich is Sr. Director of Media & Creative Services at the San Diego County Office of Education. In her current role she oversees all media for SDCOE, including two cable channels, SDCOE’s digital presence, brand management, graphic design, virtual and in-person meeting support, and a print shop that serves San Diego’s 42 school districts.  

Before joining SDCOE, Tammy spent 25 years at KPBS, San Diego’s NPR and PBS stations. There she served a variety of leadership roles in the areas of Innovation, Digital, IT, Fundraising, News, Video Production and Communications.    

Tammy is a graduate of LEAD San Diego’s Impact and Advance programs. She has earned awards for her work from the San Diego Press Club, Society of Professional Journalists, PBS, Public Relations Society of America, and others. She was one of San Diego Metropolitan's "40 Under 40" honorees and served as a board member for the Integrated Media Association (iMA) and the San Diego chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.   

Tammy is an active volunteer with LEAD San Diego, Words Alive, and the Mt. Carmel Marching Sundevils.  

In her spare time Tammy is an avid reader (don’t ask her favorite genre or book – it's too hard to pick!) and an enthusiastic supporter of competitive marching music. She lives in Sabre Springs with her husband, two teenage children, and their miniature dachshund, Penny.    

Brian Fidler

Brian Fidler is a lifelong learner, educator, and Episcopal priest.  For 38 years, he served as chaplain, teacher and coach in five independent, Episcopal schools – boarding and day – in Connecticut, New York, Texas, Massachusetts and California.  At each of the schools he served, Brian made it a priority to invite his own students to serve in the wider community – as tutors in an underserved middle school, through clothing collection and distribution drives, house refurbishing, and visiting fellow teens incarcerated in a maximum-security facility.

Brian retired from The Bishop’s School in La Jolla in 2018, and he and his wife, Blake, couldn’t think of a compelling reason to return to the cold and snow of the northeast. For several years, he volunteered in the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego, chairing the diocesan Commission on Ministry and serving as the Interim Dean of Studies for its School for Ministry.  He continues to mentor school chaplains nationwide and he is a trained Listening Hearts convener of discernment groups for those exploring ordained ministry.

Brian began volunteering with the Adolescent Book Group program of Words Alive in 2021, working with students in the 9th, 10th, and 11th grades at Monarch School. Now in his third year, he loves working with a team of three adults to find creative ways to engage students in contemporary Young Adult literature in the classroom.  Developing project-oriented, participation-driven activities is at the heart of working with the students to develop reading and interpretive skills, encouraging them to become lifelong readers and learners.

Recognized as Words Alive 2023 Volunteer of the Year by the North County Philanthropy Council, Brian joins Words Alive Board of Directors in 2023. When he’s not volunteering, he plays pickleball, walks, writes fiction and visits his and his wife’s grandson on the East coast.

From 2013 to 2019, Tami served on various committees with the Hillcrest Business Association (HBA) and was elected Board President in 2015 to support this growing community association. In 2019, she was recognized for her achievements while serving as President of HBA by the California Assembly 78th District, California State Senate, City of San Diego, and County of San Diego Board of Supervisors. Her recognition was for her dedication to furthering the mission of HBA by expanding the Hillcrest Farmer’s Market, establishing the Normal Street Promenade (a community gathering place), collaborating with San Diego Pride to ensure that the annual Pride event was free to the public, and building consensus between the needs of the business community, residents, and visitors.

Since 2012, Tami has also been active in other community business organizations, including the Downtown San Diego Partnership (Homeless Task Force/Public Policy) and the Greater San Diego Chamber of Commerce (Public Policy).

Tami attended the University of San Diego and holds a California Real Estate Broker’s License, as well as Real Property Administrator (RPA) and Facilities Management Administrator (FMA) designations from the Building Owners and Managers Institute International (BOMA International).

In addition to serving on Words Alive’s Board, Tami chairs our Property Management Committee, ensuring that we maintain and maximize the strategic service opportunities of our headquarters building at 770 Park Boulevard in San Diego’s East Village.

In her spare time, Tami enjoys traveling with her husband, engaging in outdoor activities, and, as a resident of Ramona’s growing AVA wine region, has earned her Level II Specialist of Wine with merit from the Wine & Spirit Education Trust. She continues her education in this field.

Dan Gardenswartz

Daniel Gardenswartz was the first in his immediate family to go to law school, and choosing a career in law was largely driven by a passion for civil rights. Dan began this pursuit while still in law school, interning the Atlanta Georgia Office of Civil Rights, and then the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office of Civil Rights. After graduating from Emory University School of Law and moving to San Diego in 1993, Dan devoted his legal career to learning, ensuring compliance with, and where necessary enforcing various civil and employer rights on both the defense and plaintiff side of the bar. He has since become an accomplished trial lawyer in a wide variety of business disputes, in addition to his civil rights and employment law-based practice.

With over 30 years of experience, Dan’s leadership in this field has earned him a loyal and ever-expanding list of high caliber clients, the respect among his colleagues on both sides of the bar, and promotion to the top leadership position within Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, LLP – a San Diego legal stalwart since 1977. After served two consecutive terms as managing partner, Dan continued to lead the firm’s Litigation Department as its Chair and currently serves as the General Counsel to that firm. He is, in other words, the lawyer for his fellow lawyers.

Dan received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs (Phi Betta Kappa) and law degree from Emory University School of Law, cum laude and graduating within the top 10% of his class. While at Emory, Dan served as an editor of the Emory Law Review, received an American Jurisprudence Award in appellate litigation and was admitted into the Order of the Coif Legal Honor Society.

After working with a small law practice for his first two years, Dan joined Solomon Ward as an associate in 1995, became a partner in 2001, and was named managing partner in 2015, serving two terms and relinquishing it in 2019 under the firm’s managing partner rotation policy. As Litigation Department Chair Dan grew the firm’s litigation associate team and continued to elevate its respected partners through his management and interpersonal skills. Dan currently advises his firm and its lawyers with thorny questions involving conflicts of interest, internal and external dispute resolutions, and related issues impacting the business and political aspects of an intense law firm practice.

In his daily practice, Dan advises senior executives, business owners, and in-house counsel on any number of legal issues, including compliance, investigatory, strategic, affirmative relief and defensive strategies. Dan has also developed deep experience in the executive compensation and dispute resolution fields, and in doing so has personally represented several high-profile executives, clergy, and rank and file employees in their separation from, or new employment with, for-profit and non-profit institutions.

During his tenure as the firm’s managing partner, Dan placed environmental, social, and governance issues as a top firm priority. He personally led efforts to have nationally recognized experts identify bias in judicial and legal decision-making, and present at the firm’s annual retreat. Dan continues to participate in and heavily encourage other Solomon Ward lawyers to engage in pro bono activities and various charitable endeavors. Examples of this include pro bono work for Kitchens for Good, Inc., fundraising and gift-giving drives for San Diego Rescue Mission, Serving Seniors, Feeding America and Coastal Cleanup Day. Dan also currently advises and has served on – and frequently led -- several local non-profit organizations.

Steve Heide

With a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting from Cal Poly Pomona, Steve Heide earned his CPA license working as an auditor with Eadie & Payne, LLC, starting in 1986. Steve retired from the Chino Valley Fire District, a California special district located in Chino Hills, California, as Finance Director in 2022, having worked for Chino Valley Fire for the last 18 years of his career. With annual revenues in excess of $50 million, Steve’s responsibilities at the district included all areas of finance and accounting, including budget, treasury, financial management and financial reporting. During Steve’s tenure with Chino Valley Fire, the district was an early adopter of prefunding strategies for post-retirement health obligations and unfunded pension liabilities, and under his leadership, the district successfully participated in prestigious national award recognition programs for its annual budget and annual comprehensive financial report.

Over a professional working career spanning some 36 years, Steve held a number of finance, accounting and management positions in private industry, not-for-profits and local government.

Steve has a proud history of professional association and volunteerism with non-profits. Prior to joining the fire district, Steve served as Director of Finance for David and Margaret Children and Family Services, a 501(c)(3) social services agency located in La Verne, California, for a period of four years. During his tenure at Chino Valley Fire, he also served as the volunteer treasurer for the Chino Valley Fire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) community foundation. Most recently, Steve and his wife Gabrielle, have been volunteering at Words Alive, a not-for-profit literacy program located in downtown San Diego, which serves 5,000 students and families annually.

Steve also served as President of the California Society of Municipal Finance Officers in 2020. CSMFO is a statewide 501(c)(6) professional association for local government finance officers, and he was just the second special district member and first fire district representative to serve as president in the then 65-year history of this statewide association. He concluded his term on the CSMFO board of directors in 2021, having held a number of volunteer leadership positions over the previous decade-and-a-half with the 2,000-plus member organization. In retirement, Steve continues to volunteer with CSMFO on a number of committees and working groups.

Steve has given testimony in Sacramento to the Little Hoover Commission on behalf of California special districts and he has co-presented on finance topics with the California State Treasurer. Steve also met with the California State Controller on behalf of local government finance officers, and he has presented on numerous topics to other municipal finance professionals in California.

Steve and Gabrielle retired to San Diego in 2022 and are enjoying life in Point Loma. Steve loves cooking and traveling, and spending time with family and friends. He and Gabrielle have two adult children, Alex, who is married to Elena, and Jacque whose husband is Robert. Steve continues to actively maintain his California CPA license, and is enjoying this next exciting life chapter.

Julia Loman

Julia Loman, MS, has been committed to social change, anti-bias, and multi-cultural practices for over 25 years. She has been in the early care and education field for 27 years, working with families and children ages 0-12 in various settings and positions, from classroom teacher to program director. She currently works with Neighborhood House Association’s Head Start Program in San Diego, CA and an Early Care and Education Consultant.

Her passion for social justice and anti-racism was nurtured at a young age by her father, who taught Black Studies. She has woven this passion into everything she does personally and professionally. Her love of books was also nurtured by her family. She read Ayn Rand’s 750-page novel “The Fountainhead” her senior year of high school in 2 days, just for fun!  Her favorite audiobook is “The Water Dancer” by Ta-Nehisi Coates. In addition to holding a bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a Child Development Focus and master’s in Organizational Management and Leadership, Julia is the proud parent of a twenty-three-year-old and step-bonus mom to a six-year-old, her ultimate child development experiments!

Bijan Nowroozian

Bijan is the Senior Librarian of Parkland Spanaway Library.  In this role, he supervises a Leadership Team of 8 Librarians and a staff of 30+ employees. Bijan has worked in libraries for 18 years, mostly at San Diego Public Library. Bijan was the Chair of Programming for the 2021 CLA Conference and hosted 3 panels at San Diego Comic Con. Bijan has received numerous awards over the years, including the SDPL Employee of the Year, the SJSU Director’s Award of Excellence in Diversity and Inclusion, the President’s Volunteer Service Award (2022 & 2023), and the Words Alive Teen Services Volunteer of the Year. 

Bijan grew up in San Diego County and graduated from Grossmont College (A.A.), San Diego State University (B.A.), and San Jose State University (Master of Library and Information Science). While growing up, the local library was his place of refuge; a safe space he would visit every day after school to relax, study, and immerse himself in books. In college, he discovered a love for non-fiction and poetry. He has recently enjoyed the world of graphic novels and appreciates a good audiobook while working out. In addition to reading, Bijan also enjoys hiking, playing video games, and running obstacle course races. He even competed on American Ninja Warrior! 

Bijan started volunteering at Words Alive in 2017 as the team lead for the Adolescent Book Group (ABG) program. He would visit 2-3 classrooms weekly and lead the class in book discussions, writing prompts, activities, games, and art projects that all revolved around the book the students were reading. In addition to his ABG work, Bijan joined the Words Alive Westreich Scholarship (WAWS) program as a volunteer. Once the program transitioned to a more volunteer-focused structure, he was offered the role of Chair of the WAWS Taskforce which he continued until the 2023 sunsetting of the program. Bijan continues to take on additional volunteer roles and projects at Words Alive whenever needed. 

Rick Seidenwurm

Rick Seidenwurm
Rick is a graduate of Williams College and Columbia Law School. In a rare burst of sanity, he left New York and moved to San Diego in 1973. He was a founder and former managing partner of Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith, one of San Diego's top law firms. Rick also served as a commercial arbitrator for the American Arbitration Association. He is now fully retired.
 
Rick began volunteering for Words Alive at Choice Summit in 2009 and founded the Words Alive creative writing program the next year. He continues to volunteer in classrooms, facilitating book lun discussions and teaching creative waiting to underserved teenagers. Rick joined the Words Alive Board in 2013 and has served as Treasurer, Vice Chair, and Board Chair.
 
Rick has served on the nonprofit boards of Wayword, Inc., San Diego Writers, Ink, Business Counsel and Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.  He also did volunteer teaching at Del Sur Elementary School and was a mentor with the Access Youth program.

Colleen Smiley

Chair, Investment Committee

Colleen has nearly twenty years of experience in the investment industry, holding a variety of roles including portfolio management, client service, operations, and research.  She is a Managing Principal at Meketa Investment Group, an institutional investment consulting firm. 

Colleen is a “doer” and a change maker who likes to find solutions to problems, big and small, and help things run just a little bit smoother every day.  Colleen is also the Chair of Meketa’s Corporate Responsibility Committee and a member of its Diversity Leadership Committee and is passionate about sustainability and diversity.  She graduated from the University of San Diego with an MBA and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration.

Colleen joined the Finance Committee of Words Alive in 2021.  Her passion for literacy extends throughout her life, and she is a regular volunteer in the library and as a reading partner at her daughters’ school in Point Loma.

Kelsey Vasko

Department for LPL Financial LLC. Kelsey’s career in litigation spans 13 years, with a primary focus on arbitration in the financial sector. Kelsey began practicing at law firms in Los Angeles, eventually moving to San Diego for family and joining the in-house team at LPL. 

 Kelsey’s passion for non-profit work began in college at the University of Chicago, where she participated in the Summer Links program focused on public service. Thereafter, she interned and volunteered at established 501c3s including Habitat for Humanity, Share Our Strength, the American Red Cross, and tenants' rights clinics at the University of Miami, where she attended law school. 

 Kelsey believes that focused collective action and contribution inherently benefits the larger community. In that spirit, Kelsey enthusiastically joined the Investment Committee of Words Alive in 2024. Kelsey is the proud mother of an incredible five year old daughter, and the loving wife of her native San Diego husband. 

Committees of the Board

Executive Committee

• Meredith Baratz, Chair

• Julie Dubick, Vice-Chair

• Karen Malin, Secretary

• Nick Giordano, Treasurer

Audit Committee

Kelsey Vasko, Chair

Board Governance, Leadership and Nominating Committee

Julie Dubick, Chair

Communication and Marketing Task Force

Tammy Carpowich, Chair

Finance Committee

Nick Giordano, Chair

Fundraising Committee

Meredith Baratz, Interim Chair

Investment Committee

Colleen Smiley, Chair

Learning and Engagement Committee

Karen Malin, Chair

Property Management Committee

Tami Daiber-Hirst, Chair