Leadership
Brett Zandes - Chief Executive Officer
Entrusted Legacy's CEO Brett Zandes is first and foremost an educator. A maven by nature, Brett is committed to educating people, young and old, to be better prepared to contribute to the 21st Century society. Brett recently remarked, “I am committed to training, educating and developing the adults who work with youth, so that the experience youth has is one that will help them become a contributing member of society. I ask myself, 'What better way can I influence a large number of kids in a positive, preventative way other than helping to develop the young adults who work closely with those youth?' Brett believes that traditional K-12 education is not accomplishing the results we need to develop the advanced citizens we need in America. He goes on to say, “In my opinion, there is no greater cause than that of extended learning time, in particular the time after-school, when it comes to influencing both the immediate and future leaders of society. The hours after-school provide the space for youth of all ages to practice the skills needed to be successful." Brett, who also serves as Entrusted Legacy’s Board President, is committed to supporting the field of education by finding monies to fund staff training and development. Brett is a former special education and physical education teacher at the middle school level. Brett has continued to support after-school providers by consulting up and down the State of California, bringing his experience and expertise to programs to help them strengthen program quality.
CynDee Zandes - Chief Operating Officer
Entrusted Legacy's Chief Operating Officer is CynDee Zandes, EdD. CynDee is an educator with 39 years in the public school system as a teacher, curriculum developer, visual and performing arts resource, principal and district director of 11 after-school program sites that were recognized for exemplary programming for youth. After retirement, CynDee consulted with after-school programs across California before becoming the Chief Program Officer of THINK Together, a non-profit serving over 50,000 students a year in Southern California. CynDee brings leadership and expertise to the Entrusted Legacy picture. In CynDee's 2002 doctoral dissertation she quoted out-of-school time experts who stated, {We are} concerned about proper staff training and development that will adequately prepare the frontline workforce to be positive role models and mentors for youth." CynDee believes that to level the field for all of America's youth, it is imperative that young people are provided with a wide array of learning opportunities. This can only occur when the adults that work with youth are well-trained on how to support and facilitate learning.
Susan Zandes - Chief Financial Officer
Entrusted Legacy's Chief Financial Officer is Susan Zandes. Susan keeps meticulous books to ensure that all donations and contributions are properly coded and distributed to support adult education. Susan also provides documentation to funders for tax purposes. Day to day operating expenses are managed by Susan. Susan has had over 20 years of experience monitoring the budget of pre-schools and school age care for a school district. Prior to her work with Entrusted Legacy, Susan has also served as the Chief Financial Officer with a small financial services company. Her heart is in serving adults who serve children in a formal education setting.
The Team
Audrey Glenn - Office Manager
Audrey Glenn is the Office Manager for Entrusted Legacy. She works closely with both the CEO and the COO to run the office, enlist the support of volunteers, and work with funders. Audrey began her work in after-school as a high school activity leader for the Greenfield Union School District SUCCESS Program. She worked for two years in this capacity. After high school, Audrey became an AmeriCorps member for one year, continuing her work with SUCCESS after-school students. On the completion of her service as a Member, Audrey became a Lead Tutor for the SUCCESS program and served as an interim Site Coordinator. In this role, Audrey developed curriculum and shared it with her peers working with elementary students. Audrey has also been responsible for developing leadership skills in front line staff by promoting both Community Service and Service Learning activities. Audrey received the Bakersfield Optimistic Club of Bakersfield Award for her support of the community.
Elizabeth (Liz) Guthrie - Fund Developer
Liz Guthrie takes the lead in Fund Development. Liz is an outstanding after-school professional and she applies her first-hand knowledge of quality programming and exemplary performance to support ETL’s fund development activities. Liz authors grants, talks with investors, organizes fund raisers, and eagerly shares that great work that ETL is doing. Liz is a product of the Entrusted Legacy Staff Development System, so her voice adds credibility to the work we do. She has been working with the team for a number of years and is eagerly embracing her new role as the person in charge of Fund Development.
Gary Longwith - Technology Expert
Gary Longwith is responsible for the web experience for Entrusted Legacy. He works closely with the Office Manager to develop a communicative web presence and excellent user experience for Entrusted Legacy visitors and supporters. Gary earned his Bachelor's Degree in Multimedia Design and Development at DeVry University of Bakersfield and has self-studied design and programming techniques since an early age. In addition to these skills, Gary Longwith shares the desire to provide a strong foundation for our future.