CALDI Board - California Destination Imagination

Inspiring • Empowering • Life-Changing

Our board consists of educators, industry experts and thought leaders who are passionate about STEAM education.

Doug Defrees

Doug DeFrees is retired from a career as a computational chemist, research software engineer, and technology coordinator working for several universities, NASA, and IBM Research. He has a history of community involvement including volunteer positions with The Tech Interactive, Boy Scouts, YMCA, American Red Cross, City of San Jose, MOUSE Squad of California, Silicon Valley Education Foundation, Molecular Research Institute, and the Sierra Club.

Doug first became involved with Destination Imagination in 1991 as an Appraiser. He has appraised in almost every Region of California and at Global Finals. He has been a Challenge Master at the regional and state levels, an active member of the Silicon Valley Regional Operating Committee, the International and California webmaster, an original member of the DI Scholarship Committee, member of committees at the State and International levels, and is a long-time participant in the DI Team Challenge writing process.

Kathy Folk

Kathy Folk is a board certified pediatrician practicing in the Los Angeles area since finishing her residency at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

Kathy has been involved in creative problem solving programs for well over 20 years beginning as an 8 year Team Manager for her 3 sons’ teams. As an advocate for children and realizing how life changing Destination Imagination had been for her sons, she stayed involved hoping to bring the program to as many California students as possible. Her roles over the years have included Regional and Affiliate Challenge Master, Appraiser, Regional Director for the LA-DI Land region and Affiliate Board Member. She currently serves as Vice-Chair for California Destination Imagination Board.

Dick Pinney

Jim McCarthy

Jim McCarthy had a 35 year career in software development on two coasts and one state in-between, in 2 Fortune 100 companies, a university, and 2 Silicon Valley startup companies. He worked as a programmer, team leader, quality engineer, and coach/consultant for software engineering practices. “Mostly retired”, Jim counsels clients in ACA and Medicare health insurance. Jim graduated from Saint Louis University in Mathematics and Georgia Tech with a M.S. in Information and Computer Sciences.

Jim started his DI life as a volunteer for his older daughter’s OM team, continuing as a DI team manager for both daughters’ teams over 7 years. Meanwhile, he took up score room work for 12 years in Silicon Valley, soon as the Regional Challenge Master, eventually as the California Affiliate Challenge Master. Jim was the SV Tournament Director for 4 years and the California ACM Coordinator. In 2008, he joined the California DI Board where he meddled in documents, web sites, the registration application, Bylaws, and policies. In 2018, he became Secretary of the Board.

Jim resides in his native Saint Louis. While serving on the CalDI Board, he assists in score rooms and appraising for the Missouri DI affiliate.

Genee McMahon

Shirley Gold

Shirley Gold has been a volunteer for various creative problem-solving programs since 1988. She has been involved in Destination Imagination since its inception, and has been on the California Creativity (DI State) Board since 2014, where she serves as a Director and as Treasurer. She is also an active member of the LA-DI-Land Region, serving as secretary on the Regional Operating Committee, as well as Scoremaster for the Region and the State. She was a member of the PTA for 31 years, serving on PTA boards at every level from unit to state. She volunteered as an adult literacy tutor for 24 years. It’s safe to say that she is a “pro” at volunteering. Now retired, she and her husband, Elliot, ran a teleconferencing publishing and consulting company for 33 years. Elliot and Shirley have been married since 1974 and have two grown sons and a granddaughter. They live in beautiful Altadena.

Rosemary Bognar Pinney

Rosemary Bognar Pinney is the CFO/CPA of TGG Accounting, an organization specializing in accounting, financial management, process improvement, risk management, strategic planning, and organizational development. She started her career in the corporate world as a CPA in the Big 4. She has been a Corporate Controller/CFO and Director in both the for-profit and nonprofit sectors.

She has been in Creative Problem Solving 35+ years having served as: a Team Manager for 13 years, Greater Cleveland’s Regional Director, Board Member on the Ohio State Board, Program Director for CALDI, Training Director for CALDI, Regional & State Challenge Master for CALDI, Board Member on the California State Board, an International Training Facilitator for DII, co-author of a book for DII, and as the Vice Chair of the international DII Board.

Dan Smith

Dan Smith is Chief Marketing Officer at a Silicon Valley technology company. His 20 plus years of professional experience spans Marketing, Sales, Business Development, and Venture Capital. In his career, Dan has led large organizations at Fortune 100 companies and propelled venture funded start-ups to success. He also serves as an advisor to other Silicon Valley start-ups. Dan holds degrees in both Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the Pennsylvania State University.

Dan has been involved in team-based creative problem-solving programs for >30 years. He has experience from many perspectives including Participant, Appraiser, Team Manager, Affiliate Board Member, and Corporate DI Board Trustee. Corporately, Dan serves on the Strategy, Management, and Development committees. He was also named as a Distinguished Alumni of Destination Imagination in 2017.

Stephanie Yeo

Stephanie Yeo is a Consultant at Ernst & Young specializing in organizational design and workforce strategy. Prior, she graduated from UC Berkeley with a B.S. in Business Administration. She is a Destination Imagination alumna, competing from 2011-2015 in mostly Service Learning. She now continues her involvement with the program as a Regional Challenge Master and a member of the Best of the Bay Regional Operating Committee. She is excited to take the next step in her involvement by joining the California Board of Directors as their Secretary.

Gary McBride

James McCarthy

Neil McMahon

I found DI in 2007 when my oldest was invited to be on a team. Somehow, I wound up as a co-Team Manger that year which was a real trial by fire. Thought that first year, I fell in love with the program and continued to manage teams and have an absolute blast doing it for the next 12 years. Along the way, I have chipped in wherever I was needed as an appraiser, an official, tournament director, regional director and eventually as a state board member. I gladly put my time into DI as I am paid back many times over in fun, friendship and the reward of watching these kids learn, grow and flourish.