Meet Our Team
Guido Piccarolo
President/Founder
gpiccarolo@lahabilitationhouse.org
President/Founder
gpiccarolo@lahabilitationhouse.org
Guido has fourteen plus years of experience in financial statement reporting and financial analysis, budgeting, and forecasting in the private sector concentration in the entertainment industry (The Walt Disney Company). Currently, Guido is implementing the strategic goals and the objectives of the organization, providing direction and leadership toward the achievement of the organization’s philosophy, mission, strategy, and the creation of strategic, tactical, and financial plans. Lastly, he is developing new services and projects according to the mission and goals of the company. He has several years of experience in volunteering with people with disabilities and elderly people, most recently with the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro (CA).
Nancy Albin
Vice-President/Founder
nalbin@lahabilitationhouse.org
Vice-President/Founder
nalbin@lahabilitationhouse.org
Currently, Nancy is providing vision, management, and leadership in the major corporate economic strategies, objectives, and policies for LAHH, overseeing accounting, budgeting, tax, treasury, administrative functions, and automation efforts. With over nine years of combined experience in corporate balance sheet audits with a Big 4 Accounting Firm and financial budgeting, forecasting, and analysis for a Fortune 500 Company that is a leader in family entertainment, Nancy is excited to bring her talents and experience to LAHH and focus all of her energies on fulfilling its mission. Habitat for Humanity, Little Sisters of the Poor, and Rural Grace Food Pantry are organizations that Nancy supports. Starting each day working for LAHH, Nancy says is best captured in the following quote. "Every morning in Africa a gazelle, wakes up. It knows it must outrun the fastest lion or it will be killed. Every morning in Africa a lion wakes up. It knows it must outrun the slowest gazelle or it will starve. It doesn't matter if you are a gazelle or a lion, when the sun comes up, you'd better be running!"(Maurice Greene attributed to Roger Bannister shortly after running the first sub-4 mile)..
Mauro Prina
Secretary of the Board of Directors
Secretary of the Board of Directors
A graduate in Engineering from Politecnico of Milano University, Dr. Prina is currently working at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX), a new and dynamic space company developing viable access to space. Prior to joining SpaceX, Dr. Prina worked at JPL (NASA) for more than 5 years participating to two flight missions to contribute to the knowledge of the universe, from cosmic microwave background emitted during the Big Bang (Planck Mission) to the surface of our neighbor planets (Mars Science Laboratory). In addition to his engineering career, Mauro has always dedicated his free time to charitable activities. Since he was in college, Mauro use to spend at least one afternoon a week in an after-school-program with kids living in rough neighborhoods and with families by supporting the Sister of Charity in Milan. In the last few years, Mauro has spent a good portion of his free time supporting LAHH and the Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro, CA visiting regularly their nursing home.
Our Advisory Board
Marilyn Fausto
Michael D. Fels
Jerry Gash
Kelly SC Gash
Francesca Orsi Haspel
Elise Lynch
Simone M. Rizkallah
Leslie R. Smith
Marilyn Fausto
Michael D. Fels
Jerry Gash
Kelly SC Gash
Francesca Orsi Haspel
Elise Lynch
Simone M. Rizkallah
Leslie R. Smith
Michael D. Fels

Michael D Fels, Ph.D. spent 40 years as an educator. A “soldier” in Lyndon Johnson’s “War on Poverty”, a rural school principal-teacher; an administrator at a school for the disabled on the Navajo Reservation; a college counselor and a university administrator. Today, Michael lives and works on the Sonoma County farm that he shares with his wife, brother and sister-in-law. He manages a small international consulting firm and serves as Chairman of the Board of a not-for-profit hospital. He is a playwright and short-story writer and his first collection of stories was published in August. He is the proud father of four and grandfather of eleven.
Jerry Gash & Kelly SC Gash

Jerry Gash (Right) has a background in a diverse range of Special Education classrooms. His first two years teaching were in an Emotionally Disturbed/Behavior Disorder classroom, working with middle-school aged students. He then worked for one year in a Transition Program for adults aged 18-22 with severe disabilities. He currently works in an RSP setting, teaching college-bound students with mild learning disabilities, in his third year at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, California. Jerry received his Masters in Education with a concentration in Special Education from California State University, Fullerton in 2006.
Kelly Gash (Left) recently earned her Masters in Education with a concentration in Special Education from California State University, Fullerton and is currently in her sixth year of teaching at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, California. She is a teacher in an RSP setting and works with college-bound students with mild learning disabilities such as dyslexia. She has a heart for children, particularly teenagers, and works to increase their confidence both in academics and in the gifts they have to offer their community.
Kelly Gash (Left) recently earned her Masters in Education with a concentration in Special Education from California State University, Fullerton and is currently in her sixth year of teaching at Norwalk High School in Norwalk, California. She is a teacher in an RSP setting and works with college-bound students with mild learning disabilities such as dyslexia. She has a heart for children, particularly teenagers, and works to increase their confidence both in academics and in the gifts they have to offer their community.
Francesca Orsi Haspel

Nancy with Francesca outside HBO
Francesca is excited to be on the Advisory Board of LAHH. Her creative talents are focused on the upcoming hits for HBO and she now enjoys using those talents to bring awareness and make a difference in the lives of the young soldiers returning from the war efforts abroad in Iraq and Afghanistan, many of whom have a disability, by helping them get a job. Francesca is happy to be contributing with the founders of LAHH to the creation of jobs for these young men and women.
Elise Lynch

Elise Lynch is proud to be a member of the Advisory Board. She enjoys giving of her free time and talents to organizations like LAHH because she feels personally rewarded by seeing good things happen to others. Elise received her BS from the University of Georgia. Much of her life has been focused on education, and most recently she served as Principal of Holy Family Academy in Mt. Angel, Oregon. She is also a weaver and textile artist. Elise is the proud mother of 4 adult children: a Catholic priest, a Mom, a writer and a Marine. Together with her husband, Stephen, they have enjoyed 34 years of marriage. The emphasis of her life has been the Golden Rule, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."
Simone M. Rizkallah

Simone is thrilled to be a part of the amazing team at the Los Angeles Habilitation House! Her involvement allows her to blend two of her passions: marketing and philanthropy. Simone has spent the last four years working as Internet Marketing Specialist for Crescendo Interactive, Inc. providing marketing, senior and donor friendly web site design, and planned giving support to health care, university, social service, and art non-profits and charities across the nation. Previously she worked in the media department at the Family Research Council in Washington, D.C. and as the marketing manager at the Hillcrest Center for the Arts in Ventura County. She also has enjoyed organizing special events and grant-writing for programs such as Conejo Theatre for Everyone which provides the opportunity for disabled children to perform in popular Broadway musicals. She hopes to assist the Los Angeles Habilitation House primarily in web site design and marketing as well as to help meet their fundraising goals. Simone received her B.A. in Marketing Communication from California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, CA.
Leslie R. Smith
Leslie has 17 years of legal experience. She has represented both plaintiffs and defendants in California State and Federal courts, bankruptcy courts, administrative proceedings, mediations and arbitrations. Leslie was admitted to practice before all of the courts in the State of California in 1991. She is also admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court, Central District of California and the U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. Leslie is pleased to be asked to serve as an Advisory Board member for LAHH as she enjoys giving of her time and energies to nonprofit organizations that are vehicles for social justice. Other organizations that Leslie has volunteered for include Big Brothers Big Sisters of Greater Los Angeles, LA Gay and Lesbian Center, AIDS Legal Services Project and, Los Angeles Superior Court Domestic Violence Project.
