Board of Directors
Shannon Shoup, President, is also the founder of FCA Southern California. She learned about the need for community resources focused on educating consumers about their funeral options/rights and the cost of funeral services while working as a hospice volunteer. Shannon holds degrees in both molecular biology and regulatory science and works as a consultant.
Lynn Holzman, Vice President, is a RN and works as a hospice nurse in Santa Barbara. She has a strong interest in consumer education, advocacy, and home funeral options. She is a founder of One Washcloth, a non-profit organization that encourages and facilitates involvement in the healing act of care for a loved one after death.
Mara Jaffe, Treasurer, is a Principal in the Encino Tax and Accounting Department of Squar Milner. Mara is a CPA and has over 20 years experience in tax planning and preparation of income tax returns for individuals and businesses, preparation of financial statements, and business management services. She is also experienced in forensic accounting, related to fraud investigation and other financial and tax litigation matters. Mara is also a frequent speaker for several professional associations.
Jennifer Willis, Secretary, has a strong interest in advocacy work on behalf of the elderly and in environmentally-friendly end-of-life options. She has worked in the biotechnology industry for over 10 years and lives in the Conejo Valley.
Veronica Guerrero, Director, is the MBA Program Director and an Associate Professor of Business at Cal Lutheran University. She has over 15 years of Marketing Communications experience in the technology industry and her professional background in the private sector included developing and implementing marketing programs in support of strategic partnerships between both small and large organizations.
Kate Kalanick, Director, is a business professional with a heart for environmental, social, and economic justice issues. She is the Program Coordinator for the Green Burial Council, a non-profit organization that advocates for environmentally sustainable end-of-life care options. Having had her own experiences with end of life arrangements, Kate brings with her a sincere understanding of the importance of having options that resonate with personal values.
Stephen Jones is originally from the East Coast and studied Psychology at Virginia Tech University. He earned his doctorate in Depth Psychology from Pacifica Graduate Institute in 2011, completing his dissertation on the healing work of Sarah House, a residential hospice in Santa Barbara. Stephen went on to work there for eight years as a caregiver and serving the last four years as the house manager. Before his career in hospice, Stephen worked for a cremation society. He currently works with Hospice of Santa Barbara as their Community Education Program Coordinator. Stephen continues to live in Santa Barbara with his beloved wife and their dog.
Emily Shafran has a degree in communications and over ten years experience coordinating and managing television show casting and production. Skilled in interpersonal dynamics and challenging conceptual boundaries, Emily brings diverse people together into a shared experience. Through a longtime active interest in cemetery history research, Emily’s passion became burial alternatives that are environmentally sustainable and return control to the family. She advocates for the creation of more green burial options and raises public awareness through social media.
Advisors:
Shari Wolf, Advisor, is the owner of Natural Grace, a funeral service provider of environmentally friendly death care options serving families throughout Los Angeles and Orange Counties. Shari is a licensed funeral director and trained home funeral guide. She is also the Operations Officer for the Green Burial Council, a non-profit, eco-certification organization working to encourage environmental sustainability in the death care industry.
Cari Leversee, Advisor, holds a degree in geographic information systems and has a 25-year history of business and operations management. Caring for terminally ill family members and facing her own death inspired Cari to pursue a path of service and clarified her value that death is a family and lifecycle event rather than a commercial opportunity. With this lifestyle shift, Cari became a board certified massage therapist, a licensed funeral director and a trained home funeral guide. Her work passions range from helping families care for their dead loved ones; providing education on death care options and legalities; increasing availability and awareness of environmentally and economically responsible funeral and burial choices to providing massage and tender touch to all, but especially those coping with death.
Cristian Arrieta, Advisor, became a member of the State Bar of California and began practicing law in 2005 with an emphasis on business law and estate planning. Cristian has since expanded his practice to include trust and probate litigation. He also serves as general outside legal counsel to a number of business clients. In 2011, Cristian joined Cunningham Legal serving clients throughout California. Born and raised in Southern California, Cristian is of Spanish/Peruvian heritage, and speaks Spanish fluently.
Volunteers
We also have a wonderful group of volunteers who help with everything from logo design to collecting price lists. We are grateful for the generous contribution of their time, efforts, and talents.