Sonoma Community Center announces a new leadership team, elevating Interim Executive Director Vanessa Glamore Rognlien to permanent status and making six additions to the Board of Directors.
Rognlien has been acting as Interim Executive Director for the past six months. Rognlien joined the Center’s Board of Directors two years ago and has been actively involved with the Programs Committee, overseeing the music, movement, and performance curriculum, said Jan Erickson, Ed.D., president of the Board.
“With her intimate knowledge of the organization and passion for music, the arts, and our community, we are grateful that Vanessa was willing to be the interim director. We are ecstatic that she accepted our offer to lead the Center as the Executive Director. It was an internal shift that just made sense,” Erickson said.
Rognlien grew up in Long Island, New York and earned her BA in Political Science and Communication from Boston College. She has devoted over 20 years to helping nonprofits with development, raising money for arts, education, and youth advocacy groups.
She moved to Sonoma Valley with her husband, Rand, and their children in 2009, putting those skills to work on various nonprofit boards and committees including the Presentation School Board of Trustees, Development Chair of the Sonoma Valley Education Foundation Board, and the SVUSD Local Control and Accountability Committee.
Serving as the Executive Director of Sonoma Valley Youth and Family Services, Rognlien has continued to oversee both nonprofits.
“Over the past six months, we have grown together, and I believe come through as a stronger, more empathetic, resilient, and creative team,” Rognlien said. “I am extremely proud of the role the Community Center serves in Sonoma and the important part our staff plays in providing the community healing, creativity, connection, excitement, and wonder to Sonoma Valley every day.”
Joining the board are: Kimberly Enzensperger, Yohkheved Ihejirika, Megan Moll, Anne Elizabeth O’Brien, and Kory Stradinger. Bob Bertz, CPA, joins as Treasurer of the Board.
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Bob Bertz, CPA, is originally from Texas, but has been a long-time resident of the Bay Area, arriving in Sonoma Valley in 2015 with his husband Scott. He received a Bachelors in Business Administration from the University of Texas at Austin and has spent his career in finance and accounting. Currently, he is Chief Financial Officer of a software company. Bertz looks forward to serving the Sonoma Community Center as Treasurer of the Board of Directors.
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Kimberly Enzensperger came to Sonoma with her husband to purchase their first home and raise their two boys. She earned her BA from Chico State University which brought her to the Valley to lead the Community Action Volunteer in Education (CAVE) at Sonoma Developmental Center. Enzensperger worked at SDC as a recreational therapist, individual program coordinator, and special education teacher. Community members may remember her from a boutique she ran for over a decade called Sonoma Girlie Stuff. She has been volunteer coordinator for the Sonoma International Film Festival since 2002. A dedicated community member deeply connected to the heart and soul of Sonoma Valley, she is a welcome addition to the Center’s Board of Directors.
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Yohkheved (Yohki) Ihejirika has spent most of her life in California. She studied Economics with an emphasis on Business Administration in Santa Cruz. Ihejirika works as a web designer and business consultant, and as a ceramics artist, she is active in the Center’s Ceramics Department as both a monitor and sitting on committees. She is looking forward to a more active leadership role as a Board Director. She lives in Sonoma with her husband and two cute but insane dogs, Helix and Prince.
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Megan Moll Is a Sonoma native. She is proudly serving as the operator of The Red Grape and dedicates her free time to volunteering for school activities, supporting her kids in sports endeavors, and supporting her husband Tony in his wine venture, Three Fat Guys Wines. Moll’s past experience on the Sonoma Chamber board showcased her commitment to the community as she advocated for local businesses. She is eager to contribute her insights and experience to enriching lives through the Sonoma Community Center’s programs and events.
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Anne Elizabeth O’Brien has been a Sonoma resident since 1998. She earned her BS from UCLA, completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University in Bologna, Italy, and earned her Masters at Dominican University in San Rafael. She is the Chief Executive Officer of CFA Society San Francisco and is also a founding member of the Sonoma Valley Museum of Art. Over the years, O’Brien has been a member, volunteer, or Board member for many local nonprofits including La Luz, Sonoma Mentoring Alliance, SIFF, IMPACT 100, and more. She brings her experience to the Sonoma Community Center helping to ensure the longevity of this unique organization.
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Kory Stradinger moved from San Francisco to the town of Sonoma with his wife, Sarai Obermeyer, in 2012. He earned his MBA in Finance from U.C. Davis and a BA in Communications from CSU, Chico. His most recent position was Executive Director of local nonprofit, Sweetwater Spectrum. Prior to taking his skills to the nonprofit sector, his career included 20 years in strategic planning, operational and financial roles for both corporate and start-up organizations throughout the Bay Area and Europe. Stradinger and wife are active in the local community, and he brings a wealth of business leadership experience to the Center as a member of the Board of Directors.
In a move announced in June, the revamped leadership team also includes Mary Catherine Cutcliffe, previously at Pets Lifeline, as Development Director. “The historic old brick building is so alive with creativity,” said the Birmingham, Alabama, native. “I love walking the halls and looking in on classes in action, seeing the Montessori kids on the playground, experiencing activities in the Secret Garden, watching plays in Andrews Hall, and working with the amazing staff at the Center every day.”
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