Team
Staff
Lisa McNaney – Executive Director
Lisa is the Founder and Executive Director of Culinary Angels which grew out of many family and personal experiences with cancer. Lisa has always been a passionate cook who wholeheartedly believes that organic, nutritious foods can fortify a person’s body, especially during a difficult health challenge. As a cancer survivor, Lisa became intimately aware of the value of proper nutrition in the role of fighting cancer. She whole-heartedly believes that “food is medicine.”
“Culinary Angels was created to not only provide hope, health and wellness, but the opportunity to exemplify nutritional education to its recipients. Our service visually represents a healthy, healing meal, as well as providing critical ingredients that promote fortification at a time in a person’s life where they can experience the benefits,“ she says.
Lisa has been a part of many community efforts involving health awareness, education, meals and cooking practices for the past 15 years. Prior to Culinary Angels, Lisa had a marketing and graphic design business for 24 years where she created marketing collateral for local businesses throughout the Bay Area. Lisa has a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism from SF State. She was raised in Southern California before moving to Livermore in 2002. In addition to cooking, Lisa enjoys hiking and trying to find the lighter side in life.
Bill Ziegler – Chef & Kitchen Manager
Bill began his culinary career in 2003, working for a catering company in Pleasanton under the tutelage of Chef Jim Rio. From there, he joined award winning Chef Rodney Worth, helping to open Rod’s flagship restaurant, The Peasant and the Pear. For the next several years, Bill continued his on-the-job training and became the Dining Services Director at a retirement community. In this position, he gained a greater understanding of the importance of creating healthy, flavorful recipes for all the residents, especially those with health concerns. Learning to cook more healthy meals, utilizing herbs and seasonings to maximize flavor while limiting salt, was the perfect foundation for the transition into the Head Chef role with Culinary Angels. Bill adds, “Having lost my father to cancer in 2016, this is an organization that is near and dear to my heart.” In his spare time, Bill feeds his soul by playing drums in a local rock band.
Board
Lynn Monica – Board Chair
Lynn had a 35+ year career in executive management in mobile technology operations, product development, and market strategy, domestic and international. Lynn worked 20yrs for Motorola in Chicago/London and several years at smaller mobile companies in the SF Bay Area. Lynn also has 11+ years of non-profit board experience, including SF Museum of Craft & Folk Art, Sunflower Hill as an original board member, 1 yr as VP and 4 yrs Gardens Dir, and at Culinary Angels since Dec 2018. She attended Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Academy in 2014, inspiring her to co-found the SFH Gardens, which provides programs for special needs adults and donates produce to Culinary Angels and other local organizations. Lynn worked with Las Positas College to develop an Adaptive Horticulture Certificate Program and is a Horticulture Advisory Board Member. Lynn has a BS in Electrical Engineering from UNH and an Executive MBA from Kellogg, Northwestern. Lynn lives in Livermore with her husband and has two adult step-children, one with special needs. She enjoys filmmaking, photography, weaving, cycling, cooking, gardening and creativity.
April Vaughn Shabazz
April Vaughn Shabazz has been a wellness advocate and health practitioner for past 20+ years. She is the owner of IMN Wellness and the Herbal Releaf Apothecary. Her practice consists of functional health and nutrition education to clients as well as practitioner training in alternative methods of healing for common and uncommon health problems. She holds a PhD in Natural Health Sciences in addition to several other training and certifications in environmental health, biochemistry, herbalism, food science, the psychology of food, and lifestyle coaching. In tandem with her career in the wellness industry, she received her BA in Sociology with a Minor in Nutrition as well as an Executive Master’s in public administration. She has worked in public service for over 16 years in Workforce Development and Labor standards; as well as consulted nonprofits in grant writing, strategic and program planning and participate on several committees and boards. She was introduced to Culinary Angels a few years ago and instantly became excited about the mission and potential of the organization. It fit well within her wheel house and passion to assist people in improving their lives holistically as well as advancing wellness education within families and across communities.
April was a resident of Pleasanton for over 12 years with her family and still practices in the area but recently moved to Oakland area. She loves to spend time with her teenagers, read, spend time in nature, travel and shop for unique items.
Sue Bayer – Secretary
Sue has a 32-year career in education, holding a BS degree in English/Education from the University of South Dakota. She found that board service was meaningful to her and helpful to others when she joined her first non-profit board as a Teacher Representative for Valley Montessori School in 2002, where she served two terms. Sue joined the Wiesner Fund board in 2011, a local non-profit which supports seniors in need, where she currently serves as Secretary. In 2013 she was elected to the National Board of Directors for the American Montessori Society, where she has served for 6 years. Sue was excited to join the Culinary Angels Board in January of 2019 because she knew and supported the entire McNaney family as a teacher and friend, as well as because other parents and teachers were working with and supporting the organization. Sue’s husband and four children are all very supportive of her work, knowing the importance of being involved and participating in meaningful work in the community.
Candace Plevyak – Treasurer
Candace has a 30+ year career in accounting and tax services. She obtained her CPA license during her five-year tenure at Arthur Andersen before transitioning to tax services at Intel Corporation. After her first child was born, she decided to bring her work home and has been a sole proprietor for the last 20+ years focusing mainly on personal tax returns and small business accounting. Candace’s interest in Culinary Angels grew out of her wish to help those struggling with cancer. Her personal loss of her mother due to cancer has contributed to this desire. Candace joined Culinary Angels first as a buyer and food preparer before transitioning into inventory and finally taking on the bookkeeping and treasurer responsibilities. Candace lives with her husband, Skip Wise, and a band of animals, rurally in the north Livermore foothills.
Alison Negrin
Chef Alison Negrin is the founder/owner of Chef Alison Negrin and Associates. Alison specializes in recipe and product development with a focus on health and nutritional healing. She has been a Chef at such noted Bay Area restaurants as Chez Panisse, Mesa and Ginger Island, and founding chef of Bridges Restaurant. She was also executive chef for John Muir Health System (JMH). Alison had the honor of accepting 2 awards at 2012 HCWH Food Med conference for JMH’s accomplishments with reducing greenhouse gases through sustainable purchasing and overall increased sustainable purchasing. Alison was the recipient of the Women Who Inspire 2013 Community Service award. Alison graduated from UC Berkeley with a BFA in fine arts, California Culinary Academy as a professional chef, and the Bauman Institute of Holistic Nutrition with a certificate in nutrition consulting. She is a lifelong learner and has finished various certificate programs to include Cornell University and the Culinary Institute.
Charles (Chuck) Deckert
Chuck Deckert grew up in Pleasanton and has spent most his life in service locally. An experienced community leader, Chuck has served on nonprofit boards for over 15 years, including being currently on the Open Heart Kitchen Board serving on the Audit, Development and Governance Committee’s. Chuck also holds key coordinator roles such as the annual Pleasanton Hometown Holiday Celebration (22 YRS), Red Cross Blood Drives (12 YRS), and a Vincentian with St Vincent de Paul (17 YRS). He has also served on the City of Pleasanton Human Services Commission, and currently serves on Parks and Recreation Commissioner. Chuck has been recognized for his community efforts as the recipient of several local volunteer awards. Chuck has recently retired and now concentrating his efforts on the non-profits which concentrate feeding those in crises or sheltered due to illness in their home. He uses his photography talents to shoot events for 9 non-profits in the Tri Valley, and for the Pleasanton Weekly and the City of Pleasanton. He also enjoys his Friday P7 route driving and delivering meals for Spectrum Meals on Wheels.
Janette Pace
Janette Pace joined the Board of Directors in 2022 and brings Human Resources and non-profit experience to the organization. Janette's human resources background covers a wide range of experience including management training, employee relations, recruiting and corporate relocation. She is currently the Client Relations Manager for the non-profit CityServe of the Tri-Valley and serves on the Board of Directors for Open Heart Kitchen as the chairperson of the Development Committee and a member of the Governance Committee and the Oversight Committee. Janette earned her Bachelors degree from Brigham Young University, where she majored in European Studies and Business. Janette grew up in Pleasanton and is now raising her 4 children with her husband in her beloved hometown.