Pasadena Community Foundation Welcomes New Board Member

Pasadena Community Foundation (PCF) today announced that Rita Diaz, a partner at the Pasadena law firm Hahn & Hahn LLP, has joined its board. Ms. Diaz practices employment law and trust and estate litigation and has been with the firm since 1999.

“We are very pleased to welcome Rita Diaz to the Foundation,” states PCF Executive Director Jennifer DeVoll. “Rita is involved in the community. She serves as a board member of the Boys and Girls Club, and is a past Board member of CCIS, now Options. She also brings to the Foundation tremendous experience at one of this area’s premiere estate planning law firms which ties in directly to the work that we do.”

Rita notes that her position on the board of the Pasadena Boys and Girls Club has given her the opportunity to see, firsthand, the valuable services they provide to the community. Not only does the Club offer fun after school activities for kids ages 6 to 18, but they also provide important educational programs such as assistance with homework and college preparation.

Rita originally began serving on the board of Child Care Information Services (CCIS), where she served for eight years, as a way of giving back to her community. During her tenure as board president, CCIS lost their funding and in March 2012, merged with Options, another local organization for families and children. Today, Options provides childcare services for under-income families at their San Gabriel Valley childcare centers as well as educational programs for childcare providers.

One of the most valuable assets Rita brings to the Foundation is her experience in helping non-profits through their financial struggles. While Rita notes that it was heartbreaking when CCIS lost their funding due to state budget cuts, she learned what needed to be done to continue to provide needed services to parents, families and child care providers.

As a mom, Rita says she has become much more aware of the many, needy non profits that serve kids and their families in the Pasadena area and looks forward to contributing her expertise in this area to the Pasadena Community Foundation. Rita and her husband, John, have two children: 5-year old John Paul and 2-year old Scarlett.

For more information on the Pasadena Community Foundation, please visit www.pasadenacf.org.