About Us

Susan Morehead - Founder

Susan Morehead is a distinguished community leader and philanthropist based in Orange County, California. For 35 years, she was the CEO of Optima Asset Management Services. Susan has demonstrated a strong commitment to community service. She and her company have supported organizations such as the Child Abuse Prevention Center, Royal Kids Family Camp, Aid to Adoption of Special Kids (AASK), CHOC Children’s Hospital, The American Red Cross, Connecting Hands of Orange County, and the Orange County Food Bank through board service, sponsorships, and donations.

Susan is also dedicated to mentoring and empowering the next generation of female leaders in the evolving workplace. She embraces opportunities to pay it forward and serve others. Additionally, Susan is the founder of the Cinderella Project OC, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering young individuals in the community. She was honored to be nominated for The Orange County Business Journal’s Women in Business Awards in 2017 and 2018 and featured in Modern Luxury Magazine’s “Women to Watch.”

In her personal life, Susan enjoys spending time with her son Justin, his wife Brittany, and her two grandchildren, Charlie and Cooper.

Mindy Wood - Founding Member

Melinda is a shareholder at BlackPearl Capital, specializing in acquiring and investing in hotels under renowned brands such as Marriott, Hilton, and DoubleTree.

With over 20 years of experience, Melinda began her career at Lennar/LNR Commercial Property in Miami, Florida, and worked across key markets including Atlanta, Beverly Hills, Orange County, Mexico, and Japan. Her expertise spans the entire lifecycle of commercial real estate, from acquisition and development to stabilization and asset sale. She also led national initiatives in marketing, press relations, investor partnerships, and reporting.

Recognized as a "Top 40 Woman of Influence" by Real Estate Southern California, Melinda has held leadership roles with CoreNet Global, NAIOP, ICSC, and BOMA. She has also dedicated her time to charitable organizations such as CASA of Orange County, the Boy Scouts of America, the American Diabetes Association, and the Blind Children's Learning Center.

Melinda is married to Tim Wood, with whom she has three sons—Cameron, Lucas, and Tyler.

Teri Leigh - CFO, Founding Member

A proud Newport Beach resident since 1984, Teri is the founder of Leigh Management Consulting, dedicated to "helping you stay financially organized."

As a mother to daughters and daughters-in-law and a grandmother to six wonderful grandchildren, she is passionate about empowering others to grow and succeed. She has a deep commitment to supporting charitable organizations and brings proven experience in organizing and leading fundraising initiatives that benefit vulnerable populations, including those impacted by human trafficking, animal welfare, and military families.

Highly organized and driven, she is devoted to creating meaningful change through financial stewardship and active community engagement. Additionally, she will serve as President of the Newport Harbor Republican Women's Group for 2025.

Kara Turner - Board Member

Kara Turner is the former Publisher of Kidaroud Magazine, a local favorite in the greater Sacramento, El Dorado and Placer counties. She also writes for publication and her articles have been featured in Sacramento Magazine, Her View From Home, and her personal blog, thepageturner.com. Kara has served on the board for The Sacramento Crisis Nurseries, where she produced the American Girl Fashion Show as well as volunteering for The Saint John’s Program For Real Change.

At Saint John’s Program she facilitated group journaling events with women beginning the program, and also interviewed and wrote the individual stories of women in crisis for the Saint John’s blog. The past two years have been spent pursuing her Master’s Degree in Literature, and she plans to graduate from Sacramento State with that degree in Fall of 2025. Currently, Kara lives in Corona Del Mar with her labradoodle Romeo while her daughter attends Belmont University in Nashville. Kara is thrilled to be back home in Orange County helping local youth through the Cinderella Project.

Shannon C. Lamb, Esq. - Board Member

Shannon has been a practicing attorney since 2000, working proactively with her nonprofit and business owner clients to keep them out of the courtroom. Her litigation practice focuses on partnership controversies, HOA and neighbor disagreements, landlord/tenant disputes and consumer issues, and she works tirelessly with her clients to settle issues pre-suit and/or in mediation. She maintains an exceptionally high settlement rate in mediation and court-ordered settlement conferences. When she’s not in the courtroom, she is drafting contracts and agreements with the aim of preventing lawsuits.
She is a frequent speaker and writer, authoring several articles about mediation and early dispute resolution.

An active member of her community, Shannon is the Chair-Elect for the Orange County Bar Association’s ADR section, a volunteer for the Constitutional Rights Foundation, Orange County, and serves on the Board of Directors for WISEPlace and Mariposa Center. She is also a member of the Daughters of the American Revolution.

Her entrepreneurial, philanthropic, and inquisitive teenager inspires her every day.