CCPF board members and staff come from communities that are underserved and have personal experience working in them.
– Santos Gomez, CCPF Board Member, Attorney, Law Offices of Santos Gomez
California Consumer Protection Foundation (CCPF) is governed by a four-member Board of Directors, initially nominated by the parties to litigation and approved by the court, to represent diverse consumer interests from across the state. There are three members on the staff. In keeping with CCPF’s fairly stringent conflict of interest policy, CCPF does not make grants to organizations affiliated with board or staff members to avoid potential or real conflicts of interest.
Founding Board Member
Henry Izumizaki
Learning Director, The Russell Family Foundation
Chief Executive Officer, One Nation
Other Board Members
Gilmur R. Murray
Complex Litigation/Class Action Attorney
Santos Gomez
Attorney, Law Offices of Santos Gomez
Cassandra Malry, Executive Director
Cassandra served as a Senior Program Officer at CCPF until 2005 when she assumed the role of Executive Director. Before joining CCPF, she was a Senior Program Officer for The California Endowment, then worked as a consultant for the State of California and a broad range of nonprofit organizations on strategic planning, development, and capacity issues. Before pursuing her nonprofit career, she served as the Treasurer at The Times Mirror Foundation with responsibility for overseeing the company’s overall charitable giving programs. Cassandra is a member of Bay Area Blacks In Philanthropy. She received a B.A. in history and an M.B.A with an emphasis in marketing from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Heather Bernikoff, Grantmaking Contractor
Heather has been staff at CCPF since 2002- most recently in the role of Program Director. As the needs of the Foundation have changed, Heather has agreed to work with us as a contractor. She is currently the Director of Programs at the Special Hope Foundation. Prior to CCPF, she was a Program Manager at California Telehealth &Telemedicine Center and Senior Health Educator, Health Promotion and Cultural and Linguistic Program Manager for the Contra Costa County Department of Health Services. She is a member of Native Americans in Philanthropy and Hispanics in Philanthropy. Heather received a B.A in Psychology, with a Pre-med emphasis, from Humboldt State University and an M.S. in Health Education, with a public/community health emphasis, from the University of Wyoming, Laramie.
Sebastian Alioto, Accountant
Sebastian has been CCPF’s accountant since 2005. He is also the Director-Treasurer for Mission Neighborhood Centers in San Francisco. Sebastian has held senior financial management positions with both public and private companies including software technology companies from startups to high-growth firms as well as working with a nonprofit foundation and childcare organizations.