Corporate Leaders Breakfast Series

Jody DeVere

Jody DeVere is CEO of AskPatty.com Inc., a website, blog and marketing agency that provides automotive education to women and training and support to automotive retailers. As a successful entrepreneur with more than 25 years of achievement in sales and marketing, DeVere has sought to promote careers for women in the automotive industry.

With international headquarters in Thousand Oaks, AskPatty.com serves as the first point of contact for many women who are seeking the very best in car sales and service across the United States and Canada. The AskPatty.com Certified Female Friendly® program trains and certifies auto dealers, tire dealers, collision centers, and auto service and repair centers on how to retain and increase loyalty with women customers.

DeVere works with Rain-X, Shell Oil and Mobil1 Motor as a spokesperson for car care and safety, and has been a speaker for NW Tire Factory, Tire Pros, Michelin, American Car Care Centers, Mercedes Benz and numerous other industry agencies. She currently is chief operating officer of the Women’s Automotive Association International and serves on the Car Care Council Women’s Board and the Collision Industry Foundation Board.

Shawn Mulchay

A 25-year-old native of Camarillo, Shawn Mulchay is the founder and former CEO of Socialmash Media Inc., a social media marketing firm for small and mid-sized businesses. Born into a family of entrepreneurs, Mulchay founded Socialmash Media following the sale of his first business.

Convinced that traditional marketing was costly and ineffective, Mulchay set out to assist businesses – from national automotive parts distributors to the local Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf – in developing their brands through online social networks such as Facebook and Twitter. He also took on projects for the Camarillo Chamber of Commerce, developing Camarillobiz.com and the Camarillo Fiesta Association website.

Mulchay oversaw the acquisition of Socialmash Media by a private technology consultancy group in February and is now director of operations for Brendan's Irish Pub & Restaurant, a Camarillo-based restaurant chain.

While earning a bachelor’s degree in business at CSU Channel Islands, Mulchay founded and edited the campus yearbook, served in student government and on campus committees, was managing editor of the student newspaper, was a chartering member of the CSUCI Rotaract Club, and was honored as a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary International.

He was selected by CSUCI President Richard R. Rush to serve in the Leon & Sylvia Panetta Institute for Public Policy, where he studied under former Clinton administration chief of staff Leon Panetta, the current director of the CIA, and later interned in the Washington, D.C., office of Rep. John Campbell (CA).

An avid cyclist and runner, Mulchay participated in the 2010 and 2011 L.A. Marathons.

Jim Rondeau

Jim Rondeau anchors Morning Edition on KCLU and hosts the station’s award-winning public affairs program Crosstalk. A native of Seattle, Rondeau has held key positions at stations in the Northwest, San Diego and Los Angeles and produced nationally syndicated programming for Premiere Radio Networks.

Rondeau’s work has been honored by major journalistic organizations such as the Radio and Television News Association and the Associated Press Radio and Television Association. He has been recognized for outstanding coverage of major stories, including wildfires, immigration and same-sex marriage. At this year’s Los Angeles Press Club awards gala, Rondeau was honored as Best Radio Anchor in Southern California.

Under Rondeau’s guidance as director of programming, KCLU’s audience has increased substantially, and the station has emerged as the leader in news and public affairs programming in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties.

David Flaks

Prior to becoming chief operating officer for the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp. in August, David Flaks managed consulting, policy and communications competencies to support the implementation of the county’s first-ever consensus strategic plan for economic development (2010-2014).

Before joining the LAEDC in 2007, Flaks served as communications director for the Democratic nominee in a high-profile U.S. House race in Arizona, overseeing all aspects of the campaign's on-the-ground communications. Flaks has extensive on-the-record experience with national and local news and broadcast media.

He served as president of David Flaks Capital, a communications and financial consulting firm that provided strategic communications and financial advisory services for medical technology companies, and co-founded Ten Peaks Capital, a private consulting firm that provided corporate partnering, communications and financial advisory services for life sciences companies. He has held positions in corporate law departments at New York and Miami firms, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the New York State Attorney General’s office.

Flaks graduated with distinction from the University of Wisconsin with a B.S. in philosophy, received his J.D. from American University, cum laude, and graduated as valedictorian from the George Washington University with an M.A. in political management.

Angel Martinez

A leader in product and marketing innovation who was instrumental in the creation of the worldwide Reebok brand, Angel Martinez is the chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board of Deckers Outdoor Corp.

Deckers, which offers the footwear brands Teva, UGG Australia, Simple Shoes, TSUBO, Ahnu, MOZO and Sanuk, was honored as the 2008 Company of the Year by both Footwear News and Footwear Plus. 

A native of Cuba and graduate of the University of California at Davis, where he was an All-American in cross-country and track, Martinez was one of the Reebok Corp.’s founding employees in 1980. He joined the company as a West Coast sales representative and rose to become executive vice president and chief marketing officer of the Reebok portfolio of brands. 

Martinez positioned Reebok at the forefront of the women’s fitness movement, led the team that designed and marketed the legendary Freestyle aerobic shoe, introduced Reebok basketball shoes, tennis shoes, walking shoes and fitness shoes, and was the architect of the Reebok Classic product line. As president and CEO of the Rockport Co., he led a turnaround of the largest subsidiary of Reebok International and was honored as the 1997 Man Of The Year by Footwear News, an honor he would receive twice. After retiring from Reebok, he partnered in the successful launch of Keen Footwear and joined Deckers in 2005.

Martinez championed the Reebok Human Rights Awards as a founding member of its board of advisers and was executive producer of the 1988 “Human Rights Now!” global concert tour, which headlined Bruce Springsteen, Peter Gabriel, Sting and Tracey Chapman on five continents over a seven-month period.

Michael Powers

Michael Powers became the county executive officer for Ventura County last April. In this role he oversees a budget of $1.7 billion and more than 8,000 employees in 25 agencies and departments. As CEO, his focus is on quality public service, fiscal discipline and investing in the community and the workforce. He supports all major county functions and services, including budget, finance, legislation, human resources, labor relations, economic development and information technology.

Powers began his career with Ventura County in 1992 as an assistant counsel, having moved from private legal practice. He served in a variety of roles with the Health Care Agency (HCA), including hospital administrator, physician services director, compliance officer, deputy director and finally director of the agency. As HCA director, he oversaw a budget in excess of $500 million, with only a 6 percent county contribution, and a workforce of more than 2,300. In 2010, HCA provided more than 1.7 million patient and client contacts at 63 locations throughout the county. 

Born and raised in Ventura, Powers is a graduate of Loyola Law School and UCLA, where he majored in economics and business. He has served on community boards including the Ventura County Medical Resource Foundation and the county chapters of United Way and the American Red Cross.

Sue Chen

Sue Chen founded Nova Medical Products in 1993 when she was just 23 years old with a strong vision – offer stylish designs and choices to people using mobility equipment. Today, Nova has grown to become an industry leader in mobility and bathroom safety products that provide greater independence and well-being to people at all stages of life and that reflect the beauty, style and confidence of their customers. Chen is changing the look and perception of medical equipment and improving the lives of millions of Americans reliant on assistive devices by incorporating fashion and function in products such as designer canes and colorful walkers. Through her trademark “mobility makeover,” she helps customers show their style and pursue an active lifestyle with the help of their mobility equipment. 

Recently, Chen was a finalist for the prestigious Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, received the Community Leadership Award from the President’s Council on Fitness, Sports and Nutrition, and was named one of the ten Most Powerful Entrepreneurs in Fortune magazine’s Most Powerful Women issue. 

Chen is a director for NAWBO-LA (National Association of Women Business Owners), a Young Presidents’ Organization member, a trustee of the California Lutheran University Board of Regents, president of Reef Check Foundation and director of Shark Savers. She is also the author of Confessions of a Walker Stalker, about her experiences changing the way America faces mobility challenges.