Newsletter Summer 2023

Marking 40 years of impact,

Introducing our Class of 2023, pg.

Alumna Dr. Sarah Lopez inspires future generations, pg. 6

Dawn S. Reese Chief Executive Officer @DawnSReese

Mosaic of Success

I recently read a Forbes article that stated, “30% of nonprofits fail to exist after 10 years, and over half of the nonprofits fail within a few years.” For an organization that is about to enter our 5th decade, I pondered, “What have been the threads to success that have been weaved through the organization over the past that led to the tremendous impact we have witnessed over the years?”

1983, 1993, 2003, 2013 and 2023 - Through these organizational milestones, I believe that a mosaic has been woven together of: compassionate and strategic board members, passionate and creative staff members, and loving and generous supporters who have made an indelible mark on the mission of The Wooden Floor through their unwavering commitment and service to our mission, our students and their families. Over the years, beginning with the efforts by our founder, Beth Burns, and carried through to today, we are “one community,” which forms a beautiful mosaic that unites us in our collective goal to move young people forward.

Our strategic and integrated approach to our mission has set the course on the successes that we are witnessing today:

■ Nearly 100,000 young people have been served, since 1983

■ Locally, the 475 young people in our year-round program coming from 15 cities in Orange County are served through two locations in Santa Ana, and approximately 3,000 students are served through our community engagement program each year, called Dance Free Weeks. Nationally, we launched our License Partnership Program to scale our impact across the United States

■ 100% High School Graduation and College Enrollment Rate, since 2005

■ Over 50% of our students declare majors in (S.T.E.A.M) Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math

■ 54% of alumni graduate from college with a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree, as compared to 12% of their socioeconomic peers

■ Our 10-Year Longitudinal Study 2014-2024 is nearing completion, which is assessing the long-term impact The Wooden Floor makes in children’s lives

■ Our team has grown to nearly 60 staff members who work tirelessly to ensure our programs and services deliver on the high-quality standards that our community expects from us

As we look ahead, we will continue to evolve to meet the changing needs of the students and families we serve through our 10-Year Strategic Vision (2021-2031) which is to: Drive Social Innovation, Grow Impact, and Uplift Our Community. We are confident that our mission will continue to be a beacon of hope and opportunity for generations of students to follow in the footsteps of those who came before them.

We thank those who came before us, those who are with us today, and those who will follow in the years ahead for upholding the promise we make to our students: from here you can step anywhere.

With gratitude,

Mission Moment

Our Board of Directors, staff, and students gathered for a commemorative photo as well as cupcakes to kick off The Wooden Floor’s 40th Anniversary year of celebrations. Founded in 1983, with humble beginnings in a church basement, The Wooden Floor has grown to be one of the foremost creative youth development nonprofit organizations in the country. Throughout this year, we look forward to sharing the stories of our alumni from the past four decades who have become change agents and beacons of hope within their own families, their neighborhoods, our community, and our world - thanks to your support.

INSIDE THE STUDIO (EN EL ESTUDIO) MARCH 2023

En el Estudio provided an opportunity for parents of students in our upcoming 40th Annual Concert to watch a behind-the-scenes demonstration of dances in progress with guest choreographers John Heginbotham, Keely Garfield, and Artistic Director Jennifer Bonfil. Parents were encouraged to ask questions about The Wooden Floor’s unique dance-making process, leaving them with excitement and anticipation for this year’s Annual Concert: Limitless , June 1-3, 2023 at the Irvine Barclay Theatre. Tickets available now at TheWoodenFloor.org/AnnualConcert.

STUDENT MOVIE NIGHT MARCH

2023

The Wooden Floor’s Student Leadership Council, comprised of high school students, organized and hosted a movie night for our elementary school students at our Main Street location courtyard. The high school students served as role models throughout the evening, which was filled with fun and refreshments as an opportunity to further build community among their fellow students.

SPRING BREAK COLLEGE TOURS APRIL

2023

High school students of The Wooden Floor filled their spring break with college tours at California State University, San Marcos; Whittier College; and Biola University. The Wooden Floor provides the tours and transportation to visit campuses to help our students gauge what type of college environment will best fit their needs. This increases their chances for success in the college application/ admissions process and within their path through higher education.

INTRODUCING THE CLASS OF 2023

California Polytechnic State University, Humboldt

California Polytechnic State University, Pomona

California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo

California State University, Bakersfield

California State University, San Bernardino

California State University, Chico California State University, Dominguez Hills

California State University, Fullerton

California State University, Fresno California State University, Long Beach

California State University, Los Angeles

California State University, Northridge

California State University, San Marcos

Chapman University

Concordia University

Cypress College

Fullerton College

Hawaii Pacific University

Illinois Institute of Technology

Irvine Valley College

Life Pacific University

Milwaukee School of Engineering

New York Institute of Technology

Northeastern Illinois University

Orange Coast College

Oregon Institute of Technology

Saddleback College

San Diego State University

San Francisco State University

Santa Ana College

Santiago Canyon College

University of California, Davis

University of California, Los Angeles

University of California, Merced

University of California, Riverside

University of California, San

University of California,

University of La

Vanguard University

Diego

Santa Cruz

Verne

THE CLASS OF 2023 HAS BEEN ACCEPTED TO THE FOLLOWING COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES:

Yulinalid Amaro Ariana Ballinas Aratzani Beltran Sofia De Loera

Dominic Lindbeck

Avril Martinez Kori Martinez

Katherine Martinez

Cecilia Mejia Heidy Mejia Amy Morales Nely Morales

Rolando Quintanilla Sonia Robles

Rebeca Rodriguez Juan Carlos Salazar

Emily Sanchez Joanna Sanchez Emily Tudela Itzell Valencia

Jeshiya Dennis Kimberly Escalante

Megan Escobar David Fernandez

Nancy Gavilanes Ritchie Gomez Sarah Gonzalez Alicia Guerrero

Jimena Hidalgo

Francia Jimenez

Monet Lace Samantha Landaverde

Caius Lindbeck Dalilah Vazquez

the First Person:

In

Dr. Sarah Lopez, MD, MBA

Dr. Sarah Lopez was born and raised in Orange County, California and she was one of the first students of The Wooden Floor, formerly known as Saint Joseph Ballet, where she learned to dream and thrive. She attended medical school at the University of California, Irvine and business school at UCI’s Paul Merage School of Business. She was part of UCI’s first cohort for “Program In Medical Education for the Latino Community” (PRIME-LC), a program focused on training highly qualified doctors who are culturally competent and dedicated to serving the diverse population of Southern California. Dr. Lopez also has a long history of advocacy through education. She started “Una Hora Con La Doctora” through MPNA GREEN, a nonprofit in Santa Ana, teaching parents about different health topics to empower them with knowledge. From 2019 to 2022, she was selected for the competitive California Health Care Foundation’s Health Care Leadership Fellowship. She has also served as an on-air medical expert on NBC, Univision, and elsewhere. Dr. Lopez delivered an emotional and inspiring keynote address at The Wooden Floor’s 11th Step Beyond Annual Breakfast in April.

Dr. Sarah Lopez, MD, MBA, Chief Medical Officer, Zócalo Health and Alumna of The Wooden Floor

"There really is nothing different or special in me that is not in each one of The Wooden Floor's graduates. There are real ripple effects that will happen with each one of the students who is graduating. I am just a point of reference of what organizations like The Wooden Floor can do to impact generations and improve the community."

The Wooden Floor performs

June 1-3, 2023

Irvine Barclay Theatre

AN INSPIRING CONTEMPORARY DANCE EVENT

A powerful, must-see contemporary dance performance, featuring the nation's top artists, designers, and choreographers working in collaboration with young people who are change agents and beacons of hope within our world. These young dancers harness their distinctive points of view to consistently produce poignant, ground-breaking dance pieces that have drawn national accolades.

TICKETS ON SALE NOW

Plus join us for special 40th Anniversary celebrations free with paid performance tickets!

Details at: TheWoodenFloor.org/AnnualConcert

THANK YOU TO OUR 40th Annual Concert Underwriters!

HONORARY UNDERWRITERS

The Beall Family Foundation

ASSOCIATE UNDERWRITERS

Sharon & Terry Hartshorn

Socorro & Ernesto Vasquez

CONCERT UNDERWRITERS

Bobbi Cox

Davis/Dauray Family Fund

Helen Sperry Lea Foundation

Yvonne & Damien Jordan

Emily and Jeremy Krout/ EPD Solutions, Inc.

Linda and Tod White Charitable Fund

Cath MacIver & Jim Slaughter

Marilyn McIntyre

CONCERT PARTNER

Michelle & Timothy Dean

Carole & Rich Lee

The John & CC Nelson Family

Ginger & Arthur Ong

CONCERT SUPPORTERS

Gochnauer Family Foundation

Hydraflow – The Ayloush Family

MVS Foundation

O’Neill Financial Management

MEDIA SPONSOR

2022-2023 Board of Directors

Theresa Allen,* Board Chair

Managing Director, RBC Wealth Management

Judith F. Posnikoff, PhD,* Immediate Past Chair Managing Director, Martlet Asset Management, LLC

Saar Swartzon,* Vice Chair Principal Attorney, Cohn & Swartzon, a Professional Law Corporation

Yvonne O’Neill,* Treasurer Certified Public Accountant, O’Neill Financial Management

Joseph Chatelle,* Secretary Principal, Mercer

Sasha Ayloush,* Director of Sales & Marketing, Hydraflow

Wendy Arciero Director of Community Relations, Anaheim Ducks Seán Curran, Chair, Department of Dance, NYU Tisch School of the Arts

Michelle Dean,* Community Leader

Brent Funston, Chief Executive Officer, Wind River Group, LLC

Elizabeth Gonzalez, Alumni Representative Community Leader

Raquel Gonzalez, Parent Representative, Community Leader

Bryan Green, Financial Advisor, Edward Jones

Jehan Jayakumar,* Founding Partner, Carlson & Jayakumar, LLP

Naveen Jonathan, PhD, LMFT, Community Representative Clinical Associate Professor of Marriage & Family Therapy, Chair, Marriage & Family Therapy, Crean College of Health & Behavioral Sciences, Chapman University

Laura King, Choreo Advisory Council Chair Account Director, Financial Services, Salesforce

Jeremy Krout, President/CEO, Environmental Planning Development Solutions, Inc.

Richard Lee, Market President, Retired, Aetna, Southern California

Catherine M. MacIver, Community Leader

Dana McCollum, General Manager, American Funds/Capital Group Companies, Inc.

Arthur Ong, Executive Vice President, Retired, Deputy General Counsel, PIMCO

Alix Portillo, Assistant Vice President, Compliance Monitoring Officer, Genesis Bank

Dawn S. Reese, CFRE, Chief Executive Officer, The Wooden Floor

Jim Slaughter, Partner, Slaughter & Slaughter, LLP

Ernesto M. Vasquez, FAIA, NCARB, Partner & CEO, SVA Architects, Inc.

Fabiola Velazquez, Parent Representative Community Leader

Board Emeriti

Joan Beall, Community Leader

Beth A. Burns, Founder of The Wooden Floor and Artistic Director (’83-’05)

Sharon Hartshorn, Community Leader

Richard C. Hunsaker,** President, Hunsaker Management

Virginia Hunsaker,** Community Leader

Damien M. Jordan, General Manager, Retired, American Funds/ Capital Group Companies, Inc.

Yvonne M. Jordan, Community Leader

Socorro Vasquez, Community Leader

* Executive Committee Members.

** In Memoriam.

As of: February 7, 2023

17TH ANNUAL

▫ A fun, strolling blind wine tasting competition

▫ Signature small plates

▫ Sharing of student success stories

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2023 at 6:00PM

Big Canyon Country Club

▫ Silent auctions and opportunity drawings

▫ Giving opportunities

Newport Beach, California Sponsorships

“Today we honor you for believing in empowering the lives of many people in Santa Ana. In families in youth and those around you. The city is a better place because of you.”

Yanet Gonzalez, Chief Development Officer for Templo Calvario

Supporter Sightings

Inside the Studio March 16, 2023

Supporters gathered at The Wooden Floor to spend time together in our courtyard with Guest Choreographer John Heginbotham and watch a sneak peek of our 40th Annual Concert Performance. The work-in-progress demonstration was accompanied by a Q&A with our students and Choreographer John Heginbotham, moderated by Artistic Director Jennifer Bassage Bonfil. We are so proud of all of our students who performed with tremendous dedication and answered questions so eloquently about the power of the Annual Concert experience to positively impact their lives.

Empowering Lives Award

March 10, 2023

Templo Calvario Community Development Corporation honored our CEO Dawn S. Reese with their Empowering Lives Award. “Today we honor you for believing in empowering the lives of many people in Santa Ana. In families in youth and those around you. The city is a better place because of you,” said Yanet Gonzalez, Chief Development Officer for Templo Calvario. We are grateful for Dawn’s leadership at The Wooden Floor and for leading youth mental health initiatives in Santa Ana to help move young people forward in our community.

1810 North Main Street

Santa Ana, CA 92706-2727

714.541.8314

TheWoodenFloor.org

Follow

Please Save-the-Date!

Please gather with us at the following events to help propel our students and our mission forward.

40th Annual Concert: Limitless

June 1-3, 2023 | 8:00pm nightly plus 2:30pm Saturday matinee

IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

Be inspired by our young dancers as they perform new dance works co-created with leading contemporary dance choreographers, reflecting the organization’s reputation for artistic excellence. (Details inside on page 8.)

More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/AnnualConcert

40th Anniversary Celebration

June 2, 2023 | 5:00pm

IRVINE BARCLAY THEATRE

More

17th Annual Keep the Promise Wine Tasting Benefit™

September 28, 2023 | 6:00pm

BIG CANYON COUNTRY CLUB, NEWPORT BEACH

A fun, strolling blind wine tasting competition featuring twelve spectacular wines from around the world, all rated 97 pts. and above. Proceeds help us keep the promise to each of our students: from here, you can step anywhere.

More information at TheWoodenFloor.org/WineTasting