Board of Directors

Michael Federico has over 25 years of law enforcement experience in Southern California. He is currently a Police Lieutenant. He holds a bachelor's degree in Vocational Education from Cal State Long Beach with an Associates Degree in Criminal Justice from Ventura College. Mike has a beautiful 21-year-old daughter, Cameo, who has Down syndrome. He has been very active in the special needs community for over 20 years. Cameo and Mike also owned and operated a family Italian Restaurant in Southern California; they created a very fun place for families, which included a work program for the special needs community.

Tammy Porter is a digital marketing professional living in Los Angeles, California. She has over 15 years of experience elevating brands and ensuring their success online. With extensive experience in business development, strategic planning, brand management, and experiential marketing, Tammy also spent over a decade as a celebrity and entertainment event planner in Hollywood. When not busy fulfilling her role as Digital Marketing Director for GoDaddy, Tammy enjoys travel, scuba diving, writing, public speaking, and advocating for two of her philanthropic passions: male breast cancer awareness and the disability community. Tammy’s profound experience growing up with an uncle who had Down syndrome ignited her passion for promoting inclusion and awareness for individuals with Down syndrome and their families. She is proud to partner with DSALA and serves on the Board.

Wayne Geffen began his career in accounting for corporate entities as an Accounting Manager and Senior Accountant. In 1984 he became Vice President and Controller for a multi-unit retailer. Wayne has held Vice President and Controller positions since 1984. In 2010 Wayne started his Consulting Firm, assisting existing and start-up businesses by providing strategic financial and operation guidance. In 2012, Wayne was hired as Vice President of Finance for a large international grocery company chain with several high-volume stores in Los Angeles.

Yesenia is a native of Los Angeles County and has been involved in law enforcement for over 30 years. She’s currently a Deputy Sheriff. She takes pride in serving the community, and she loves being an advocate for her older brother, Buddy, who has Down Syndrome. They spend a lot of time together creating Down Syndrome awareness by sharing his smile and laughter on social media. She’s honored to be selected as a Board Member. She looks forward to advocating with the DSALA and making a difference in the Down Syndrome community.

Heather Sanford is an Operations Manager in the healthcare industry, specifically in Medical Benefits Administration. Heather’s career focuses on effective team building, training, process improvement, staff development, and drafting manuals, policies & procedures. She has over 20 years of experience in her field but considers her most important job to be the mom and advocate of a toddler with Down Syndrome.

Jordan is a student at LA Harbor College and a working actress. She has been on shows like The Politician and Stumptown and in commercials for Comcast, Google TV, Instagram, FabFitFun, and Goodr. She is a Special Olympics athlete and has been a Special Olympics Global Messenger since 2016. She competes in swimming, bowling, tennis, and cheerleading and aspires to be on American Ninja Warrior. Jordan’s hobbies include singing, dancing (ballet, hula, hip hop, and tap), horseback riding, boogie boarding, painting, and playing the piano, guitar, ukulele, and tambourine. Jordan wants to help people with Down syndrome of all ages to chase their dreams.