Associations-Home of Guiding Hands
Falon serves as the Vice President of Operations for Home of Guiding Hands, overseeing the functionality of 28 residential group homes and a 25,000-square-foot resource center located in El Cajon. Her responsibilities extend to managing the transportation department and supervising the entire IT network supporting over 800 employees across office, remote, and group home settings. In addition to her operational role, Falon spearheads HGH’s marketing initiatives, fosters company culture, and addresses risk management. She also leads special projects, including the implementation of the organization’s EOS framework.
She has a Master’s degree in Management and Leadership from Western Governors University, and a Bachelor’s degree in Human Services from Springfield College. Prior to her tenure at HGH, she served as the Special Programs Manager for the San Diego Housing Commission, where she played a pivotal role in planning, directing, and overseeing the City of San Diego’s Homelessness Response Center. Before her time at the San Diego Housing Commission, Falon held leadership positions at the YMCA, contributing to the successful opening and operations of various YMCA facilities.
Falon sits on the Foundation for Developmental Disabilities (FDD) board and currently chairs the California Disabilities Services Institute (CDSI) board.
Outside of her professional commitments, Falon, alongside her husband Lenny, have four school-aged daughters and three dogs. During their free time, the family can often be found at the softball field, hockey rink, or participating in diverse events at Balboa Park.
She thanks her sponsors Lenny Leszczynski, Michael Brunker and David Oates.
Education-State University-Program Manager
Veronica Perondi currently serves as the Assistant Director of A.S. Programs for Associated Students at San Diego State University. In this role, she’s dedicated to empowering students through leadership and engagement programs.
She earned an undergraduate degree in International Relations from San Francisco State University where she was was actively involved in the International Education Exchange Council. Driven by commitment to education and personal growth, Veronica earned a master’s degree in Post- Secondary Educational Leadership from San Diego State University.
Outside of her professional life she’s deeply committed to giving back to the community. She is passionate about environmental conservation and she often volunteers for beach clean-ups and trash pick-up initiatives. Additionally, she’s involved with Guide Dogs for the Blind and support events for the blind and visually impaired community, inspired by her husband’s work as an Orientation Mobility Specialist. Veronica’s journey in volunteering began at a young age when she assisted with a church Christmas toy distribution, leaving a lasting impression of the joy that comes from helping others. In her free time, she and her husband enjoy hiking and travel; particularly, they love to explore small communities. Veronica spends time expressing her creativity through various crafts, such as painting and crochet.
She thanks her sponsors Corey Polant, Jordan Harrison and Jordan Maharaj.
Education – Private University – Professor
Tom Herman is a teacher and journalist. He is the tax columnist for The Wall Street Journal’s wealth management section. After graduating from Yale, Tom joined the news staff of The Wall Street Journal in New York, where he was given the food beat. Tom wrote for The Wall Street Journal as a full-time staffer for more than 40 years, including 16 years as the Tax Report columnist. In 2014, he received the Elliott V. Bell Award from the New York Financial Writers Association. The award is given annually to “an outstanding journalist for significant long-term contribution to the profession of financial journalism.” He retired in May 2009 to devote more time to teaching, writing, travel and tennis. He has been teaching a seminar in the Communication Studies Department at the University of San Diego since 2012.
Tom was a regular weekly guest on NBC News at Sunrise for more than seven years from in the 1980s and 1990s. Before that, he was a regular weekly guest for more than a year on an NBC news program with The Wall Street Journal. called “Before Hours.”
His wife, Marilyn Lytle, was a lawyer in New York City for many years and now studies watercolor painting.
Tom thanks his sponsors Stan Hartman, Steve Treadgold and Michael Brunker.
Associations – Institute of Reproductive Grief Care
In February of 2023, Dale Gray took over the role of Director of Mission Advancement at the Institute of Reproductive Grief Care. Prior to joining the Institute, he served at the university level as the Director of Philanthropy, and has over 23 years experience before that driving sales and growth in the technology industry.
Dale and his wife have been married for 30 years, and they have two daughters, Leila, 20 and Adrienne, who is 23. They have moved several times over the years, making San Diego their 9th stop, and Dale hopes it is their final. He has always had a passion for sports. After pursuing football and baseball in college he had the opportunity to try out for several professional teams. His new passion is for surfing as he loves being in the ocean. He recently retired as a college and high school basketball official, and plans to be involved in our Military Affairs and Youth Homelessness committees.
Dale thanks his sponsors David Oates, Michael LaCroix and Drew Moser.
