Ted Waitt
Founder & Board Chairman

Ted Waitt, co-founder and former chairman and CEO of Gateway, Inc., helped revolutionize how people use technology to live, work, and play through pioneering the direct marketing of personal computers. Labeled a maverick by national business publications, he has since gone on to form multiple enterprises: Avalon Capital Group, Inc., Avalon Pictures, Waitt Foundation, Waitt Institute, and Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention. Ted oversees all Waitt Foundation and Waitt Institute efforts and is actively engaged in each project from conception to completion. He meets regularly with the board of directors and staff to ensure the organization’s philanthropic goals are met effectively and efficiently.

Cindy Waitt
Board Member

Cindy serves as executive director of the Waitt Institute for Violence Prevention and is a board member of the Waitt Foundation, serving as director for 15 years. She previously worked with at-risk youth and their families at the Boys and Girls Home, and with Family Services of Sioux City for eight years as a casework director for residential treatment. Cindy serves on the National Advisory Board for the Family Violence Prevention Fund’s International Center to End Violence, has been a member of the Clinton Global Initiative since 2005, and served as a judge in the Ashoka Changemaker’s 2007 competition “No Private Matter.”

Hailey Waitt
Board Member

Hailey recently earned her bachelor’s degree at the University of Southern California, where she studied history and psychology. Hailey has prior non-profit operations experience as a part of the team at CONNECT, a San Diego based organization dedicated to promoting innovation in the region.  She is an active community volunteer, having dedicated her time to charities such as Becky’s House, Voices for Children, Promises 2 Kids, and Rebero - an orphanage in Rwanda.  She provides strategic advice and a fresh perspective to the board.
 

Dave Russell
Vice Chairman & Board Member

Joining Avalon Capital Group, Inc., in 2005, Dave is currently the firm’s executive vice president and serves as a board member and vice chairman for the Waitt Foundation. Avalon Capital is a wholly-owned private investment company owned by Ted Waitt, co-founder and former chairman of Gateway, Inc. Prior to Avalon, Dave worked at Gateway from 1988 until 2005 in a variety of positions, including director of procurement, senior vice president of procurement, senior vice president - supply chain, and general manager of digital television. He joined Gateway’s Board of Directors in February 2007, leaving when the company was sold. Since 2006, Dave has also served on the board of privately-held AmazingMail.com, a Web-based direct marketing company in Scottsdale, Arizona. Currently, Dave serves on the board of directors of Vizio, Inc., America’s fastest-growing HDTV and consumer electronics company.

Shane Hartnett
Board Member

Shane joined Avalon Capital Group, Inc., in 2007, and is responsible for the overall management of Avalon’s direct and indirect private equity and real estate investments, focusing primarily on the performance of currently held assets and the evaluation and execution of prospective investments. Closely involved in the strategic and operational oversight of Avalon’s portfolio companies as a manager of the Avalon Properties Opportunity Fund, Shane also serves on the Waitt Foundation Board of Directors. Prior to joining Avalon Capital Group, Shane was a vice president at Gateway, Inc., holding numerous positions in operations and supply chain management during his 20-year tenure. Notably, he developed, launched and operated Gateway’s manufacturing facilities across Asia and North America.

Jacob James
Board Member

Jacob is the Managing Director of the Waitt Foundation. He joined the Foundation in 2009 as lead policy advisor and principal aide to Ted Waitt. He brings to the Board of Directors political acumen from his previous experience in public affairs & strategic communications. Jacob’s approach to philanthropy and public policy is rooted in pragmatism and compromise, and he is passionate about advancing the Foundation’s conservation mission locally, nationally, and globally. He has fostered the development of a rigorous and evaluative granting process that guides the Foundation’s philanthropic investments, and directs grantee projects from introduction through implementation and evaluation. On behalf of the Waitt Foundation, Jacob serves as an advisor to the Clinton Global Initiative and The San Diego Foundation.