Mark Surmanian
Chief Executive Officer
Mark Surmanian, M.B.A., serves as Chief Executive Officer for Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove (BGCGG), leading a team of over 500 dedicated professionals and volunteers. Through the collective efforts of staff and board support, the organization currently serves more than 5,000 youth daily, at 64 sites across eight surrounding communities. Mark joined the Boys & Girls Club movement in 2007, first serving as an ASES Site Coordinator at Doig Intermediate and then later as Assistant Youth Athletics Manager. After four successful years working directly at the programming level, Mark transitioned to lead BGCGG’s financial and operational functions, serving as Chief Financial & Operations Officer in 2011. In 2013, he then was selected as Executive Director before transitioning into the CEO position in 2016.
Mark completed his undergraduate studies at Pepperdine University, earning a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and his Master of Science in Business Administration at California State University, Long Beach. Mark also serves in several volunteer leadership roles, including as the President of the California Alliance of Boys & Girls Clubs (2018-2020), Chairperson for The Professional Association - Orange County Chapter (2017-2019), as well as in Advisory capacities for OneOC’s Nonprofit Advisory Committee and Orange County Department of Education’s STEM Hub Steering Committee. Mark is a former “Club kid” himself, having attended Boys & Girls Club of Irvine when he was a child.
Christina Sepulveda
Vice President of Community Impact Programs
Christina Sepulveda, M.A., joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove in 2005 and in 2016 added the new role of Vice President of Community Impact Programs. She is responsible for the recruitment, coordination, and maintenance of community partnerships that foster the coordination of services for families in the community. Her strong belief in collaboration and serving the ‘whole-child’ has been a guiding philosophy throughout her career. Christina currently holds leadership positions on the Garden Grove Community Collaborative, California Afterschool Network, OC Health Enrollment Assistors Task Force, and Youth and Families Wellness Task Force. She obtained her Master of Arts degree in Sociology from California State University, Fullerton.
Jenna Ceballos
Chief Operations Officer
Jenna Ceballos started as a Youth Development Professional in 2008 working part-time while completing her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology from California State University, Long Beach. She worked in direct services for three years before joining the Human Resources team as a Recruiting Manager in 2012. She now serves as the Vice President of Operations. In her six years of service, Jenna has discovered her passion for this field and obtained her Professional in Human Resources certification through the HRCI. Jenna is responsible for driving strategies and creating a culture that emphasizes ethical decision-making, empowerment, collaboration, quality service, and ongoing development while supporting the organization’s mission.
Rachelle Gillerman
Sr. Director of Resource Development & Marketing
In July of 2013, Rachelle Gillerman accepted the role of Corporate Director of Resource Development & Marketing. Her focus is on securing financial resources, developing corporate partnerships, creating unique and authentic marketing campaigns and events, and working as the Board of Directors liaison. Rachelle’s experience includes 20 plus years of marketing and event experience with companies such as Gatorade, NIKE, and the NFL. She has been a BGC advocate for more than 35 years, working with Clubs throughout Southern California as a volunteer, donor, and consultant. She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration from California State University, Fullerton. She has served on numerous non-profit boards and continues to volunteer in her community.
Chris Pina
Vice President of Youth Development Programs
Chris Pina serves as the Division Director of School-Based Programs for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove. Chris joined the BGCGG movement in 2003 as a Youth Development Professional at Fitz Intermediate. He transitioned to 21st Century Site Supervisor the following year and started the program at Heritage Elementary. After three years at Heritage, Chris was asked to support startup programs at Eisenhower, Morningside, Violette, Hazard, and Carver. Chris moved into the role of Area Director the following year. Since then Chris has taken the positions of Academic Services Director and Information Systems Director. His years of varied experience in the movement allow him to lead the 52 school-based program sites in partnership with Garden Grove Unified School District. Chris completed his undergraduate studies at California State University, Long Beach, earning a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science.
Heather White
Sr. Director of Youth Development Programs
In her role as Director of Program Development Heather White oversees the development, implementation, and evaluation of Club programs and services. She works collaboratively across multiple departments and with community partners to provide programs, resources, and opportunities to Club staff, members, and families.
Heather White first joined the movement in 2002 as a Youth Development Professional at Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Scottsdale. While earning her Bachelor of Arts in Art History at the University of Arizona, Heather worked in the Art Room at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Tucson. After graduating, Heather returned to the Clubs as an Art Coordinator, then Youth Development Supervisor in Scottsdale before moving to California in 2010. Heather joined Boys & Girls Clubs of Garden Grove as a Site Supervisor at Evans Elementary before transitioning to her current role. She is a member of the Orange County Department of Education’s STEM Technical Assistance Team and Steering Committee representative for Imagine Science Orange County.
