The California Community Foundation has named two Chief Officers to advance its next phase of impact in Los Angeles County.

Celina Santiago will return to the CCF as Chief Philanthropy Officer, charged with leading the foundation’s fundraising strategy as it enters a new era of philanthropic growth. She is the Chief Mission Advancement Officer of the YMCA of Metropolitan Los Angeles.

Erin Watkins will be the foundation’s Chief Financial Officer. She is currently Chief Operating and Financial Officer of the Claremont Investment and Management Company (CIMC).

Santiago led the YMCA to record-breaking fundraising levels, exponentially increasing gifts by creating a culture of meaningful partnerships with stakeholders based on a shared vision of community transformation and impact. Prior to her promotion to Chief Mission Advancement Officer, Santiago was the YMCA’s Senior Vice President, Mission Advancement.

At CCF, Santiago will develop strategies to strengthen CCF’s position as a trusted philanthropic partner to donors dedicated to making an impact in Los Angeles County communities, while expanding connections to an emerging generation of philanthropists.

Santiago’s work with the YMCA, a CCF grantee-partner, was rooted in the same connection to communities that drives CCF’s mission. She oversaw the strategic alignment of 28 YMCA centers throughout Los Angeles County, which provide services ranging from wildfire relief and recovery to youth development and food distribution.

Earlier in her career, Santiago worked for five years at CCF as a senior donor relations officer, a role in which she played a vital role in key initiatives including the foundation’s work on the 2020 Census Initiative and funds for homelessness, scholarships and legal defense for immigrants.

Santiago said returning to CCF is “a chance to bring my experience full circle in service of my home community. As a first-generation native Angeleno, my commitment to Los Angeles is both professional and deeply personal. I’ve witnessed firsthand the disparities that exist across our neighborhoods, and I’ve dedicated my career to ensuring that everyone in our community has equitable access to opportunity and the chance to thrive.”

She will begin her work at CCF on September 15.

Watkins currently oversees all operational, financial, and administrative functions for $2 billion of investment assets on behalf of some of our nation’s most prestigious private colleges, Claremont McKenna College, Harvey Mudd College, and The Claremont Colleges Services, Inc.

She joins CCF as it prepares to modernize financial systems to create the operational and financial models that will ensure the foundation’s financial resilience and expand its impact investing capabilities. Prior to her current role at the CIMC, Watkins served as Vice President of Business and Chief Financial Officer at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). At CMC, she built and maintained an annual budget of $140 million and created innovative financial models to facilitate major gifts and initiatives including a state-of-the-art science building, land acquisitions and student enrollment growth.

Prior to Claremont McKenna, Watkins served as Assistant Vice President for Investments and Assistant Treasurer at Harvey Mudd College, where she supported the Board’s Investment Committee and oversaw a $250 million endowment. Watkins also managed financing, contracting, and compliance for the College’s federal and private grants program. She began her career in public accounting at Deloitte & Touche LLP and Capin Crouse LLP, where she gained foundational expertise in audit, internal controls, and financial reporting for nonprofit clients.

Watkins said she was eager to join CCF “because of its mission to create positive, systemic change for a thriving and inclusive Los Angeles County—a place that has shaped so much of my life and work. I’m inspired by the team’s dedication to building lasting solutions that improve quality of life for all, especially the most vulnerable. That sense of purpose resonates deeply with me, and I look forward to contributing to CCF’s long-term financial strength, efficiency, and resilience.”

“Celina and Erin are exactly the leaders CCF needs at this critical moment in Los Angeles,” said CCF President and CEO Miguel A. Santana. “Our region is facing a convergence of once-in-a-generation challenges—from the January wildfires to federal cuts to lifesaving programs and militarized immigration raids—that require courageous and creative action from all sectors,” he said.