Melissa David
Cal State Fullerton
"My mother has always been my inspiration because she has shown me the world and taught me to make my own decisions. My mother never made it through college and I never had any help in homework as a child. I was encouraged to grow up quickly and learned many of life's lessons as a child. From the time I was fifteen I have had to work. My mother and I live paycheck to paycheck. Someone once said that if you love your job you will never work a day in your life. I hope to find that in my future."
Staff
Executive Director
Diana M. Wolf
415.400.8640
diana@meritusfund.org
Diana M. Wolf joined Meritus College Fund as Executive Director in 2004 with responsibilities for the overall management of the organization, development and donor relations, and student relations.
Ms. Wolf has been involved in youth development and education for the last 18 years. Prior to joining Meritus, she was the Program Officer for Education with the Bank of America Foundation focusing on pre-K through 12th grade education and youth programs. Ms. Wolf began her career in teaching and multi-cultural education. She has served on a number of school, community, professional, and advisory boards locally and nationally. Ms. Wolf holds a B.A. (cum laude) from the University of San Francisco in Government and an M.A. from the Universitaet Salzburg, Austria, in Political Science, European History and Modern German Literature.
Ms. Wolf has lived abroad, traveled extensively, and is fluent in German. She is a native of San Francisco and loves to spend time with family and friends.
Student Relations Manager
Cedrick Andrews
415.400.8642
cedrick@meritusfund.org
Cedrick Andrews joined Meritus in 2010 as Student Relations Manager with primary responsibilities in managing the scholarship program, providing students with academic, financial aid, and personal development support and coaching, and conducting program development and evaluation.
Mr. Andrews has higher education experience in admissions, financial aid, student support services, policy, and assessment and evaluation. Prior to joining Meritus, he was a Policy Associate with the Institute for College Access & Success focusing on federal and institutional financial aid policy and student loan reform as well as assessment and evaluation services for the Ford Foundation’s Difficult Dialogues Initiative. As Director of Programs at Center for Student Opportunity, he led efforts promoting college opportunity for first-generation and low-income students. Mr. Andrews holds a B.A. in Philosophy from Vanderbilt University where he interned in the Undergraduate Admissions Office and also served as a Finance and Legislative Affairs Intern in the Office of Governor Bob Riley (Alabama) during a campaign to improve public education.
Mr. Andrews is a native of Enterprise, Alabama, lives in NoPa, and enjoys biking, politics, and dining about the city.
Development Manager
Michelle L. Forshner
415.400.8645
michelle@meritusfund.org
Michelle L. Forshner joined Meritus as Development Manager in 2011 with primary responsibilities in managing annual development plans, grant research and writing, donor cultivation and relations, fundraising events, and marketing and communications.
Ms. Forshner has demonstrated experience in fund development with organizations such as the St. Vincent de Paul Society of San Francisco, the Association for Preservation Technology – Western Chapter, Crystal Cove Alliance, Orange Coast Interfaith Shelter, Pacific College of Oriental Medicine among others. Prior to these experiences, Ms. Forshner worked as a professional journalist, copyeditor and nonprofit public relations executive. Ms. Forshner holds a B.A. (summa cum laude) from California State University, San Marcos in Communications with an emphasis in Linguistics, and an A.A from Palomar College in Nonprofit Management. She is currently pursuing a Graduate Certificate at San Francisco State University in the field of Integrated Marketing.
Ms. Forshner is a fifth-generation native Californian, growing up in sunny San Diego and now lives in the beautiful Outer Sunset. She enjoys the beach, yoga, reading, and spending time with family.
Project Manager
Danielle Pizzi
415.400.8641
danielle@meritusfund.org
Danielle Pizzi joined Meritus in 2008 and currently serves as Project Manager with primary responsibilities in student coaching, tracking, and program support. She also manages the Nursing and Allied Healthcare Program.
In addition to a variety of other work experience, she previously served as a counselor, director's assistant, and support group facilitator with WOMAN, Inc. Ms. Pizzi holds a B.A. in Psychology with an emphasis on Holistic Healthcare from San Francisco State University.
Ms. Pizzi is a native San Franciscan, grew up in Ingleside and is an alumna of Horace Mann Middle School and Leadership High School. She currently lives in the Castro and has a cat named Mouse.
Mentor Manager
Christian Rummell
415.400.8643
christian@meritusfund.org
Christian Rummell joined Meritus in 2011 as Mentoring Program Manager. His primary responsibilities are in program development and evaluation of the mentoring program, peer-to-peer relationship building, and fostering connections through career mentoring.
Mr. Rummell has worked with mentoring programs for over 15 years. Prior to joining Meritus, he was the Director of Mentoring Support Services with MENTOR and a Training and Technical Assistance Associate with the National Mentoring Center at Education Northwest. Mr. Rummell also coordinated the AmeriCorps Program with the “I Have a Dream” Foundation. Mr. Rummell holds a Master of Public Administration (M.P.A.) from Portland State University and a B.A. in Psychology from Washington College. He is currently writing his dissertation on mentoring for a Doctorate in Educational Leadership at Portland State University.
Mr. Rummell lives in the Upper Haight, enjoys traveling, biking through Golden Gate Park, and exploring restaurants in the Bay Area.