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Chairman
Susanne joined the Henry L. Guenther Foundation Board of Directors in 1989 and became the chairman of the board in 2016. She is responsible for the overall program compliance, communication, and administration activities of the foundation and is accountable directly to the board of directors. Susanne’s professional and personal background in non-profit and philanthropic work has put her in a unique position to understand the modern day demands of foundation grant-giving. After attending Cal State University Los Angeles, Susanne joined Human Services Association (HSA), a non-profit social service agency founded in 1943 in the city of Bell Gardens, California. She served HSA for 28 years, first as a program director and for the last 25 years as the executive director. Susanne was elected president of the Heck Family Foundation in 2009, where she is responsible for the overall management of the foundation. In 2009-2010, Susanne was named District Governor for Rotary International District 5280. District 5280 encompasses a wide cross section of Rotary clubs across the greater Los Angeles area. She continues to work on Rotary humanitarian projects both locally and abroad. Susanne lives in Huntington Beach, California and has two children, Kim and Eric, and six grandchildren. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling with family and friends.
Director
Phil is the general manager and president of W.M. Beaty & Associates, Inc., a timberland management company based out of Redding, California. He received his B.S. in forestry from Washington State University in 1978 and became a California Registered Professional Forester in 1981. His company manages approximately 300,000 acres of private timberland in Northeastern California. Phil has been a director on the Forest Products Commission and past chair of a California chapter of the Society of American Foresters. He currently serves on the board of the California Forestry Association and is a past chairman of that organization. He is also currently a director on the board of The Forest Foundation, a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to educating Californians on the benefits and opportunities they may enjoy with California’s vast array of natural resources. Much of this organization’s efforts are focused on the school-aged children of the state. Phil was brought on to the board of the Henry L. Guenther Foundation in 2017.
Director
Eric joined the Henry L. Guenther Foundation Board of Directors in 2017. His grandfather was one of the original founding members of the board, so throughout his life, he has been able to see the amazing work done by the Guenther Foundation first hand. Eric’s professional career has been spent as a sales professional in the canning industry, first at Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Company and most recently at CMC-KUHNKE. Having two children of his own, he supports non-profits that are engaged in building up youth and empowering them for better futures. When not working, you will most likely find Eric cruising the high seas with his family or near a soccer field watching his daughters play.
Director
Rich joined the Henry L. Guenther Foundation Board as a director in 2003. He received his BA in biology from the University of the Pacific in Stockton, California in 1978. In 1981, he was awarded his DDS degree from the University of the Pacific School of Dentistry in San Francisco. Rich has owned a private dental practice in San Jose, California and is currently working as a dentist part-time for the County of Santa Clara Department of Corrections. For 32 years, he has worked in the dental insurance industry as a consultant. With his scientific and dental background, his philanthropic interests draw him toward healthcare advancements. Outside of his professional activities, Rich enjoys spending time with his family and, when not playing golf, can be found tending to his backyard vegetable garden. He and his wife reside in Los Gatos, California.
Treasurer
Charles “Chuck” Leatherbury began his career with 11 years in sales and operations management at Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Company, the financial source of the Henry L. Guenther Foundation. After earning an MBA from USC, he held senior management consulting positions at both Deloitte Consulting and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Subsequently, he was CEO of US operations for a premier European consulting firm. Chuck is honored to support the legacy and philanthropic values of the Guenther family.
Vice President/Secretary
Ann has had lifelong relationship with Angelus Sanitary Can Machine Company and the Henry L. Guenther Foundation since its inception. Her grandfather was chief financial officer and her father chief executive officer of Angelus. She has held various management positions in retail and served on the board of directors of Sirena Apparel. As a member of the Guenther Board for over 20 years, Ann has proudly focused on effectively achieving the foundation’s philanthropic goals.
Office Administrator
Office Administrator Alba Colorado came to the Henry L. Guenther Foundation in 2016 after working almost 20 years in the non-profit social services sector. She has experience in program implementation, delivery, and management, and as a result, she is uniquely familiar with the needs and struggles of non- profits. That insight has proven invaluable in Alba’s work at the foundation, both as a contact point for prospective grantees and as administrative support to the foundation’s directors. A native of Guatemala, she grew up in the southeast Los Angeles County area and graduated from UCLA in 1994 with a degree in English. Alba is an avid UCLA men’s basketball fan and has been a season ticket holder for many years. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling the world with her husband and young daughter.
