Staff

Foundation Staff

Megan Allende

Megan joins SMCCCF following an eighteen-year tenure as the President/CEO of the Community Foundation of Mendocino County, where she spearheaded substantial growth and operational excellence. During her eight-years in leadership, she doubled the Foundation's assets, tripled annual grantmaking, and positioned the organization as a pivotal force for community development, securing the charitable future of the under-resourced county in perpetuity. Megan's commitment to students is evident in her accomplishments, including significant expansions of scholarship programs for historically underrepresented and first-generation college students. Her appointment as Executive Director of SMCCCF positions her to build on this success and set ambitious goals for student achievement. Megan holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Michigan, a Master of Business Administration from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and a Chartered Advisor in Philanthropy (CAP®) certification from the American College of Financial Services. She is an accomplished Planned Giving Officer and enjoys helping people to build their personal legacies.

Contact Megan at allendem@smccd.edu or (707)-272-1775 

Karen ChadwickKaren Chadwick has been with the San Mateo County Community College District for 24 years. She started her career in the Financial Aid department at Skyline College and for 14 years Karen served as the Scholarship Coordinator, Inreach/Outreach Financial Aid Coordinator, and Financial Aid Technician at College of San Mateo. Karen is committed to ensuring as many students as possible have access to affordable education. Whether that be in the form of financial aid or scholarships, she is here to help students succeed in higher education.

Karen is a member of the MANA Learning Community Advisory Board, Project Change Advisory Board, UC Santa Cruz - Karl S. Pister Scholarship Review Committee, and the Co-Chair of the College of San Mateo Scholarship Committee.

Contact Karen at 650.358.6846 or chadwick@smccd.edu.

Kathleen HarrisKathleen’s advocacy for education, children, youth and their families has spanned more than 20 years and she brings a deep understanding of nonprofit management and philanthropy to her work as Development Director of the San Mateo County Community Colleges Foundation.

Throughout her career, Kathleen has successfully lobbied for affordable housing, increases in school funding, and better educational options for low-income students. Early in her career Kathleen was appointed to the San Francisco Mayor’s Office of Children Youth and Their Families and later served as a program director at the Marin Community Foundation where she led its strategic initiatives for affordable housing and ending the cycle of poverty. More recently she served as the CEO of the Youth Ventures Joint Powers Authority in Oakland, a collaborative agency that provides funding and advocacy for the most vulnerable youth. Her commitment to community service began in her teens while attending high school in Japan.

Now a resident of Oakland, Kathleen has served on the boards of Bay Area Blacks in Philanthropy, the Marin Workforce Housing Trust, and as the development chair of the West Contra Costa Public Education Fund. 

Contact Kathleen at 650.378.7293 or harrisk@smccd.edu.

Analisa PinedaAnalisa Pineda, an alumna of College of San Mateo, exemplifies the path to success a community college education can provide. She began her career with the San Mateo County Community College District as a student assistant while studying at CSM. Analisa was eventually hired permanently in the Chancellor’s Office as an Administrative Assistant, after which she joined the General Services/Purchasing department where she was most recently employed. As a Senior Buyer she was responsible for the procurement of goods and services across the District while operating as liaison to the finance team and auditors to ensure accurate and successful annual auditing and compliance. She was also accountable for all ledger management and controls to ensure that purchasing collaborated with finance teams to minimize risks.

Analisa holds an Associate of Arts degree in Business Administration from College of San Mateo and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Public Service & Public Policy with an emphasis in Communication from Arizona State University. 

Contact Analisa at pinedaa@smccd.edu.

Melissa RohlfsMelissa is an experienced advocate for education at all levels, with a long history of marketing and communications leadership roles at public and private colleges, and universities, and K-12 schools. 

Her previous positions feature stints at Summit Public Schools in Redwood City, University of Puget Sound and Renton Technical College in Washington, and Lincoln College in Illinois. Her accomplishments include creating partnerships with key constituents on the state and local level and leading website redesigns and branding campaigns as well as media and social media trainings.

Melissa is also an accomplished writer having penned pieces for alumni publications, blogs, social media, and the web. She’s an enthusiastic supporter of equity and access in higher education and is excited about bringing more awareness and support for the needs of first-generation and non-traditional college students. Melissa channels her love of the arts by giving back to her community as a Culture and Arts Commissioner for the city of San Bruno.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications from the University of Washington in Seattle. 

Contact Melissa at 650.358.6873 or Rohlfsm@smccd.edu.