Board of Directors
Karen Garcia- Chairman of the Board
Karen has been serving as a Board member since July 2016. She currently serves as the Chairman of the Board. Karen has been married to her husband, Ray for 26 years and they are blessed with 3 children and 10 grandchildren. She has attended Calvary Vista for 26 years and has been active in Women’s Fellowship, Home Fellowship and Children’s Ministry. She also served on the Board of Calvary Christian School. She is retired after spending 43 years in the Medical/Biotech industry, most recently as Executive Director of Client Support for Prometheus Laboratories Inc.
Bernie Montoya- Vice-Chairman
Bernie is married to his wife Lorraine. They have been married for over 44 years and have two sons and two grandchildren. He was an Electrical Engineer, graduating from the University of New Mexico and employed by Motorola and AMD. Served as Financial Secretary for the Knights of Columbus, taught Religious Formation, mentored evenings for the engaged, coached sports, and served on a Pastoral Committee overseeing a capital campaign for a new church. Is currently a Member of St. Vincent de Paul, a Eucharistic Minister, a 4th degree Knight of Columbus, and consults for his former business. He attends St. Elizabeth Seton Catholic Church.
Dennis Kreta- Treasurer
Currently serves as the Director of Internal Audit with Rubio’s Restaurants and has been with the company for over 15 years. He has held various accounting positions for almost 30 years and received a Bachelor of Science with an emphasis in Finance from California State University, Northridge. He has held positions as member of the Finance Committee at St. Margaret’s Catholic Church where he attends in Oceanside, California and is the Grand Knight with the Knights of Columbus.
Raymond Van Pletsen- Board Member
Acts as the Senior Pastor of Meadowlark Church in San Marcos, California – a church that teaches the Bible and walks in step with God the Holy Spirit in order to become more and more like Jesus. Raymond was born in South Africa and is a graduate of Calvary College in Kansas City and Dallas Theological Seminary. His proudest achievements are his two children (Mandy and Ryan) and four grandchildren (Blake, Braeden, Kendall and Abigail).
Russell Ruscigno – Board Member
Russell was born and raised in San Jose, California. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics at Occidental College and his Juris Doctorate at California Western School Of Law. Russell was admitted to State Bar of California in 1989. In 1996, Russell established The Ruscigno Law Firm, practicing principally in the area of family law transactions and litigation. Since 2011, Russell limited his practice to the preparation and implementation of Qualified Domestic Relations Orders (“QDROs”) – those orders required to divide retirement benefits incident to divorce. Russell and his wife of 25-plus years, Danice, live in Carlsbad and are parishioners at St. Margaret Catholic Church in Oceanside. Russell is a Fourth Degree Knight of Columbus and currently is serving as the Advocate for the St. Margaret council. Russell was elected to the Board in April 2018.
Heidi Hill- President/CEO Board Member
Heidi is currently the President/CEO of Birth Choice. She has taught in many different forums over the years, in a Catholic School, La Leche League, and for 9 years as a 3rd degree black belt Martial Arts Instructor. She has been married for 30 years and has 2 adult children. She and her husband have prepared couples for Marriage through the Diocese of San Diego for the last 19 years and are Eucharistic Ministry Coordinators for St Mark’s parish where they attend.
Vision Statement
Birth Choice seeks to influence the culture by being the community’s leading Christ-centered provider of healthcare services for those dealing with sexual intimacy, prenatal and pregnancy issues.
Mission Statement
Birth Choice is a Christ centered organization that provides compassionate, life-affirming care, empowering people to make educated decisions about sexual intimacy, pregnancy and family.