2025 Board of Directors (Effective January 1, 2025)
Got a question, idea, or concern? Feel free to contact us at office@tdsandiego.org
For sponsorship or advertising inquiries, please contact office@tdsandiego.org
To get involved as a volunteer, please contact volunteers@tdsandiego.org
President - Jenna Propson
As the President, Jenna has executive responsibility to provide the vision, structure, culture, and environment to enable the chapter to meet the mission and goals created as a team.
Jenna is currently the Staff Development Coordinator for the San Diego County Sheriff's Office. In this role, she provides leadership and expertise on training and evaluates courses and department goals. She initiates, develops, and facilitates trainings for employees, manages the Learning Management System, provides insight on organization development programs, and coordinates organizational change projects. She provides professional advice to county departments and committees and trains leaders on communication, emotional intelligence, and change management. Jenna is passionate about developing leaders, supporting people to meet their goals, and using the CliftonStrengths assessment to help others understand themselves and learn to use their strengths to thrive in all areas of their lives. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Organizational Leadership.
President-Elect - Emily Mason
As the President Elect, Emily will assist the chapter president in the performance of chapter management duties, automatically succeeding to president. She will participate in the recruitment of board members to lead the chapter in the succeeding year, and lead special projects that further the mission of the chapter.
With a rich background spanning a decade in the pharmaceutical industry, a five-year tenure at ResMed in the med-tech sector, and the founding of her consulting firm, Burges Red, Emily Mason's professional journey reflects a commitment to excellence. She is deeply passionate about transforming the learning experience for individuals and organizations alike. Emily's unwavering dedication revolves around ensuring that the learning journey is not just informative but truly exceptional.
Past President - Gwen Franco
Gwen’s role on the ATD Board as the past President is to serve as an advisor to the current President and President-Elect. She has served on the board since 2020 as Programs Director, President Elect, and President.
Gwen has a 15+ year career focused in Talent Development and Human Resources. She is a strategic and innovative professional with a successful history of translating and leading business vision into talent development strategies that improve performance, growth and engagement. Her passion is to be involved in work that will illuminate and invigorate people’s development. Outside of work she enjoys learning about people and places, traveling and eating tacos.
Director of Finance - Kevin Mayfield
As the Director of Finance, Kevin will ensure the chapter is financially sound, make financial recommendations as well as maintain and promote the chapter's financial records.
Kevin is on the Talent Development team at Qualcomm supporting manager and employee development. In this role, he coordinates executive coaching services, delivers training on DiSC and Strengthsfinder, and teaches mental health awareness. Kevin has his Masters Degree in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and has the CPTD national ATD certification, Certified Professional in Talent Development.
Director of Programs - Fabiola Torres
Fabiola's role is to bring content and experiences to the members that will enhance their knowledge and skills in areas related to Learning & Development. She partners with Kim to plan our networking events and chapter meetings.
As a dedicated professional, she is driven by an unwavering passion for facilitating personal and professional advancement. With a background steeped in organizational leadership, consulting, and coaching, her goal-oriented approach is centered on supporting individuals and organizations in realizing their objectives through continuous learning and development opportunities. Adept at training design, she has successfully crafted and delivered engaging learning programs across diverse formats, employing interactive activities, multimedia elements, and real-world scenarios to create immersive experiences for diverse learning styles. In collaboration with training partners, nonprofits, and local employers, she strategically designed programs that address skill gaps and training objectives, ensuring alignment with the ever-changing needs of tomorrow's workforce.
Her commitment to empowering individuals extends to career coaching, where she derives joy from guiding individuals toward realizing their full potential. Fabiola possess exceptional cross-cultural communication skills, fostering understanding and productive interactions with individuals from diverse backgrounds. Building strong relationships with clients is a cornerstone of her approach, establishing a foundation of trust crucial for supporting their growth and development. Proficient in workshop facilitation, Fabiola designs and delivers engaging sessions on various career development and job readiness topics, equipping participants with practical tools and resources to navigate the dynamic job market.
Director of Programs - Kim Denton
As a Director of Programs Kim brings content and experiences to the members that will enhance their knowledge and skills in areas related to Learning & Development. She partners with Fabiola to plan our networking events and chapter meetings.
Kim is a Senior Learning Designer, Instructional Designer, and Curriculum Designer with over 20 years of experience working in academic, corporate, and non-profit organizations, Kim will collaborate with subject matter experts across the Learning & Development ecosystem nationwide to bring learning opportunities and resources to San Diego chapter members of ATD. She wants to ensure that chapter programs align with our mission and the evolving needs of our community; will oversee execution of programs, events, and workshops; and will continuously assesses program effectiveness through data analysis and feedback.
Events@tdsandiego.org
Director of Volunteer Experience and Engagement-Amelia Curtis
As the Director of Volunteer Experience and Engagement, Amelia will maintain a dynamic team of volunteers who play a crucial role in advancing the chapter's mission. She will recruit, train, and engage this important team.
Amelia is currently the Education and Training Manager at San Diego Humane Society. She has been working there for 15 years in various roles including Education Manager and Volunteer Coordinator. She has her master's degree in Nonprofit Management from The New School in New York City and has worked in several nonprofit organizations over the years. She has a certificate in Managing Learning Programs from ATD and is passionate about L&D and keeping up with and promoting industry standards and best practices.
Volunteers@tdsandiego.org
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Director of Member Engagement & Growth - Tom Velasquez
Tom Velasquez is a seasoned legal and administrative professional with over 15 years of experience in managing complex legal, administrative, and operational tasks. Currently serving as a Senior Paralegal and Training Coordinator at County Counsel, Thomas excels in project management, legal case oversight, and executive support. He has a proven track record of building relationships across teams and external organizations. With a Master of Science in Organizational Leadership, Thomas is dedicated to enhancing organizational efficiency and contributing to impactful public policy initiatives.
Tom is a true renaissance soul with diverse interests and passions, ranging from health, nutrition, and fitness to personal development. He enjoys reading, online gaming, and staying connected with friends and family.
Secretary - Bonnie Graham
Bonnie’s background is creative and diverse, with over 15 years practicing Architecture in a variety of sectors, to becoming a Certified Coach and owner of Heartfelt Navigation, to her most recent explorations in the culinary world working as a Pastry Cook. Passionate about supporting teams and producing beautiful results, Bonnie brings a detail-oriented and collaborative approach to every role she undertakes.
As a life-long learner and empathetic teacher, Bonnie has gravitated towards the field of learning and development. Her experiences in Architecture inspired a deep interest in increasing organizational effectiveness through talent development and promoting healthy and respectful working relationships. After experiencing severe burnout in 2019, Bonnie is even more passionate about creating work environments that optimize effectiveness while reducing stress.
secretary@tdsandiego.org
Director of Digital Experience - Min Young Lee
As the chapter Director of Digital Experience, Min’s role is to develop effective – but yet creative – ways to spread the good news of ATD. And as an avid digital-content creator, it’s his privileged duty to communicate and market the power of learning development to help organizations to realize their potential. But above all, it’s his belief in ATD’s abiding spirit to invest in human capital that he feels a need to shine a light on the field and the people who make it special. After over a decade in academia, Min moved from the lecture hall to the corporate hall. Now he works as a communications consultant for public utilities. He’s obsessed with technology as tools to wield creative content and equally curious about what makes us human. But most importantly, his favorite color is purple and holds a record of never saying no to free food.
Director of Technology - Michelle Zimmerman
In Michelle's younger days she wanted to work in music promotion. She was a rock DJ and ran a couple of small club nights in the early 2000's, but it was not to be her main calling. Michelle fell into knowledge management in 2006 when she discovered that her natural abilities and interest in technology, and her core customer service personality were the right mix to help her to get the right information to the right people in the most efficient ways possible.
Before getting into learning and development. Michelle took a few diversions! She went back to work in music for a year in 2011 doing social media for a blues band, then took a job in animal care and stray intake for an animal shelter after moving to the USA in 2015. This led Michelle to her current role, delivering learning to staff at the most amazing animal shelter in San Diego where she specializes in writing e-learning courses and running the learning management system.
technology@tdsandiego.org
**To express interest in future board roles, please email us and we would love to chat with you more.