by Scott Nelson

Lindsey Spindle measures her time in San Clemente in “pinch-me moments.” A Washington, D.C. native and longtime nonprofit leader, she moved to town with her family in 2022 after accepting what she describes as a “dream job” as President of the Samueli Family Philanthropies - the philanthropic engine that oversees the Samueli Foundation and Anaheim Ducks Foundation.

Even though the Spindles spent seven years in the San Fernando Valley, Lindsey never imagined she’d one day be living in San Clemente - watching flaming sunsets on the Beach Trail, breathing in that perfect blend of salt air and chaparral, or listening to the soft hush of a garden she still can’t quite believe is hers.

 “It couldn’t be more different from where I grew up,” she says with a laugh. “I find myself constantly thinking: How did I get so lucky to live here? And I don’t take it for granted.”

Lindsey and her husband David hadn’t even been looking in San Clemente when he called from an open house and said, “I think I just walked into our dream home.” Her reply was immediate: “If you love it, I know I’ll love it. Make an offer.” Four days later, the family was packing. Two months later, they were settling into their new home. 

 “We’re busy people with busy jobs and lives,” Lindsey says. “It’s such a gift to come home to a place that’s warm and welcoming, with an old-school beach-town soul you feel right away.”

The Spindles have two children - a son, Archer, in high school, and a daughter, Piper, an officer in the U.S. Navy. And then there’s their Boston Terrier, ‘Mochi’ - the latest in what David jokingly calls his “monogamous relationship” with the breed.

“Mochi is a total homebody,” Lindsey says affectionately. “Short walks, lots of naps, and always on guard duty.”

   As President of the Samueli Family Philanthropies, Lindsey oversees one of the most influential private giving forces in Orange County. Last year alone, the organization awarded $130 million in grants - roughly 60 percent of which stayed in the region, including many nonprofits based in or serving San Clemente. Among these is Boys & Girls Club of San Clemente, Cabrillo Playhouse, Las Palmas Elementary School PTA, Noble Path Foundation Inc., PierPride Foundation, San Clemente Village, Sandy Feet Initiative, and Waves of Impact.

Her approach to philanthropy was shaped in part by her earlier work helping create and lead the national No Kid Hungry campaign, where she witnessed firsthand how creativity, capital and collaboration can change lives. “I’ve always been driven by curiosity - about how the world works and how it could work better,” she says. “The No Kid Hungry campaign showed me that real change is possible with the right combination of creativity, capital and will.”

 Last November, Lindsey accepted the Legacy of Giving Award on behalf of the Samueli Foundation at the 40th Annual National Philanthropy Day Orange County celebration - an honor she describes as one of the most meaningful moments of her career. Her employers, Henry and Susan Samueli - owners of the Anaheim Ducks, Honda Center and OC Vibe - are among the region’s leading philanthropists. “It was incredibly humbling,” she says. “The Samuelis are daring, generous, thoughtful people. Giving may sound simple but doing it in one’s own name - trust-based and fully engaged in the hard work of creating community benefit - is not. Their spirit of generosity is an honor to carry forward.” She adds, “Philanthropy can’t solve everything, but it can hold space for hope and for solutions. Once you’ve been part of real social change, it’s hard not to keep going. It’s kind of addictive.”

For all her professional seriousness, Lindsey brings levity and variety to her personal life.

A “reformed long-distance runner,” she began running in her twenties while living in Japan, then returned to it during early motherhood. She has completed more than 20 half-marathons and ran her first full marathon at 39. She’s a voracious reader of both fiction and nonfiction. Recent favorites include Hostage by Eli Shirabi, which she calls “educational, gripping, important,” and The Correspondent by Virginia Evans, which she describes as “charming, beautifully written and full of unexpected turns.” 

Her hockey fandom began in far less peaceful circumstances. “Our son was colicky as a baby and cried a lot” she says, smiling. “One day, we had a hockey game on TV and he stopped crying. It was like magic, so we kept watching. Then we went to a Capitals vs. Bruins game in 2008 - on the glass - and that was it. We were hooked.” Today, Lindsey and David are die-hard Ducks fans - a fitting connection given the Samueli family’s leadership in the sport.

Since moving to San Clemente, the Spindles have embraced sunsets, trails, friendly small businesses, and a growing food scene. But for Lindsey, it’s the town’s sense of belonging that matters most. “Starting over in your fifties isn’t easy,” she says. “We left behind lifelong friends who were part of our everyday lives. Still, we’re grateful to be building something new here - and to know we’re only at the beginning.”

Those “pinch-me moments,” Lindsey says, are already plentiful - from natural beauty to what she swears is the world’s best burger at the Riders Club Cafe. In San Clemente, the joy lies not just in what they’ve found - but in what remains to be discovered.