Kathy Selders
Meet Kathy.
With a heart for making a difference, Kathy is a pillar of generosity and service in South Pasadena – a leader and true agent of positive change around town.
About the Legend
Introduce yourself!
I am the President of the Rotary Club of South Pasadena (2nd term) and the Co-founder and Executive Director of Charity On Top Foundation. I have an MA in Psychology and was a therapist for many years. I'm a third-generation Angelina and love living in SoCal.
Please tell us a little bit about your family.
Tim and I have been married for 35 years. Our daughter, Cali, is graduating from CSUN this spring! The head of the household is our Havanese-mix dog, Pistachio.
What are you passionate about? What do you love about what you do?
I am most passionate about philanthropy. Charity and nonprofit are woven into most of what I do. I created Charity On Top gift cards to pair the joy of gifting with the joy of donating and our charity gift cards support all 1.8 million US charities! As a Rotarian, I am able to raise funds for local nonprofits, scholarships, building a house in Mexico, a water project in Tanzania, eradicating polio worldwide and more. And I am able to provide hands-on service in the community, which I love. I am a member of several other organizations and volunteer as much as possible.
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
A highlight for me was co-founding the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House. After 7 years of development, fundraising and zoning headaches, our tireless team opened The Welcome Home, which officially became the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House on February 14, 2004. Since then it has hosted more than 24,000 children and their families. I couldn't be more proud!
What inspires you?
Making a difference is what motivates me. It's the push behind most everything I do.
Your South Pasadena Story
Tell us your South Pasadena story! How did you come to live or work in this community?
My husband and I moved from Orange County to South Pasadena in 1992 to be closer to his job at E! Entertainment Television. It was convenient too for my master’s program at a satellite campus of Pepperdine University. We loved the quiet community and walkability of South Pas. We ended up moving a few miles out and it really was the Rotary Club of South Pasadena that kept me connected. The club was an early supporter of the Pasadena Ronald McDonald House and wisely recruited my co-founder and best friend Marchelle Sellers to join the club. Since Rotary is about making a difference and everyone is so welcoming and fun, I joined in on the fundraising events, service projects and fellowship. After Marchelle and I launched Charity On Top together, we joined the club as corporate members and I officially became a Rotarian, and a South Pasadenan again, so to speak.
What is your favorite community event or social outing in South Pasadena?
My favorite event in South Pasadena is the Taste of South Pasadena! I love seeing the community out sampling tastes and supporting the various restaurants while raising money for the good work our Rotary Club does. I'm happy that the Taste of South Pasadena is back this year - May 9! And I’m double dipping as Charity On Top is a proud sponsor!
What do you think makes South Pasadena so special?
I love how South Pasadena has the greater Los Angeles area feel without losing the community feel of a smaller town. It's very special!
Help spread the word and celebrate our Legend! Download the images below to share as posts and/or stories on social media and congratulate our Legend and share their story with our community! Be sure to tag @LegendsofSouthPasadena so that we can give you a shout-out on our social media.
