Board of Directors
Our board is made up of leaders from various industries and backgrounds from across the Tri-Valley. Their vision helps to direct our mission and strategy.
Mike Haase Chair of the Board Retired Finance Executive -Executive Committee, Chairperson -Governance Committee, Member -Oversight Committee, Member Mike Haase brings 30 years of finance and business experience to the Open Heart Kitchen. Mike's career includes leading senior financial management responsibilities at Bay-area companies such as AMD, VMware, and Workday. He earned his Bachelors degree in Business Administration from Cal Poly Humboldt, and his MBA (with a finance concentration) from the University of Southern California. Mike and his family live in Pleasanton.
Janette Pace Vice Chair of the Board Client Services Manager at CityServe -Development Committee, Chairperson -Governance Committee, Member -Oversight Committee, Member Janette Pace is a Pleasanton native who grew up with food insecurity challenges. Janette understands how food availability impacts adults and children, and how even in this established community, challenges remain. She is passionate about finding solutions to these challenges and helping our neighbors meet their most basic needs. Janette brings a background in Human Resources and non-profit work to the Board. Her Human Resources experience covers a wide range including management training, employee relations, recruiting and corporate relocation. She is currently the Client Relations Manager for CityServe of the Tri-Valley. Janette earned her Bachelors degree from Brigham Young University, where she majored in European Studies and Business. Janette and her husband Brandon live in Pleasanton with their 4 children.
Bethany Horton Board Secretary Senior Manager, Global Talent Brand & Marketing at Workday -Executive Committee, Member -Strategic Planning Committee, Chairperson -Development Committee, Member Bethany Horton joined the board of Open Heart Kitchen in 2018 and brings nearly 15 years of brand, marketing, and communications experience to the organization. She is currently the Senior Manager of Global Talent Brand and Marketing at Workday, leading a team focused on positioning the company as an employer of choice. Bethany earned her Bachelor’s degree from Hobart and William Smith Colleges, where she studied English and Women’s Studies. She later earned her MBA from the Rochester Institute of Technology, concentrating on leadership and strategy. Bethany moved to the Bay Area from Central New York in 2015 and currently lives with her husband, daughter, son, and 2 dogs in Livermore.
Carla Moore Board Member Support Services Director, Microsoft Carla Moore joined the board of Open Heart Kitchen in the Fall of 2020. She not only offers 20+ Years of professional services from IT, Pharmaceutical & Life Sciences, and Healthcare, but also as ‘a loving & generous heart’. She currently works for Microsoft as a Support Services Director. Carla earned her Bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems from Florida Agricultural and Mechanical. She moved from the east coast (Atlanta, Georgia) to the west coast (Dublin, California) in 2016. She currently lives in Dublin with her dog, Luna. Carla is a member of the Development Committee and the Strategic Planning Committee.
Chuck Deckert Board Member Sales Executive -Audit Committee, Member -Development Committee, Member -Governance Committee, Member Chuck is a community leader having served on several other non-profit boards, committee’s and two City of Pleasanton commissions. Pleasanton community has rewarded him with several named volunteer awards. Chuck is passionate about bettering the lives of those in our community who are suffering. The last 15 years he has volunteered as a Vincentian with local St Vincent de Paul assisting those in crises in their homes or wherever they call home at that moment. Chuck has lived in Pleasanton for most of his life, and graduated from San Jose State University with a BA in Marketing with an Advertising concentration.
Jewel Hunt Board Member Group Vice President Bakery, Deli Food Service & Branded Concepts at Albertson Companies Development Committee, Member Governance Committee, Member Oversight Committee, Chair Jewel Hunt began her career at Safeway while attending college in 1981 as a part-time bakery clerk and cashier. Today, as Group Vice President of Bakery, Deli Food Service and Branded Concepts at Albertsons Companies, she is the merchant lead for several departments of the nation’s second largest traditional grocer. Jewel serves on the advisory committees with the board of the International Dairy, Deli and Bakery Association. She serves and volunteers for NorCal NEW as Partnership Pillar Lead. She is an active advisor in the company’s Women’s Inclusion and Inspiration Network and was one of several key leaders featured in an HR Magazine article, “Cultivating Female Leaders.” Jewel was named one of the most influential women in retailing by Mass Market Retailing in 2018. She was named a “Top Woman in Grocery” by Progressive Grocer five times before being inducted into the publication’s Hall of Fame for Top Women in Grocery in 2017. Jewel and her husband, Bruce, live in Pleasanton, Calif. and have three sons: Clark, Jon, and Darryl. They are the proud grandparents of several grandchildren.
Lira Kamat Board Member Project Delivery Specialist at Deloitte Governance Committee, Chairperson Development Committee, Member A lifelong learner, Lira Kamat is passionate about applying modern software and internet technologies for social benefit. With an undergraduate degree in Architecture from the University of Bombay, India and her Masters in Computer Science from NYU Tandon School of Engineering, she started her career at Bloomberg in NYC developing software tools for financial trading systems. Subsequently, she worked at Time Warner in NYC for 6 years as Technology Manager in charge of online publications of the Fortune Group before embarking on a freelance consulting and social entrepreneurship journey. She has since developed several websites and general internet resources related to education, childcare, and more, as well as those that are tailored for non-profit organizations. She moved to Pleasanton in 2015, where she lives with her husband Sanjay.
Erick Lovdahl Board Member Operations Director at the Alameda County Community Food Bank Oversight Committee, Member Strategic Planning Committee, Chairperson For the past 25 years Erick has worked for the Alameda County Community Food Bank (ACCFB), and volunteered for Livermore area food pantries and social service organizations. Erick became ACCFB's Director of Operations in 2011, overseeing the team responsible for acquiring, storing and distributing 34 million pounds of food annually to 267 partner agencies, such as OHK. He was instrumental in the creation of ACCFB’s mobile pantry and food recovery programs, and has overseen the expansion of ACCFB’s farm-fresh produce distribution from 1.2 million pounds to almost 18 million pounds annually! Erick was recognized as the 2017 Feeding America Western Region Operations Leader of the Year. Erick was a founding member of the Alameda County Volunteer Agencies Active in Disasters (VOAD), and is the current Board President for the Livermore Valley Craft Beer Foundation. Erick received a degree in criminal justice from Sierra College. He lives in Livermore with his children, Sawyer and Madeline, and enjoys hiking and music.
Nancy Allen Board Member Nancy is an experienced business leader with over thirty years of marketing and business experience in highly technical and competitive environments. She also brings a welath of experience in both the Consumer and Small Business markets and in the financial services, telecommunications, and non-profit segments. Nancy has a strong academic background with continuing education in Marketing, Product Management, and Leadership.