“There seemed to be an obvious match of clients with limited resources and design students with unlimited creativity. The clients get an incredibly impassioned response to their design request and the students get a real project to work on. The feedback from both sides of this volunteer experience has been awesome!”
Jolene Enns
Former PBD Liaison to IIDA Student Volunteers
Board & Staff
Bernard
Education and Scholarship Chair
Board Member
After graduating with a BA in Art, Gloria moved to Florida and established an Interior Design business that she ran for 20 years. In 2007, she relocated to California and discovered Philanthropy by Design through Julie Drechsel. This began a refocus of her design experience and a realization of how much interior design can contribute to a community and how rewarding it was to her spirit. Continuing with this concept in mind, she also teaches interior design at The Art Institute at Sunnyvale. “Hopefully, I can encourage young designers to follow in community service with their design talent.”
Drechsel
Volunteer Coordinator, Board Member
Julie has been in the commercial furniture industry since 1994. After receiving her BA in Interior Design from Drexel University in Philadelphia, she started her career working as a Technical Designer/Space Planner for a Steelcase office furniture dealership. Later, she relocated to San Francisco and continued working as a Senior Technical Designer for a variety of dealerships throughout the city. She became an independent furniture consultant providing sales, space planning, design services, project management and project coordination services for her clients. Julie has been on the board of Philanthropy by Design since 2007. As the Volunteer Coordinator, she finds and matches volunteers to PBD projects, assisting them during all phases of the project. Julie feels that PBD brings out the best in volunteers, allowing them the creative freedom to utilize materials and products that would have otherwise ended up in landfill. “The outcome is truly amazing. I am proud to be part of Philanthropy by Design because we help deserving non-profit agencies as well as the environment.”
Lassen-Hahne
PR Chair, Board Member
Kathy has served on the board of Philanthropy by Design since 2005 managing public relations efforts as well as other marketing initiatives and events. Her professional expertise is in marketing communications with experience from Royal Viking Line, Gump’s and McGuire Furniture Company. Recent PBD projects include the new web site and a photo shoot at the St. Vincent de Paul Multi-Service Center. “This shoot took me from five-star cruise ships and designer furniture to a homeless shelter, perhaps providing the greatest satisfaction of them all in seeing how our organization changes people’s lives.” Kathy also supports other non-profit organizations including Dining by Design, the Rex Foundation, Black Rock Arts Foundation and the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco. She earned a Bachelor of Science Cum Laude from The Ohio State University with a triple major in Spanish, English and Education. Kathy continued her graduate studies in Advertising and Marketing Management at Golden Gate University. She is a member of MENG (Marketing Executives Networking Group) and the San Francisco Professional Food Society.
Nicolson
Treasurer, Board Member
Diane has worked in the interior design industry for over twenty years, and has been involved with PBD since 1987. As a founding member, she served on the Board for most of those years, and was past President three times over. She also managed numerous PBD projects over that time, as well as chairing fundraising events. Her resume includes stints with F. Schumacher & Co., McGuire Furniture, and Wm. Switzer & Associates, as Showroom Manager. She is currently working with Dunkirk & Associates in outside sales. Diane’s other industry affiliations include FIFDA, HIA, ASID IP, and DTRA. Her interests and studies have included art history, psychology, interior design and world travel. “I find the most gratifying thing about the work that we do at PBD is the way our creative minds come together and create functional beauty for the greater good. There is nothing more satisfying than to brainstorm with our project staff members and their clients and to see them light up when the project comes to fruition.”
Schanfein
President, Board Member
Linda feels very fortunate to work with such a talented Board at Philanthropy By Design. “As a team with sustainable green practices, we have transformed non-profit environments into better functioning and visually enhanced spaces that allow all who come through the doors to connect with the organization and their mission.” Linda is a dancer/performer in community theatre, as well as a real estate manager and developer, bringing more than 20 years of experience in construction, project and property/facility management. She is the Executive Director of ArtHouse California, which develops and leases spaces for artists and creative organizations, presents multidisciplinary arts programming and consults to various government and non-profit companies. As facilities consultant of the San Francisco LBGT Community Center Project, she oversaw the start-up of this $15 million facility. She also served as the director of facilities for Goodwill Industries in San Francisco, San Mateo and Marin Counties, overseeing a $40 million real estate portfolio. Linda worked as a consultant to the City & County of San Francisco on Loma Prieta and with the City of Los Angeles on the Northridge earthquakes. She also serves on the boards of the World Dance Healing Arts and NOMADance Company. In 2004, she was named a Leading Facilities Professional in the Bay Area Facilities Management Guide. Linda received an MBA and a BS degree from California State University in Dominguez Hills and in March, 2010 a Sustainable Enterprise Executive Certificate to "Green" her MBA, from Dominican University in San Rafael. Most recently, Linda has been appointed to the Sausalito Sustainability Commission.
Skaar
Advisory Board Member
Michael Skaar has been involved in supporting charitable organizations for nearly three decades, supporting PBD in a variety of roles since its early days. PBD’s success requires a sound financial base, knowledge of needs in the marketplace, and relationships with individuals and organizations to assist in filling those needs with product. Mike has bridged those areas for PBD, bringing together multiple industry organizations to rally behind PBD’s mission. Mike founded his company, Skaar Furniture Associates Inc. in 1984, with an initial focus on the emerging field of ergonomics. Over the decades, Mike and his team at Skaar Furniture have teamed repeatedly with every major Architecture and Interior Design firm in Northern California, Nevada, and Hawaii on projects covering the broadest possible range. Mike continues as PBD’s industry ambassador to the various organizations he is involved with, including the Executive Board of the International Interior Design Associations’ Northern California Chapter as Vice President of City Centers, the Curriculum Advisory Board for the Art Institute of California, and the Board of the Silicon Valley International Facilities Management Association. His prior experience includes sales, marketing, and management positions with European, Asian, and US firms. He earned a Bachelors and Masters in Business Administration from Arizona State University and has completed post-graduate work on International Business at UCLA.
