Karen Ursini - President

Karen Ursini and her husband have owned the Newport Rib Co. in Costa Mesa for 22 years. They have raised their three children in Costa Mesa and have been active in youth sports, PTA organizations, and the Costa Mesa Child Care and Youth Services Committee. She is retired from the non-profit organization, Coalition for Children, Adolescents and Parents (CCAP) where she served on the board and then on the staff as a Parent Educator Coordinator.. In 2003, the Ursini family received the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce Hall of Fame Award.

Mary Fewel - Vice President

Mary Fewel has been a cheerleader for West Costa Mesa for the past 20 years, helping to re-open Victoria Elementary School in 1993, creating a long-running newsletter for the Freedom Homes (now Canyon Park) neighborhood, and serving on various Westside improvement committees. She is a sales associate for Re/Max Metro, and lives in Costa Mesa, overlooking Canyon Park, with her husband Chris and two sons.

Jamie Brownlee - Secretary

Jamie Brownlee is the Director of Outreach Ministries at Vanguard University and her role is to oversee both local and global ministries. Jamie is responsible for creating a vision for Outreach and organizing opportunities for students to serve in our own backyard of Costa Mesa and internationally. She partners with organizations within Orange County and has developed an intense training program to prepare students to work in other cultures.

Tom Sutro - Treasurer

Since 1980 Tom Sutro has served the community on a number of non-profit and community organizations. He joined the Costa Mesa Community Foundation’s Board in 2007 and is currently the Treasurer. He also serves in a leadership role for Mesa Emergency Service Amateur Communications, the Costa Mesa Chamber of Commerce and is a member of the Coast Community College Oversight Committee. In the past he has served on the City’s Planning Commission and 3 R Committee and President of the Board of Directors of Youth Employment Service. Tom is a Risk Manager and REALTOR® with ALTERA Real Estate and his wife Terri, a Vice President with Orange County’s United Way.

Committee Members

Dr. Steven Grant

 

Wendy Leece

Wendy Leece came to Costa Mesa from Tucson, Arizona in 1972 and never left. Always a resident of the Westside, Wendy’s early years in the city were spent raising her five children who attended local schools and played in many sports leagues.

In 1994, Wendy was elected to the Newport Mesa Unified School District School Board and served two terms representing Trustee Zone 7. Wendy was appointed to the Parks and Recreation Commission in 2003 and served as Chair of the Commission in 2006. Wendy has also served on her homeowner’s association’s Architectural Review Committee and is the immediate past president of the Costa Mesa Republican Assembly. She was elected to the City Council on November 7, 2006. Council Member Leece states, “The Costa Mesa Community Foundation is a very active group of committed people who give of their time to make Costa Mesa a better place to live and work.”

Wendy is very proud of her children: Bret, daughter-in-law Blithe, grandchildren Kennedy and Hamilton; Megan, Stephen, Amy and Emily.

Jeffrey Harlan

Jeffrey Harlan is an urban planner and environmental consultant with The Planning Center in Costa Mesa. Formerly an environmental attorney, Jeff has been a long-time advocate for, and practitioner of, community and open space/recreational planning, sustainable development, and green building. Having served in a leadership role in a number of non-profit and community organizations, he is currently a member of the City of Costa Mesa Santa Ana River Trail Blue Ribbon Committee, and Orange County Green Connect. Jeff and his family live in Eastside Costa Mesa.

William Turpit

Bill Turpit moved to Costa Mesa at the beginning of his career as a lawyer and has enjoyed being active as a volunteer with a number of Costa Mesa's neighborhood and civic committees and organizations.  Of special importance to Bill has been his involvement with organizations serving youth and families, primarily in the Westside where he resided for his first 25 years in Costa Mesa.  Bill is a real estate lawyer and partner with the firm Jackson, DeMarco, Tidus & Peckenpaugh in Irvine.