Founder and Executive Director of Higher Ground Youth & Family Services. In 2007, towards the end of a successful career in corporate communications, Joe Baldo went in search of service that would highly impact those in need. Several different volunteer roles led him to juvenile hall in Orange in 2008. The harsh reality these teens faced was immediately clear.  After three years of experiencing the recidivism in the juvenile justice system, Joe knew that these youth desperately needed direction and a support system upon their release, so Joe left the Hall in 2010 to engage these same youth where they needed help the most … on “the outs”.   Joe’s small ministry grew rapidly and out of necessity, he founded Higher Ground Youth & Family Services (HG) in 2012.  

Within a year HG was granted the use of a 4-acre park in Downtown Anaheim. By 2016, collaborative agreements defined the critical roles of 6 university partners including service-learning classes taught on HG’s campus and behavioral health internships that allowed counseling services for our community. Enrichment programs were created and executed to prepare youth ages 7-17 for lifelong learning and resilience.  Through HG, Joe ensured these youth would have academic tutoring, literacy programs, youth development programs, STEM education, art and music therapy, a variety of sports, a community garden, a kitchen, free meals, and a dedicated family wellness center providing counseling, all at no cost.  

In 2019, the Orange County Human Trafficking Task Force approached Joe to help create a human trafficking prevention program.  Today that program is presented by HG teams, to junior high and high school students within the Orange County Department of Education, as well as foster youth and youth in the juvenile justice system. As this nonprofit evolves, new initiatives and services continue to expand as HG develops programs.

Joe and Barbara, his wife of 44 years, raised a son and a daughter who are both Catholic educators in Orange County.   In their spare time, Joe and Barbara enjoy their four grandchildren and are dedicated philanthropists advocating for the betterment of underserved communities.

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Chief Executive Officer, Tidemark Real Estate Services. Jim Snyder has 40 years of real estate experience and was the top selling broker at Lee & Associates, Newport Beach for 30 years. Jim has orchestrated over $2 Billion and 200 million square feet of transacted commercial real estate. Tidemark was formed to combine and build on the core services of brokerage and property management. This combination allows the company to assist clients from strategy to acquisition whether lease, sale or investment.  

Jim and his wife, Coleen, celebrated their wedding 41 years ago at St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Costa Mesa. Together, they have two children (Daughter, Jessica and Son, Taylor) and four grandchildren (Sierra, Elias, Penelope and Layla). Currently, Jim is a parishioner at St. Edward the Confessor Catholic Church in Dana Point, where he is a lector and member of the Knights of Columbus Council 12451.

He strongly supports Catholic education. Jim fondly recalls his grade school years at St. Thomas More Parish in Costa Mesa, sharing that he "really enjoyed being raised there" because the nuns felt like additional mothers in his life. After grade school, Jim attended Mater Dei High School before moving to Estancia High School, where he met his wife.  

Coleen and Jim went on to attend UC Irvine, where he set the record as the university’s all-time leader in singles wins for tennis and earned the title of Big West Player of the Year three times. Jim earned his degree in Social Ecology, briefly played professional tennis before transitioning into a career in real estate.  

Jim is a Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM), Certified Commercial Property Manager (CPM), a member of the National Association of Realtors (NAR), a member of the Institute of Real Estate Management (IREM) and a member of the American Industrial Real Estate Association (AIR).  

Sister Johnellen Turner, O.P. is a proud native of Los Angeles. Answering God’s call, she entered religious life with the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. Her ministry has been devoted to education, serving as a teacher at several schools, including: St. Ignatius in Los Angeles, St. Callistus in Garden Grove and St. Elizabeth in Oakland.

She has also held leadership roles as Administrator and Principal at St. Callistus in Garden Grove, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Montecito, St. Anthony in San Francisco, St. Edward in Newark and St. Catherine’s Academy in Anaheim, where she served for 17 years.  

In addition to her work in schools, Sr. Johnellen has contributed to the broader educational community. She served as Associate Superintendent for the Diocese of Oakland, as well as Director of Schools and later Director of Sponsored Schools for the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. These roles encompassed oversight of more than 20 schools across California, Oregon and Mexico.

Her expertise has been sought after by numerous boards, where she has served as a member, including: Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, La Cañada Flintridge, Immaculate Conception Cristo Rey Academy, San Francisco, Diocesan School Board for Oakland, Servite High School, Anaheim, Notre Dame High School, Belmont and Strategic Planning Committee and Consultative School Board for the Diocese of Orange.

Currently, Sr. Johnsellen serves as the Mission Advancement Associate for the Dominican Sisters of Mission San Jose. She is also a gifted Retreat Director, leading spiritual reflections for administrators, faculties, small groups, children, young adults and adults.