Board of Directors

The Board of Directors is the overall governing body of the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center. It consists of a group of concerned, committed volunteers representing the community who work with the Executive Director in overseeing the operations of the agency.

Who We Are

On Being a Member of the Board

Individuals get involved with the Center for a variety of reasons. As with any Board, there are responsibilities of which involvement is the most important as the Board is the overall governing body of the Center. Together with other members of the Board, the individual Board member is legally responsible for all activities of the agency. Several committees exist for Board members to participate in ranging from Personnel, Finance/Planning, and Fundraising/Community Relations. All Board members also assist with fundraising as several fundraisers are held throughout the year. If you are interested in Board opportunities, please feel free to reach out to the Executive Director. Below are members of our current Board of Directors.

Get Involved

President of the Board

Barb LeFebvre

“I originally started with the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center in 1997 as a volunteer advocate. I wanted to get involved and give back to my community and as a career woman, I have myself experienced sexual harassment and unwanted advances and felt I didn’t have a voice. I quickly learned how dedicated the staff and volunteers were to the mission despite the long hours and terrible things they see and deal with. It only makes them more dedicated and driven to work harder to educate and work towards ending sexual assault. I have been a member of the executive board since 2009 and my admiration for the staff and volunteers grows each year. They ask for nothing, but give everything.”

Vice-President of the Board

Dorian Hodge

Dorian started her lengthy affiliation with the NCRCCPC first as a hotline volunteer and then as a board member in the early 1990’s while still on active duty in the United States Air Force. Following retirement from the military, she worked for almost 10 years as a college guidance counselor at the Vandenberg Air Force Base Education Center. Now fully retired, she has spent the last 2 years as a student at Allan Hancock College. She has a B.S. in Psychology, a Master’s degree in Education, an A.S. in Welding Technology, and will soon earn a second A.S. degree in Automotive Technology. “I volunteer for the Board of Directors because The Center is a dynamic organization that proactively adapts to our changing times; is comprised of incredibly talented, dedicated staff, volunteers, and board members; and most importantly, serves countless survivors of sexual assault and child abuse as well as their significant others.”

Secretary/Treasurer of the Board

David Rose

“I’ve spent the last three decades working on government affairs, acquisitions and divestitures, permitting and regulatory compliance for award-winning oil and gas operations. It’s been challenging and rewarding to have participated on several non-profit boards and industry committees. I love to learn, so I’ve spent a lot of time in school; earning certificates in both petroleum technology and hazardous materials management; an Associate of Science in Architecture; a Bachelor of Science in business administration, and a Juris Doctor. I am a husband, father, brother, uncle, cousin. I enjoy all types of music, science, nature, traveling, snow skiing, water skiing, and any kind of fitness challenge. I volunteer for the Board of Directors because it’s a meaningful way I can help support the fight against sexual assault and child abuse.”

Member of the Board

Rev. Mary Moreno Richardson

The Rev. Mary Moreno Richardson is an Episcopal priest and the first Latina ordained in the Dioceses of San Diego, where she served at St. Paul’s Cathedral. As a delegate to the United Nations on the issue of human trafficking, and Chaplain to survivors of abuse and detention centers for over 30 years, inspirited her to create The Guadalupe Art Program, which uses art to heal trauma. She’s worked as a Mental Health Clinician/Forensic Specialist, at LAC/UCS, Violence Intervention Program and Senior Chaplain at Juvenile Hall in East, Los Angeles.

She has been a guest speaker at the National Black and Hispanic Caucus of State Legislators on Mental Illness/ Youth in Detention, PBS’s “Religion & Ethics News Weekly,” USC’s School of Social Work, Human Trafficking Conference and The National Latino Conference on HIV/AIDS. Rev. Mary serves on the Santa Barbara County Behavioral Wellness Commission, and has a successful Hypnotherapy/Body Energy practice, specializing in trauma recovery.

*** – Bringing light and healing energy to where there once was darkness is my passion. Serving on our board, with such an incredible staff of healers, I feel blessed for this opportunity to also be of service to our community.”

Member of the Board

Karen Starbuck

Karen was born in Lakewood, CA and moved with her family to the Central Coast as a young child. She married her high school sweetheart right after high school, and they soon moved to the East Coast after her husband joined the United States Navy. Being in the Navy meant that they traveled the world; one of Karen’s favorite spots was Guam, where they lived for four years. There Karen had their third and final daughter and raised her children while her husband was mostly at sea. Another favorite of her many homes was in New Orleans, where she and her family created some great, long-lasting memories. Karen and Dirk were away from Lompoc for 17 years, coming home in 1994. Karen went on to earn three associate degrees in Criminology, Psychology and Art at Allan Hancock College.

Karen worked as an in-home caregiver for over 40 years and is now retired, spending her time with grandchildren, close friends and taking an annual girl’s trip to Yosemite where she creates amazing charcoal, watercolor, and acrylic landscapes and soaks up the beauty of the park.

With extra time on her hands Karen wanted to give to the community that she loves so much, so when she was approached about becoming a Board member she gladly accepted. Being a mother of three and a grandmother of five, Karen understands the importance of the many services provided by the Center and is proud to be a part of the solution.

Member of the Board

Ms. Vanneca Phelps

Ms. Vanneca (Vanessa) Phelps is a retired nurse. She served twenty years with the Air Force and upon her retirement in 2007 continued working for the government as a civil servant.

She moved to Lompoc from the United Kingdom in 2012 and currently serves as the Director of Equal Opportunity and Alternative Dispute Resolution Program and is the Combatting Trafficking in Persons (CTIP) Point of Contact for Vandenberg Air Force Base.

She is active in the community; volunteers at the Lompoc Chamber of Commerce, is the Chair for the Board of Trustees for the Youth Leadership Lompoc Valley Program, is a volunteer Santa Maria small claims court counselor, and is also a member of the Lompoc Valley of Flowers Toastmasters and the Lompoc Alpha Literacy and Improvement Club.

Member of the Board

Steve Lopez

“I was born and raised in Santa Maria. I attended the local schools and played football through high school. I worked in the grocery business, construction, and route sales before going into law enforcement. I graduated from the Allan Hancock Police Academy in 1993 as a sponsored cadet. I worked for the Santa Maria Police Department for 25 years and I retired as a Sergeant in 2018. During my career at SMPD, I worked on patrol and in the Detective Bureau in the Gang Suppression Team. In 1998 I became a member of the Color/Honor Guard Team. I remained in GST until 2001 and I rotated back to patrol. In 2003, I was promoted to Corporal and remained on patrol. During this year I became a Field Training Officer and was promoted to Co-leader on the Color/Honor Guard Team. In 2004 I was assigned to the Community Services Unit as the Beat 1 Coordinator. This year, I was also selected as the Chairman of the Peace Officers Memorial Committee. In 2013, I was promoted to Sergeant and remained on patrol while supervising the Dispatch Center. In 2014, I was assigned a co-lateral duty as the SMPD Museum Curator. I retired from SMPD in 2018.

In 2019, I went to work for the Santa Barbara County District Attorney’s Office as a District Attorney Investigator and I’m currently assigned to the Domestic Violence Team.

My amazing wife, Shamra and I have five adult children who all live and work in Santa Maria. Shamra and I enjoy traveling, camping, and BBQs with family and friends. However, lately, we’ve been working on home projects and watching TV shows. I have been a member of Elks Lodge 1538 for 23 years. Woodworking and gardening are my favorite hobbies.

The reason I’m on the Board of the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center is that I like helping people and working with the other board members and staff in making a difference in our community.”

Member of the Board

José E. Guzmán, Jr.

“It is an honor and a privilege to serve on the Board of Directors for the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center. As a husband and father of four wonderful children, I believe in the mission of this great organization. As a resident of the Central Coast, I believe it is my responsibility to give back to our community by serving an organization whose mission is to advocate for victims of sexual assault and child abuse. Through my work as a member of a local Spanish language television station in Santa Maria, I am always happy to assist local organizations that contribute to the well being and safety of our community. An organization that has always motivated me to assist with their outreach and promotion, has been the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center. Thank you NCRCCPC for advocating and defending those who are unable to advocate for themselves.”

Member of the Board

Emily Dreiling

Emily Dreiling, has been involved in the field of advocacy for over fifteen years. Emily moved to Vandenberg Air Force Base in 2013, and currently resides in Guadalupe, CA. She believes in the mission of the North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center, and how a small number of people doing great work in the community can create a culture of change. Emily served on the Office of Crime Victims Assistance Technical Training Assistance Program, traveling around the country working on the Strengthening Military and Civilian Community Relations initiative. Emily is a level III Department of Defense Sexual Assault Credentialed Advocate, serving 5K hours of direct client care to survivors of sexual violence.

“As a community we are extremely lucky to have North County Rape Crisis & Child Protection Center, and I am honored to be a part of their team as a board member. I have witnessed the work they do firsthand while serving as the Vandenberg Space Force Base Sexual Assault Response Coordinator for five years, and the services they offer have had the ability to change and rebuild lives. Often the world is consumed with all the negative going on around us. Every time I see or hear a story on the news about all the negative hurtful things happening around us, I can’t help but think of Newton’s third law of motion. For every action or force in nature there is an equal opposite reaction. The team at NCRCCP is the oppositive force to the negative actions going on around us and their work is truly incredible.”

Member of the Board

Richard Bresslin

“I feel blessed to serve on the Board of Directors for the North County Rape Crisis and Child Protection Center. Most of my teaching career was directed toward young adults who were wards of the court, on probation, involved with gangs, young mothers, had experienced expulsions, or students who were not successful in the traditional school setting. Many of these at-risk teens were physically, sexually, or spiritually abused and both my passion and compassion were always directed to recovery in order for them to succeed. Many were able to catch up and graduate with a high school diploma! I have also been a part of the United Way “Fun In The Sun” summer program during the past three years. Additionally, my experience has extended to the Lompoc Federal Correctional Complex through the Federal Bureau of Prisons volunteer program. Finally, having had experience with both perpetrators and victims of sexual assault, my goal is to contribute to the mission of the Center.”