Chris Quaka • President/CEO
For nearly 20 years, Chris has partnered with nonprofits to strengthen local communities. His journey began in AmeriCorps leading teams of 18-24 year olds as they completed community service projects and responded to disasters nationwide. After relocating to Central Oregon in 2010, Chris was hired at a regional organization to improve the visibility and financial support of their food bank, early child-care and education programs and events designed to alleviate the effects of poverty. Four years later, he moved to Corvallis to lead Community Outreach’s fundraising efforts in support of people experiencing homelessness. Chris has served as BCF’s President and CEO since 2017 and today leads the foundation as it delivers more than $1.5 million in charitable giving annually. Surrounded by a talented team of community leaders focused on improving the lives of people in Benton County, he continues to give back today, serving on the Board for Leadership Corvallis, Mainstreet Corvallis and volunteering as a Rotarian. Chris lives in Corvallis with his wife Emily and their three children, Logan, Cady and Ellie.
Lisa Kaufmann • Director of Philanthropic Gifts
With twelve years of experience in the nonprofit field, Lisa has worked to develop and implement successful strategic plans to raise funds in a cost-effective and time-efficient manner, build a strong development team, and oversee the management of individual, corporate, planned, and annual giving campaigns. From 2008 to 2020, Lisa worked to transform the nonprofit community in San Diego and the San Francisco Bay Area through her role as Director of Development at Autism Tree Project Foundation, based in San Diego, California. During this time, Lisa helped develop partnerships with University of California Davis MIND Institute, Takeda, Stanford University, University of California San Diego, San Jose State University, San Diego State University, University of San Diego, The Sanford Consortium for Regenerative Medicine, and the Salk Institute. Lisa has been married thirteen years to her husband AJ, and they are proud parents of two boys, Breccan and Calvin.
Brittany Kennedy • Director of Grants & Programs
Before arriving at BCF, Brittany was most recently employed at the City of Adair Village where for the past 8 years she focused on youth development, event coordination, volunteer management, and grant writing. Brittany first came to know Corvallis when she received a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Agricultural Sciences from Oregon State University. After her husband Matt accepted a position at OSU in 2008, Brittany moved to Philomath where she, Matt and their children Easton and Presleigh still live today. Brittany is an avid baseball fan and enjoys spending spring and summer at ball games supporting the Beavers and Knights!
Jess Jacobs • Finance Manager
Jess Jacobs grew up in Northwest Arizona and received his BS from Arizona State University and his MBA from Grand Canyon University. His career has been dedicated to higher education including roles at Mohave Community College in Arizona, Mid-America Christian University in Oklahoma, and his current position as Director of Accounting & Budget at Linn-Benton Community College. His role at Linn-Benton also involves working directly with the LBCC Foundation on all financial matters. Jess and his family moved to Corvallis in 2015. In his free time, Jess enjoys basketball and spending time with his wife, Brandi, and their children Paige, Cason, Neely, and Reed.
Erin Gibson • Administration & Database Manager
Erin was born and raised in Corvallis and has lived in the Linn-Benton community for her entire life. For the past eleven years, she has worked at Citizens Bank as a teller, new accounts representative, and operations officer of the downtown Corvallis branch. During her career, Erin has had the opportunity to pursue her passions by establishing strong customer relationships, building organizational effectiveness, and fundraising to help the community. In her free time, Erin enjoys spending time with her husband, Andrew, their kids, Lucy, Theo, and their dog Piper.
Celina Franklin • Scholarship & Administrative Coordinator
Celina grew up in southern California and relocated to the Willamette Valley where she attended college at Linn Benton Community College. Celina has spent the last twelve years of her career building effective relationships within the community through her work in customer service, volunteering, and as a member of the management team at Timberhill Place Assisted Living where she coordinated volunteers, planned events, and responded to the COVID-19 pandemic. Celina enjoys the relationships she has established and continues to volunteer for Timberhill Place. Celina lives in Corvallis where she enjoys spending time with her husband Mike, her son Elijah, and stepson, Jacob.