Director of The Year Honorees

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE

David Tehle

David Tehle retired from Dollar General Corporation in 2015 as Executive Vice President and CFO, having served in that role for 11 years. Tehle was involved in taking the company private in 2007 with KKR and public again in 2009. Dollar General is a value discount retailer with a market cap of $52 billion with over 16,000 stores in 46 states.

Prior to Dollar General, Tehle served in a variety of financial roles for multiple companies including The Haggar Clothing Company, The Stanley Works and Texas Instruments. Currently, Tehle serves as a board member on US Foods Corporation in Chicago, Jack in the Box, Inc. in San Diego and National Vision, Inc. in Atlanta. Tehle is chairman of the audit committees of all three companies. He also served on the board of directors of Genesco, Inc. from 2016-2019.

Tehle holds a B.S. in economics from the University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh and an MBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.

EMERGING BOARD LEADER

Saundra Pelletier

Saundra Pelletier is the Chief Executive Officer, President and Executive Director of Evofem Biosciences, Inc., a commercial-stage biopharmaceutical company committed to developing and commercializing innovative products to address unmet needs in women’s sexual and reproductive health.

Since joining the Company in 2015, Ms. Pelletier has been responsible for Evofem’s rapid growth and evolution, including the Company’s transition to the public market in January 2018 and multiple equity financing rounds that have raised in excess of $491 million.

Under her leadership, the Company launched its first commercial product in September 2020.  Phexxi™ is the first and only hormone-free, on-demand, prescription vaginal gel approved in the United States for the prevention of pregnancy.   The Company has also advanced its investigational product candidate, EVO100, into a Phase 3 clinical trial for the prevention of urogenital transmission of both chlamydia and gonorrhea in women and expects to report top-line data from the EVOGUARD trial in mid-2022.

Ms. Pelletier brings more than two decades of broad executive leadership experience to Evofem, including a strong track record driving multiple billion-dollar product launches, expanding commercial capabilities in ex-U.S. markets and advocating for women’s health. Throughout her career, she has had oversight and accountability for Sales, Marketing, Operations, Medical Affairs, Regulatory Affairs, Manufacturing, Customer Service, Business Development, and Strategic Partnerships.

Ms. Pelletier was previously the founding CEO of Woman Care Global (WCG), an international nonprofit organization focused on creating sustainable supply chains that delivered products to women in more than 100 developing countries. Under her leadership, WCG secured approximately $68M in committed funding from major foundations and USAID.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Pelletier served as Corporate Vice President and Global Franchise Leader for G.D. Searle, where she managed a $250 million business unit focused on women’s healthcare. She later moved to Women First Healthcare, where she served as Vice President of Pharmaceuticals and raised $40 million in capital.

She is a Director of TRACON Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a clinical stage biopharmaceutical company focused on novel targeted therapeutics for cancer.  She serves as the chair of the Governance/Nomination Committee and is a member of the Audit Committee.  She is also on the Board of Directors of the Center for Community Solutions, a San Diego-based non-profit organization focused on ending domestic violence.

Ms. Pelletier is a published author, skilled moderator and coveted keynote speaker. She has appeared at the Harvard T. H. Chan School of Public Health, the Davos World Economic Forum, the Clinton Global Initiative, the International Conference on Climate Change, the MAKERS Conference, Women Deliver, the International Conference on Family Planning, the Reproductive Health Supplies Coalition, the University of Virginia’s Darden School of Business, the University of Oregon’s Lundquist School of Business, and the University of California, San Diego. Recent podcast appearances include Pharma Voice Woman of the Week, FemTech Focus, Breastcancer.org, HERmd, and the Skinny Confidential.

Awards and Recognition:

• 2021 MM+M Hall of Femme Honoree
• Named to Inc. Magazine’s 2020 Female Founders 100 List
• Named to the 2021 and 2020 Pharma Voice 100 List
• Awarded San Diego Business Journal’s 2019 Business Woman of the Year
• Awarded the Athena San Diego Pinnacle Award for Life Sciences
• Named a “New Champion for Reproductive Health” by the United Nations Foundation
• Profiled by The New York Times, Inc. Magazine, CNN, San Diego Business Journal, The San Diego Union-Tribune, Fierce Pharma, Pharma Voice, Life Science Leader, Cosmopolitan, Bustle, Glamour, Marie Claire and Vogue

ENHANCEMENT OF ECONOMIC VALUE

Jeffrey W. Martin

As chairman of the board of directors and chief executive officer of Sempra, Jeff Martin leads a Fortune 500 energy infrastructure company with a market capitalization of nearly $40 billion and assets of over $65 billion. Over the last three years, Martin has led the company’s strategic realignment around a new mission to become North America’s premier energy infrastructure company by divesting non-strategic assets and reinvesting for growth in the largest economies in North America.

As CEO, Martin oversees a $32 billion capital plan, the largest in the company’s history, and leads more than 19,000 employees, serving the daily energy needs of more Americans than any other company. Under his leadership, Sempra has received industry-wide recognition for safety, innovation and technology as well as for its high-performing culture, including the National Association of Corporate Directors’ top award for diversity and inclusion. Most recently in 2020, S&P Global Platts recognized Martin’s vision and leadership, naming him Chief Executive of the Year at its Global Energy Awards.

Martin currently serves on the board of directors of the American Petroleum Institute, is a member of the Business Roundtable and a governor of the Oil and Gas and Electricity communities for the World Economic Forum. Martin has published guest columns with the World Economic Forum on innovation, technology and leadership and an op-ed on MarketWatch focused on the global energy transition. He has been a featured speaker on the topics of leadership and global energy systems with David Rubenstein and leading policy think tanks. He also serves as a member of the Wall Street Journal CEO Council and the Board of Trustees for the University of San Diego.

Martin has served in a number of critical leadership positions prior to his current role. As executive vice president and chief financial officer for Sempra, he led the company’s $9.45 billion acquisition of Oncor, the largest electric utility in Texas. As chairman and CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric, one of the nation’s leading investor-owned utilities, Martin led an innovative strategic program focusing on safety, resilience and low-carbon resources, which was nationally recognized. Martin also formerly served as the CEO of Sempra U.S. Gas and Power, where he led the company’s $3 billion investment campaign into utility-scale renewables, including the build-out of some of the largest wind and solar projects in North America.

In addition to his private sector experience, Martin has served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army where he was an air cavalry pilot in the 4th Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. He has completed the U.S. Army Infantry Officer Basic Course, Airborne School, and Rotary Wing Flight School, among other leadership and technical training courses. He holds a bachelor of science degree from the United States Military Academy at West Point, a master’s degree in public administration from the University of Texas at El Paso, and a law degree from the University of Miami, where he served as managing editor of the University of Miami Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif.

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

M. Faye Wilson

With over 25 years of experience in the banking and retail industries – as both an executive and member of the Board of Directors – M. Faye Wilson brought extensive expertise in global business management, strategic development, financial structuring, corporate culture, alignment and business transition skills together to form a consulting firm: Wilson Boyles and Company.

Before co-founding Wilson Boyles, Wilson held the position of senior vice president at The Home Depot, overseeing Risk Management and Value Initiatives, as well as serving on the Board of Directors. Prior to that, Wilson enjoyed a 21-year career at Security Pacific National Bank, which merged into Bank of America. During her banking career, she held several top-level executive and management positions, including Executive Vice President and member of Bank of America’s Management Committee, Chairman and President of Security Pacific Financial Services, and Chief Credit Officer for Bank of America’s National Banking Group. Prior to the merger with Bank of America, Wilson held senior positions with Security Pacific’s Corporate and Merchant Banking Group in the US and Europe, leading the bank in important transactions in acquisition, merger and leveraged buy-out transactions.

In addition to the board activity listed below, Wilson is busy with family which includes daughter, Tara, Granddaughter, Ivey, and two Great Grandchildren, Eydie Ann and Ernest. Two Vizslas, Ginger and Chili (the Spice Girls), round out the family. Whenever she can persuade them, she shares her love of opera with family and friends. So far, Ginger and Chili are immune.

Throughout her career, in both for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, Wilson has maintained a focus on mentorship: developing others, making sure others are recognized for their achievements and assuring that organizations understand the necessity and power of managing inclusion. All of this continues to be a passion and continues to be celebrated as mentees achieve great success.

Wilson holds a Bachelor’s degree from Duke University, and two Master’s degrees (International Relations and Business Administration) from the University of Southern California.

BOARD ACTIVITY:

Past Board Memberships: The Home Depot, Farmers Insurance, BioMed Realty and 4 regional banks

Current Board Memberships: Biocept, Inc (immediate past Chair, current Chair of Audit Committee); IQHQ REIT (Chair of Audit Committee)

Non-Profit Board Memberships (current): Sharp Healthcare System, Chair of the Audit Committee; Los Angeles Opera. Finance Committee; San Diego Humane Society, Finance Committee

COMPANIES IN TRANSITION

John Schmid

John Schmid has over 35 years of experience in financial and senior management in the biotech industry and has raised over $900 million in private and public equity as well debt financings as a Chief Financial Officer. He has taken two companies public as a CFO and over the past six years, he has been involved in six IPOs as an independent board member. He is currently a Board Member for AnaptysBio (Nasdaq: ANAB), Design Therapeutics (Nasdaq: DSGN), Poseida Therapeutics (Nasdaq: PSTX) and Xeris Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: XERS), as well as the SPAC, Helix Acquisition (Nasdaq: HLXA), and he serves as the Audit Chair for those companies as well.  Mr. Schmid also serves on the Boards of Forge Therapeutics and Speak, Inc. Previously, he was the Chief Financial Officer of Auspex Pharmaceuticals which he joined in 2013 and took public in early 2014 before it was sold to Teva in 2015 for $3.5 billion. Prior to Auspex, Mr. Schmid co-founded Trius Therapeutics in 2004 where he served as CFO through its IPO and until its sale to Cubist Pharmaceuticals in 2013 for over $700 million. Before Trius, he was CFO of GeneFormatics and Endonetics (acquired by Medtronic) as well as an Associate with Idanta Partners, a venture capital firm, Vice President at HomeFed Bank and a Financial Analyst for Manufacturers Hanover (now part of J.P. Morgan) in New York. He is a past President and a past board member of the San Diego Venture Group. Mr. Schmid received a BA in Economics from Wesleyan University and an MBA from the University of San Diego.

COVID IMPACT AWARD

P. Kay Coleman

Kay Coleman is President & CEO of Del Mar Venture Group, LLC, an angel investment firm that she co-founded in 2005 to help entrepreneurs get the capital and management expertise they need to grow in their early years. She has over thirty-five years of management consulting experience in strategic planning, mergers and acquisitions, business transformation, process improvement, and change management across a broad spectrum of industries.

Ms. Coleman recently retired as Chief Financial Officer and Partner of FCB Partners, LLC, a management consulting firm headquartered in Cambridge, MA that helps companies become faster, cheaper, and better by implementing major changes in their processes, systems, and culture.    Before FCB, Ms. Coleman was President and CEO of Workforce Transformation, Inc. (WTI) for 17 years.  She co-founded WTI with Dr. Michael Hammer in 1996 to help Hammer’s Fortune 500 clients improve their business performance by increasing employee engagement and understanding of their role in improving customer satisfaction and bottom-line results.

Before WTI, she was a vice president and Global Practice Leader with CSC | Index with responsibility for leading client and consultant teams in the design and implementation of new business processes and systems to achieve dramatic improvements in business results.

Ms. Coleman earned her Master of Business Administration (MBA) in Finance and Strategic Planning from the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania. She also received a Master of Science (MS) in Educational and Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in English from the University of Tennessee.

Since 2019, Ms. Coleman has served as Chair of the Board of Governors for The San Diego Foundation, a $1.2 billion community foundation, and previously served as Vice-Chair of its Governance Committee.   During her two-year Board Chair term, she led the organization through a complete governance review and a major update of its by-laws, policies and processes as well as its committee structure and charters.  She played an instrumental role in the Foundation’s adoption of its new mission, vision, values, and strategic framework as well as the creation and launch of its COVID-19 Community Response Fund and its Black Community Investment Fund.

She also serves on the national board of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN) Inc. and is their 2021-22 State Lead Ambassador for California.  She was bestowed the title of Chair Emerita of the American Cancer Society’s Southern California Area Board of Directors after serving as its inaugural Board Chair for two and a half years.  She served as Board Chair of ACS’ California Division in 2017 and chaired the ACS West Region Transition Team to help volunteers and staff understand and embrace ACS’ new organizational structure.  She helped to create ACS’ San Diego Corporate Partnership Council in 2000, chaired its golf and gala events twice, and is its longest serving member.  She is also a member of ACS’ CEOs Against Cancer.   In 2019, Ms. Coleman received the St. George National Award, the Society’s highest volunteer recognition for her distinguished service and impact on ACS’ strategic goals and mission-driven programs over many years.

In addition to her Board and volunteer roles with The San Diego Foundation and ACS, Ms. Coleman has served on the San Diego Regional Disaster Fund Board of Directors since 2019.  She is Vice President of the Board of Directors of the Westin Mission Hills Resort in Rancho Mirage, CA and just completed a ten-year term on the Board of the Westin Desert Willow Resort in Palm Desert, CA.   She is a member of the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Tennessee.  She also served as the 2020 Planning Chair of AFP San Diego’s National Philanthropy Day.

Ms. Coleman resides in Encinitas, California and is an avid sports fan and a lifelong advocate for racial and social justice.

CORPORATE GOVERNANCE: NOT-FOR-PROFIT

Steve Bernstein

Steve Bernstein was most recently the Executive Vice President and Market Executive of Wells Fargo Commercial Banking for San Diego County. Prior to this role, Steve was the Region Division Leader for Wells Fargo Business Banking in the Southern California and Nevada Region. He was responsible for more than 20 offices, 40 leaders and 350+ team members in the Inland Empire, San Diego, Palm Desert, Irvine and the Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara areas of California as well as the state of Nevada. An 18-year+ veteran of the company, Steve previously served as division manager for Southern California Business Banking, and Area Manager for business acquisition.

An active member in the community, Steve served on the board of directors and Finance Committee for the Alzheimer’s Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties, as well as the United Way of San Diego and San Diego State University School of Management. Steve is currently serving as Chairman of the Board of the Jacobs & Cushman San Diego Food Bank, and the College of Professional Studies at National University. Additionally, he is a board member of the Ronald McDonald House Charities of San Diego and the San Diego Region Chamber of Commerce. Steve is a graduate of San Diego State University, as well as Pacific Coast Banking School’s 2013 class. He lives in San Diego with his wife Nickie, who is an elementary school teacher, and his three children, Tyler, Carson, and Ashlyn.