Meet the Board

Matt Jewett

President, Board of Directors

Matt Jewett is the Associate Director of Grants at Mountain Park Health Center, where he oversees more than $15 million in grants, a 30 percent increase during his three-year tenure. His work focuses on strategic grant management, program alignment, and supporting healthcare access for underserved communities.

Previously, Matt served as the Director of Health Policy for Children’s Action Alliance, a non-partisan research and advocacy organization. In that role, he led policy research, media communication, and legislative outreach on children’s health issues. He also served as a Spanish-language spokesperson for an outreach campaign that increased enrollment in KidsCare, Arizona’s Children’s Health Insurance Program, by 30 percent in 18 months. Additionally, he helped secure legislation that reduced liability for schools opening their playgrounds outside school hours to promote physical activity.

Earlier in his career, Matt worked on political campaigns, contributed to an efficiency review of Arizona state government within the Governor’s Office, and served as a staff assistant to two members of Congress.

Matt holds a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Arizona. His community involvement includes six years on the governing board of the Creighton Elementary School District in Phoenix and service on several nonprofit boards. He is also a graduate of Valley Leadership Institute Class 37.

Dale Lillard

Treasurer, Board of Directors

Dale Lillard is the President of Lansdale Semiconductor, Inc., a manufacturer specializing in aftermarket integrated circuits for military and commercial wireless applications. He began his career in product management at Motorola after earning his B.S. in Electronic Engineering from the University of New Mexico in 1972. He later worked with Fairchild before joining Lansdale Semiconductor in 1980, where he has served as President since.

Dale has been an active member of the American Electronics Association in Arizona and is involved in both the World Presidents’ Organization and the Boy Scouts of America.

Kate Bartholomeusz

Member, Board of Directors

Kate Bartholomeusz is an experienced nonprofit fundraiser specializing in long-term donor relationships, volunteer engagement, and prospect development. She currently serves as the West Coast Regional Lead of Individual Philanthropy for the Grameen Foundation, a global organization leveraging technology to reduce poverty and hunger. Prior to joining Grameen, Kate was the Director of Major Gifts at KQED, the PBS and NPR affiliate serving the San Francisco Bay Area. She has also volunteered with organizations such as Room to Read and the Homeless Prenatal Program.

Kate began her fundraising career with an internship at the Tia Foundation while completing her graduate studies at the Thunderbird School of Global Management. She holds an M.A. in Global Affairs and Management from Thunderbird and a B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration from the University of San Diego.

Kate lives in the Bay Area with her husband and daughter. She enjoys traveling, spending time with her family, and exploring local destinations, from breweries to the zoo.

Shelley Detwiller DiGiacomo

Member, Board of Directors

Shelley is an attorney specializing in securities law at the firm Detwiller DiGiacomo & Pisaruk. Her practice focuses on advising private companies and investors on securities transactions, corporate governance, and a broad range of business matters.

She supports clients from start-up through exit, providing guidance on commercial contracts, loan agreements, licensing and distribution arrangements, and the sale or acquisition of assets, securities, and companies.

Shelley graduated summa cum laude from Cornell Law School. She also holds an M.A. in Political Science from New York University and earned her B.S. in Political Science with minors in History and Spanish from Arizona State University.

She is an active member of the Phoenix community and previously served as Board President for Community Information and Referral. Shelley was recognized by U.S. News & World Report as one of the Best Lawyers in America in Corporate Law for 2013 and 2014.

Scott Reising

Member, Board of Directors

Scott Reising is the Managing Director of Glacial Till Capital LLC, where he advises banks, renewable energy developers, and mid-market businesses on capital raising, deal structuring, and strategic execution. With more than twenty-four years of experience in finance and development, he supports clients through his leadership, financial expertise, and longstanding industry relationships.

Scott serves as an advisor to Pacific Mercantile Bank’s Energy Group, New Resource Bank (now part of Amalgamated Bank), and BayKeepers, a San Francisco environmental nonprofit.

Before founding his own advisory and investment practice, Scott led the Renewable Resources Group (formerly the Energy & Infrastructure Group) at Bridge Bank as Group Head and Senior Vice President. Under his direction, the group developed a national project finance practice focused on cleantech and renewable energy, extending more than $450 million in commitments across residential, commercial, and utility-scale solar. The group’s performance contributed significantly to Bridge Bank’s successful sale to Western Alliance Bank.

Earlier in his career, Scott worked in the New York offices of several major European banks, where he played a key role in executing and structuring transactions in renewable energy and large-scale infrastructure. His experience spans more than $20 billion in structured and project finance transactions involving solar, wind, biofuels, hydroelectric power, transportation systems, and other water and energy projects. His background also includes financial restructuring, credit administration, and asset management. Prior to his work in finance, Scott spent over a decade as a project manager overseeing complex construction and development projects for high-technology clients, including internationally.

Scott holds an M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of Global Management, is a registered professional civil engineer, and is a certified mediator. He is based in the San Francisco Bay Area and is an alumnus of Santa Clara University.

Diego Milán

Member, Board of Directors

Diego is a CPA specializing in entrepreneurship at Corporativo Diemy, where he supports investments and management across several industries, including biotechnology, tequila production, and film. He also provides consulting in business development, strategic growth, and organizational and financial planning.

He graduated from Universidad Panamericana in Guadalajara and later earned an International Master’s degree from the Moore School of Business at the University of South Carolina.

Diego leads Filantropía Diemy, a nonprofit organization focused on supporting projects that assist children living with AIDS and, at times, initiatives that serve elderly or homeless youth. He is based in Guadalajara and occasionally contributes travel and sports columns to local newspapers.

Katie Smith

Member, Board of Directors

Katie is a bilingual project manager and the Bay Area Agent Success Team Lead at Compass, a real estate technology company. She has spent most of her career in customer-facing and implementation roles, with a focus on process improvement, team support, and managing organizational change.

Originally from Sparks, Nevada, Katie has lived in San Francisco for five years. She enjoys traveling, cooking, dancing, and practicing yoga, and she is part of a local group that performs flash mobs throughout the city.

The Tia Foundation holds special meaning for Katie. She has been connected to Tia’s mission for nearly a decade and deeply aligns with the organization’s values. As a Spanish speaker and strong advocate for women, minorities, and Latinx communities, she felt an immediate sense of belonging with Tia. Katie became the first VEA for the organization in 2016 during a program in Tuxcueca with the UVM brigade, returning again in 2017.

Cindy Yeager

Member, Board of Directors

Cindy Yeager manages programs in Latin America and supports both campus-based and off-site initiatives for Thunderbird for Good. She is a 2008 graduate of the Thunderbird School of Global Management and holds a Bachelor of Arts in International Relations, French, and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Alex Nepogodiev

Member, Board of Directors

Alex Nepogodiev is the Divisional Vice President of Global Marketing for Structural Heart at Abbott, a role he has held since joining the organization in 2019. He previously spent thirteen years at Medtronic in roles of increasing responsibility, most recently leading global marketing for the company’s $1.6 billion interventional cardiology franchise. His earlier experience includes marketing and project management positions in the pharmaceutical industry with Dey L.P. and Pfizer.

Alex holds a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from Western Michigan University and an M.B.A. from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.