Wendy is our Donor Celebration Director, working closely with Executive Director Sam Diaz and our 20-member board to secure the resources to meet our annual budget and support the mission of 1000 Friends. With over 40 years of nonprofit development expertise, she has all areas of fundraising and philanthropy under her wings.
A child therapist by training, Wendy has helped with the raising of funds at every place she's ever worked. Early in her career, she ended up at UC Berkeley, where she spent 20 years in advancement (in the world of education, that's the same as development), and loved every minute of it. Spending six years at the UC Botanical Garden set her on the path to the outdoors, eventually leading her to Hawaii, and then to Oregon, where she has lived for more than 25 years.
As Governor Tom McCall famously said, "Oregon is an inspiration." For Wendy, to live in a forest down the street from the Hoyt Arboretum with a major performing arts center just a few minutes away is inspirational—and a great example of the ways smart land use planning makes Oregon such a unique place to live.
In Oregon, she says, "My heart is always in Manzanita!" As you might have already guessed, she's "an Ocean girl," so beyond Oregon, her favorite spot on the planet is Hawaii's Big Island, where she once lived upcountry with her husband and their then-teenage daughter for four years.
Away from work, Wendy spends a great deal of time trying to keep up with two granddaughters who were raised in Forest Park and love climbing trees!