Phil Heald
Phil Heald is a Graduate of El Centro Union High School, class of 1957, and a Graduate of Stanford University with an AB in Economics, class of 1961. From 1962-1965, he was a US Naval Officer.
In 1964, Heald married his wife, Elise. They have two grown children, Amy and Fred, and two grandchildren.
After naval service in 1965 Heald began work in the retail business with Imperial Stores. He held various positions before becoming President of the chain in 1979. As a side business he founded a health club which he and wife Elise operated over a 32 year span before selling it in 2002. Heald formerly served on the Board of Directors of Desert Commercial Bank.
Heald’s interest in exercise and active sports made his health club a hobby before growing into a business. Handball, cycling and snow skiing have been favorite adulthood sports. Jeeping, family camping trips and travel to places around the world have been among his other favorite pastimes.
Heald has been active in the El Centro Rotary Club since moving there in 1968. After moving to El Centro he served in several chairmanships leading to his being elected to President of El Centro Chamber of Commerce in 1998. He also served as an Interim Chairman in the renewal of efforts to revive the Imperial Valley Community Foundation.
Heald and his cousin have administered a private foundation established in 1964 by their grandfather, the Howard Meyer Foundation, that has provided several hundred thousand dollars in assistance to local charities and community projects over four decades. Heald’s Jacques ‘n Jills Health Club was basically founded to fulfill a major need in the community, and succeeded in improving the lives of thousands of local adults, young adults, and children over the years of Heald ownership. Heald’s parents and aunt, with his encouragement, provided a majority of the endowment for the Imperial Valley Foundation Fund of the San Diego Foundation, the forebear to today’s Imperial Valley Community Foundation. Heald chaired the campaign and helped select the location for the new El Centro Chamber of Commerce building in 1998. He recently co-chaired his Stanford Class of 1961 45th Reunion fund raising campaign that raised over fourteen million dollars for Stanford University. The Healds have also made key donations to the establishment of the local Southwest Performing Arts Theater and the El Centro Regional Medical Center Expansion Campaign, while also supporting various musical and performing arts events throughout the Imperial Valley by providing funding at critical junctures. In a different charitable venue, their gift of real estate to United Way several years ago provided the entire purchase price of the site and the new building that is home today to United Way of Imperial County. They have also been staunch financial as well as volunteer labor supporters of the El Centro Saints Peter and Paul Episcopal Church since they moved to El Centro in 1968.
Kit Marks
Kit Marks received a B.S. in Agricultural Business Management from California Polytechnic University.
Now retired, her professional career includes employment with CDC Small Business Finance and Valley Independent Bank (now Rabobank) as a loan officer, Security Pacific National Bank as an assistant manager, Imperial-Yuma Farm Credit Association as loan officer/agricultural appraiser, Rutherford Land & Cattle, Marr Farm Contracting, and R & R Land & Cattle as Secretary/Treasurer.
Community memberships and activities include Soroptimist International of El Centro, Kiwanis International of El Centro, El Centro Chamber of Commerce, Imperial Valley Community Foundation, Imperial Valley Kennel Club, and the United States Lakeland Terrier Club.
She has been on the IV Community Foundation Board since 1992, serving as Treasurer until 2009. She now serves the board as a Director Emeritus.
Alice Robbins *
Alice had an accounting practice in Holtville for more than 25 years, which she sold to an accountant in El Centro. During that period of time she was active in the Soroptimist Club. At one of the meetings in San Diego, she heard about issues of women with abuse. She checked and there were no places for an abused women or children here, though there was a shelter for men in Brawley. So she and her friend worked every day and six months from the date they started, opened a shelter In Holtville for battered women and children, on April fool's day, April 1st. This was Woman Haven, and is now called Center Against Domestic Violence.
Some years later, she heard about Community Foundations, and so once again, got several business men together and the Imperial Community Foundation was formed for the initial meeting at the Barbara Worth Country Club.
Alice retired at the end of 2011, and passed away in May of 2017.
She remained enthusiastic about the Foundation throughout her life, and we are grateful for her role as a founding and longtime board member.
