Retired San Mateo County nonprofit exec accused of embezzling $700K from group
SAN MATEO – A former executive of a San Mateo County nonprofit is accused of embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from the group for more than a decade, prosecutors said.
According to District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe's office, 76-year-old Clarise Ann Blanchard of Foster City is facing multiple charges, including embezzlement, identity theft and forgery.
Blanchard had served as clinical director of StarVista from 2002 until her retirement last year. She was also honored as San Mateo County Woman of the Year in 2008 for her work in helping women with substance abuse and mental health issues.
"Clarise's unshakeable faith in her clients has given hundreds of women in San Mateo County new hope and strength. Her passion and creativity have changed lives and made our community a better place," said a biography published in 2008 by the county's Women's Hall of Fame.
Prosecutors said the scheme was discovered after Blanchard's retirement, when StarVista received word of a $50,000 charitable contribution that was not deposited to the group's bank account.
An audit revealed that Blanchard had set up a bank account for herself at Chase bank. She then directed about $700,000 in donations intended for StarVista to the account between 2009 and 2022, according to the DA's office.
Prosecutors said the audit also found thank you letters to contributors claiming to be from the organization's director but the signatures had been forged.
Blanchard was scheduled to appear Thursday for her initial felony arraignment. She is out of custody on $700,000 bond.
According to the organization's website, StarVista helps tens of thousands of San Mateo County residents each year by offering multiple services including counseling, suicide prevention and skill development.
In a written statement Thursday, StarVista described Blanchard's activities as "unethical" and "unlawful" and that she had "selfishly abused her influence to initiate and perpetuate multiple levels of dishonesty." The group also said fiscal audits determined that she had acted alone.
"The most important thing we can stress is that no service partner assets have been misappropriated," said Reese Walters, the organization's spokesperson. "StarVista will continue to be accountable, vigilant and proactive in our security measures in the best interest of our staff & those we serve."