John has had a 35-year career in river conservation. Over that time, he has worked exclusively for non-profit organizations to plan and implement habitat restoration efforts in California’s Central Valley and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. At River Partners, his current employer, he specializes in developing multi-benefit restoration projects that improve water supply, reduce flood risk, and provide parks and open space for disadvantaged communities. John holds a Masters Degree in Environmental Planning from the University of California Berkeley.

His sister Terry Cain, who passed away in 2023, was one of the founding Core Members of L’Arche Wavecrest. John has served on the Board since 2015. Prior to accepting the Board President position in late 2023, John served as Board Treasurer. John is grateful for the community Wavecrest created for Terry and her entire family and wants you to know that you are welcome to contact him personally if you want to help Wavecrest in any way. Everybody is welcome.

Marianne graduated from Mount St. Mary’s College (Los Angeles, CA), with a degree in classical languages, and completed the M.A. program of studies in Applied Theology from the School of Applied Theology, Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley.

In the mid-1970s, while teaching elementary school, mostly junior high students, Marianne served as a Board Member of a unique international nonprofit, Concern America, before being asked to become its director in 1979, where she worked until May 2012.

Marianne formerly inherited the Wavecrest Board President role from Sr. Michelle Tochtrop in 2016. She was also on the St. Joseph Health System Foundation Board, based in Orange, California, for seven years. During the 1980s Marianne was a member of the Board of Directors of LULAC Headstart in Long Beach and on the Los Angeles End Hunger Coalition.

Martha Cain is a retired public school educator who spent the majority of her teaching career at the middle school level teaching art, English and history. Her sister, Terry Cain, was one of the founding Core Members of L’Arche Wavecrest. In addition to the L’Arche Wavecrest Board, Martha is President of the Board of the People’s Life Fund, an organization that makes grants to grassroots groups working for peace, social justice and a sustainable environment. She is also a very active member of the Berkeley Unified School District Climate Literacy Working Group.

Kim grew up in Montana and moved to California to attend San Diego State University, where she received a BS in Business Administration (Accounting). She has held accounting positions in various industries including finance, law, education, non-profit, entertainment, and hospitality. Her non-profit work experience was with the Los Angeles Archdiocese, working for two parochial Catholic schools. She has also volunteered many years at her parish Holy Family Church in South Pasadena.

Kim has three college-aged kids and loves to visit them in Boston, Michigan, and Wisconsin. She lives in Pasadena and enjoys the weekends by walking around the Arroyo with her husband and dogs. Kim is very excited to work with the Board of L’Arche Wavecrest and share her talents for such an amazing cause.

Eduardo Moreno Cerezo is a program officer at the at the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation Catholic Sisters Initiative. In this role, he serves as a key thought partner responsible for designing, developing, managing and monitoring a portfolio of grants that supports congregations, organizations and human development activities in the U.S. and Latin America. Prior to the Foundation, Eduardo worked for Catholic Health System, Providence Saint Joseph Health as a Healthy Communities Manager in southern California.

Eduardo has over 18 years of experience addressing health disparities and equity with multi-cultural groups on public health, community development, social policy, advocacy and grantmaking at health care and non-profit organizations in the United States and Latin America.

Former mayor of the City of Orange, Teresa “Tita” Smith has a long, professional history working with faith-based and other nonprofits advancing family and social welfare, drug abuse prevention and mental health. She worked at Catholic Charities of Orange County as Director of Family Services, and was subsequently promoted to Executive Director in 2009. She retired from the organization in December 2019.

Tita holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Science from the University of California, Irvine; she was in the University’s first freshman class. After 20 years of social work in our local community, she earned a Masters in Social Work from University of Southern California (USC). She is a seventh generation California native and a fifth-generation resident of Orange. Tita is married to Bill Smith.

Sisters of St. Joseph of Orange, Director Mission Advancement

Julie’s personal mission statement is to live her life as an expression of her faith, to encourage and collaborate with others, and to be of service with compassion and excellence. She brings twenty-five years of experience in healthcare and philanthropy with varied leadership positions with a focus on the organization’s culture, mission, vision, and values.

Education includes a Bachelor of Science degree in Organizational Development & Management and a MA in Ethics and Theology the Aquinas Institute of Theology. Volunteerism includes service on several boards for non-profits that focused on women’s health issues, mental health and substance use, conservation/wildlife, and homelessness. She and her husband, Bill, have been married for forty-two years and residents of Orange County for thirty-one years.