Catalyst Welcomes New Board Members

We are pleased to share several exciting organizational updates at Catalyst of San Diego & Imperial Counties. 

Catalyst is thrilled to announce the appointment of Sarah Lyman, executive director of Alliance Healthcare Foundation, and Jeffrey Kim, JD, program director at the California Wellness Foundation, to its board of directors. 

Sarah Lyman brings more than a decade of experience in leadership at the intersection of population health, systems change, and collaboration towards advancing health equity to her role as executive director of Catalyst member the Alliance Healthcare Foundation. Lyman earned her M.B.A. from Eastern Washington University, and a degree in Business Administration from Western Washington University.

“Catalyst is such an important asset for our region and I’m thrilled to join their esteemed board of directors,” Lyman shared. “I’ve seen Catalyst act as a powerful convener and thought leader working to advance equity and social justice within San Diego and Imperial County. I look forward to supporting the organization as it continues to steward positive progress for under-resourced communities.”

Jeffrey Kim currently manages grantmaking related to the Economic Security & Dignity portfolio at Catalyst member the California Wellness Foundation, where he has worked since 2005. Jeffrey  brings a breadth of former experience in development and legal services to his role. A member of the California State Bar, Kim earned his law degree from the University of Michigan and his bachelor’s degree in economics from Yale University.

“It’s a privilege to serve on Catalyst’s board as a representative of The California Wellness Foundation, and to learn alongside those who call San Diego and Imperial Counties home. Cal Wellness has three decades of demonstrated commitment to California’s diverse southern border region, and I am looking forward to strengthening our relationships in and support for this vital region,” Kim shared. 

“Alliance Healthcare Foundation and the California Wellness Foundation have long served as instrumental leaders and partners to the San Diego and Imperial County communities. We are honored to have Sarah and Jeff’s leadership represented on our board of directors as we seek to build a collaborative and equitable social change ecosystem with our region,” Megan Thomas, president and CEO of Catalyst said. 

In addition to the leadership appointments, the Catalyst staff has made changes to continue to best serve our membership community.

We are pleased to share that Melissa Leon has been promoted to Manager of Engagement and Impact. Melissa has been with Catalyst for more than five years serving in her previous role as Membership Coordinator. In Melissa’s expanded role, she will continue to connect members with the resources and information they need while also taking a management role of our data and technology systems. 

Ashley Miller has transitioned to a new role as Operations Manager. In this redefined role, Ashley will continue to provide excellence in grantmaking and contract services while also managing our internal systems, processes, and procedures. 

In recognition of our increasingly complex organizational structure as an intermediary, fiscal sponsor, and nonprofit membership organization, we have restructured the director of membership and operations role to a full time financial oversight position. To that end, it is bittersweet to share that Justin Schaberg has moved on from Catalyst. We are grateful to Justin for more than a decade of service and are excited to see the impact he has in his next role. 

“We are a nimble, agile team and these shifts position us well to continue to grow alongside our increasingly diverse membership to ensure we can provide the highest level of service and partnership to our region’s change makers,” Thomas said. 

In the weeks to come, be on the lookout for new job postings to round out our team. Please join us in congratulating Melissa and welcoming Sarah and Jeff to our board of directors!