October 7, 2019 Niki Dettman

San Bernardino, CA – The Making Hope Happen Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of three new board members to its Board of Directors. The newly elected Board members are Alton Garrett, Jolena Grider, and Jennifer Carter.

We are blessed to add additional expertise and enthusiasm to our already very committed Board,” said President of the Making Hope Happen Foundation, Dr. Samuel J. Gibbs.

Alton Garrett is the Managing Partner for Garrett Management Group, LLC, member of the National Coalition of Black Meeting Planners (NCBMP), and Chairman of the Board and Interim President for the African American Health Institute of San Bernardino County. Mr. Garrett has served a faithful 27 years of service to his country, retired in the grade of Chief Master Sergeant.

Jolena Grider is a partner at Cole Huber LLP specializing in municipal law. Mrs. Grider worked for the San Bernardino City Attorney’s Office for 20 years and was formerly the Chief Assistant City Attorney. She has extensive experience in all areas of municipal law such as criminal prosecutions, civil litigation, and providing legal advice to city departments.

Jennifer Carter is the director and owner of Oak Tree Learning Center, a preschool located in San Bernardino. Mrs. Carter formerly was a Middle School Assistant Director/Academic Dean for New Road Schools. She has over 20 years of experience working in education.

The Making Hope Happen Foundation brings strategically applied philanthropic support to the mission of the San Bernardino City Unified School District.  Its programs focus on creating successful, life-long learners from cradle to career. With its donors and partners, the Making Hope Happen Foundation prepares future students by teaching parents how to maximize the brain development of infants and toddlers, inspires engagement among current students by investing in innovative ideas that make school more relevant, works with multiple agencies in order to Uplift San Bernardino, and awards mentor-supported scholarships to help SBCUSD graduates achieve professional success.

The slate of board members for 2019-2020 are listed below.

Dr. Samuel Gibbs, President

Heri “Eddie” Garcia, Vice President

Kevin Posey, Treasurer

Cathy Knowles, Secretary

Jim Morris

Lynda Savage

Jan Cunningham

Diana Rodriguez

Mariann Johnson

Niki Dettman

Michael Rivera

Alton Garrett

Jolena Grider

Jennifer Carter

Carrie Gilbreth

For more information about the Making Hope Happen Foundation, about its three priority programs, or to support its work with a tax-deductible charitable contribution, visit www.makinghope.org.