About Our Advisory Council

Ilise Friedman established Village Rising in 2018 when her hometown of Westlake Village was in the direct path of the destructive Woolsey Fire. Though she initially began searching for volunteer roles in town, she soon discovered that if she wanted to be of direct service, she needed to create her own non-profit and put her fundraising skills to work. With her twenty-five years' fundraising experience, she raised over $300,000 in just three weeks, granting out funds to over 70 families within the first month of the fire. Ms. Friedman brings with her a vast array of knowledge from her work at Solve M.E., an organization dedicated to assisting patients with Long Covid and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. She also served in a fundraising capacity at Turning Point School in Culver City, CA and at Campbell Hall, where she spent ten years as Associate Director of Advancement.

Ms. Friedman graduated with honors in Sociology from UC Santa Cruz soon after which she found her calling serving others as the fundraising director for Gateway Center of Monterey County where she was responsible for the organization’s grant writing, foundation relations, and fundraising events.

Ms. Friedman has managed numerous volunteer committees and finds great joy in working with community members from a diverse range of backgrounds. From 2001-2005, she worked for the International Tennis Hall of Fame in New York and Rhode Island and as a volunteer manager for the Salvation Army immediately following the 2001 terror attacks.

Other accomplishments include fundraising for Starlight Children's Foundation; an Outreach Volunteer post-Hurricane Sandy; with Habitat for Humanity and assisting the Nordstrom Foundation in granting $10,000 scholarships to high school juniors in Los Angeles County who exhibited exemplary community service.
In January 2025, Ms. Friedman and her family were directly affected by the Palisades Fire. Though their home survived, they experienced loss, grief, and secondary trauma, every facet of her daily life was disrupted.

Pam Shriver is regarded as one of the greatest doubles players in tennis history, amassing 111 doubles titles throughout her nearly two-decade career. Teaming with Martina Navratilova, the duo won 74 titles together, including 20 major championships—seven Australian Opens, five Wimbledons, four US Opens, and four French Opens—tying the record for the most majors won by a team. Their dominant partnership featured an unprecedented 109-match winning streak from 1983 to 1985 and 11 consecutive major titles from 1982 to 1985. Shriver also found success in singles, reaching eight major semifinals and winning 21 tour titles. She first gained attention as a 16-year-old amateur, reaching the 1978 US Open final by defeating top-seeded Navratilova before falling to Chris Evert. Shriver’s distinct playing style, featuring a big flat serve and sharp volleys, helped her achieve a career-high singles ranking of No. 3 in 1984 and a No. 1 doubles ranking in 1985. Her accomplishments extended beyond Grand Slams, earning an Olympic gold medal in doubles with Zina Garrison at the 1988 Seoul Games and contributing to multiple Wightman Cup and Fed Cup victories. Following her playing career, Shriver became a prominent tennis broadcaster, working with networks such as ABC, CBS, and ESPN.

Shane Jenkins is a dedicated community leader committed to improving the quality of life for underserved populations. Originally from Los Angeles, CA, she cultivated her passion for strategic planning and community building, leading to a 25-year career with the Magic Johnson Foundation, where she progressed from receptionist to President. As Director of the Foundation’s HIV/AIDS Initiative, she helped launch the organization in 1991, overseeing national grant-making, fundraising, and partnerships with groups like the AIDS Healthcare Foundation and GlaxoSmithKline. Her initiatives focused on addressing the HIV epidemic among African American and Hispanic/Latino youth, engaging celebrities like Sheryl Lee Ralph and MC Lyte to educate over 5,000 students. Additionally, as Director of Social Efforts, Shane empowered disadvantaged youth by organizing events such as the Kid’s Mardi Gras Gala and the Annual Holiday Party, reaching over 25,000 children. Her leadership also drove the national “I Stand with Magic” campaign, which garnered 111 million media impressions, reached over 600,000 people, and administered 80,000 HIV tests. Through collaborations with the CDC and local health partners, Shane’s unwavering commitment to service and advocacy continues to create lasting change.

Portland native Brian Rooney is a professional editorial portrait photographer living in the Santa Monica Mountains who was a grateful recipient of Village Rising’s generosity when he lost his home in the 2018 Woolsey Fire.For the past 20 years, he has also served as a historian for the Cornell and Agoura community and is the author of the bestselling local history book “Three Magical Miles” - now in its 5thedition – and is finishing a documentary on the historic 20th Century Fox movie ranch.