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Our Team

bob kelly

Bob Kelly

Founder, CEO

Jerry Ray

Jerry Ray

Co-Founder, Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Paul Downey.

Paul Downey

Chief Advocacy Officer

Kristoffer Kelly

Kristoffer Kelly

Director of Development & Partnerships

Junne Esguerra

Junne R. Esguerra

Director of Programs

Elizabeth Cox

Consultant

Jessica

Jessica Buell

Program Coordinator

Ways to Give

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Bob Kelly

Founder, CEO

bob kelly

Bob Kelly served as the president and CEO of The San Diego Foundation, which provided leadership for effective philanthropy, for two decades. In that capacity, he oversaw all activities, programs and asset management during a time of significant growth and achievements that have benefitted the entire San Diego region.

Prior to joining The San Diego Foundation, Bob served as executive director of the American Cancer Society San Diego and vice president for Southern California. He also previously served as assistant to the president and senior vice president of Sharp HealthCare and chief operating officer for Sharp HealthCare Foundation. In addition, Bob was senior vice president for CCP and Associates, a comprehensive cancer center consulting firm.

Bob’s commitment to his community is clearly reflected in his many volunteer roles and services activities, including time spent as a board member of the San Diego Symphony Foundation, the San Diego Real Estate Foundation, Beauchamp Charities, the Children’s Initiative, and Hubbs SeaWorld Research Institute. He is a past president of the UCSD Alumni Association and a former chair of the Sharp HealthCare board, League of California Community Foundations, Youth for Progress, and San Diego Grantmakers. Bob has also served on the boards of the San Diego Chamber Foundation, the San Diego Chamber of Commerce, the Elsinore Cattle Co., the International Community Foundation, and the De Anza Country Club. He is a member of the Downtown Rotary and a graduate of UC San Diego.

His current positions include:

  • Chairman, Borrego Valley Endowment Fund
  • Board member, Mingei International Museum
  • Board member, San Diego Hunger Coalition
  • Board member, Legler Benbough Foundation
  • Board member, Voice of San Diego
  • One of nine committee members, Rotary International ($1.5 billion assets under management)


Bob is the principal of BK Foundation Advisors, a philanthropic consulting firm working with foundations, corporations, individuals and families.

Jerry Ray

Co-Founder, Chief Financial & Operating Officer

Jerry Ray

Jerry Ray is an administrative and financial professional, with demonstrated success serving multimillion-dollar nonprofit organizations for more than 37 years, as both a senior executive and consultant. He has held C-level positions in a number of nonprofit organizations, including the San Diego Foundation and the San Diego Rock Church.

Jerry is motivated by making a meaningful and practical difference in the lives of others, and highly values excellence and effectiveness in the work environment. His leadership style is focused through the lens of mission, vision and strategy. His strengths include team building and efficient utilization of people toward a strategic direction, well-thought-out decision making in the context of vision, sound financial management, and creating a solid foundation of organizational structure. He enjoys the challenge of leading and managing the growth, operations. and financial strength and stability of emerging or expanding organizations, and working in an environment where he can apply his skills and managerial talents over a broad spectrum of functional areas and activities.

Jerry has assisted in the formation of six nonprofit organizations, serving on the board of four of them. He holds an MBA from San Diego State University.

Paul Downey

Chief Advocacy Officer

Paul Downey.

Paul Downey has more than 40 years of experience in nonprofit management, strategic planning, fundraising, advocacy, and journalism. Paul’s expertise spans aging policy, senior centers, nutrition, homelessness, affordable housing, and program development.  As President/CEO of Serving Seniors in San Diego for 30 years, he transformed the organization into a nationally respected agency serving thousands of low-income seniors. He has chaired prominent boards, including the California Commission on Aging and the National Association of Nutrition and Aging Services Programs, and was twice invited to the White House Conference on Aging. His contributions have earned him numerous accolades, including induction into the American Society on Aging Hall of Fame and multiple humanitarian awards.

Kristoffer Kelly

Director of Development & Partnerships

Kristoffer Kelly

Kristoffer Kelly is a third-generation San Diegan with over 15 years of experience in TV, media, event production, and nonprofit leadership. His grandparents played a significant role in shaping his respect for elders, inspiring his dedication to making San Diego a better place for seniors to age. Continuing his family’s legacy of building a stronger community in San Diego, Kristoffer has contributed through philanthropy, including co-hosting the Sanford Burnham Prebys Institute’s “Bring It!” event. He has raised funds for critical causes such as melanoma research, Rady Children’s Hospital, Oncology and Kids, and Meals on Wheels San Diego to name a few.

A Rotarian and graduate of LEAD San Diego’s Impact class of 2020, Kristoffer was awarded the Herbert G. Klein Memorial Leadership Award and holds a BFA from Chapman University. He lives in San Diego with his wife and two young children. As Director of Development & Partnerships at the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, Kristoffer is dedicated to improving the lives of seniors and making San Diego a model city for aging well.

Junne R. Esguerra

Director of Programs

Junne Esguerra

Junne Esguerra is the Director of Programs at the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation, where she oversees the programs and initiatives, including grants administration, business development, and program operations. She also works diligently conducting intensive research on senior issues for advocacy reports. Her expertise is focused on improving the quality of life for older adults through impactful programming and community engagement.

Junne Esguerra is a dedicated professional with 20 years of experience in case
management, program management, non-profit operations, contract/grant management,
and developing collaborative partnerships.

Junne developed a strong commitment to serving her community stemming from
volunteering with her mother at a local orphanage in the Philippines. She has dedicated
her career to serving vulnerable populations through nonprofit social service organizations
in San Diego County, focusing on seniors, at-risk youth, transitional-aged youth (TAY),
individuals experiencing homelessness, and people living with disabilities.

Junne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Sciences, with a primary focus on sociology and a secondary focus on political science and history. She has also earned a Master’s in Public Administration.

Junne is bi-lingual in Tagalog and enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, traveling,
the arts, and laughter.

Elizabeth Cox

Consultant

Elizabeth Cox is a consultant for our Senior Transportation Initiative. During more than 11 years at the San Diego Association of Governments, Elizabeth led a variety of marketing and outreach programs for regional transportation improvement projects and programs, many of which have a nexus with the seniors SDSCF seeks to serve.

Elizabeth is a community connector with expertise in communications and marketing, project and program management, and strategic planning across government, nonprofit, and for-profit sectors. Prior to her time at SANDAG, she spent a decade with the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon series, where her role evolved from race director to overseeing community relations, volunteer, and medical programs at more than two dozen events nationwide. 

We first worked with Elizabeth when she was President of the FBI San Diego Citizens Academy Alumni Association and reached out to us about increasing awareness of elder fraud. Elizabeth engaged AARP and SDSCF involved Wells Fargo in an award-winning outreach program to prevent more seniors from falling victim to scams. The resources Elizabeth created and compiled are still active at SDElderFraud.com.

Jessica Buell

Program Coordinator

Jessica Buell is the Program Coordinator at the San Diego Seniors Foundation, where she is responsible for supporting program initiatives of the Foundation, and general administrative support. Within her role Jessica will utilize community engagement and advocacy to further support seniors and improve their quality of life.

Jessica has a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies from Point Loma Nazarene University. She also has experience in direct services such as cross-cultural research with the United Nations Millennium Fellowship and individual case management within refugee resettlement. In her previous roles Jessica worked with newly arrived refugees’ seniors and individuals with disabilities to find access and resources within their community and navigate life within the United States.

Jessica grew up in Costa Rica and Mexico with her family serving as missionaries. These formative years shaped the way Jessica viewed the world and the disparities that many individuals from poor and rural communities face that have been gripped by violence, and corruption. Jessica is a fierce advocate for justice and is excited to continue the good work of the Foundation and improve the lives of seniors.

Jessica is also bilingual in Spanish, and you can usually find her with her cat and reading a good book in the sun. 

Joe Gavin

Chief Programs & Community Engagement Officer

Joe Gavin

Joe Gavin joined the San Diego Seniors Community Foundation in December 2018. Previously, Joe worked for over 7 years at Serving Seniors, a San Diego nonprofit dedicated to helping seniors in poverty live healthy fulfilling lives. His most recent role was director of integrated services, overseeing all programs provided by the interdisciplinary team at the organization’s flagship community site, the Gary and Mary West Senior Wellness Center.

Joe was instrumental in the development, operationalization and implementation of the collaborative project between Serving Seniors and the West Senior Dental Center. As Serving Seniors’ lead administrator on this project, Joe supervised a team of interdisciplinary professionals that weaved wellness services with affordable, high quality dental services for older adults with limited access to care. More than 900 older adults received comprehensive services during Joe’s tenure.

Joe demonstrated his versatility as Serving Seniors’ lead manager on the rehabilitation of a 155-unit building that required the temporary relocation of more than 175 residents for several months. This partnership with Westminster Manor, Chelsea Investment Corp., and Serving Seniors required significant investment to ensure the well-being of a culturally and age-diverse population. In 2015, the project earned a nomination for a national award for building redevelopment.

At SDSCF, Joe brings a thorough knowledge of San Diego’s older adult network, as well as expertise on programs/services, older adult infrastructure, and the biopsychosocial gerontological environment. Joe will establish relationships with a variety of community stakeholders, conduct environmental assessments, and create content that will support SDSCF in its mission to transition the local senior population from vulnerable to vibrant.

Joe holds a B.S. in psychology from Governors State University in University Park, Illinois, and a M.S. in gerontology from San Diego State University.