The passionate people behind the scenes of
Southeast Community Foundation
Cassandra Petersen Harris
Executive Director
Cassandra Petersen Harris is the newly appointed Executive Director of the Southeast Community Foundation. She also served on the Southeast Community Foundation’s board as Vice Chair for the past 5 years. Her passion for the non-profit sector and education drives her dedication to advancing the foundation’s mission, a commitment that has always been naturally embedded in her roots.
Cassandra’s extensive background includes over 15 years as a Real Estate Broker in both Boston and Los Angeles, during which she developed a deep understanding of community needs and effective philanthropic strategies. Her ability to integrate her love of education, philanthropy, and law into her work has enabled her to provide exceptional service and support to her clients and community.
In her spare time, Cassandra enjoys walking with her wonderful husband, Alex, and her adorable dog, Darth.
Wendy Wood
Chief Operations Officer
Wendy Wood is Southeast Community Foundation’s Chief Operating Officer. Wendy has a degree in graphic design and International Studies and brings with her 20 years of experience in nonprofit organizational management. Her most recent tenure includes serving 17 years at the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Wendy’s love of non-profit and serving children extends to her years as a Girl Scout Leader as well. In her free time, she loves spending time and traveling with her own kids, Audrey and Olly, and her husband, Grahame.
Jane Daily
Chief Financial Officer
Jane Daily has over 35 years of experience in business management and currently serves as Southeast Community Foundation’s CFO. She started out working in the Entertainment Department at Ernst & Young, then spent a few years in a smaller firm as a forensic accountant working on cases for expert testimony. She then went out on her own to start her own company to serve small business management accounting clients. Jane is a QuickBooks Advanced Certified Online ProAdvisor and a Certified Professional Organizer. Jane also has a degree in Interpreting for the Deaf and has interpreted at churches and concerts! But her proudest accomplishment is raising three children, all of which are Eagle and Gold Award Scouts. Jane loves to bake goodies to cheer up family and friends, attend concerts, travel through National Parks, and, more recently, the Holy Lands to learn more about her Catholicism.
Carmen Martinez
Academic Director
Carmen Martinez is an accomplished professional with 24 years of experience in the field of education. She is currently the Director of Programs at Southeast Community Foundation. Carmen holds both a multiple-subject teaching credential and a special education credential, which showcases her diverse expertise. She’s also earned a Masters in Education from the University of Southern California, specializing in post-secondary administration and student affairs. In her free time, Carmen enjoys traveling with her two daughters and fostering memorable experiences with them outside of her dedicated work in education.
Priya Kumar Bradfield
Communications Director
Priya Kumar Bradfield is Southeast Community Foundation’s Director of Communications. After getting her degree in Journalism and International Relations, Priya started her varied career as a legal secretary in the recording industry but quickly pivoted into online gaming and the internet. She moved to Seoul, South Korea where she was a game designer and an online community manager, realizing the power of virtual communities before the advent of Facebook and Twitter. After moving back to the US and taking time to raise her children, Priya put her love of the internet and kids together to teach computer science and digital citizenship to K-5 students in LAUSD for over a decade. When Priya is not online, she can be found curled up with her Kindle, her cats, and a vanilla latte, volunteering with Girl Scouts as a Lifetime Member, or touring the vast foodie offerings of Los Angeles with her husband.