Board of Directors

Jim Schaefer, CPA, MBA

Jim Schaefer, CPA, MBA is managing partner of Mark Schaefer Associates, a CPA firm specializing in early stage technology and fast growth companies. He advises businesses on financial issues including business plans, financial projections, business valuations, mergers and acquisitions and management information systems. Jim’s special emphasis is in business strategies for increasing revenue, controlling costs and managing financial matters.

Jim is the immediate past president of Jewish Federation of San Gabriel and Pomona Valleys and continues as a member of its Board of Governors. He was also past president of David P. Goldman B’nai B’rith and served on the Board of Pasadena Jewish Temple and Center.

His involvement with the business community includes: 1) Founding member and past secretary of the Pasadena Angels, a regional angel investment organization, 2) Advisory Board Member for the Business Technology Center and currently chair of its Mentoring Committee and 3) Co-founder and co-chair for Los Angeles County Technology Week. His political involvement includes past campaign treasurer for Assemblyman and State Senator Bob Margett.

Jim has a BA in Economics from UCLA and an MBA from USC. He has taught the entrepreneurship course at Cal State Long Beach and accounting and finance classes at University of La Verne.

Deborah Naish

Deborah Naish has almost 30 years of experience in business management, licensing and marketing.She is currently the Executive Director of Congregation B’nai B’rith, a Reform Jewish congregation with over 700 families in Santa Barbara, CA. Before joining the staff, Deborah was President of the Board of CBB. She is on the URJ North American Board, as well as the URJ Western District Council as Vice Chair of Synagogue Management.

Deborah was an organizational consultant and coach in the areas of leadership development, team building and strategy for corporations, small businesses and non-profits for 10 years. Clients included Charles Schwab, The Wall Street Journal, Avery Dennison and ConocoPhillips, The Foundation for Santa Barbara City College. Before starting her consulting business, Deborah was President of The Flavia Group, a licensing and publishing company, EVP of Marketing at YES! Entertainment, a children’s toy company, a Director of Marketing in Disney Consumer Products, and in brand management at The Clorox Company. She has an MBA from The Kellogg School at Northwestern University. Prior non-profit board positions include Women’s Economic Ventures and The Arts Fund. She is married to Dr. Howard Babus, a psychiatrist, and they have an 8-year-old son.

Richard Barton

Richard (“Rick”) Barton is a partner at the law firm Procopio, Cory, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP. He serves as litigation counsel and consultant to health systems, hospitals, physician groups and individual providers in business, class action, professional liability, fraud and abuse, and administrative matters in both Federal and State court.

In 1992, Mr. Barton began working in a volunteer capacity for the Anti-Defamation League (“ADL”) in San Diego. He served as the Chairman of the San Diego Regional Advisory Board from 1998-2002. In 2000, he was named an ADL National Commissioner and in 2002, became a member of ADL’s National Executive Committee. In 2005, he was named National Vice Chair of International Affairs. He then served as National Chair of Leadership from 2007 to 2009 which included responsibility for running ADL’s prestigious annual Shana Amy Glass National Leadership Conference in Washington D.C. In 2009, Mr. Barton was named National Chair of Education for ADL. As part of his involvement with ADL, Mr. Barton has traveled to the Middle East and Europe for meetings with officials of the Israeli Government, the Palestinian Authority, the United Nations and European Governments. He has served as a contributor to the San Diego Union Tribune on the Israeli Palestinian conflict and Anti-Semitism. He has lectured and is a regular speaker on the conflict in the Middle East, Anti-Semitism, Holocaust, Religious Freedom, and Church-State issues. He is a recipient of ADL’s Torch of Liberty Award, ADL’s highest honor for its volunteer leadership.

In 2010, Mr. Barton was appointed by Mark Yudof, University of California President, to serve as a member of the President’s Advisory Council on Campus Climate, Culture, and Inclusion. The Council is comprised of 18 community representatives and campus affiliated members from throughout the State of California. UC Regents Chairman Russell Gould and UC President Mark Yudof announced the creation of the Council in May 2010. It works together to address critical challenges in creating and sustaining welcoming and inclusive environments on each of the 10 UC campuses. It also monitors and evaluates the progress of each campus in creating conditions of climate, culture, and inclusion that will best support the mission of the University and provide equal opportunities to all UC students, faculty, and staff.