New Leaders Take the Reins
The Laguna Beach Community Foundation, which provides expertise and resources to assist local charities, announced hiring Nancy Christiano as its executive director.
She succeeds former Executive Director Dan Pingaro, who is credited with increasing the foundation’s fund holders and its funds under management by nearly 30 percent during his three-year tenure. Nearly $630,000 in gifts from the foundation’s fund holders were distributed to non-profits in 2016.
Pingaro starts a new job Monday, April 24, but remains in the area. He was hired as president and chief executive of the Ocean Institute, a marine science, education, and maritime history center in Dana Point. Prior to relocating to Laguna Beach, Pingaro led Sailors for the Sea, a Newport, R.I., nonprofit focused on ocean conservation among sailors and boaters.
Christiano co-produced TEDx Orange Coast and TEDx Los Angeles and worked as a development advisor to PopulationMedia.org and Philip Leakey of Kenya. She has also raised funds for non-profits including Oceana, CureDuchenne and Fuel Freedom.
