Valerie Nash traveled around the world in 1995, visiting more than 20 countries and spending months at a time volunteering at child welfare organizations in Cairo and India. The next year, she formed Nash & Associates in San Diego, a consulting company that provides development services to a range of clients. Despite the demands of that job, she continues to donate her time to many nonprofit groups.

Nash, 38, who was born and educated in England, serves on the board of the Golden Hill Community Development Corp. and is actively involved in raising funds for a new community center. “It is important that you start in your own neighborhood,” says Nash. “I want to contribute as much as I can.” She is an original board member of the Sudanese English Project teaching the language to East African refugees.

Nash & Associates, during the past three years, has written competitive grants resulting in more than $40 million in funding for such projects as “6 to 6,” YouthBuild, Diversity Works!, Even Start and Healthy Start. Clients include YMCA Youth & Family Services, San Diego city schools, Children’s Hospital, San Diego Black Contractors Association and San Diego Urban League.

Nash immigrated to the United States in 1988 and spent her first five years in San Diego as a family counselor, parent educator, training coordinator and manager with a child abuse prevention agency. She has an unusual academic background, combining graduate studies in education at Oxford University with a master’s degree in psychology from Boston College.

In November, Nash will take on the biggest challenge of her life. She will become a mother for the first time. She and Paul Harvey are awaiting a girl, already named Maggie Ann.

— Manny Cruz