Serena Ngo
Executive Director
Serena Ngo joined SuperFood Drive in January 2012. Her earliest volunteer experience started in elementary school collecting canned goods for her school’s Thanksgiving food drive and that has led to a lifetime of volunteering and eventually working in the nonprofit sector. She is looking forward to expanding the organization’s programming and learning from the amazing volunteers, board, and collaborative partners!
Serena has nearly 10 years of nonprofit work experience. She has also served on the board of Young Nonprofit Professionals Network of San Diego. She received her BA in Political Science and recently completed her Masters in Social Welfare, with an emphasis in Nonprofit Administration, both from UCLA. She enjoys running, yoga, being in the outdoors, good food and spending time with her boyfriend, friends and family. She just recently started cycling, with hopes of attempting a sprint triathlon in the near future.
Favorite SuperFood: Tea!
Heidi Angeles
Director of Education
Heidi completed her Bachelor’s degree in Human Biology from the University of California, San Diego, a Master’s in Education emphasizing in Counseling & Guidance and a second Bachelor’s degree in Dietetics both from Point Loma Nazarene University.
Heidi completed her yoga teaching certification, studying Ayurveda and Holistic approaches to healing, worked in the field of child nutrition research with the MOVE Project at the San Diego State University Research Foundation and has published works with the Health Education and Behavior Journal on the effects of Body Image on Women. She currently works as a Coordinator for San Diego’s underserved populations and is a Nutritionist with a residential foster facility, teaching nutrition to socially and emotionally affected youth. Heidi is excited about the work she is doing with SuperFood Drive, heading the SuperKids for SuperFoods youth action campaign and the possibilities ahead that can impact and shape the way we eat and live.
Heidi enjoys cooking, strength training, taking walks along the beautiful San Diego coastline, traveling, reading and enjoying life’s delicacies with her family and friends.
Favorite SuperFood: Coconut
Donna Pinto
Resource Development Consultant
Donna Pinto is a nonprofit consultant specializing in marketing, public relations, project management, strategic planning, resource development and grant writing. She is passionate about working with organizations focused on promoting holistic health, fitness, youth empowerment and peace-building. After graduating from San Diego State University with a B.A. in Journalism, Donna left a prestigious career in magazine advertising sales for a two year stint working at Club Med resorts in Mexico, The Bahamas, Colorado and the Dominican Republic. She and her husband then took a two year “honeymoon around the world” which included visiting 20 countries and running a ski chalet for a winter in Norway. Donna returned home to publish Cheatnotes on Life: Lessons From The Classroom of Life which sold over 60,000 copies.
Donna’s fitness achievements include: a 14 day Annapurna Circuit trek in Nepal, climbing Half Dome,hiking the Grand Canyon, running a marathon and two half marathons. Her goal for 2011 is the San Diego “Triple Crown” – which includes completing three half marathons in one year.
Donna has served on the board of directors of Kids for Peace since 2007. She enjoys yoga, running, hiking, healthy, ethnic foods, spirituality and spending quality time with family and friends. She and her husband Glenn have been happily married for 15 years. They are blessed with two wonderful boys – Skyler, the wise yogi (age 10) and Cody, the happy Buddha (age 8).
Favorite SuperFood: Blueberries
Diana Trafican
Fundraising Coordinator and Special Event Planner
Diana has worked in the non-profit industry for the last seven years and brings her experience in fundraising and event management to the SuperFood Drive mission. Her passion for nutrition began when she attended her first health course in college and became enamored with the subject. Since then, this passion has led her to strive for a healthy lifestyle for herself and those around her. Currently seeking a Master’s in Nutritional Science and her Registered Dietitian credentials, Diana is a student and advocate for health in the community.
She enjoys being outdoors, traveling, hiking, rock climbing, participating in running events and triathlons, and cooking delicious, healthy meals for friends and family.
Favorite SuperFood: Blueberries all the way!!
Jeff Silva
Graphic Designer and Branding Specialist
Jeff Silva loves the challenge of making sense in the complex world that exists today and the important problems that need to be addressed. He considers himself an insatiable designer when he’s involved with design that really matters; design that touches humanity in any positive direction. He is currently a Senior Designer for Johnson & Johnson’s Global Strategic Design Office based in NYC, the first internal design and strategy group in the one hundred plus years that Johnson & Johnson has existed. He’s responsible for OTC (over-the-counter) brands such as Tylenol, Motrin, Pepcid, and Imodium. His day-to-day job at JNJ involves collaboration between cross functional teams such as marketing, innovation, project management, engineering and R&D. His role involves integrating the value and competitive advantage of design into the business model of the company.
Jeff holds a B.F.A. in Graphic Design and Packaging from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California where he also serves as the NYC Art Center Alumni Co-Chair. When he’s not designing, you can find him spending quality time with his two precious kitties Tyler and Munchkin.
Favorite SuperFood: The blueberry – usually on top of a pancake with the help of Claire and her amazing cooking
Sonya Golds
Community Liaison Intern
Sonya received her bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Nevada, Reno. After graduating she moved to San Diego and began working as a Health Coach, providing phone-based coaching focusing on nutrition, exercise, stress management and tobacco cessation. This work inspired her to go back to school to obtain her Master of Public Health. She is currently in her second year of her Master’s program and is working with SuperFood Drive as an intern. She also works as a health promotion coordinator and takes classes toward her degree. She recently moved back to San Diego and is looking forward to working with the community and promoting healthier living, both in her job and with SuperFood Drive.
Sonya spends her free time training for different athletic events, traveling whenever possible, and spending time with family and friends.
Favorite SuperFood: Acai
Laurel Barosh
Director of Community Outreach, Australia
Laurel recently completed her Masters in Public Health through the Graduate School of Public Health at San Diego State University. She is passionate about reaching individuals and families in need to share the importance of healthy eating in order to promote better health outcomes and prevent non-communicable diseases.
Laurel has been involved with several international public health projects covering issues such as HIV/AIDS prevention, Dengue fever education, water and sanitation surveillance, H1N1 prevention, and Rickettsia surveillance and education. In the summer of 2010, Laurel worked as an intern at the World Health Organization in Geneva, Italy for the Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, analyzing the development and implementation of nutrition policies on a global scale.
Laurel’s professional background includes fundraising and development for the UC Irvine Medical Center; data and quality management for Project Dulce, a diabetes management model for the Whittier Institute for Diabetes at Scripps Memorial Hospital; and research assistance for Child Development and Community Health at UC San Diego.
Laurel recently relocated to Sydney, Australia and is thrilled to share her enthusiasm for Superfood Drive with the indigenous and urban people of Oceania. Laurel enjoys surfing, hiking, cooking with and drinking wine, and eating fresh, local, and organic foods.
Favorite SuperFood: Whole grain rolled oats in the morning
