If you have experience managing nonprofit organizations and wish to play a strategic role in moving Carmel Cares forward, we’d love to talk to you about joining our Board of Directors.
Co-Founder, President, and Chief Caring Officer
Leader – Forest Theater Restoration Project
Dale grew up in Southern California, developed an early passion for building and always enjoying working hard though high school and college years. After taking engineering undergrad requirements he earned a BS in Business and an MBA from USC. He went on to found and lead international retail software companies, consulting with over 250 major retailers and managing a 250-person global team.
He and his wife Margaret discovered Carmel 22 years ago and moved here full-time seven years ago, completing five custom homes that reflect their love for the village. In retirement, Dale turned his focus to volunteering and community improvement.
He joined the Carmel Residents Association board in 2018, helped modernize its operations, and strengthened resident-business ties. He also volunteered at the Chamber Visitors Center and co-created 12 local GPS audio tours.
Dale founded Carmel Cares in 2018, which became a full-time volunteer organization in 2020. Under his leadership, it has significantly improved the town’s beauty and safety, earning him local awards for civic leadership. He also coordinates grants for Carmel Gives, which has distributed over $2 million to community causes.
In June 2024, Dale stepped down from the Carmel Cares board to focus on public service. He now serves as Carmel’s Mayor and remains an active volunteer as Chief Caring Officer of Carmel Cares and Project Manager for Carmel Gives.
Co-Founder
Tim was a founding Board Member of Carmel Cares, encouraging the team to “think big” and create a movement that can be transformative to this special place. Born and raised on the Monterey Peninsula, Tim came from a family steeped in Carmel’s history with his father Bud Allen owning, and Tim working, in the iconic La Playa hotel. He attended local schools, including  Stevenson High School, raised his three children in the area, and owns homes throughout the Peninsula.
Beyond his love for family and real estate, Tim’s other passion is the game of lacrosse. A successful collegiate player himself, Tim has become an avid supporter of the game. The teamwork, skills and overall discipline required to play at a high level have translated to his professional career as one of the top agents in the world and operator of a successful premium vacation rental business.
In March, 2020, he founded Carmel Gives Fund to assist nonprofits, businesses, and individuals impacted by COVID challenges. Working with Carmel Cares President Dale Byrne, the Fund has issued over $2 million through over 300 creative Win/Win grants that have resulted in over $5 million in benefit to nonprofits in Monterey County and beyond.
Tim resigned from the board in June, 2024 but remains an active financial supporter and advisor.
Co-Founder and Board Member
Margaret grew up on the east coast and graduated from Western Connecticut State University with a BA in Business Management. She worked her way up through support and marketing jobs with tech companies including Vice President Marketing for an international software and consulting company and President of the US division of a Swedish technology company. During these positions she moved from Connecticut to Dallas, TX and later to Manhattan Beach, CA.
Margaret and Dale married in 2003 and they have lived in Redondo Beach. They began visiting Carmel with their miniature poodle 23 years ago, bought a cottage in Carmel in 2011 and, after doing 5 major construction projects in Carmel, moved there full-time in 2017. After retiring from mainstream employment in 2012, she now enjoys working to support Carmel Cares initiatives as well as going out to lunch with her husband and doggies in Carmel. She loves to laugh, enjoys time with friends in Carmel and CT, and appreciates the beauty of our town and beach every day.
From 2018 to 2020, Margaret volunteered as the membership chair and assisted in coordinating The Voice newsletter for the Carmel Residents Association (CRA). Working with Dale, she helped install a new CRA membership management and website system to automate their business and communication processes and created the Village Incentive Program (VIP) by signing up over 50 local businesses to provide special offers to CRA members.
A founding Carmel Cares Board Member, she also helps manage the back-office accounting and donor management systems for Carmel Cares and assists with marketing and husband-management activities.
Vice President, Board Chair
Mark DiOrio’s career spans engineering, entrepreneurship, and community leadership. Raised in Norwalk, CT, he became one of the youngest USCG-licensed captains at 18, running a ferry between Connecticut and Long Island. He earned a dual degree in Mechanical and Materials Engineering from the University of Connecticut, where he played Division 1 Lacrosse.
Mark began his tech career in Cupertino as Engineering Manager at National Semiconductor, including assignments in Southeast Asia. He later became CEO of a Swiss automation firm’s Far East operations in Singapore and took the company public. After co-founding a tech development firm that was acquired, Mark relocated to Carmel.
Returning to his love of sports and the sea, he coached lacrosse at Carmel High and led capital campaigns for the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, securing funding for NOAA’s Exploration Center in Santa Cruz. He also launched DIORIO Cellars winery.
He later turned around Beretta’s Monterey electro-optics division, earning a county award before joining the Pebble Beach Company as a Project Manager on major renovations. During the pandemic, he transitioned to Director of Project Management at Carroll & Strong Builders, overseeing custom homes in Carmel and Pebble Beach.
Mark has supported numerous nonprofits, including the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, American Red Cross, Smart Tech Foundation, and the Carmel Foundation.
Board Member, Secretary
From working on Wall Street to taking teams to lacrosse tournaments in Australia, Bruce Dini has led a very exciting life, with all of his ventures eventually taking him back home and now to his current position as a Carmel High School history teacher.
His love for the Monterey Peninsula started when he attended Stevenson school as a boarder. He had a career in finance in New York and San Francisco but eventually made his way back to Carmel. He has now lived in Carmel for over 30 years and has had his kids go to both Stevenson and Carmel schools.
Dini retired from his busy businessman lifestyle and moved into teaching as it was more fulfilling to him and allowed for better family time. He has coached lacrosse and football but, since he didn’t have a teaching credential, he started his teaching career at Stevenson where he worked for six years. However, public school was where he wanted to end up, so when a long-term substitute history teacher position opened up at Carmel High School in 2020, Dini took the chance and went for it.
Like longtime friend Tim Allen, Bruce has always had a passion for the sport and grew it into a business venture when he and his brother, Stephen, started USA West Lacrosse, a program where they took kids to play lacrosse globally. Dini was also the first lacrosse coach CHS ever had when the team officially started in 2003, but then left for 10 years.
In his free time, Dini loves to play with his quarantine puppy, fish at his cabin in Truckee and make and play guitar whenever he gets the chance.
Bruce has extensive experience on nonprofit boards.
Board Member, Chief Financial Officer
Tea began her life in the U.S. as a non-English speaking immigrant with her mother, overcoming language and economic barriers through hard work and determination. She earned a BA in Business (Cum Laude) and an MBA from Sacred Heart University, then built a successful career in finance with roles at Omnicom Group, Lehman Brothers, and AON World Consulting.
After relocating to Carmel with her husband Peter, she served as Director of Finance, Operations & HR at All Saints Episcopal Day School and later became Executive Director of the Yellow Brick Road Benefit Shop. At the Gateway Center of Monterey, she led finance, fundraising, and a $300,000 courtyard renovation project.
Currently, Tea is the Managing Director of Del Mesa, overseeing operations for a 289-unit adult community. A committed community volunteer, she has supported Carmel Cares, CHOMP, The Carmel Foundation, and more. A Leadership Carmel graduate and founder of Celebrityclosets.org, she lives in Carmel with Peter, their daughter Kea, and two French bulldogs.
Board Member, Project Management Coordinator
A proud Texan, Katie was born and raised in Waco where she attended Baylor University and earned a BS in Chemistry with an emphasis on Pediatric Neuropharmacology. After college she held Clinical Neurology positions at the University of Texas Medical Center in Austin and Texas A&M School of Medicine. She relocated to Pacific Grove with her teenage daughter in 2020 after falling in love with the Monterey Bay area during yoga teacher training in Santa Cruz.Â
Katie is currently a Senior Project Manager for Lewis Builders where she has managed over $25 million in custom residential construction projects. She recently graduated from Leadership Carmel where she applied collaborative leadership skills to foster community connections and civic engagement. She was instrumental in planning and executing her class’s Legacy Gift to Carmel, the Scenic Outlook SW of 8th Restoration project.
Katie is a passionate community leader and committed volunteer. Deeply rooted in the belief that meaningful change begins at the local level, Katie has made a significant impact through involvement in a range of transformative community initiatives including with Juneteenth Coalition, where she co-directed the annual Black Drives Matter Golf Tournament which champions equity, diversity, and inclusion on and off the golf course. She is also dedicated to supporting local arts and serves as an ambassador and volunteer for the New Canon Theater Company. In her free time, she enjoys golf, hiking, and yoga.
Katie brings authenticity, heart, and a results-driven mindset to every effort—building a stronger, more connected community one initiative at a time. She is now helping coordinate Carmel Cares’ large projects.
Board Member
Bibi attended CSUMB, Sonoma State University, and Harnell College, studying Business Administration. She is a Financial Service Supervisor for Monterey Credit Union. In that role she supports the business operations by managing staff, coordinating operations, and ensuring exceptional customer service. I aim to create a positive and productive work environment by communicating with team members, setting clear goals, and monitoring performance.
Bibi has volunteered with the Boys & Girls Club and assisting with golf tournaments at Pebble Beach. She recently attended the Leadership Carmel Program.
