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WHO WE ARE

Our Board

Lindsay
Mais

Board Chair

Lindsay is a financial advisor with CBM Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services…
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Diana
Hill

Executive Director

Diana has been associated with Pathway since 2007 and has served as a mentor, coordinator and board member.
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John
Giacomini

John is the Chief Revenue Officer for Gigamon, a network security and intelligence provider, based in the silicon valley.
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Sonia E.
Aldana

Sonia is an Advertising Sales Professional with over 20 years of experience in the Media Industry.
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Melissa
Perez

Melissa is the Supervising Public Health Nurse at the Orange County Healthcare Agency’s Pulmonary Diseases and Refugee Health Services.

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Anita
Beltran -Sutt

Anita Beltran-Sutt is an Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager for US Bank in Rancho Palos Verdes. 

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Sylvia
Hendron

Sylvia is a civil engineer with Voltera Power where she is a Chief Development Officer.

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Ana C.
Lopez

Dynamic Managing Partner at Carricchi, Lopez and Associates (CLA), a consulting boutique.
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Robert A.
Casares

Treasurer

Owner/Agent of State Farm Insurance and Financial Services in Long Beach.

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Dr. Keeley
Lewis

Secretary

WAVE Pathway Counselor, Wilson High School, LBUSD

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Jonathan
Micklis

Jonathan brings six years in the non-profit sector and holds a Master’s degree in Behavioral Economics.
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Cynthia
Gillis

The Director of Finance for the Assistance League® of Long Beach. She is deeply involved in the Long Beach nonprofit community for the past 35 years.

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Xuemei
Wei

Xuemei Wei is the Managing Director of Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services Inc. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Portfolio Manager.
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Diana
Wolf

Diana began her career in the financial industry in 2006 at AG Edwards & Sons. She is now proud to be Managing Partner and to call Pacific Coast Capital Management her own.

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Education, Healthcare, Therapy and
Mentoring for Young Women in Need
  • 562-493-9048
  • Pathways to Independence
    P.O. Box 43 Los Alamitos,
    CA 90720
  • 501(c)(3) | Tax ID 33-0148082
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Lindsay Mais

Lindsay is a financial advisor with CBM Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services where she is a Certified Financial PlannerTM, Certified Divorce Financial Analyst®, Certified Exit Planning Advisor® and Corporate Stock Benefit Consultant. Lindsay is very active in improving life in and around the Long Beach area. She has been committed to Pathways to Independence since 2008 as a Friend of Pathways, helping to raise millions of dollars for the organization, and she joined the Pathways board in 2021. It is Lindsay’s personal philanthropic mission to do good, meaningful work and to specifically lift up women in all aspects of the community.

Diana Hill

Diana has been associated with Pathway since 2007 and has served as a mentor, coordinator, and board member. Diana was asked to take the role of Interim Executive Director in February of 2022 and, in September of 2022, was honored to accept the position permanently.

Previously Diana owned and operated a national seminar firm for 18 years and was a Director of Education at Online Trading Academy for 14 years. Diana has been a community leader for over 25 years in Los Alamitos and the greater Orange County area. She is currently a governing board member of the Los Alamitos School District, among other volunteer positions.

Diana is passionate about making a difference in the lives of those who have demonstrated a desire to grow and break the negative cycles in their lives. She is a leader who serves, inspires, and always reaches for audacious goals.

John Giacomini

John is the Chief Revenue Officer for Gigamon, a network security and intelligence provider, based in the silicon valley. His work in the cyber security industry spans almost 30 years. John has volunteered in many local organizations over the years, including local youth sports leagues, and other non-profits. John has proudly serves as an advisor to FIERCE.ORG, (Females in every role change everything) an organization focused on women in technology and STEM related fields. John and his family have been supporters of Pathways to Independence for many years. Lori, his wife of 31 years, passed away from Cancer in 2021, served as a volunteer for FOP for over 10 years. Serving on the board maintains her legacy and commitment to the mission of PTI.

Sonia E. Aldana

Sonia E. Aldana is an Advertising Sales Professional with over 20 years of experience in the Media Industry. With an extensive background working with media corporations such as Univision and NBCUniversal, Sonia brings a unique blend of media expertise and enthusiasm to Pathways to Independence.

Sonia joined the Pathways to Independence Board because she believes in empowering young women to pursue their dreams. From childhood experiences to professional milestones, Sonia’s dedication to encouraging young women is deeply rooted in her journey.

Sonia lives in Rossmoor, CA with her husband and 9-year-old son. She is currently working on improving on her pickleball and boxing skills.

Melissa Perez

Melissa is the Supervising Public Health Nurse at the Orange County Healthcare Agency’s Pulmonary Diseases and Refugee Health Services. She brings 19 years of nursing experience as a Certified Public Health Nurse and Certified Pediatric Nurse. Melissa attended Cal State University Long Beach for undergrad and now holds a Master’s in Science of Nursing Degree with an emphasis of Public Health. Melissa grew up in a low-income community which drives her constant advocacy of meeting the health needs of all communities.

Melissa decided to join the Pathways to Independence Board to facilitate strategies providing comprehensive care to the students of Pathways. In addition, Melissa’s goal is to serve as a role model in hopes to continue the drive towards education and leadership for students of color. Melissa currently serves as a mentor and proud supporter of Pathways.

Melissa lives in Orange with her husband and two children ages 13 & 10. She enjoys spending time with her family. She often spends her weekends cheering on the sidelines with her son, watching her daughter play basketball, volleyball and flag football while her husband coaches.

Anita Beltran -Sutt

Anita Beltran-Sutt is an Assistant Vice President, Branch Manager for US Bank in Rancho Palos Verdes.  She has been in the banking industry for 35 years and has developed and mentored others throughout her career.  Anita has supported Pathways to Independence for several years and joined the board in 2020.  “I’m honored to be part of the Pathways to Independence Board to help in the lives of these young women and be part of the change.”

Sylvia Hendron

Sylvia is a civil engineer with Voltera Power where she is a Chief Development Officer. Her work involves development of anaerobic digester projects in the US and Europe which convert organic waste material into renewable natural gas and divert waste from landfills into clean sources of energy. In the past she has been involved in philanthropic work with the Rick Rackers, Assistance League of Long Beach, and the Boys and Girls Club. Sylvia has been involved with Friends of Pathways for 6 years prior to joining the board and served as a mentor. Sylvia is passionate about the environment and advancement of women in engineering and technical fields.

Ana C. Lopez

Ana C. Lopez is the dynamic Managing Partner at Carricchi, Lopez and Associates (CLA), a consulting boutique dedicated to forging impactful cross-sector partnerships that champion health equity. CLA excels in strategic thinking, fund development, program design and evaluation, and civic engagement.

With an impressive 25-year career in public health, Ana has been a trailblazer in Latino community health, violence prevention, intergovernmental relations, and community participatory research. She has held multiple political appointments and serves on several local Long Beach nonprofit boards.

Ana holds a Master’s degree in Public Policy and Public Affairs from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and dual Bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Social Ecology from the University of California, Irvine.

Residing in the vibrant South Bay, Ana enjoys hiking, traveling, cooking, and dancing, often accompanied by her two beloved dogs. 

Robert A. Casares

Robert A. Casares is an Owner/Agent of State Farm Insurance and Financial Services in Long Beach, CA. He grew up in Downey, CA, and graduated from Warren High School. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from San Jose State University. During that time, he volunteered with the Boys and Girls Club of America and traveled to Ecuador and Peru to work with children of impoverished communities. Robert stated, “Being a member of the Pathways Board is an amazing opportunity, I believe this will allow me to give back to this community and help others that are in need.”

Keeley Lewis

I am thrilled to join Pathways to Independence Board of Directors. Professionally, I serve as the WAVE Pathway Counselor for Wilson High School in LBUSD. I have nearly 20 years’ experience working in education across the K-20 continuum. At the heart of my work and worldview has always been a passion for empowering students to thrive in all areas of their life, particularly in education. Specific areas of professional interest include student identity development, career exploration, positive psychology, continuous improvement in education, and—most especially—supporting students’ postsecondary readiness and success.

Personally, I live in Long Beach with my boyfriend of 17 years and our two cats, Nahla & Tosh. I have come to fully embrace the “Crazy Cat Lady” label, though I am a lover of all animals equally! Outside of work I love to travel, read, and watch The Office on repeat.

I look forward to meeting everyone in the Pathways community and working alongside you all in support of our clients’ success!

Jonathan Micklis

Jonathan brings six years in the non-profit sector and holds a Master’s degree in Behavioral Economics. His childhood was marked by an encounter with homelessness, instilling in him an understanding of the many barriers those in poverty face every day. Jonathan advocates for access to higher education, comprehensive transportation options, and quality mental health care. He believes in the power of community collaboration to foster a more empathetic and supportive society.

Cynthia Gillis

Cindy is currently the Director of Finance for the Assistance League® of Long Beach and has been deeply involved in the Long Beach nonprofit community for the past 35 years. She has held leadership positions with The Junior League of Long Beach, Assistance League of Long Beach and her sons’ schools’ PTAs in addition to many committee positions in various local organizations, including Pathways to Independence.

She is passionate about the Pathways’ program, the impact it has on the young women who are involved and is committed to being a part of this team that supports their growth.

Xuemei Wei

Xuemei Wei is the Managing Director of Wealth Management at UBS Financial Services Inc. She is also a Chartered Financial Analyst and Portfolio Manager. A native Chinese speaker with decades of experience in financial services, Xuemei focuses on private wealth management, serving ultra high net worth entrepreneurs, executives and family offices. She provides client centric strategies to help manage clients’ financial assets and family legacies. She assists with clients’ pre-IPO planning such as trust planning, and post IPO investment management such as managing concentrated stocks, 10b5-1 plan, diversified portfolio management, liquidity management, and philanthropy investments. Xuemei Joined the Pathways Board of Directors in January 2024.

Diana Wolf

Diana began her career in the financial industry in 2006 at AG Edwards & Sons. She is now proud to be Managing Partner and to call Pacific Coast Capital Management her own. She wants to help to build the next generation of wealth advisors and inspire women in the industry.

In addition, Diana enjoys giving back to the community having served, volunteered, and donated to many local non-profits including Pathways to Independence and a member of Friends of Pathways, Boys and Girls Clubs of Long Beach (current Board Member,) Non-Profit Partnership (past president,) Ronald McDonald House, and CSULB to name a few.

Diana is excited to further her commitment to Pathways to Independence by serving on the board.