MEET THE BACC BOARD: ROLANDO CHARVEL

As one of the few nonprofit regional conservation centers in the United States, and the only such center in the western region, the Balboa Art Conservation Center is undergoing transformational change as it shifts into a radically inclusive and accessible art conservation organization. The BACC Board helps nourish this shift while ensuring the organization's vision for inclusion has long-term systemic impact. 

The BACC Board of Trustees is led by Board President Dana Springs and boasts a board membership that is 50% BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, and People of Color). In addition to its racial diversity, BACC board members are located throughout BACC’s service area, including Seattle, the Bay Area, Los Angeles, and San Diego. They bring a range and depth of expertise in community organizing, arts management and advocacy, fundraising, conservation, education, and financial management. Their diverse perspectives and skills are essential as BACC seeks to fulfill its vision for equity and healing within our own structure and workplace, as well as the communities we serve. 

Throughout 2023, we are highlighting each of our Board Members to better understand what excites them about being a part of the BACC Team at this transformative time. ​

Rolando Charvel (He, His, Him) is currently the Department of Finance Director and City Comptroller. Prior to this role, he served as the City’s Chief Financial Officer from 2017 to 2020. Mr. Charvel began his work in the Office of the City Comptroller in 1999 after obtaining his bachelor’s degree in Accounting from San Diego State University. Over the years, Mr. Charvel promoted through the ranks until becoming City Comptroller, a position in which he served from 2014 to 2017. After becoming Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Charvel combined the Office of the City Comptroller with the Financial Management Department, centralizing financial oversight for the City under the Department of Finance, realizing significant efficiencies and reducing City costs. More recently, Mr. Charvel took over the functions of the Debt Management Department, which is now consolidated under the Department of Finance. This recent consolidation has allowed greater integration between capital expenditure planning and debt financing for the City of San Diego. Mr. Charvel is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of various financial professional organizations.


Mr. Charvel grew up in Baja California, Mexico, until coming to the United States to obtain his bachelor’s degree in 1996. He has been married to Liliana Charvel for 21 years and has two boys, Santiago, who is 14, and Isaac who is 11. He also has a Hungarian Pointer, Cali, his running partner that eagerly demands to go on runs most mornings.

BACC: How does your professional, community, and/or cultural work inform your role as a BACC Board Member? 
Rolando: Most of my career has revolved around financial management. I have had the opportunity to develop technical proficiencies in the areas of accounting, budgeting, and financing for a large and complex organization. As I have progressed in my professional career in positions of growing responsibility over the last 23 years, I have also learned how to lead teams and manage a staff of over 100 employees. Finally, the City operates within a political context. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to become more sensitive to the priorities of San Diego’s diverse communities, including the need for equitable investments in communities of concern. As a board member, I hope to assist the rest of the board members and BAAC management to establish internal controls and financial best practices. 

B: What excites you most about being on the BACC Board? 
R: The most exciting part of being a BAAC Board member is to see the organization mature and become sustainable so that it can continue to carry out its mission with competent staff that can be retained through fair compensation and strong leadership.

B: If you could have one artwork or artifact (personal or otherwise) conserved by the BACC team, what would it be and why? 
R: I love the idea of providing opportunities to conserve artwork of artists that would otherwise not have access to these services because they come from underprivileged communities.