Our Staff

Dedicated to building a career through service to others, our professional staff of 9 fulltime and 10 part-time employees oversees Family Giving Tree’s day-to-day operations.

Leadership Team

Jennifer Cullenbine - CEO and Founder

Co-founder of the Family Giving Tree, today Jennifer serves as Chief Executive Officer. Jennifer earned her Masters degree in Business Administration from San Jose State University, where the very idea for the Family Giving Tree was born. Jennifer is affiliated with many organizations, including the Entrepreneurs Organization, The Milpitas Chamber of Commerce, and the Rotary Club of Milpitas where she recently served as President. 

Al Galan - Operations Director

Originally from Chicago, Al graduated with a B.S. in Math from Marquette University. Prior to moving to California, Al served in the U.S. Navy as a Surface Warfare Officer for 8 years in San Diego. He then earned his Masters degree in Organizational Development from UCSF prior to working for Integrated Device Technology and Intel as a Supply Chain planner and manager. 

Jess Gutierrez - Chief Financial Officer

As he does for a number of other nonprofits, Jess currently acts as Family Giving Tree’s part-time CFO. With a B.S. from Santa Clara University and an MBA from Pepperdine University, Jess is an expert in small-to-medium-sized operations with added extensive work in the nonprofit sector. His specialization is in financial reporting, internal controls, business planning, financial systems, and organization development. 

Jill Mitsch - Development Director

Charlotte Wood - Director of Marketing

A Rhode Island native, Charlotte graduated with a B.A. in Studio Art from Kenyon College and pursued a career in advertising. Working on the agency side first, she transitioned to the client-side and brought her skills to Silicon Valley and worked as an advertising and media manager in the high tech sector before opening a small consulting business. Charlotte joined Family Giving Tree in 2016.

Staff