TUF Announces New Leadership Slate

REDLANDS >> The Unforgettables Foundation (TUF) announced the leadership slate for the upcoming fundraising fiscal year. The Unforgettables, a 501(c) based in Redlands, has a leadership change coming June 30 for its Board of Directors Executive Committee. Mitch Morales, a funeral home executive and director of Desert View Memorial Park and Mortuary in Victorville, will assume the chairs role for the 2016-2017 calendar term. Morales is the longest serving original board member for the 17-year- old charity, formed in 2000 by current CEO Tim Evans of Highland. Morales is husband to Kelly and a father and grandfather. He has experienced the death of his son over a decade ago in a drowning accident. Morales has worked in funeral homes in Redlands, San Bernardino, Upland, and Loma Linda. Morales will be assuming the chair ship from current board chair Devon Rowlen, manager of Draper Funeral Homes in Ontario and a member of Orange Belt Funeral Associate of the Inland Empire. Rowlen resides in Riverside with her husband, Dan. She has guided the TUF board in 2015-216 through its largest fundraising holiday campaign ever, which resulted in a 33 percent surplus over budget for the fiscal year. Rowlen has always been vital to connecting nationally known funeral company Dignity Memorial in a renewed support of the cause. She will remain on the Executive Committee as Past Chair, replacing former Chair Eileen Hards of Redlands. The Chair Elect as voted is James Persinger, a financial services professional with Pacific Advisors in Corona. He is a key member of The Pick Group of Young Professionals in Riverside, helping to plan their educational training sessions throughout the year. The new Vice Chair in the preparation process for assuming the lead role of the charity is Margie Miller of Grand Terrace. She is a Real Estate Broker, and a highly respected publisher of the City News Group, which covers Redlands to Colton and San Bernardino, as well as Grand Terrace, Loma Linda and Moreno Valley. Her expertise in media is indispensable to The Unforgettables and the Loma Linda Ronald McDonald House board. She is married to husband Jim. Other members of the eight-person EC of the board include Linda Stratton, a long term Redlands resident and former executive director of the San Bernardino County Medical Society. She is a board secretary as well as a mother and grandmother. Newly named treasurer is Christine Beamer, who is from Yucaipa/Calimesa area, where she is very active in supporting Yucaipa High School and is a board member of the Business Woman’s Associate of San Bernardino County. She owns Beamer Tax and Business Services-Accounting Practice. Beamer has three children: a grown son and two school-aged daughters. The two Members at Large are Paul Cramer (newly engaged), an executive with Star Milling Company in Perris, an international pet food manufacture. He has deep roots in Hemet and is an avid golfer. Suzie Aceves is a long-time homebuilding executive, most recently in the Rancho Cucamonga area. She resides with her husband Gilbert and is a mother of four. She also served as the office assistant for TUF for seven years. She is replacing former Member at Large Bob Sturner of Riverside, who is a commercial real estate professional and part owner of a tax practice. The entire board is happy to announce this distinguished group to the community. "We have a very strong team," said Evans, who is also the former founding children’s chaplain of Loma Linda University Children’s Hospital.