Welcome New Employees Story

F5SB Welcomes New Employees

Over the past few months, First 5 San Bernardino welcomed four new employees in the areas of programs, fiscal, evaluation and administration.   Let’s get to know them!

Last fall, Robert Mente joined the programs team as a staff analyst II and brought a wealth of advanced education and expertise from his extensive work history with the U.S. Army all around the world.  From serving as an executive officer at the US Army Engineer Logistics Center in Germany to working in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Acquisition, Logistics and Technology at the Pentagon, just to name a few of the positions he’s held, Robert has spanned the globe over the course of his career.  His vast contracting experience brings a unique perspective to the work of the team.  On a personal note, Robert is a food connoisseur which coupled with his love of travel created a perfect match for his career journey.  Robert enjoys playing and competing in chess tournaments in addition to teaching his grandchildren the love of the game. 

Ileana Conley is the newest member of the organization’s fiscal team having joined First 5 San Bernardino as an accountant II in October 2023.  Born and raised in Romania, Ileana has extensive experience in finance, having held the position of finance and administrative manager in Bucharest organizations such as Save the Children and the Civil Society Development Foundation to mention a few.  With a master’s degree in economics and a management certificate from the University of Wisconsin, Ileana has quickly become a valuable member of the finance department.  Outside of work, she loves to travel and immerse in other cultures (Egypt is next on her list), hike and spend time with her family including rescue dog, Una.

Next up is Jonathan Savarese in the evaluation department.  A welcome addition to the team in December, Jonathan chose to join First 5 San Bernardino as a staff analyst II because of the unique opportunity to merge his research background with policy skills developed in graduate school.  Most recently he worked for University of California, Irvine (UCI) as a clinical research coordinator in the Center on Stress & Health, and a project coordinator in the Development, Disorder and Delinquency Lab.  He holds a master’s degree in legal and forensic psychology from UCI in addition to other certifications in the social sciences field.  Fun facts about Johathan include he got married during quarantine and is headed to Japan this month for a delayed honeymoon/vacation.  Prior to going back to school, he was a licensed massage therapist running his own company.  He loves spending time with his wife, dogs Raven and Ravioli, reading and playing board games. 

The newest member of the team is Erin Meier who joined the organization in January as an administrative supervisor I.  Having been with San Bernardino County as a department management analyst II at Arrowhead Regional Medical Center for the past few years, Erin brings a knowledge of SBC infrastructure and management expertise to her new role at First 5 San Bernardino.  Prior to that, Erin worked for ESRI in roles of progressive responsibility culminating as a corporate event management specialist and a lead project manager.  She holds a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Redlands and has a love of mid-century modern design. Outside of work, she enjoys camping with her family, kickboxing and all things Disney.