David Baker, Ed.D.
Chief Executive Officer
David has spent his career providing leadership and expertise in the nonprofit industry. Before joining the Sacramento Children’s Home in 2013, David worked as a senior executive with a state-wide agency, where he successfully restructured the residential treatment program and nonpublic school. Beginning his tenure with the Home as the Chief Operating Officer, David became Chief Executive Officer in 2018. Today, he works to fulfill the mission of SCH, provides strategic leadership for the organization, establishes goals, strategies, plans, and policies, and represents the organization to the public. David holds a Doctorate in Education from the University of Southern California. Outside of work, he has served on multiple community boards ranging from youth sports to special education. He enjoys bicycle riding and playing an active role in community planning and development.
Colleen Calandra
Chief Financial Officer
After 25 years in the enterprise, high-tech industry, Colleen joined the Sacramento Children’s Home as Chief Financial Officer because she wanted to give back to her local community more deeply. Her favorite aspects of the job are the people she works with and being part of the Home’s mission. Born in California but raised in New Jersey, Colleen relocated back to CA for college. Her experience includes financial planning, accounting, and global, financial leadership roles with companies such as Deloitte, Dell, and Oracle. Colleen received her Bachelors of Science in Accounting from Santa Clara University. She is a certified public accountant in the state of California. Outside of work, if she’s not a spectator at her children’s sporting events, she spends as much of her free time as possible outdoors, hiking in the mountains, at the lake with her family, and traveling.
Rebecca Clark
Executive Assistant to the CEO
Becky’s first stint with the Sacramento Children’s Home came in 1989 as a Residential Counselor. She briefly left in 1994 to run a group home for autistic children, but returned in 1995 and became the Home’s Executive Assistant in ’97. As the EA, Becky has a vast knowledge of the Children’s Home’s history and present-day processes, procedures, and programs. She supports the Board of Directors, Leadership, Managers Forum, and PQI, oversees the Admin Department, organizes all meetings, and handles purchasing. Becky is the heart of the Home and has close personal ties to the organization. She met her late husband, Paul, while the two worked here, and they were married at Casa Garden Restaurant. She says the opportunity to be a part of and positively impact the kids’ lives is the most rewarding part of her job. Becky is a UC Davis graduate and spends her many weekends camping.
Annette Jumper
Director of Child and Family Programs
From volunteer to Director of 24-Hour Programs, Annette is the Sacramento Children’s Home’s ultimate staff success story. After volunteering with the organization for six months, she officially joined as a Residential Counselor in 1985. Annette worked her way up through the Residential Program and spent a large part of her career as the Program Manager. In 2018, she joined the Leadership team when she became the Director of 24-Hour Programs, overseeing both the Residential and Crisis Nursery programs. Like many here at SCH, her favorite part of the job is the interactions with the children, but also with the caring, supportive staff who provide direct care and impact to the kids. In her spare time, Annette enjoys taking care of animals, baking, and traveling with her husband, whom she met at the Children’s Home. Annette is a graduate of UC Davis, where she obtained her Bachelors in Zoology and Masters in Counseling Psychology.
Kerri Killebrew
Director of Human Resources
Kerri has been a Human Resources professional for over 25 years. She joined SCH in 2005 as the HR Generalist and became Director of Human Resources in 2009. Prior to the Sacramento Children’s Home, she worked in various HR roles within the financial, retail/wholesale, manufacturing, and staffing industries. Today, Kerri oversees all aspects of HR, including compliance, strategic planning, employee relations, comp and benefits, recruitment, retention, and more. She is a member of the Sacramento Area Human Resources Association and the Society for Human Resource Management. She has a certificate in HR Management and has received PHR certifications throughout her career. Kerri understands the challenges of modern-day families, has a passion for helping children, and is grateful for the ability to contribute to the wellbeing of children and families. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her sons, friends, and pets.
Todd Koolakian
Director of Philanthropy
Originally from Syracuse, NY, Todd moved to Sacramento in 2011 as a fundraising consultant for the Diocese of Sacramento. Todd is a graduate of Providence College, and subsequently began his fundraising career consulting on various fundraising projects across the country, raising funds for schools, churches, and other capital projects. He joined the Sacramento Children’s Home as Director of Philanthropy in 2014, and oversees fundraising, events, donor relations, grants, marketing, and two auxiliaries. He believes in the important work of the Home and enjoys the opportunity to work with supporters and leaders to advance SCH’s mission. Outside of his work at SCH, Todd is active volunteering his time in the community on a variety of boards. He is the President of the Rotary Club of Sacramento, serves on the Board of Directors of Broadway Sacramento and previously served on the Sacramento LGBT Community Center Board of Directors for 9 years. He is also an alumni of Leadership Sacramento Class of 2020 and a Sac Business Journal 40 Under 40 recipient for 2017. Todd lives in East Sacramento and enjoys skiing, spending time outdoors, and traveling with his partner.
Chris McCarty
Director of Mental Health
Chris joined the Sacramento Children’s Home in 2000, first as the Program Manager for the Transitional Age Program, before becoming the Director of Community Programs. Chris has spent over 25 years in social services, which includes experience in residential treatment, crisis intervention, mental health counseling and transitional living coordination. He has a B.S. and M.A. in Psychology, an M.S. in Marriage, Family, and Child Counseling, and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. In his current role, Chris oversees our Mental Health programs. Chris enjoys the breadth, diversity of his position and the overall impact the Home has on children and the community. In his spare time, he loves to travel with his wife, hike, and watch sports.
Amani Sawires, MPPA
Chief Operating Officer
Amani is a dedicated advocate committed to bridging opportunity gaps that disproportionately impact children, youth, families, and people of color. With a rich career background in national non-profits, she comes to SCH having driven the creation and expansion of various local and national initiatives spanning maternal and child health care, behavioral health care, housing, workforce development, nutrition services, and more. Amani actively promotes diversity, creates professional development opportunities, and fosters employee well-being, all while fostering cross-functional collaboration to maximize organizational impact. Amani has seamlessly integrated into our Leadership Team, bringing a fresh outlook and a profound understanding of best practices. She has identified opportunities to enhance our systems and ensure uniformity across all programs. Outside of SCH, Amani volunteers her time raising awareness and funds for educational opportunities. She embraces an outdoorsy and adventurous lifestyle, and indulges in travel, music, art, and cherished time with family and friends.