Irvine, CA. (August 19, 2024) – Orange County United Way today announced the election of a new Treasurer and seven new members to its Board of Directors.
“Our new treasurer and new board members each bring a unique background that will offer fresh insights that are crucial to achieving our goals as an organization,” said Susan B. Parks, President and CEO of Orange County United Way. “Having made great strides over the last 100 years in making Orange County a better place, we are confident that their diverse expertise and leadership will propel us forward to pave the way for another amazing 100 years and continued success in bettering Orange County.”
Hugh Conners was elected at the Board of Directors Annual Meeting on June 21, 2024, and will serve a one-year term as Treasurer beginning July 1, 2024, and ending June 30, 2025. He is currently Senior Vice President and Regional Banking Manager at BMO. With more than three decades of banking experience, Conners has been a valuable member of the Board of Directors of Orange County United Way since 2021. He received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics at San Jose State University and an MBA in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Santa Clara University Leavey School of Business.
The new board members were also elected at the June 21st Board of Directors Annual Meeting, and all will serve a three-year term ending June 30, 2027.
They include:
- Jacqueline Akerblom, Retired – Grant Thornton LLP
- Greg Custer, Whittier Trust
- Ryan Flynn, The Weir Group PLC
- Julie Miller-Phipps, Collaborative Innovation Partners
- Edward Mora, U.S. Bank
- Niza Oun-Nguyen, Mariner Wealth Advisors
- Nisha Verma, Dorsey & Whitney LLP
Jacqueline Akerblom is a seasoned global leader and financial expert known for driving growth and profitability who recently retired from Grant Thornton LLP in May 2024. During her tenure, she held multiple senior leadership roles, including West Region Managing Partner. She attended the University of Oxford Said Business School Grant Thornton Senior Leadership Program and holds a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting from the University of San Diego. She is a Certified Public Accountant in California and is NACD Directorship Certified.
Greg Custer is Executive Vice President and Manager, Orange County, Administration at Whittier Trust. He currently serves on the United to End Homelessness℠ Executive Committee and Leadership Council. Custer received his Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration and his Bachelor of Science degree in Economics from the University of Puget Sound. He is a graduate of Cannon Financial Institute’s Trust School and holds the Certified Trust and Financial Advisor designation as well as a TEP Certification from the Society of Trust and Estate Practitioners.
Ryan Flynn is Regional Managing Director for North America at The Weir Group PLC. He brings a unique global background, including residence in multiple countries and diverse industry experiences, leveraging a broad perspective to innovate, challenge norms, and creatively solve complex issues. Flynn received a Master of Business Administration degree from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, and a Bachelor of Commerce degree from the University of South Africa.
Julie Miller-Phipps is the Co-Founder and Principal Consultant at Collaborative Innovation Partners and serves on the 2-1-1 Orange County Leadership Council. Previously, she served as President for Kaiser Permanente, Southern California and Hawaii. She has been recognized in the Los Angeles Business Journal’s “LA 500 List” for six years as well as one of the ‘Top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare’ by Modern Healthcare. She received a Master of Science in Healthcare Administration from the University of La Verne, a Bachelor of Science in Sociology at Cal State Fullerton and completed Executive Advanced Leadership Programs at the University of North Carolina and University of Southern California.
Edward Mora is Senior Vice President, Market Leader of Orange County for U.S. Bank Private Wealth Management. He was named to the ‘OC500’ list as one of Orange County’s most influential business leaders by the Orange County Business Journal in 2023. Mora received his Bachelor of Science in Finance from Long Beach State University and his MBA in Financial Decision Systems from Loyola Marymount University.
Niza Oun-Nguyen is Senior Wealth Advisor at Mariner Wealth Advisors. She received her Bachelor of Arts in International Studies in Economics from the University of California, San Diego, a Master of Business Administration in Finance from Pepperdine University, a Master of Science in Entrepreneurship from Pepperdine University, and Executive Education in Wealth Management Theory and Practice from Yale School of Management.
Nisha Verma is Partner and head of Labor and Employment at Dorsey & Whitney LLP. She has been actively involved with Orange County United Way, serving on its Women United committee and Women’s Philanthropy Fund Breakfast committee since 2013. Verma graduated summa cum laude with a Juris Doctor from the DePaul University College of Law and received her Bachelor of Arts degree at the University of Nevada, Reno.
For more about Orange County United Way, visit UnitedWayOC.org.
ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY UNITED WAY
For a century, Orange County United Way has been a beacon of hope, building stronger, successful communities by focusing on breaking barriers and improving lives for everyone who lives here. Through our key initiatives—United for Student Success℠, United for Financial Security℠, and United to End Homelessness℠—we are working to ensure local students succeed, OC families gain financial security, and our neighbors experiencing homelessness find a place to call home. We also offer vital support via 2-1-1 Orange County (211OC), a key service that connects thousands of our most vulnerable residents with health and human services resources. Throughout 2024, Orange County United Way is commemorating 100 years of community impact via our Journey to 100 centennial celebration as we prepare for another century of caring for each other #TheOCWay.
To learn more or discover how you can help, visit UnitedWayOC.org.
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Media Contact: Annie Noebel, [email protected], (949) 449-2527
