Friends of Mercy Foundation Staff
Contact the Friends of Mercy Foundation at 661.663.6700
Toni Harper, LCSW, DBH
Vice President of Philanthropy
Toni Harper joined the Friends of Mercy Foundation staff as the Director of Philanthropy/Major Gifts and Campaigns. In this role, she served as a liaison between patients, community members, physicians, hospital staff, and donors. Her responsibility was to raise awareness about the mission and outcomes of Friends of Mercy and to cultivate major gifts and connectedness to the Hospital. In November 2017 she was honored to step into the role of Vice President, Philanthropy. Toni has been associated with Mercy Hospital for more than 25 years, as a volunteer, contract social worker, donor, and former Foundation board member.
Toni is a licensed Clinical Social Worker by trade having worked in healthcare administration for more than a decade, including managed care, IPAs, TPAs, and ACOs in the commercial, Medicare, and Medi-Cal markets. Her focus is patient-centered care through medical homes, care management, and behavioral health integration. She is honored to support excellence in patient care through the efforts of the Friends of Mercy Foundation.
Toni received her Bachelor of Science in Non-Profit Management from Arizona State University (ASU). She then studied at the Institute of Economic and Political Studies at Cambridge University in England; received her Master’s in Social Work from Columbia University in New York City and then returned to ASU for her Doctorate in Behavioral Health.
Toni is a Bakersfield native who loves spending time with her family and her two teenage daughters, especially outdoors. Her passion is continuing education, traveling, running, and yoga.
Misty De La Torre
Director of Operations
Misty De La Torre has worked for Friends of Mercy Foundation for almost 17 years, during that time she’s had the opportunity of being the Administrative Assistant, Database & Research Coordinator and now Director of Operations. In her current role, she is responsible for maintaining and ensuring the integrity of all development systems, including but not limited to CRM, Blackbaud Analytics, and BBMS. She is responsible for the Foundation’s gift processing and acknowledgment system as well as all financial reporting. Her position is responsible for the administration of the database and managing the production of all mailings. She is responsible for overseeing and managing all prospect research and integrating appropriate research findings into the database, following all HIPAA regulations. Also, since October 2019 she now helps manage Volunteer Services at Mercy Hospital Southwest and Mercy Hospital Downtown.
Misty graduated from Heald College in 1999, earning an Associate in Applied Science degree in Computer Business Administration. She is married to Francisco, and they are the parents of two gorgeous boys, Christian and Andru.
Jessica Turrubiates
Director of Major Gifts
Jessica Turrubiates joined the Friends of Mercy Foundation in October 2016 as the Executive Coordinator. In 2020, she was promoted to Manager of Philanthropy and in 2025, she became the Foundations Director of Major Gifts.
In her current role, Jessica develops and strengthens relationships with donors who are passionate about advancing exceptional healthcare in the community. She works closely with grateful patients, physicians, community leaders, and philanthropists who support Mercy's highest priorities. She also oversees donor stewardship and engagement, helping ensure every donor experiences the lasting impact of their generosity.
Jessica earned her AA degree from Bakersfield College before completing her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at California State University, Bakersfield, in 2013.
Jessica and her husband, Joel, are the proud parents of two boys, Theo & Luke. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and caring for their pets.