Our Team

Audrey Haberman joined the Biller Family Foundation in September 2021 as its Chief Executive Officer.

An experienced philanthropic leader, Audrey has spent much of her career helping mission-driven philanthropic organizations grow their impact. Prior to joining the Biller Family Foundation, Audrey served as the Managing Director of The Giving Practice (TGP), a consulting firm that works with foundations across the country. In addition to leading and significantly growing TGP over the past 11 years, she worked with over one hundred foundation leaders, boards and staff members to sharpen their strategy and improve their culture and practices. Audrey also served as Interim CEO of Philanthropy NW. Prior to TGP, Audrey was the Executive Director of the Pride Foundation for twelve years, and before that she played a range of leadership roles at the Women’s Funding Alliance and Seattle Rape Relief.

Audrey graduated from the University of Michigan. She is the mom of three kids between the ages 18-21 and loves to travel, ski, and hike.

Geri Auriemma joined the Biller Family Foundation in September 2019 as the Foundation Coordinator, bringing with her several years of experience in the nonprofit and public sectors. Previously, Geri served as a legislative aide to Seattle City Councilmembers Abel Pacheco and Rob Johnson, managing communications and constituent relations and tracking policy related to arts, education, and human services. Prior to her work at City Hall, Geri was a nonprofit arts fundraiser, managing the Annual Fund at Pacific Northwest Ballet.

Geri holds an MFA in Arts Leadership from Seattle University and a BA in Vocal Performance from Colby College. Outside of work, Geri enjoys singing with the Seattle Symphony Chorale, reviewing performing arts experiences throughout King County for 4Culture, and volunteering with Northwest Girlchoir. Born and raised in Seattle, Geri feels a strong pull towards aligning her work with advancing the public good and is excited to join the Biller Family Foundation team to help support the work of changing people’s lives in meaningful and lasting ways.

Lené Copeland joined the Biller Family Foundation in 2013 and supports all aspects of the Foundation’s grantmaking. Ms. Copeland brings a rich, diverse background to her program administration position. With formal education in architecture, much of her career has involved teaching including a 20-year role bringing architecture to K-12 school students through the built environment education program called, “Architecture in Education.”

Ms. Copeland formerly taught and helped develop curriculum in environmental technology for the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center in Philadelphia. This program focused on varied groups of inner-city schools, and engaged them daily in an interactive, hands-on teaching environment. Ms. Copeland has worked in architectural practices in Seattle and Philadelphia designing residential homes and educational facilities. She received her Master’s Degree in Architecture from the University of Pennsylvania, and studied in Rome, Italy and Tokyo, Japan.

Mr. Howard Behar’s career in business spans over 50 years, all in consumer oriented businesses covering several industries. He retired from Starbucks Coffee after 21 years where he led both the domestic business, as President of North America, and was the founding President of Starbucks International. During his tenure, he participated in the growth of the company from 28 stores to over 15,000 stores spanning five continents. He served on the Starbucks Board of Directors for 12 years before retiring.

Mr. Behar now serves on several boards, including iD Tech, Education Elements and the advisory boards of Anthos Capital and Roadtrip Nation. His non-profit commitments are to the University of Washington Foundation, UW Business School mentoring program and as a Trustee for The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation. Mr. Behar is committed to the development and education of our future leaders and has been a longtime advocate of the Servant Leadership Model. He has also authored a book on leadership titled “It’s Not About the Coffee.”

Yvonne Bell was hired by The McCallum Theatre in May 2021 to serve as the Vice President of Development. Prior to that and since 1999, Bell served as Director of Institutional Advancement for The Center Theatre Group (CTG), one of the nation’s most influential nonprofit arts institutions, home to three theaters, the Ahmanson Theatre, the Mark Taper Forum, and the Kirk Douglas Theatre. In her leadership capacity at CTG, Bell directed all fundraising, board development, and institutional positioning and planning, along with being responsible for the content, design, and implementation of a multi-year strategy for all philanthropic revenue. Prior to joining CTG, Bell held leadership positions with the California Science Center, SoCal Institute of Architecture Foundation and The Museum of Contemporary Art, all in Los Angeles. She holds a B.A. in Fine Arts from Southern Methodist University and was the Inaugural Recipient of the Theatre Angel Award from the Los Angeles Drama Critic’s Circle in 2019.  Among her achievements at CTG, Bell raised money to build and open the Kirk Douglas Theatre in Culver City in 2004; to produce and present more than 300 productions at all three of CTG’s venues; to increase the Center’s annual fund by 400%; and to significantly grow the endowment through cash and planned gifts.  In addition, she helped open the California Science Center in 1998 and The Museum of Contemporary Art in 1986. Bell has long been active in a variety of community and industry activities including serving as a Trustee for the Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation in Seattle, WA (2006 to present); Executive Committee and Board Member of the Ojai Playwrights Conference (2005 to present); and on the Board of Directors for Theatre Forward in New York (2015 to 2021). Previously, she served as an Executive Board Member, Development and Membership Committee for the American Association of Museums; and Executive Board Member for the Western Museums Association.

Lindsey Kozberg is Senior Program and Community Engagement Director at The Smidt Foundation, the private charitable foundation inspired by Eric Smidt’s deep commitment to help open doors of opportunity, and advance justice, equality, and safety for all. Her work includes supporting the foundation’s Harbor Freight Tools for Schools program, which invests in schools and teachers offering high school students pathways to graduation, opportunity, and careers in the skilled trades.

Lindsey has led strategic communications and government relations at the nonpartisan RAND Corporation and at Truth Initiative, the public health foundation dedicated to ending tobacco use. During the George W. Bush Administration she was director of public affairs for the U.S. Department of Education and a White House special assistant responsible for advancing national service and civic engagement. Trained as a land use attorney, Lindsey has helped to adapt and build projects across Los Angeles working with real estate developers and sports, civic, and education institutions.

A graduate of Princeton University and Stanford Law School, Lindsey supports the creation and growth of excellent and equitable schools and systems by serving on the boards of ExED, Great Public Schools Now, and the Partnership for Los Angeles Schools as well as Coro Southern California.

Sarah Lyding is the Executive Director of The Music Man Foundation, also known as The Meredith and Rosemary Willson Charitable Foundation. Under her leadership, the Foundation launched a music therapy grant program for Southern California-based organizations and supports many outstanding music education programs in fulfillment of the Foundation’s mission to use music to improve children’s lives.  Before joining The Music Man Foundation in 2017, Ms. Lyding was the first staff member for The Sheri and Les Biller Family Foundation, where she worked for nearly 10 years on programs such as BankWork$^TM and the Social Impact Theatre opportunity.

Prior to her work with foundations, she led fundraising efforts at two of Southern California’s preeminent performing arts organizations, the Pasadena Playhouse and Center Theatre Group.  Ms. Lyding also served on the board of directors of Boston Court Pasadena from 2009 – 2021.

Pedro J. Martí is a Managing Director and Private Wealth Advisor with Rockefeller Capital in Los Angeles, California. Mr. Martí previously served as a Managing Director and Senior Financial Advisor for Wells Fargo Advisors, as well as an Analyst in Wells Fargo’s Corporate Development Division, as Chief of Staff to the company’s Chief Operating Officer, and helped to develop and implement a professional training program for a new generation of securities and insurance licensed employees in the LA Metro Region of Wells Fargo.

Pedro earned his MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of business and his BBA from the Emory Goizueta School of Business with concentrations in Finance, Entrepreneurship, Human Resource Management, and Financial Services.

Mr. John R. Ohanesian is the President and CEO of Lear Capital. Founded in 1997, Lear is the largest direct response marketing and sales enterprise in the U.S. focused on precious metals with over $2 billion in transactions. Previously, he was President and CEO of Bosley from 1990 to 2010 as well as co-Founder, President and CEO of Aderans Research Institute, a biotech company, from 2002 to 2010. Since 2013 he has been an Advisor/Chief Strategic Officer of Theradome, Inc., which is an aesthetic medical device company based in San Jose, California.

In 2004, The Concern Foundation named Mr. Ohanesian as their honoree for his philanthropic and humanitarian efforts in the Greater Los Angeles area. He served on the Board of Directors of Center Theatre Group from 2001 to 2008. From 2005 to 2008, he was a member of the Board of Directors of City of Hope’s National Medical Center and Beckman Research Institute. From 2007 to 2014 Mr. Ohanesian served on the Board of Trustees of The Archer School for Girls in Brentwood, California.