Marc Lodovico is Director of Sales & Marketing at Vicky’s of Santa Fe Restaurant, Bar & Music Lounge. After graduating from Rutgers College with Bachelor of Arts Degrees in English and Communications for Advertising, he headed straight to New York for his first job interview. A marketing, advertising and promotion executive that spent the first 25 years of his career on Madison Avenue with Motion Pictures Industry clients, before relocating to the desert over a decade ago, and moving to a new client category, the Hospitality Industry. One constant in this 36 year span is Marc’s association with Variety -the Children’s Charity. On his first job, he was assigned to the Agencies pro-bono account Variety -the Children’s Charity of New York, where he made an immediate connection to Variety’s mission to help children in need. An active member in fundraiser roles ever since, notably, serving as the second President of the Board of Directors of the newly formed Young Variety of New York. After settling into the Desert community, it was Marc’s sense of community that brought him to serve on the Board of Directors as an Officer with both the Indian Wells Chamber of Commerce and Greater Palm Springs Restaurant Week. Marc became a member of the Board of Directors of Variety -the Children’s Charity of the Desert four years ago and currently serves as its Vice President.

Asked why Variety is important to him, he stated “honestly, it’s the rewarding feeling you get by knowing that you played a small part in making a big difference in a kid’s life, and just by being involved and committed to the good work Variety does in helping children.”

An accomplished leader for Trader Joe’s Company. I proudly worked at Trader Joe’s for 47 years starting as a young part-time crew member. I was a Captain (manager) of four stores before being promoted to Regional Vice President where I oversaw six different regions throughout my time as RVP. In 2014 I was promoted to Executive Vice President of Stores overseeing ten states from California to Kansas City Missouri. When my career started, our company had roughly 16 stores and when I retired in 2018, there were 491 stores. I would like to say I had a big part in the growth of our company. I was also fortunate enough to have worked for all three CEO’s the company has employed. My biggest takeaway from my career was helping to develop leaders to lead our stores as the company grew.

I am currently on the Board of Directors for the Christermon Foundation. This foundation focuses on making scholarships available to High School Seniors who are graduating to a four-year university. To be eligible, their parent(s), grandparent(s) or legal guardian must be employed in the beverage industry.

My passions are golf and wine. My wife Michele and I moved here from the Bay Area and are now residing in Palm Desert full time.

Jerry is an accomplished broadcast television professional with over 30 years of experience including 15 as a General Manager, including his current position for The Gulf California Broadcast Company, owners of KESQ News Channel 3 and five other TV and Radio properties. Recognized as a passionate leader with strengths in developing positive cultures and coaching teams to achieve their full potential, Jerry has a history of strong community involvement outside of the workplace. He has served as a rotary club president and has been on several non-profit boards that currently include The Coachella Valley Economic Partnership (CVEP) and Variety Children’s Charity of the Desert.

“I am very happy to be involved with Variety… It’s exciting and rewarding to see the difference that we make in the lives of disadvantaged children throughout the Coachella Valley”.

Kara Robinson is a professional real estate agent.  She has been in the real estate field on the home warranty side for over 10 years.  She is overjoyed to be a member of the “Art Terry & Kara Team” of Windermere Homes & Estates, Palm Desert.

Kara lives in the Cathedral City Cove and has been a Desert native since 2005.  Prior to that she lived in Santa Monica, CA and grew up in the suburbs of Chicago, IL.  She is a graduate of Indiana University and is married to Scott Robinson the CEO of the Boys & Girls Club of Cathedral City.  They have two children.  Kara is from a family of six children and parents who have been married for over 60 years.

Her career focus is on the family and her community. Recently Kara has been elected to serve on the Cathedral City Chamber of Commerce for the next 2 years. This will enhance her depth of knowledge with the community of Cathedral City and that of the larger Coachella Valley.  She believes that integrity, excellence and personal service is the formula for a rewarding and positive real estate experience. For exceptional service backed by 25 years of experience, knowledge and enthusiasm, please call Kara at 760.668.4488.  “Making Desert Dreams Come True.”

As a longtime resident of the Desert community Barbara brings decades of advocating for children to Variety. Her professional career includes being an Adoption Social Worker, Education Journalist and President of an Advertising and Public Relations Agency.

Her most significant achievement was the ten years she spent as a National Program Director for the Milken Family Foundation in Santa Monica creating educational and enriching activities for thousands of under served children throughout the United States.

Barbara has held numerous Board memberships and is currently a member of the McCallum Theatre Board of Trustees Education Policy Committee.

Barbara is married with two children and two grandchildren.

Bob and his wife Julie Henthorn moved to the desert in August of 2010 when Bob purchased Desert Adventures Red Jeep Tours along with a business partner. Bob ran the business and restored the reputation as well as growing sales to new heights. Bob joined the board of Visit Greater Palm Springs in 2013 and currently is active on the board as well as the Tourism Foundation board. He also served on the board of the Palm Springs Hospitality Association from 2012 to 2018.

Prior to moving to the desert, Bob and family lived in Chicago where Bob was the SVP at Frankel & Company. He was the lead on the McDonald’s account from 1982 to 1995 . the largest account in the agency billing over $30,000,000.00

In 1995 Bob and family moved to Los Angeles where Bob was Senior Vice President of Worldwide Corporate Promotions from 1995 to 2004 at Warner Bros. Studios. He was responsible for creating synergy efforts for all the tentpole film releases. In addition Bob worked across all divisions of Time Warner to create promotions supporting film, video/DVD, and television programs.

From 2004 to 2008, Bob was EVP at Davie Brown Entertainment, an entertainment marketing agency servicing the needs of Fortune 500 companies in the Hollywood community.

Penny Salamida serves as Financial Advisor with Cypress Wealth Services. In her role, Penny participates in a wide range of client responsibilities that include account servicing, relationship management, portfolio review, and financial planning. Penny’s goal is to ensure clients receive thoughtful financial advice as they navigate their financial lives. Penny works in a partnership and has over thirty years of experience in the financial services industry. She began her career in 1994 and was most recently an Executive Client Service Associate with Integrated Wealth Management. Before Integrated Wealth Management, Penny worked at Morgan Stanley. Penny is originally from Florida. She went to college in San Francisco and studied psychology and journalism. Marc Lodovico, Board President, stated “Penny brings much to the table beyond her professional skill sets. She is one of the kindest and most caring people you’ll ever meet. Penny is an excellent addition to the Board of Directors and we look forward to working together.”

Patrick Evans is News Channel 3’s morning and noon meteorologist, Host of Eye on the Desert, and host of afternoon drive on KPSF Studio 100.9 FM/1200 AM from 2 p.m. – 7 p.m. In August 2002, Patrick moved to the Palm Springs area to help launch the new Coachella Valley CBS affiliate, where he served as Chief Meteorologist for nearly 17 years. Following the merger with KESQ, you now see Patrick at 5:00 to 7:00 a.m. and 12 Noon on News Channel 3 and at 12:45 p.m. hosting “Eye on the Desert”.

Patrick and his wife Andrea, along with their children Karina and Vesta, love to travel and take care of their rescue dachshunds and rescue cats. Patrick has served on the Board of the Family YMCA of the Desert, the Desert Symphony, and Loma Linda Children’s Hospital Foundation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for Read with Me, Pathfinder Ranch, and Animal Samaritans.

In April of 2014, Patrick was the 366th recipient of a Star on the Palm Springs Walk of Stars as a result of his work with philanthropic organizations throughout the Valley. Patrick also earned an Emmy Award for his work on the KESQ morning newscast.

A longtime devotee of Frank Sinatra, on occasion Patrick can be spotted at various spots around the Valley, crooning a few tunes with local musicians. Each afternoon at 4 p.m. Patrick features “Frank at 4” on Studio 100.9 FM, a daily dose of the Chairman of the Board, along with a little history about the man and his music. Another passion is food: Patrick started an Italian Sausage company named Fulvio’s Foods which is served in dozens of restaurants throughout the Valley. Patrick named the company in honor of his late father, Fulvio Antonio Iachetta.

I am the Vice President for FirstBank’s California market. Moving to California in 2013 I have been a local to the Coachella Valley since 2016. As a Maryland native I grew up a swimmer, which I also swam collegiately at the division one level for Towson University right outside of Baltimore, Maryland. After graduating in 2012 I decided I needed to venture out of my comfort zone, and found an opportunity to coach collegiately at the University of La Verne in Los Angeles County while obtaining my master’s degree. In both high school and college I was involved with the community, and an advocate in teaching basic water safety skills to children ranging from 3 years old to high school seniors. As a former student athlete this was a rewarding experience for me to give back to my community as it is an important fundamental life skill.

During my time at La Verne I met my now wife, Michelle, and ultimately followed her out here to the valley as she is a teacher at Desert Mirage High School. I have been with FirstBank for 7 years, and we are expecting their first child and could not have asked for a better place to start a family. With my roots now established I am looking forward getting involved in the community again with a wonderful organization!

I moved to the Coachella Valley in 2018 from L.A with my family. I started working with ACME Moving and Storage in 2019. During my time here I have been able to volunteer a lot of my time helping out the community such as helping with toy drives alongside Variety and CHIPS FOR KIDS. It truly brings me joy when I am able to see a child’s face light up when they receive a gift that was unexpected. Being able to help out families that are struggling to get by really motivates me to help even more.

When I am not working in the office or helping out with volunteering, I love to work on my home! Working on small projects from start to finish keeps me busy and brings me satisfaction when I am able to see what I was able to complete and how it changed the look of my home. I am the type of person that needs to stay busy doing something, just sitting at home is not one of them. I am a hard worker and always looking to lend a hand whenever one is needed.

My goal in life is to one day leave my family with something to remember me by. In hopes that my kids grow up and say that they are who they are because of what they have learned from me and seen what I have done in my life to be better and to serve others. That they are just as passionate at what they do just like me.

Heidi Maldoon is an accomplished nonprofit administrator with over 16 years of experience in the role of Executive Director, including her current position with Variety – the Children’s Charity of the Desert which supports children who live and grow up with a serious illness, disability or disadvantage.

Having dedicated her career to leadership of charitable organizations, Heidi is known for her ability to elevate and improve organizational capacity in order to achieve greater impact. She understands the critical role charitable organizations have in assisting communities to improve the quality of life for their residents who are most in need.

Recognized as an authentic leader who focuses on developing positive cultures and promoting the ability of a team to create social impact, Heidi is known to be actively involved in community service beyond her professional life. Heidi has served on numerous non-profit boards dedicated to improving housing, financial literacy, nutrition, and childcare services. Heidi holds an MBA in International Business from Liberty University.

Heidi is a member of the Desert Communities Chapter of the worldwide Association of Fundraising Professionals, and she is the Chairwoman of the National Philanthropy Day Awards Committee.

Her motto is to live every day with intention.

Originally from Chicago, I started my career in sales, working for Tiffany and Company. I have a BA in Marketing and Graphic Design. My love of good design led me to change direction and pursue contract furniture and fabrics, where I put my skills to good use. I have represented companies such as Bernhardt, Holly Hunt, Jack Larsen and Herman Miller. I was invited to New York to work in New Business Development for Herman Miller. It was an amazing time living and working in the Big Apple. However after September 11th I made the decision to seek out sunshine and palm trees here in the desert.

The desert is my forever home now even though I love to travel the world and explore different cultures. I have been involved with charities such as Gilda’s Club, ART (Chicago), West Village Women and Children’s Shelter (NYC) and have worked at the Betty Ford Center here in the desert. I believe you are at your best when you are giving back to your community and making the world a better place, one smile at a time. I am honored to be a part of Variety of the Desert and its mission.

Annika first joined Variety as a volunteer, and then became an Outreach Coordinator to lead the organization’s dedicated volunteers. Known for her kind-hearted approach to community service, Annika has both personal and professional experience serving the vulnerable, at-risk and disabled communities in the Coachella Valley.


Annika has an innate desire to help people grow and approaches her role as Outreach Coordinator with a welcoming demeanor each day. She leads volunteers and conducts both marketing campaigns and outreach events in a way that brings the community together for a better outcome.


Annika is a solution focused person who is always seeking a positive outcome. She inspires our volunteers and clients alike with her warm, approachable personality that is inclusive of everyone she has the opportunity to work with. Annika carefully pairs volunteers with opportunities to serve the community through Variety in a meaningful way which matches their interests and skills.


In her early career, Annika worked with adults with disabilities, directly serving their care needs and is currently in pursuit of a degree in Social Work from UMass Global University.


Annika would say that “helping children and families is the best part of my work at Variety, and doing this hand in hand with our incredible volunteers brings me the greatest joy.”

Lupita joined the organization in 2021 and brought with her years of experience working directly with the community and supporting those in need. Lupita earned her associate degree in psychology from College of the Desert and is currently pursuing her bachelor’s degree in psychology through California State University, San Bernardino.

Under Lupita’s leadership, each of Variety’s core programs has expanded and experienced an increase in their reach and impact. Lupita is dedicated to the children and families she serves and is an exceptional connector of organizations, services, and resources. The lives of each child and family she encounters in her role as Program Coordinator are improved because of her unwavering commitment to helping them thrive.


Lupita shared, “I found my purpose and passion through serving the community, especially women and children. Both personally and professionally, I am honored to use my skills, knowledge, and personal experience to better the lives of others.”

Laura is expanding community awareness about essential mobility programs and inclusive services including developmental screenings through the Caring Connections program.

About Laura: “I am very grateful for this opportunity to be joining such an amazing team. I’m passionate about helping disadvantaged children and families in our community. I have lived and worked in the Coachella Valley my whole life. I am aware of the needs of our community and celebrate social diversity. I am excited to help provide inclusive, and life-saving programs and services to all the children of the Coachella Valley.”