CEO Group (CE-12)
Jamie Ogle
CEO - Lloyd Pest Control
Jamie took over Lloyd’s leadership in 2000, a third generation CEO. Jamie started as the summer janitor while in high school and spent real time doing every job in the field. For almost 90 years Lloyd has been providing award-winning pest solutions for businesses and homes in Southern California and nationwide coverage through their Copesan Partnership. Lloyd provides personal account manager support for commercial accounts and dedicated customer service professionals for phone or scheduling. Lloyd has 250 local technicians in smart phone-dispatched trucks and provides every customer with a web portal for viewing past service slips, billing, and service requests 24/7.
Joined Vistage in 2000
Elizabeth Yan Zhang
CEO/Founder - GeneGoCell
GeneGoCell was founded in 2020 by Elizabeth Zhang, SCYM (ASCP)CM, MBA, CMQ/OE, PhD, to provide top-quality and fast-turnaround customized services in Next-Gen Sequencing (NGS) and flow cytometry analysis to serve the rising precision medicine industry, e.g. cell gene therapy (CGT).
“Love, Trust and Commitment” are the foundations of GeneGoCell.
Joined Vistage in 2018
Nathan Rogge
President and CEO - First Pacific Bank
Nathan is an experienced President/CEO with a demonstrated history of success. Prior to coming to First Pacific Bank, Mr. Rogge was the President and CEO for 15 years at Bank of Southern California where he took a two branch, $50 million bank under a regulatory order and turned it into a $1.7 billion bank with 15 locations throughout Southern California. He successfully completed six M&A transactions and four capital raises. Before that he was with First Republic Bank where he ran the Business Banking Group.
Joined Vistage in 2007
Mary Bixby
Founder/CEO - Altus Schools - California Charter Schools serving at-risk students
Mary Searcy Bixby is an educational leader who is widely sought after as a keynote speaker and advisor. She is an expert in leadership training, organizational improvement, educational reform efforts in America, and the management of processes oriented to sustainable performance excellence and quality. Mary has been honored to support her leadership team in the acceptance of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige Award. This much-coveted recognition was presented by the United States Office of the President -Secretary of Commerce. The School for which Mary is President and CEO was the first K-12 school in America to receive this honor. Previous recipients include Motorola, AT&T, Solar Turbine, Nestle-Purina, Boeing, Sharp Hospital, Price Waterhouse and many other high-level corporations,
Recognized at local, state, national, and international levels, Mary has been deemed a legendary, courageous and bold leader by the Malcolm Baldrige Foundation, the University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education, State level Charter School Associations, as well as, the Vatican. She has twice appeared as a finalist on the list of Women Who Mean Business issued by the San Diego Business Journal, was named a Woman of the Year finalist by San Diego Magazine, and has been recognized as a Woman of Distinction. In 2019, Mary was awarded the Vistage Leader of the Year Award.
Dynamic, creative, innovative, and determined, Mary Bixby has led an organization that has positively impacted more than 48,000 student lives. She has addressed groups that integrate the business, medical, and education sectors. She has dared to make a difference in a field that is calling for responsible and reasonable change.
Joined Vistage 2012
Jim Herr
CEO/President - Parron Hall
In 1978, Jim joined Parron Hall and in 1988 assumed control from his father. Under Jim’s leadership, Parron Hall has grown from $6 million in annual sales to sales between $30 and $40 million in recent years. Parron Hall’s history has roots back to 1947.
Though Jim has been active at Parron Hall since 1978, he has, in fact, been involved in the business his entire life. As he says, “having been born into it, I learned a lot sitting around the kitchen table growing up.” His education didn’t end there however–he graduated Magna Cum Lauda with a degree in Finance. The business enjoys continued success due to Jim’s philosophy: “I really allow people to work for our customers without interference from management and I reward outstanding performance. We allow people to excel at what they are good at.” Looking at the average tenure of Parron Hall’s staff, the longstanding list of loyal clients and years of successful ownership, it’s clear that Jim’s leadership style creates a winning environment for everyone.
Joined Vistage 2016
Janet Van Arsdale
CEO - JVA Art Group
Janet founded JVA Art Group in 1970, She has made it her mission to travel the world and create an exclusive high-resolution photography library ready to communicate your vision via the beauty of art. Janet’s team of graphic designers will create custom artwork to fit every design need. JVA Art Group understands the challenges and complexities of the custom art world and will embody your vision in any facility, ranging from hotels, to hospitals, to offices.
Joined Vistage in 2015
Mike DiNorscia
CEO - Grain & Grit Collective
As CEO of Grain & Grit Collective, Mike DiNorscia has created a company that is purpose driven, innovative, and focused on developing top industry talent. Established in 2018, the company currently owns and operates the Little Italy Food Hall, Carnitas Snack Shack, Broken Yolk Cafe, and Sam the Cooking Guy’s signature Not Not Tacos, and Graze by Sam. Grain & Grit Collective is driven by the opportunity to positively impact communities within our establishments and beyond.
Prior to the creation of Grain & Grit, Mike was focused as managing director of his investment company, Sweet 100. Having successfully completed over $25 Million in restaurant related transactions, Mike began his investment career in 2009 with the creation of Restaurant Capital Growth Inc. In creating Restaurant Capital Growth Inc., Mike oversaw an investment in Burger Lounge, a San Diego based Fast Casual restaurant chain. In addition to Restaurant Capital, Mike had co-founded Location Matters. Location Matters is a full service Retail Commercial Brokerage with a specialized restaurant leasing and development team. Mike sold his interest in the company in 2015.
Prior to Location Matters, Mike was employed by Hormel Foods Corporation. While at Hormel Foods, Mike won the Chairman’s Inner Circle Award being recognized as one of the nation’s top foodservice sales representatives.
Joined Vistage in 2021
Brooke P Martindale
CEO & Founder - Cheer Home Care
Accomplished CEO, Entrepreneur, Consultant, and Advisor in the Home Care and Wellness industry. Brooke believes in creating a genuinely successful client/caregiver match, the client’s health and wellness need to be prioritized along with the caregivers and other support team members. Experience includes founding, building out, scaling, overseeing, and monetizing all aspects of a multimillion-dollar people business. She now resides in San Diego and provides that same level of care to her clients there that she did in Boston and that she wishes had been available to her grandmother.
Joined Vistage in 2024
Brent Cowing
CEO and Founder - Protectli
Brent Cowing is a proven, versatile, and effective leader with a robust capacity to navigate diverse challenges. He is a product expert who brings a deep understanding of technology as well as customer use cases to engineering and development. Brent’s comprehensive understanding of design, quality, supply chain dynamics, and product solutions shows he remains dedicated to delivering optimal solutions exceeding customers’ expectations and driving organizational success.
Joined Vistage in 2024
Eric Schweinfurter
CEO - Apex Contracting and Restoration
Apex Contracting & Restoration, Inc. opened for business in 2003 with 5 employees with a vision of improving the level of restoration services offered in the San Diego area. Their passion for excellent work and honesty propelled Apex’s growth, allowing them to reach over $5 million in sales by the end of 2006.
As their reputation has grown, so has their ability to serve our customers. Apex now employs more than 55 people and has performed work all over the state of California. Their range of services has grown from restoration services and general contracting to include 24-hour emergency response services for flood and fire; mold remediation; tenant improvements and remodels; new construction; destructive testing and litigation support.
As the continue to grow, Apex is continually mindful of the fact that they achieved such great success in such a short period of time due largely to their dedication to providing the best value to their customers. It is their vision to become the premier contracting, restoration and emergency services company in Southern California, and they believe that their team and philosophy will allow them to achieve that goal.
Joined Vistage 2007
Daniel E. Gardenswartz
Partner - Solomon Ward Seidenwurm & Smith LLP
Daniel Gardenswartz moved to San Diego in 1993 and has been a partner at Solomon Ward since 2001. He represents businesses and individuals in employment, business, and construction litigation, including complex class action trials and business disputes. Mr. Gardenswartz regularly advises senior executives and in-house counsel on dispute prevention and how to build the strongest possible case. He also provides a variety of legal seminars on topics within his area of expertise.
Mr. Gardenswartz received his undergraduate degree in International Affairs from George Washington University’s Elliot School of International Affairs, where he graduated with distinction and was admitted into the Phi Beta Kappa National Honor Society. He then earned his Juris Doctorate degree, with Highest Distinction, from Emory University School of Law.
Beyond his professional interests, Mr. Gardenswartz and his wife, Allison, have three children. In addition to spending time with his family, he is an avid athlete and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and endurance trail races.
Joined Vistage in 2024
Jim Holcomb
CEO - RotoCo
Jim founded RotoCo in 1974 with a $1,000 loan to equip his van and began operating out of Hemet, CA. From this simple beginning, Jim has grown the company to be the largest Roto-Rooter franchise in the world. Today, RotoCo operates in San Diego, Santa Barbara and Sacramento counties along with both the Inland Empire and the Central Valley. These rapidly growing areas in California create great opportunities both for the company and the employees. RotoCo prides themselves on leveraging the Roto-Rooter national brand and couples that with the benefits of working with a family business. RotoCo continually invests in its people and its equipment to offer best-in-class services to both commercial and residential property owners throughout California.
Joined Vistage in 2003
Phil Dowley
Private Investor, Advisor
Phil Dowley served in leadership roles at various businesses located throughout San Diego County for more than twenty years. He is currently self-employed focusing on investment opportunities as well as advising/mentoring other high achieving executives.
Joined Vistage in 2022
Tom Cassidy
CEO and co-Founder - Raine Industries
Thomas H. Cassidy is the CEO and co-founder of Raine Industries, which operates multiple medical equipment distribution companies in both human medicine and animal health. MDPro now offers its own line of MDPro branded products through more than 150 dealers across the USA. Most recently, Vero Veterinary Partners was launched to bring the company’s capabilities to the animal health space.
Tom’s role includes business development focused on national accounts, strategic development of new product lines, and overall operations management. Tom is a graduate of the University of San Diego (’98) and The Bishops School (’94).
In his free time, Tom can be found chasing powder in the mountains and coaching soccer, football, and baseball for his two sons Jack and Cavan.
Joined Vistage in 2024