Staff

Liz Lazar
Executive Director
liz@theviafoundation.org

Liz comes to The Via Foundation with over 12 years of experience in project management and business start-up and 6 years of experience in implementing public access defibrillation programs. She has worked with numerous healthcare districts and Fortune 500 companies in placing hundreds of automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in over 25 countries throughout the world and is well known in the AED industry as an expert in the field.

Interesting Facts About Liz

• She is working on kicking a serious orange Tic Tac addiction.
• She has toothpicks or dental floss on her all times.
• She prefers talk radio to music while driving or exercising, and in fact, does not even own an iPod.

Christian Piatt
Film Editor & Grant Researcher
christian@theviafoundation.org

Christian is an author, editor and public relations specialist with more than a decade of experience in the non-profit sector. He has helped raise more than $15 million in capital and operating funds for various nonprofits, and continues to help strengthen organizations’ public presence through print, electronic and social media outlets. Christian researches grant opportunities and prepares grant applications for The Via Foundation. He also directs and edits the foundation’s original films which have been a valuable resource for storytelling and funding support.

Interesting Facts About Christian

• In college he was the lead singer for several rock bands and had hair down to his waist.
• The tendon in his left pinky finger is too short, which makes his finger permanently crooked.
• He met his wife on a blind date.

Joe Kinson
Site Maintenance Supervisor
joekinson@theviafoundation.org

Joe Kinson has been a firefighter for 27 years and a paramedic for the past 12 years. He has been teaching community CPR classes for 18 years, and three years ago he began working with the Sequoia HeartSafe Program.
Through the HeartSafe Program Joe began to provide CPR and AED training for the schools and public buildings in Belmont and San Carlos that received AEDs from HeartSafe. Joe continues to increase his involvement with Via’s CPR and AED training and AED program implementation as he works toward retirement from the fire department.

Interesting Facts About Joe:

• He has made over 60 gallons of chili at one time for his side hobby, chili cook-offs.
• He has been a pizza maker, a radio disc jockey, and a play-by-play sports caster before becoming a firefighter.
• He is very afraid of clowns.

Cathy DeCock

Office Manager
cathyd@theviafoundation.org

Cathy comes to The Via Foundation after working for a political consulting firm and a San Francisco artist before joining the non-profit world.  She worked for the Sierra Club for ten years doing planning and risk management, including oversight of the Club’s lodges and huts.  She worked in the Office of Environmental Programs managing grant compliance, then left the Sierra Club to be a full-time mom. During those years, Cathy became very involved in her children’s schools. She was elected to the School Site Council and to the PTA Executive Board. She is happy be be bringing her background in non-profit management and public school experience to The Via Foundation.

Interesting Facts about Cathy:

• She has been a vegetarian since she was 16, and both of her kids have been vegetarians since birth.
• She fantasizes about moving to the Caribbean and opening a bakery or a boat rental business.
• She doesn’t like creamy food and especially dislikes white creamy food.

Rochelle Short

Social Media and Marketing Manager

tweet@theviafoundation.org

Rochelle came to The Via Foundation wanting to merge her love of social media with her passion for being involved in a cause she believes in. After leaving a decade-long career in the real estate field, Rochelle spent a year volunteering for various nonprofits and completing her certification in editing from the University of Washington. She handles print, press, and social media outreach for The Via Foundation. Her dream job title is “Chief Conversationalist” and she looks forward to connecting with you on the foundation’s Facebook and Twitter pages.