»Alumni Board of Directors Members

Michelle A. Philo is the principal at Philo Law Firm, P.C., where she primarily provides Probate, Trusts, and Estates services to individuals and families. She also provides general counsel services to small business owners. Prior to launching her own firm, Michelle served as General Counsel at a technology company focused on motion engagement and virtual reality for mobile devices. Michelle started her legal career at a mid-size firm doing business litigation, business transactions, and estate planning. Michelle has been active in the legal community since becoming a lawyer and has served as the President of Orange County Women Lawyers Association, President of the Whittier Law School Alumni Association, Chair of Orange County Bar Association’s Young Lawyers Division, and Secretary for California Women Lawyers. Michelle is also active in the American Bar Association and served as a California State Bar Delegate to the House of Delegates and as a member of the Section for Civil Rights and Social Justice. Outside of her day to day work, Michelle has been committed to issues surrounding gender in the profession. Under her leadership with Orange County Women Lawyers Association she launched the annual Equal Pay Day luncheon and increased funding for the OCWLA Foundation. She has also chaired or served on committees developing a speakers’ bureau and awards database for female attorneys and bringing the conversation of gender equity to law firm decision makers and general counsel. Michelle has been involved with the Chapman Alumni Association since 2018 and has served in various capacities, including vice president of development and vice president of strategy and operations, before being elected president in 2023.

Michael Wimberley was born and raised in Orange County, CA. After graduating with honors with an Associate's Degree from Santiago Canyon College he transferred home to Chapman University. He graduated magna cum laude with a B.A. in Strategic and Corporate Communication in 2016 at 17 years old, becoming the youngest graduate in Chapman's history. In his senior year, he co-founded and served as Vice President of Chapman's International Association of Business Communicators and had an award-winning show with Chapman Radio.

After graduation he gained valuable experience at a Panther owned law firm and held multiple positions on staff at Musco Center for the Arts. Michael entered the Fowler School of Law and earned his Juris Doctor in Dec. 2020 with an emphasis in Environmental, Land Use, and Real Estate Law. In his final year of law school, he received the L.S Palmos Scholarship Award for honors in the emphasis program.

While in law school, he served as the President of the Christian Law Student Society, he was a research assistant to Professor Donald Kochan, and an academic fellow to Dr. Ronald Steiner, teaching a supplemental class and tutoring upper-class students in Criminal Procedure: Police Practices. He has since returned to the Fowler School of Law as adjunct faculty, teaching legal analysis to third year law students.

Michael is currently an attorney at Woodruff & Smart, practicing in the firm's Public Law Department on a variety of municipal, land use, and local government matters.

While not at work or at a Chapman event, you can find Michael hanging around Old Towne, fishing, hiking, road tripping to Texas, or performing with his siblings as Wimberley Bluegrass Band.

While attending Chapman, Leika served as the President of Delta Gamma Sorority, an Orientation Assistant and Coordinator, a Chapman Ambassador, and the Student Life Greek Community Coordinator. Prior to graduation, she was named President of the Year, as well as the Greek Woman of the Year.

Leika is the Senior Marketing Manager for Pac-Dent Inc., a global dental materials and equipment manufacturer. She frequently speaks to Chapman students seeking to enter the dental industry, including the members of the Chapman Pre Dental Society.

Leika resides in Costa Mesa with her Chapman Sweetheart, C.J. Bishop ’05, MBA ’08, PhD ’18, whom she reconnected with at the first Chappy Hour. She currently advises the Chapman chapter of Delta Gamma. In their free time, Leika and C.J. enjoy traveling and spending time with their friends and family, many of whom are Chapman Alumni.

Kathleen currently serves as a Partner + COO at Intention 2 Impact, a research, evaluation, and strategy consulting firm serving purpose-driven organizations to measure + maximize impact. She has devoted her career to measuring impact with intention so foundations and nonprofits can better serve communities, advance equity, and contribute to positive systems change.

Kathleen graduated magna cum laude from Chapman in 2014, with a BA in Political Science and Psychology and minor in Women's Studies. Upon graduation she was awarded the Ronald M. Huntington Award for Outstanding Scholarship and honors in both majors. More importantly, during her time at Chapman, she served as an Orientation Leader, Henley Lab Fellow, and was a member of Gamma Beta Phi Honor Society, Order of Omega, Psi Chi, and Pi Sigma Alpha. Additionally, Kathleen was a part of Gamma Phi Beta sorority and played on the women's soccer team during her freshman year.

Kathleen went on to complete her PhD at Claremont Graduate University in Evaluation and Applied Research Methods in 2020. She currently lives in Irvine, CA with her "Chapman Sweetheart," Chris Darling '14.

Alan Peterson serves as Vice President of Investor Relations & Finance, at American Healthcare REIT where he leads the company’s investor relations efforts and various strategic initiatives. Alan is focused on the REIT’s communication efforts and maintaining relationships with the company’s investors in addition to serving alongside key members of the company’s executive team.

Prior to joining American Healthcare REIT, Alan was an Analyst on the residential research team at Green Street, one of the nation’s most respected independent research and advisory firms focused on commercial real estate. During his time at Green Street, Alan played an integral role in the coverage of roughly 15 publicly. His sector coverage included multifamily, manufactured housing, single-family rentals, and student housing. Many of his research contributions have been included in financial media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. He has been directly quoted on NPR and various real estate publications.

Alan earned dual degrees, a B.S. in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance and a B.A. in Economics, from Chapman University. While at Chapman he served as Treasurer of Phi Kappa Tau, Vice President of the Chapman University Investment Group, and was the Senior Portfolio Manager of the Janes Financial Center Residency Program. Additionally, he was a member of the Order of Omega Honor Society and an Orientation Leader.

Valerie came to Chapman (when it was Chapman College), on a piano scholarship. She, ultimately, graduated with a business degree and a music minor. She continued her Chapman education to complete a Masters in Human Resource Management in 1989. Valerie has spent the majority of her career in public education and healthcare where she designed and developed programs, primarily, for low income families and youth. She has served on a variety of nonprofit boards in the community of Apple Valley, where she lived for thirty years. Considering herself, semi-retired now, Valerie currently teaches business classes for a local community college. Valerie and her husband have three grown children and four grandsons. Recently, the opportunity presented itself for Valerie and her husband (whom she met at Chapman) to purchase a home in Old Towne Orange. They are excited to be living near Chapman, in this walkable community. In addition to reconnecting with Chapman, through the Alumni Board, Valerie also volunteers for Chapman’s Hilbert Museum and ushers at Musco Center for the Arts. Witnessing Chapman University’s substantial growth since her graduation, Smith is looking forward to offering a distinctive viewpoint and facilitate the reconnection of fellow alumni who completed their education during the university’s Chapman College era.

Jessica Winn is a CTP Specialist in the mortgage industry. She relocated from Orange County to San Diego after graduating Chapman to begin her career in the financial field. Not too long after arriving in San Diego and working in mortgage, she obtained an opportunity and ventured into advertising, working for San Diego’s largest direct mail magazine at the time, and then served as an Organizational Development consultant. She is thrilled to be back in the financial field helping to make clients dreams of construction and homeownership come true. While residing in San Diego, Jessica cheered and danced professionally and was co-owner of JMM Productions, producing the San Diego Gulls Girls. Much of Jessica’s expertise has come from an array of opportunities. She has worked in television for a Fox sitcom, done promotional and print work for Coca-Cola and NASCAR, and has worked with the United States Air Force Thunderbirds and the United States Navy Blue Angels. She spent much of her early career in public speaking and spokesperson roles. Jessica has a deep passion for community service and volunteer work and has spent thousands of hours volunteering with the military, professional sports teams/athletes, children’s programs, the Welk Foundation, animal rescues, countless charities, and many more. In her free time, you can find her at the beach, dancing, or catching a baseball game (her ultimate love) or cheering on her favorite hockey team. She is a former cheer coach and dance instructor. Jessica enjoys exploring new restaurants, hiking, concerts, and most importantly, taking her three children on adventures and enjoying life.

Steven Babiak graduated from the Argyros School of Business and Economics in 2015 with a Bachelors in Arts in Business Administration, with a dual emphasis in Real Estate and Entrepreneurship and a minor in Economics. While at Chapman, Steven was highly engaged on campus, serving as a two-term Resident Advisor and Founding Father of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity chapter on campus, as well as participating in the Chapman University Investment Group, Chapman University Business Plan Competition, Black Student Union, Next Step Social Justice Retreat, Alternative Break, and volleyball intramurals. Today, Steven is a Vice President in Investment Banking on the Project Finance team at MUFG Bank, Ltd, based out of the Los Angeles Office. In his role, Steven originates and underwrites public and private debt offerings for utility-scale power projects located in North America. In the past four years, Steven’s has arranged over $10 billion in transactions, resulting in five Deal of the Year awards from industry publications. Steven completed MUFG’s Global Analyst Program, which concluded with a three-week trip to MUFG’s global headquarters in Tokyo. Besides his role on the Alumni Board, Steven serves as a Chapter Advisory Board member for the Phi Delta Theta chapter at Chapman. In his free time, Steven stays active playing tennis and softball near his residence in Santa Monica, and of course, deeply enjoys attending Chapman’s alumni events with friends both old and new.

Born and raised in Orange County, Kameron "Kam" Backstrom started at Chapman in the fall of 2014 as a TV News and Documentary major. He followed in the footsteps of his late grandfather James Backstrom who graduated from Chapman in 1956. As an undergraduate, he joined the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, Chapman Sports Broadcasting Network and Chapman Ambassador program.

Today, Kam works at Apple, as a Marketing Asset Manager on the Business Affairs team within the App Store. His primary role is to be a liaison between the Business Affairs team and Production team to gather assets from third party app developers for marketing purposes and digital campaigns across the globe.

Outside of work Kam is a proud Baltimore Ravens fan, a daily user of iMDB for all things entertainment and a die hard sports fan. You can catch him traveling across the world or at your local movie theater.

Connie is one of the longest-serving members of the board, previously serving as board president. While at Chapman, she majored in legal studies and was a member of Delta Gamma Sorority. As a dance minor, she graced the stage in numerous Chapman productions, most notably American Celebration, the university's largest fundraiser at the time. As a Senior Attorney at Williamson Law Group, Connie prides herself on offering personalized, dedicated, creative, and specialized executive legal services to individuals, organizations, and companies nationwide. She is an active member of her community serving as executive director of the Miss Orange Scholarship Pageant and also serves as Chair of the Community Development Block Grant Commission for the City of Orange, advising City Council on the awarding of funds to various nonprofit and community development programs.

Noah Estrada-Rand followed his grandparents’ footsteps in attending Chapman University for his undergraduate studies, earning degrees in psychology and data analytics. After an internship with Pacific Life Insurance Company, he moved to a full-time position as a data analyst for multiple departments and now works as a product owner for the various websites managed under the marketing department. He enjoys the challenge of balancing the human and technological sides of business, finding solutions that satisfy both halves of a rapidly maturing company.

Estrada-Rand serves as an advisory board member for the OC Fellowship and as a mentor through the Panther Network. His passion for mentorship, learning and mental health are all things he intends to pursue in the future with aspirations of becoming a professor.

After graduating from Chapman, Mark Johnson joined Teach For America and taught high school English for three years in Washington, DC. Johnson left the classroom to pursue graduate degrees in public policy and education at American University.

During a decade working in the nonprofit sector, Johnson served on the founding team of a college access nonprofit, worked at an education advocacy organization, and provided policy research to elected leaders on education issues. In 2022, he founded the Policy + Strategy Collaborative. This boutique consulting firm partners with mission-driven organizations, leaders, and candidates in deepening their community impact.

While at Chapman, Mark was a member of Chapman College Democrats, the Phi Kappa Tau fraternity, and Chapman Ambassadors. He is an avid reader, chef, and tennis player. When he isn’t working, in the kitchen, or on the tennis court, he likes to travel, including planning trips to see his Chapman family.

Kimberley Kasper joined Strattam in 2018 and is currently Chief Growth Officer focused on providing strategic go-to-market guidance and leadership across the Strattam portfolio.

Previously, Kimberley served as the Interim Marketing VP for a Strattam portfolio company and has held senior roles at numerous influential SaaS software companies – including CMO roles at Jobvite and SumTotal Systems, VP of Marketing at Taleo for their Business Edition product line, and senior marketing positions at WebEx and Salesforce.

Kimberley earned her B.S. in Business Administration from Chapman University and was a member of Gamma Phi Beta. Outside of work, Kimberley is passionate about children and education and has served on the boards of the Young Men's Service League and Sacred Heart Preparatory Parents' Association, was a volunteer for Reading Partners, and was a Girl Scout Troop Leader.

Born and raised in Orange County, CA, Allison “Ally” Lentz started at Chapman University in the fall of 2009 as a Communication Studies major. As an undergraduate, she became a member of Kappa Alpha Theta and participated in many activities and events associated with her major.

Today, Ally is honored to work at the CHOC Foundation, which is the fundraising arm for Children’s Health of Orange County (CHOC) in Orange, CA. She proudly serves as the Associate Director of Donor Experience. Her primary roles are to ensure that donors of the hospital remain engaged and involved by planning tours, receptions and check presentations, as well as creating recognition and impact reports. Ally is an member of the Association of Donor Relations Professionals (ADRP) and the CHOC Foundation is a member of The Woodmark Group.

Ally is a proud homeowner in Old Towne Orange. She enjoys walks to “the circle” to support local businesses and spending time with her family, friends and rescue cat.

Saul was born and raised in Mexico. At the age of 14 he arrived in Santa Ana, CA with one goal in mind, to achieve the American Dream by being the first person in his family to graduate from a university. With this dream in mind, he spent the next 4 years working extremely hard to learn the English language, adapt to the culture, and catch up to his peers. He hoped his efforts would be enough to have a shot at attending his dream school, Chapman University. With a little luck, he was accepted to attend in the Spring of 2015. He battled through life problems, financial setbacks, and lack of resources to eventually graduate in 2020 with his BA in Business Administration with an emphasis in Management.

Today, Saul serves his community as a Financial Advisor at Modern Woodmen of America. He also serves as the Charity Chair on the Board of The Elite OC, a group of young professionals coming together to give back to local charities. He also serves as the President of SMART BNI, a networking group of professionals. Lastly, he serves as an Ambassador for the Orange & Santa Ana Chambers of Commerce. He serves because of an immense passion for community & impact.

Born and raised in Aspen, Colorado, Nininger graduated from Chapman in 2013 with a degree in integrated educational studies with an emphasis in disabilities. During her time at Chapman, she was a Chapman Ambassador, served as the vice president of Foundation for Delta Gamma – Zeta Iota, vice president of C.A.R.E.S, and held a position as a chair member of Senior Legacy. In 2017, she was honored with the Albert Schweitzer “Rising Star” award. Nininger founded Action in Africa, a nonprofit organization that operates public community centers in Uganda, while she was a sophomore in high school. Action in Africa had a presence at Chapman from 2012 to 2018 and facilitated opportunities for several fellow Panthers to engage in activities in Uganda. Presently, she manages Action in Africa full-time from Denver, Colorado, while continuing to travel to Uganda 3-4 times annually. Beyond her professional commitments, Nininger finds joy in spending time with friends, her dog and her family.

Angeles-Pari is the co-owner of RLM Event Management and Production, a full-service management company specializing in live event production, A/V, decor, design, entertainment acquisition and strategic planning. RLM also designs, produces and installs exhibits, museums and corporate fixtures. RLM excels in providing creative, exciting, one-of-a-kind events or builds for a variety of clients from music to healthcare and everything in between. Angeles-Pari’s wheelhouse is organization and being intuitive about people. Planning, organizing and executing any event, regardless of size, requires a knack for “seeing” the forward facing and behind the scenes details and accounting for contingencies. Her time at Chapman was primarily focused on three areas: curriculum, on-campus employment with the Corporate Relations department, and being a driver and member of the National Hot Rod Association (NHRA). Angeles-Pari is on the board of directors for the Kamali’i Foster Family Agency; Women of Chapman Haute Couture member; 100+ Women Who Care/Temecula member and a founding member of Heels2Heal OC. She and her husband Jim love concerts, golf, travel…and often combine the three for amazing adventures!

Riccio is a highly esteemed shamanic brand strategist, speaker and host of The Sovereign Society Podcast. She brings a wealth of expertise in spiritual growth, multidimensional leadership and ethical business practices to her role on the Alumni Board. Riccio’s journey began as a successful music journalist in the electronic music scene, eventually evolving into her current path as a shamanic brand strategist. Struck by lightning in 2012 with her dog, Bud, this life-changing event led her to empower sacred disruptors and sovereign leaders alike to revolutionize the world through soulful systems, spiritual growth, holistic healing, sovereign embodiment and mystical marketing. Her dedication to social justice and ethical entrepreneurship has been a driving force throughout her career as she merges modern management tools with spiritual wisdom to help entrepreneurs create sustainable and successful ventures. As an accomplished speaker and advocate for mental health awareness and psychedelic therapy, Riccio has empowered listeners through her enlightening interviews on The Sovereign Society Podcast, reaching #22 on the spirituality charts on Apple Podcasts. With a deep commitment to Chapman University’s mission of fostering global citizens, Sabrina’s appointment to the alumni board brings a unique perspective and unwavering dedication to a transformative and inclusive future for the university community. Her impact will inspire current and future students to embrace their unique magic and create positive change in the world.

Karina is a Relationship Manager in the Commercial Banking Diverse Segments Group for Wells Fargo, where she also serves as the Enterprise Administrative Chair for their Hispanic & Latino Connection Employee Resource Group.

She earned her double Bachelors in Economics and Business-Finance with a Minor in Political Science from Chapman University, where she was recognized with the Financial Executives International’s Academic Excellence Award. During her time at Chapman, Karina worked in the Department of Student Engagement, was a committee member in the University Program Board, and was a cybalist in the Pride of Chapman pep band.

Karina recently served on the Association of Latino Professionals for America (ALPFA) Orange County Chapter Board. She is also a former board member and current volunteer for the Orange County Hispanic Youth Chamber of Commerce.

In her spare time, Karina enjoys volunteering, hiking, and discovering new music.

Rivera completed her MBA from Chapman University in 2020 and completed her undergraduate degree at California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB). While attending Chapman, Angelica served as the president of Women in Business, vice president of the Graduate Business Association, Graduate Student Council representative for the Argyros School of Business & Economics, as well as an MBA Ambassador. Since graduation from Chapman, Angelica happily found herself a career in marketing in the telecommunications and technology industry. Today, she is the marketing manager for the remote workforce productivity company, Motus. Her passion for marketing and her love for the telecom channel has only continued to grow. Currently, she is a proud member of the Alliance of Channel Women (ACW), a non-profit group that empowers and advances women’s careers and leadership in the telecom and IT sales channel. She also sits on the events committee for ACW and is looking to expand her reach in DE&I initiatives. She resides in the beautiful city of Costa Mesa and enjoys staying active, attending concerts, traveling, various sports and spending quality time with her best friends, family and pug.

Mark Schauwecker is the Sr. Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis at Yamaha Motor North America, and leads the team headquartered in Cypress, CA. He and his team are responsible for Management Reporting and decision support through long range planning and Operational Analysis to profitably grow the business. Mark has 20+ years of experience in finance, mostly in FP&A and commercial support working cross functionally in organizations to support profitable financial growth. Many years of his experience have been with rapidly expanding companies in distribution and the healthcare industry.

Having led many teams in various roles, Mark is passionate about developing talent and encouraging and helping people to achieve their professional goals. His team members have been promoted and moved into senior positions. Mark’s development of leadership skills started in Boy Scouts where he holds the rank of Eagle Scout.

Mark graduated with Honors from Chapman University in 2003 and is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma Honor Society. Mark also serves on the Chapman50 executive council and is passionate about establishing a mentorship program at Chapman. Active in his community, Mark serves as the Lecturing Knight with the Santa Ana Elks. Past volunteer work also includes Treasurer on the Board of YES (Youth Employment Services), and Member of a local Chapter of the American Red Cross in Chester County Pennsylvania. In his spare time, Mark also enjoys cooking, wine tasting, travel and bike riding (road and mountain).

Since graduating from Chapman, Andrew Schreyer has been helping organizations grow quickly and sustainably. He has held senior roles in the U.S. government, presidential campaigns, and in the private and not-for-profit sectors. He just founded his own consulting firm, Mission Support Solutions, helping his clients optimize their organizations so that their leaders can focus on achieving their mission.

At Chapman, Schreyer participated in various student groups including, Student Government Association, Greek Life, Department of Student Life, and Senior Legacy, where he held several leadership positions. He graduated with a triple major in Business Administration, Philosophy, and French, with a minor in Leadership Studies. He lives in Mexico City with his wife and their daughter.

Singh is a highly accomplished professional with a strong background in management, operations and supply chain. Currently serving as the program manager for the Internet of Things (IoT) Division at Organize Ventures Inc., Singh leads the IoT Product Division, driving revenue growth and spearheading successful product launches. With extensive experience in consulting, streamlining operations, optimizing supply chain processes and corporate strategy, he has consistently delivered exceptional results. He holds a Bachelor of Science in business administration from Chapman University’s Argyros School of Business and is working on his Executive Education in technology & operations at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management. In addition to Singh’s professional accomplishments, he is also an entrepreneur and passionate about making a difference. While at Chapman, he successfully launched a startup called FlyWorks Media LLC., specializing in filming commercial and residential real estate. This venture demonstrated his entrepreneurial spirit and ability to bring innovative ideas to fruition. Currently, Singh is actively involved in a circular economy startup called borrowed.io, an online rental marketplace dedicated to creating sustainable solutions and driving positive change in resource utilization. In his free time, Singh also enjoys basketball, cooking, tennis and traveling. With his multifaceted background and dedication to excellence, he is poised to make valuable contributions as a board member for the Chapman University Alumni Association, bringing professional expertise, entrepreneurial acumen and a passion for sustainability to the table.

Monica Shukla-Belmontes, Ph.D., is the Associate Dean for Curriculum, Assurance of Learning, and Competency-Based Education in the School of Business and Professional Studies at University of Massachusetts Global. In addition, Monica is also an Adjunct Faculty with Schmid College of Science and Technology and previously had roles as a Manager with the Chapman Career Development Center and Alumni Relations Department. She is a 5-time alumna of Chapman University with a B.S. in Mathematics, B.A. in Communication Studies, M.S. in Human Resources, M.A. in Organizational Leadership, and Ph.D. in Education. During her time at Chapman University she has partnered with the Interfaith Center and South Asian Student Association to grow the annual Diwali festival, as well as previously served as the Tri-Delta Academic Advisor. In addition to her work in higher education, she also supports community efforts, which have led her to be a 2020 OC Business Journal Women in Business Award Nominee and 2019 Women of the Year Award Recipient from 46th Congressional District Representative Lou Correa. Monica currently lives in Orange with her family including two future panthers, Kailyn and Kaden.

Amanda Soloman is at the helm of Playboy’s digital realm, driving creator and social growth with her seasoned expertise. Known for her role in marketing SWAT teams, she’s built a career on fixing issues and building businesses.

Previously, she was the driving force behind the creator-led strategic division for the Arena Group, running campaigns across print, digital and social channels for 22 internal brands including Sports Illustrated, Parade Magazine, Men’s Journal, Surfer and Transworld Skateboarding. Her forte lies in crafting innovative marketing strategies, securing seven-figure brand deals with industry giants like Google, Epic, Netflix and Gucci.

With an extensive network spanning video games, entertainment, film and television, Soloman’s dynamic leadership and strategic prowess continue to redefine digital marketing, making her an indispensable asset in driving business success.