our story
The Beacon of Light team, collectively, has many talents and passions, but one goal unites us, to see young people thrive. When we discovered Check the Facts and met it's creator, Jeanette Fanconi, it was undeniable that we were on an identical mission. Now, we forge on together, combining our strengths and encouraging each other to do great work on behalf of the students, who deserve a clear and bold message of truth and wisdom.
Beacon of Light continues to carry the torch of our founder, Fran Tracy, who pioneered prevention education in her community in Orange County over 20 years ago. She saw a void in the young people around her, an emptiness from making big life decisions without the facts they needed to navigate toward the flourishing future they desired. At Beacon of Light, we offer a life-changing message, and we can't wait to get it into the hands of even more students, educators, youth groups, and families.
our team
Amber Auger
Executive Director
Amber started her career in medical sales with a startup company at the age of 19. Over a ten year span, she helped grow the company from 4 to 200 employees and saw revenue increase to over $15 million a year. In 2014, Amber found her passion for helping teens and young women in crisis. Starting as a volunteer and teen coach at local nonprofits, she quickly moved into permanent positions, honoring her expertise in fundraising, marketing, donor relations, community outreach, recovery, education, and prevention programs. She joined Beacon of Light in 2016 with a laser-focused mission, a love for young people, and a keen eye for prevention education.
Gretchen Levesque
Chairwoman of the Board
Gretchen is an active member in her community having served in a variety of leadership roles including School Site Council, Superintendent’s Parent Advisory Board, PTA, YMCA, local committees/support groups, and non-profits. Her professional training from Cal State University, Fullerton is in graphic design, which has allowed her opportunities to enhance the overall impact of many of the organizations she's served with. Gretchen has a passion for helping others thrive through teaching and mentoring, and for equipping others with intentional ways to simplify, beautify, and enrich life.
Ann Owen
Board President
Ann is the longest-serving Board member of Beacon of Light, having joined over 16 years ago and serving as a corporate officer, and currently as President. Ann has served at local school sites as Girl Scout leader and art teacher, and as camp staff for community and foster care children. For the past 10 years Ann has been a partner of Impact Giving, a women’s collective giving group, and served on the Board as Grants Chair. Ann is a proud graduate of Orange Coast College and Laguna College of Art and Design with a BFA in Painting. She is dedicated to preserving what makes her community unique and believes everyone can be empowered to make a difference with their own specific gifts and talents.
Steve Robinson
Board Member /
Chief Financial Officer
Steve is the newest member of the Beacon of Light Board, with service starting in 2024. Steve has been a second generation, family-owned electrical contractor for 46 years. His years of business administration, financial awareness and general leadership positioned him to be ideal for the BOL Board. Steve has also served for 12+ years as an Elder of a Southern California based church. Steve’s heart for children and the love of his 6 grandchildren are the driving force in his work at Beacon of Light.
Deborah Rowe
Board Member
Deborah holds a teaching degree from Dallas Baptist University. For over 30 years, Deborah has utilized her gifts teaching and training teachers worldwide. She has had the privilege of serving at Child Evangelism Fellowship, in a variety of roles: summer administration coordinator, missions planning and participation, serving on the local chapter board and currently resides on the state board. In addition, Deborah worked as the Kids Director for her local church, serving 5 states and impacting over 3,000 children. She is assists with grant writing, planning, and decision making for Beacon of Light.
Jeanette Fanconi
Author of Check the Facts
Jeanette authored Check the Facts, and is a credentialed teacher with a Master's Degree in Education. She believes in educating, equipping, and empowering young people so that they can make life-affirming choices as they develop and become who they are meant to be in order to pursue their life goals. Jeanette began developing the Check the Facts curriculum in January 2013 after working with a local high school district to form a teen parenting program. Jeanette is honored to now combine her efforts with Beacon of Light to further equip young people throughout the nation to make educated, healthy decisions that will not only improve their own lives but the state of our communities as well.
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Ahesun (Esther) Kim-Almeida
Advisory Council
Ahesun (Esther) Kim-Almeida is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist with 14 years of experience in the field. Her extensive background includes working with young children, teenagers, their parents, and schools. After dedicating 9 years to the public school sector, she now operates a small private practice in Anaheim, CA. As a systemic therapist, Kim-Almeida is deeply aware of the critical role that teachers and parents play in shaping the mental and emotional well-being of youth, including aspects of sexual education and development.
Chris Staller
Advisory Council
As the former Board Chairman for Beacon of Light, Chris is a versatile professional with experience as an Owner/Operator, CEO, CMO, COO, and EVP. He believes in proactive youth education and sees Beacon as essential for preventing crisis pregnancies and post-abortion pain. Entering his sixth decade, Chris transitioned in January 2024 from a turnaround CEO role to part retirement, while also owning Tennessee Business Coaching. He is dedicated to giving back to the community and helping leaders develop their God-given gifts to enhance their business performance with an eternal perspective.