Project Amigo Board of Directors
Jeff Salchenberg
Board President
Jeff Salchenberg lives in Portland Oregon where he works as a Produce Program and Category Manager for New Seasons Market. Jeff learned about Project Amigo through the partnership New Seasons Market has had with Organics Unlimited and GROW since 2005. His first trip to Cofradia was in 2016, and he has been several times since. Jeff enjoys bringing friends and coworkers along with him in order to share the experience of the work weeks. Jeff’s best Project Amigo memory so far is dressing up as Santa Claus for the kids during the 2017 Christmas work week with other Juneau Rotarians. Since then, Jeff has become regular visitors and loyal supporters of the program.
Jan Lynn Owen
Vice President
Jan joined the board of directors of Project Amigo in July of 2024 after her beloved Steve Suchil unexpectedly passed away. Steve was a member of the board of directors for about a year. Jan brings to the board, extensive knowledge of financial and economic issues, governance, leadership, and many years of working on other non-profit boards such as Easter Seals California, St. John Shelter, School2Home Leadership, California Housing Consortium, California March of Dimes, and the Sacramento Tree Foundation.
Jan’s extensive work as a political appointee for 4 different governors in California, a banker for over 45 years brings to Project Amigo a knowledge base that is strong and wide. As a financial services regulator for California the 5th largest economy on the globe- Jan has the experience and knowledge of many different jurisdictions and needs of the organization and is hoping to be helpful.
Eric Holloway
Board Secretary
Eric Holloway first visited Project Amigo after seeing a Rotary Club presentation by Ted & Susan Rose. His now teenage sons Will & Luke attended work weeks with him in years past. Eric lives in Colorado and works as a financial planner. His connection to Mexico began at age 11 when he took part in a work project/mission from his hometown in Indiana. They built an adobe dining hall in a Juarez orphanage. This was the first of many such trips throughout Mexico. He completed foreign study at the Universidad Iberoamericana in Mexico City. Getting to know the students, staff and supporters of Project Amigo has been very enjoyable. He looks forward to working with such a worthwhile cause and travelling to this special corner of the world.
Tammy Heinz
Board Treasurer
New to the Project Amigo Board, Tammy currently resides as President of Bestbath, a company dedicated to employees, community, education and giving back. Tammy earned her B.S. from Chico State University in Business Administration and is a mother of 3. She has spent most of her professional career working for family-owned businesses - requiring flexibility, patience, hard work, and commitment. As a competitive athlete throughout high school and college she has a strong belief in team, collaboration, and a drive for personal excellence. Her Hawaiian roots have engrained the importance of family, both personal and professionally. She loves to travel, all types of recreation, professional sports, motorcycle trips, music concerts and spending time with her adult children and 3 grandchildren. Tammy made her first trip to Project Amigo in 2023 and looks forward to helping expand the efforts of Project Amigo.
Nicole Beal
Director
Nicole went on her first service trip to Mexico in 1999 when she was in high school. She fell in love with the country, culture and language immediately and that love has only grown. She first visited Project Amigo in Cofradia in 2015 and has been back at least twice a year since. Nicole was born and raised in Indiana, and has lived in Utah with her husband, Jed since 2001. They own three barber shops in Salt Lake City and have brought many employees and friends down to Cofradia to participate in service weeks.
Dennis B Knoles
Director
Born in Fillmore, Utah. Raised in Bakersfield, California and Las Vegas, Nevada. Graduated from La Vegas
High School, attended Nevada Southern University (University of Nevada Las Vegas) , B.A. from Brigham
Young University, D.D.S. from University of Southern California, certificate in orthodontics from USC. Has
practiced orthodontics in northern Utah since 1973. Member of Centerville-Farmington Rotary Club for
40 years. Life long Boy Scouts of America volunteer. Former and present missionary for the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Former City Council member and planning commission member for
Centerville City. Former county and state delegate for the Republican party. Hobbies include reading,
skiing, snow mobiling, jogging, fishing, wake boarding, bagpiping, singing. Seven children and 14
grandchildren.
Bev Oster
Director
Bev has been involved with Project Amigo since 2005 when she first connected us with GROW bananas, a significant sponsor since that time. As President of Oster and Associates, an advertising and public relations agency in San Diego since 1986, she has a long history of marketing that has encompassed a great deal of nonprofit work. Her love of Project Amigo and the children of Colima have kept her involved for over 20 years both as a volunteer and board member. She is a past president and past treasurer of the board, and after a short hiatus returned to the board at the beginning of 2025.
Laura Macagno Shang
Director
Laura Macagno Shang lives in Eugene, OR with her husband Paul Shang. Laura is an immigrant from Argentina. She is an active member of The Metropolitan Rotary Club of Eugene as well as several knitting and spinning groups. She is an avid volunteer, particularly in the Dining Room, serving meals to unhoused and other food-insecure people. She has participated in Project Amigo Service weeks for the past 10 years. Paul and Laura sponsor several students and champion Project Amigo within Rotary. Professionally, Laura was a Clinical Social Worker working in Mental Health for 40 years and owned a small business specializing in her hand-dyed yarns and fibers. She has a son, daughter-in-law, and 2 grandsons that she adores.
Michelle Strickler
Director
Michelle Strickler first visited Project Amigo with fellow Rotarians in 2014 and has returned several times since. She loves the culture, the food and the impact the program has on children and their families. Michelle enjoys the opportunity to communicate with the becarios and encourage them to continue to reach for success. An accountant by trade, she presently splits her time between her medical billing company and serving with various nonprofits in her hometown, Juneau, Alaska. Michelle and her husband, Steve (also a Rotarian), have been married for 40 years and are parents to 5 awesome young adults, all grown and on their own (but who still come home often to walk the dog and raid the fridge).
In Memory of
Joyce Palmer
1924 - 2021
Joyce Palmer, a retired Math teacher, continued to be active in community activities in Novato, CA. She was Program Chairman for the local association of American University Women. Joyce spent more than 40 years singing and touring with the Winifred Baker/San Francisco Chorale (including several concerts at Carnegie Hall). She enjoyed the game of bridge, played at tournament level, and was a bronze life master. After the death of her husband Clark in 2005, Joyce carried on his work on the Endowment and World Service committees of the Novato Rotary Club. Her late husband was charter president of the Novato Rotary Club and was also a charter member of the Board of Directors of Project Amigo. Joyce served as Secretary of the Board for many years.
Catherine Munson
(1928 - 2014)
Founding Board Member: Catherine Munson passed away quietly of pneumonia on March 3, 2014 in Terra Linda, California. She was 86 years old. A native of Nebraska, and forever a pioneer, she earned dual bachelors and then dual masters degrees in microbiology and biochemistry in the 1950s, then moved with her husband and children to California, where she quickly became one of the leading real estate professionals in the region. She drove the formation of "Rotary Project Amigo" in 1996, serving as Board president and Board member for nearly 18 years. She was instrumental in the continuing development of Project Amigo, and was an inspiration to children, staff, and her fellow Board members.
Dr. Harry Johnson the family man, the dentist, the Rotarian, the dear friend to us all...