Become Legendary
"In a world full of darkness, be a lighthouse."
Board of Directors and Junior Board Members
This would not be possible without the mentorship of Cindi Busenhart and everyone at The Tim Brauch Foundation. A huge thank you to our board of directors, board members, junior board members, and volunteers.
Brittany Birchall
Founder, President
Brittany Birchall is the Founder and Chair of the River Birchall Foundation, as well as a board member for the Tim Brauch Foundation. She is the assistant principal at New Brighton Middle School and coaches fitness classes at West Fitness Santa Cruz. She has her master's degree in Educational Leadership, and she hopes to use her skills towards helping River's nonprofit thrive. Brittany joined the board for the Tim Brauch Foundation in June of 2021. She is looking forward to collaborating with the Tim Brauch Foundation under which the River Birchall Foundation operates. She knows that the River Birchall Foundation will bring a slice of positivity, love, mentorship, and leadership through skateboarding, the arts, music, and MMA to adolescents and young adults in our community in honor of her true love, her son River.
Laura Eiselstein
Vice President
Laura is the Vice President of the River Birchall Foundation. She met Brittany when her daughter, Nahla, had her as her 6th Grade teacher. They became instant and life-long friends. She has her Bachelor's Degree, and has completed a California Teaching Credential program. She works at the Seascape Sports Club. As someone who loves playing and watching different sports, she feels that she will bring support and love to this Foundation and to the kids and young adults that have a passion for skateboarding, the arts, MMA, and music, just as River does.
Coleen Porter Birchall
Secretary
Coleen is practice manager for the largest primary care group in the Fresno area. She is used to being in charge of multiple people while keeping everyone happy and everything organized. She enjoys traveling, wine tasting, and spending time with family. Coleen is on the board because she wants to have a hand in the foundation and help all the people that the foundation will be able to reach.
Claire Porter
Chief Financial Officer
Claire is currently a Kinesiology student at Fresno State with minors in Child and Family Sciences and Deaf Studies with an end goal of medical school. She has always been good at math and numbers, so she is excited to be finance officer! She loves reading, watching movies, and being creative. Claire wanted to be on this board because she loves helping people, especially with a great cause, and is interested in being involved in the business aspect of the foundation.
Paul Birchall
Director of Communications & Community Outreach
Coming Soon!
Karyn Birchall
Board Member
Karyn is proud to be River’s grandmother and has a deep connection to the Santa Cruz community, having spent 10 years living in the area with River and their family. With firsthand knowledge of the region and its vibrant youth culture, she is passionate about supporting opportunities for young people. Karyn enjoys horseback riding, barefoot walks on the beach, and cherishing time with her grandchildren. She is excited to contribute her enthusiasm and support to the growth and success of this organization.
Chelsea Friesen
Community Outreach
Coming Soon!
Brenna Crosser
Community Outreach Coordinator & Board Member
Brenna is a board member for the River Birchall Foundation. She is pursuing her BSN and intends to function as part of an emergency department or labor and delivery unit. Brenna is a board member in honor of River. She recognizes his positivity, graciousness, forgiving nature, and fun and oh so lovely disposition. She wants to encourage the youth in our community to engage in all variations of sports and exercise, to get out into the community and meet new and good friends, to learn an instrument, to bring to life what River valued so highly. Live fully, embrace each other, the new and unknown. <3
Nahla Eiselstein
Junior Board Member
Nahla is a Junior Board Member. She goes to Aptos High School, and is involved with Dance, Cheer, and Volleyball. She loves surfing and skateboarding. Her favorite place to surf is Capitola. Her favorite food is sushi, and she loves cats. She wants to go to college in Santa Barbara. She's excited to be a Junior Board Member for the River Birchall Foundation. She loves seeing kids and young adults show interest and love for all the things River loves, and helping their dreams come alive through River's nonprofit.
London Friesen
Junior Board Member
London Friesen is a high school student in Texas. She dances for her school's dance team and enjoys both time spent inside, when she'll likely be reading, and time out with friends. She appreciates English as well as math, and hopes to combine her interests to study something that will take her traveling in her future. London is on the committee for the help she hopes to offer young people to find and follow their passions: an opportunity for self-expression that everyone deserves.
Laila Sanders
Junior Board Member
Coming Soon!
Cana Taylor
Junior Board Member
Cana is a student at Rio Del Mar Elementary. She loves to swim, play volleyball, dance, and bake. Cana has been on the junior board for Tim Brauch Foundation 2021 and the River Birchall Foundation since 2022. She wants to be part of the non profit organization because she wants to learn about how a business works and collaborates.
Rylie Dresser
Junior Board Member
Rylie Dresser is a 8th grader at Aptos Junior High. Rylie has lived in Santa Cruz her entire life. She loves to play volleyball, go to the beach, hang out with her friends, and be in nature. She loves being a part of the River Birchall foundation because it creates an amazing opportunity for her to learn life skills that she can carry her whole life.
Ellie Hardesty
Junior Board Member
Ellie Hardesty is a junior board member for the Tim Brauch and River Birchall Foundations. She is an eighth grader at Aptos Junior High school and plays volleyball for Main Beach volleyball club. Ellie enjoys hanging out with friends, traveling, and playing sports. Being a part of the foundations excites Ellie because she sees it as a valuable opportunity to learn and grow. She believes that getting involved in such organizations is not just about making a difference in the community; it's also about understanding how teamwork and collaboration can lead to those outcomes. Ellie is eager to participate in upcoming events organized by the foundations, where she hopes to gain insights into what it takes to run a nonprofit. Ellie believes that this experience will not only strengthen her understanding of the nonprofit sector but also help her develop skills that are beneficial for her future. Overall, Ellie is looking forward to her journey with the foundations and the positive experiences that lie ahead.