Leadership
Board of Directors
Upon graduation from Northwestern University Law School in 1976, Pete practiced law for four years in Chicago. He decided to relocate to southern California in 1980 and went into business with his father and brother in Los Angeles. From a small vending operation, the company grew over the years into one of the largest independent office coffee and refreshment service operations in southern California. During his career Pete was a leader in both the California State Council and National Automatic Merchandising Association (NAMA), the national association representing the $42 billion U.S. vending and refreshment services industry.
Pete served on the NAMA board for 10 years and was Chairman of the Board from 2013-15. During his board service he was very involved in advocacy and industry education, at both state and federal levels. Pete retired in 2017 and now lives in the Palm Springs area. He and his wife Carol have been blessed with three children and three beautiful granddaughters. Golf and travel have now become a way of life.
Melissa has served on the board of Rancho San Antonio since 2013. She is the first woman to serve on the board and has been an integral part of increasing diversity of new directors. She is currently the Treasurer of the board. In 2018, Melissa was voted one of Insurance and Risk Magazine’s “Women to Watch”.
Melissa Cerny serves as Area President for the Southwest Region of Gallagher Insurance. She has been with Gallagher for 10 years now. In her current role, Melissa oversees approximately 250 employees working out of 3 states. She is responsible for the strategic management and operations and service provided by her team. Under her tenure as Area President, Melissa has grown her team from a $14M revenue per year to approximately $100M per year in less than 10 years.
Prior to assuming his/her current role, Melissa worked as COO for Chapman Insurance, and independent agency solely focused on insuring the risks of nonprofit organizations. She started her insurance career in 2003 and during her 9 years with Chapman, was able to utilize efficiency strategies such as Lean Six Sigma for Service to dramatically increase client retention and employee satisfaction results.
Chapman was acquired by Gallagher in 2012 to serve as their nonprofit niche expert but due to various acquisitions and additions to the team, in her current role, Melissa oversees P&C, Benefits and Personal Lines for a variety of niches.
Awards & Recognitions
- In 2010, under Melissa’s management, Chapman was voted Best Independent Agency to Work for in the West by Insurance Journal Magazine.
- The following year, in 2011, Chapman was voted Best Independent Agency to Work for in the United States.
- That same year, in 2011, Chapman was awarded the Pinnacle Award by Marshberry for being in the top 1% of highest performing agencies in the US and the highest performing agency in their network.
A Northridge resident, Mazzeo had a distinguished career in sports journalism, corporate communications, and small business prior to retiring in 1999. He also is a U.S. Army veteran, having served from 1966-1968, including a tour in the Vietnam War. He is an avid senior softball player and has had the honor of playing on numerous world/national championship teams.
Born in Hawaii during World War II, Mazzeo has lived almost the entirety of his life in the San Fernando Valley. He grew up in Burbank and moved to Northridge in 1972. Mazzeo has four adult children, nine grandchildren and two great grandchildren. He attended grade school in Burbank, graduated from Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks and holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from California State University Los Angeles. He worked in the sports department of what now is the Los Angeles Daily News starting in 1963, eventually assuming the department’s leadership as sports editor in 1974. He was a columnist for several years and also covered virtually every major sports event in the United States – including the World Series, the Super Bowl, NBA and NHL playoffs, auto racing, track and field and the 1980 Winter Olympics in Lake Placid, NY where he reported on the U.S. hockey team’s triumph over the Soviet Union known as the “Miracle on Ice.”
Following his newspaper career, he went into corporate communications in 1984 and was manager of Employee Communications for Allied-Signal Aerospace and Litton Industries. He finished his professional career as a small business owner for Books Are Fun, conducting book and gift fairs at various medical centers, corporate headquarters and office complexes.
He has devoted the charitable or community service aspect of his life to Rancho San Antonio and has helped the agency grow into what is largely regarded as the gold standard in California (if not the nation) in residential care and treatment/rehabilitation of troubled male youth.
During his tenure as director, Brother John founded Rancho San Antonio’s Transitional Housing Program for young men (20 beds) transitioning from the foster care system. He developed the program and raised the funds to ensure that youth leaving the foster care system would not be homeless. To this day, Brother John has ensured that the program has sustainability into the future without any government funding. The dining hall has been dedicated to Brother John in honor of his love of cooking and his connections to the staff and youth in the kitchen. In 2022, one of the residential programs was named after him, “Brother John’s House.”
He has been honored by the California Department of Social Services (CDSS), Children and Family Services Division, for his valued participation and expertise in Out-of-Home Care Public Policy Forums, was named Chatsworth Citizen of the Year in 1994-95, and more recently honored by the Knights of Columbus for his ongoing service to their organization and Rancho San Antonio. Brother John is a legacy at Rancho San Antonio and to the Brothers of Holy Cross. His mission is to “serve with love”.
Thomas E. Ferguson Jr. is a dedicated father of four, shamelessly committed to raising up all members of society by providing a path to personal excellence to all those seeking it. Thomas has been a critical care registered nurse for 23 years with an emphasis in flight nursing and organ donation. Thomas spent four years, as a Procurement Transplant Coordinator for One Legacy here in Los Angeles, as well as, for Golden State Donor Services in Sacramento, California, providing the option of organ donation to the Greater Los Angeles and Greater Sacramento communities. Thomas was also employed for twelve years as a Heart/Lung/Kidney Transplant Coordinator at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center facilitating life-saving transplants for the 250- 300 RRUCLA wait list candidates. He spent four years as a civilian Flight Nurse at California Shock and Trauma Air Rescue (CALSTAR) serving Northern California communities by providing exemplary in-flight trauma care and delivery to the closest Level I Trauma Center. Lastly, Lieutenant Colonel Ferguson served twelve years as an Operational Senior Flight Nurse Instructor in the United States Air Force Reserve attaining 909.9 flight hours and 51.9 combat flight hours on C-17 Globemaster, KC-135 Stratotanker, C-130 Hercules, and the now defunct C-141 Starlifter aircrafts. As a retired veteran, with 24 years United States Army/United States Air Force Reserves experience including multiple combat tours in support of Operation Desert Storm (1), Operation Iraqi Freedom (1), and Operation Enduring Freedom (4), Thomas knows what it takes to be part of a synergistic team as a leader, and more importantly, as a follower and good teammate. One of Thomas’s goals as a member of Rancho San Antonio Board of Directors is to put a face on the Board; to ensure staff and clients know who the Board of Directors are and what they stand for collectively and individually. He would also like to increase accessibility, within limits, to the Board for Rancho San Antonio Staff Members and Clients.
Thomas is honored to be a part of the Rancho San Antonio Family and looks forward to continuing to positively affect the lives of our clients and staff!
Prior to founding Kleger-Heine Legal Solutions, Dorsey served as the Chief Operating Officer & Legal Counsel at United Friends of the Children, a large non-profit that provides housing and education services to current and former foster youth. Dorsey also clerked on the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals and represented a wide variety of organizations as a Senior Associate at Munger, Tolles & Olson LLP, which is consistently ranked on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Dorsey also has served at-risk populations through her work as a Deputy Public Defender, Director of a Preschool Resource Center in León, Nicaragua, and Director of an Arts After-school Program in East Harlem. Most recently, Dorsey worked to reform the Sheriff’s Department through her role as Deputy Inspector General for Los Angeles County.
Dr. Guadalupe Herrera Simpson is an experienced educator, who has served as a teacher, college and high school counselor, Assistant Principal Counseling, Assistant Principal Instruction, Principal and District Office Administrator. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at California State University, Northridge in the Leadership and Policy Studies Department.
Her passion and mission in life has been to provide leadership and instruction to offer students in underrepresented communities an equitable educational opportunity. She began her involvement at Rancho San Antonio when she was assigned to Aggeler High School as Principal, which served the young men assigned to Rancho. While at Aggeler she worked collaboratively with the RSA staff to build an educational program that would provide the youth with a high school diploma, and a dream of post-secondary/college attainment in connection with their therapeutic program. For her commitment to students, Dr. Simpson has received special recognition in receipt of the following:
- Recipient of the USC Alumni Association Widney Alumni House Volunteer Award
- Recipient of the USC-PDK Research Award
- Recipient of the USC-PDK President’s Award for Commitment and Dedication
- Commendation for Outstanding Service to District-C Parents and Schools awarded by Lieutenant Governor Cruz M. Bustamante
- California Distinguished School Principal’s Award The California Department of Education
- Recognized by Huntington Park City Council for Extraordinary Commitment to Students
- Recipient of the Mayor Bradley Golden Apple Award
- Recognized by the Los Angeles Board of Supervisors for Exemplary Service to Students and Youth
She is honored to serve on the Board of Directors at Rancho San Antonio and support the leadership in servicing the emotional, educational, and social needs of the young men at Rancho San Antonio.
Executive Leadership
Aubree is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in Psychology from University of California (UC) at Santa Barbara and a Master of Science (MS) degree in Counseling from California State University (CSU) Northridge. Her intern experience includes working with survivors of sexual abuse at the Valley Trauma Center (now Strength United), as a school counselor for the Saugus Union School District, facilitating multi-family Substance Abuse groups, and as a therapist at a juvenile placement facility for female clients and their young children. Aubree was part of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) through the Los Angeles Police Department responding to sexual assault crime investigations by providing on-site counseling at the hospital during forensic examination.
With experience in private practice, Aubree utilizes mindfulness and meditation personally and in her work with others. Aubree has a passion for working with disenfranchised persons and respects that everyone has a story to share. Both in and out of work, Aubree strives to respect our planet and live a life of balance, focused on the mind, the body and the spirit.
Sharon is welcome at the table when establishing/discussing policy and procedure with county partners and all collaboratives. She has served on numerous workgroups including representing Supervisor Kathryn Barger’s office in Los Angeles County Care First efforts, received honors from Los Angeles County Juvenile Probation for her work in development of the multi-disciplinary team model, and received a Certificate of Appreciation for ‘beyond the call of duty in treatment of juveniles’ issued by former Los Angeles County Mayor Eric Garcetti.
Sharon has also worked as a consultant teaching effective communication, leadership and team development. Additionally, she has mentored social work interns and served as adjunct staff for UCLA and USC schools of social work.
Also known for her writing skills, Sharon has teamed with others on projects that led to Rancho being awarded grants and contracts. Dear to her heart, is writing the book ‘Little By Little and Bit by Bit’, chronicling the odyssey of a child placed out of home. This book has been used in therapy and featured in Rancho’s spiritual retreat program.
Ministering to people is Sharon’s love language. She is part of her churches meals ministry and has served as a facilitator for women’s bible studies. Sharon appreciates gathering with and cooking for family and friends while they enjoy her food and wine pairings.
He is responsible for financial planning, reporting, forecasting, analysis, and accounting controls. Saul has spent 40+ years in accounting and business administration and the last 25 as an economic leader. Saul studied at Universidad Centro Americana (UCA) for his BS in Accounting and Business Administration degree and at Angelus Bible College for Theology and Leadership.
Saul was born in El Salvador and has lived most of his life in California. He has a passion for helping others, which is fueled by his Christian faith. This passion has led him to volunteer work in Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Puerto Rico, and many places in the USA, and he currently leads as the senior pastor at As You Are Church in Simi Valley. Saul is an agent of positive change wherever he goes. His ability to speak two languages (English/Spanish) has allowed him to serve as an interpreter, on one occasion interpreting for as many as thirty thousand people.
Saul loves spending time with his family and enjoys writing, playing guitar and drums, listening to music, watching movies, and an occasional game of tennis and chess.
Kelley is licensed in CA and MA and is a Complex Trauma Treatment Affiliate, within the Complex Trauma Training and Treatment Network, an international affiliation of leading clinical, training and research experts in the field of traumatic stress. Among her areas of training, certification, and expertise are EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), ARC (Attachment, Regulation and Competency), ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), CPP (Child Parent Psychotherapy), IPT (Interpersonal Psychotherapy), MAP (Managing and Adapting Practices), Seeking Safety, Solution-Focused Therapy, and TF- CBT (Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.)
Then in 2000, she returned to the United States and began her path in clinical work. After receiving her Master of Science (MS) in Counseling from California State University (CSU) at Fullerton, she became a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT) and over the years moved progressively into more leadership positions. She loves to think strategically and problem-solve, on both a micro and macro level, in order to provide quality mental health and other services to the clients and communities we serve.
Zeena began working at Rancho in 2018, when Rancho became a Short Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP) and was specifically hired to help obtain and implement the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (LACDMH) contract. Since then, she has been integral in the starting additional contracts/programs. Zeena has worked in LACDMH contracted agencies for the past 20+ years, starting as a case manager.
In addition, Zeena speaks Spanish proficiently. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in Development (international) Studies from UC Berkeley and completed coursework for a PhD in Education focusing on human development from Claremont Graduate University. Zeena and her husband have 4 adult children and an adorable granddaughter. She enjoys comedy shows and long walks as well as traveling and learning about new cultures/languages. After work, Zeena enjoys Zumba, Pilates, and listening to inspirational books. During downtime, she also loves a good nap or a massage.
Effective crisis response is a cornerstone of work in the field of residential treatment with juvenile justice involved youth. Troy was among one of Rancho’s first PRO-Act (Professional Response Crisis Training) instructors and trained hundreds of staff over an 18-year period of time.
His role touches all aspects of agency functioning. He supervises the Physical Plant Director and helps to oversee the needs of a 20-acre facility. Recently Rancho has undergone program expansion and Troy has oversight of the residential aspects of four newer programs. Leading programming efforts, Troy works closely with the training department as well as activities department.
Troy has a beautiful family and enjoys his wife, children, and grandchildren. The family enjoys camping, water sports and watching movies together.
Brian is married to Patricia Yabu who worked as a Social Worker for Rancho San Antonio for 29 years. They both served a combined 70 years at Rancho San Antonio and are parents of 2 great young men that consider Rancho San Antonio part of their home.
Advisory Council
Retired Nurse
Frank Geraty
Retired Technology Leader
Frank Wilson
Retired Educator
Gary Hoover
Retired Sales Manager
Tony Lufrano
Retired CEO Non-Profit
Tony O’Shea
Retired Supervising Deputy Probation Officer
Wes Charek
Owner – Wespower Electrical, Inc.
Patrick Lufrano
District Manager
(Farmers Insurance)
Debbie Nate
New Council Member
Marisa Capra-Cunningham
New Council Member
Dylann Miele
New Council Member
Rosa Valenzuela-Doty
Nurse