Irvine, CA. (November 17, 2025) – Orange County United Way today announced the election of ten members to its Board of Directors for a three-year term. Additionally, four new officers were elected for a two-year term.
“Our seven newly elected board members and three returning members each offer powerful perspectives and valuable expertise that will help us continue to make a lasting impact for Orange County residents,” said Susan B. Parks, President and CEO of Orange County United Way. “We are proud to have such a talented group of individuals and leaders dedicated to strengthening our community, and we look forward to their contributions over the coming years.”
The four newly elected officers will serve a two-year term ending June 30, 2027, and include:
- Lawrence R. Armstrong, Chairman, Ware Malcomb – Chair
- Shirin Behzadi, CEO, Shirin Behzadi, LLC – Vice Chair
- Hugh Conners, Retired – Senior Vice President, Regional Manager, BMO – Treasurer
- Maggie O’Sullivan, Community Leader – Secretary
The new board members were elected at the annual June Board of Directors meeting, and all will serve a three-year term ending June 30, 2028. They include:
- Meg Appelgate, Founder & CEO, Unsilenced
- Greg Backley, President & CEO, Automobile Club of Southern California
- Tara Balfour, Head of U.S. Commercial Credit Risk, BMO Bank N.A.
- Kim Chips, Senior Manager, Corporate Social Responsibility, Disneyland Resort
- Steve Churm, Founder & Principal, Churm360, LLC (returning)
- John Combs, Executive Vice President, Lincoln Property Company
- Linh Nguyen, President, Advance Beauty College
- Bill Parente, General Manager, Fluor, Southern California
- Mike Ruane, President, National CORE (returning)
- Ernest Schroeder, President & Co-Founder, Schroeder Investment Partners, Inc. (returning)
Meg Appelgate brings over 17 years of leadership experience in strategic planning, governance, and fundraising. She currently leads a nationally recognized nonprofit dedicated to ending institutional child abuse in the ‘troubled teen industry.’
Greg Backley is the Automobile Club of Southern California (ACSC) President and CEO. He has climbed the ranks of ACSC over the past 34 years and brings his vast leadership expertise to the Board.
Tara Balfour leverages more than 30 years of experience in the commercial banking industry and has served on many local boards. She is currently the Head of U.S. Commercial Credit Risk at BMO Bank N.A.
Kim Chips has worked with The Walt Disney Company for 27 years. She currently oversees various charitable and community-focused programs and relationships in her position as Senior Manager of Corporate Social Responsibility for Disneyland Resort.
Steve Churm returns to the Board, bringing over 45 years of experience as an award-winning journalist, media entrepreneur, and corporate communications executive. He currently advises the clients of Churm360, LLC including CEOs, real estate executives, and nonprofit organizations.
John Combs is the Executive Vice President of Lincoln Property Company, where he services over 500 million square feet of space across office, industrial, and retail properties in the United States. In 2024, he was recognized as one of the most influential leaders in Orange County on the OCBJ OC500 List.
Linh Nguyen serves as the President of Advance Beauty College, where she oversees operations for the school and helps women and immigrant students who are seeking financial independence in the beauty industry.
Bill Parente is General Manager of the Southern California office for Fluor, a global engineering, procurement and construction company, where he is responsible to ensure the overall success and profitability of the office by aligning operations, strategy and people toward common goals.
Mike Ruane returns to the Board, and currently serves as President of National CORE, one of the nation’s largest nonprofit affordable housing developers. He leads program and business development and oversees internal and external communications for the organization.
Ernest Schroeder returns to the Board, as President and Co-Founder of Schroeder Investment Partners, Inc. He works closely with brokers in the multi-family industry to source deals and banks on capital for current and future investments. He is also a Certified Property Manager with the Institute of Real Estate Management.
ABOUT ORANGE COUNTY UNITED WAY
Orange County United Way mobilizes our community to create brighter futures for all, today and for generations to come.
True to our founding spirit, whenever there is a need in our community, United Way is there. Through advocacy, collaboration, and innovative programming, our work is comprehensive and action-oriented, effectively addressing our county’s unique challenges.
From strengthening local resilience to expanding youth opportunity, financial stability, and access to stable housing, we’re working toward an Orange County where everyone has the support they need to reach their full potential.
For more about Orange County United Way, visit UnitedWayOC.org.
Orange County United Way is a standalone, independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
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Media Contact: Annie Noebel, anoebel@cornerstonecomms.com, (949) 449-2527
