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National Advisory Board

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The National Advisory Board (NAB) advises the center staff on a broad range of topics, including evaluation and improvement of existing programs and activities; suitability of proposed new programs; attracting new resources to deepen and expand the center’s work; and integration of community and public service into the mainstream of the university’s activities, particularly its teaching and research. 

The Haas Center encourages Stanford graduate and undergraduate students to serve as members of its National Advisory Board. Appointments are made for one year with the opportunity to renew for an additional year. All Stanford students in good standing are eligible to apply. In order to provide their unique voice, student members are expected to attend a fall student orientation and all NAB meetings, give a concentrated amount of time the week prior to each meeting to review the meeting packet, complete specific tasks as charged between meetings, and serve as a liaison between NAB and students as appropriate. Student members will also be paired in a mentoring relationship with other members of the National Advisory Board.

2023-24 National Advisory Board

Member Bios

Katie Hanna Dickson, Chair

Portrait photo of Katie Hanna Dickson, who wears a red blouse and stands in front of a conference presentation.

Katie Hanna Dickson, '84, studied human biology at Stanford and received a master’s in health education and behavioral science from the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health. She worked as intervention director in the Youth Studies program at the Stanford Center for Research in Disease Prevention until 1995. She is currently an assistant editor and also serves as chair of the board at Narrative Magazine, a nonprofit dedicated to providing universal free access to great literature, where she is currently focused on their initiative to support teachers in the classroom and encourage high school students from diverse socio-economic backgrounds to find their voices in the literary arts. Katie is the author of two published literary short stories and is at work on a series of linked short stories. She is an active supporter of public service organizations, including Ms Magazine and the Feminist Majority Foundation’s Campus Vote Campaign. 

Leela Stake Young, Vice Chair

Leela Stake smiles in front of a white backdrop.

Leela Stake (Young), ’03, MA ’03, is a senior partner at FleishmanHillard, where she leads the firm’s global diversity, equity and inclusion practice and purpose work. She has worked with more than 100 of the world’s most influential companies and organizations on pressing issues facing people and our planet. Under her leadership, FH4Inclusion, the agency’s global award winning pro-bono initiative, has engaged more than 1,000 employees to provide 28,000 hours of service. Leela was previously chair of the Global Sustainable Growth & Corporate Responsibility practice at APCO Worldwide and worked at The Asia Foundation in Bangladesh, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Nepal, and the Philippines. Leela graduated from Stanford with an MA and BA with honors and distinction and helped develop Stanford’s first social entrepreneurship curriculum. She was awarded the Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy and the Lyons Award for Service from Stanford. Leela is on the Advisory Council of REDF.

Javier Aguirre

Javier Aguirre smiles in front of a light blue and white background, wearing a suit and tie. He has short, dark hair and has a short beard.

Javier Aguirre, ’96, serves as director of Reentry Services for the County of Santa Clara. He is responsible for the operations of the County’s reentry resource centers in San Jose and Gilroy, countywide coordination, and evaluation and oversight of the Public Safety Realignment Program and Adult Reentry Strategic Plan. Reentry offers services to formerly incarcerated Santa Clara County residents and individuals on active probation and parole supervision.  Javier has 20 years of experience with the County of Santa Clara, including eight as a senior policy aide and five as a budget analyst. Javier also served as an elected school board trustee for the Gilroy Unified School District Board of Education and is currently a member of the Latino Family Fund de Gilroy, a family-advised fund to increase the participation and visibility of Latinos in the philanthropic sector and to instill Gilroy youth with a commitment to giving and leadership in their community. As a Stanford undergraduate, Javier was involved in the Community Service Work-Study program through the Haas Center and founded Los Hermanos de Stanford in 1994 as a siblinghood student-organization promoting community service, academic excellence, and cultural awareness. After graduating from Stanford, he earned his JD from Loyola Marymount University, Loyola Law School Los Angeles in 1999. In 2015, he was invited to be a part of a Stanford Needs Alumni Perspective panel made up of seven alumni experts who assisted the Haas Center in exploring alumni engagement and branding for the debut of Cardinal Service. Javier is motived to support the Haas Center to foster community partnerships advancing racial equity while encouraging public service to students. 

Adam Bad Wound

Adam Bad Wound smiles for the photo, standing in front of a group of trees and foliage.

Adam Bad Wound, MA '05, MA '06, serves as chief development officer of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy, the nonprofit partner of the National Park Service supporting the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, one of the largest national park units in an urban setting. His career began at Stanford at the Haas Center for Public Service, in a joint appointment with the Center on Philanthropy and Civil Society. Since then, his career has focused on advancing conservation philanthropy at the California Academy of Sciences, NatureBridge, and the Wilderness Society. Most recently, he was chief development officer at GRID Alternatives, where he founded the Tribal Solar Accelerator Fund. He holds a Bachelor's degree from St. Olaf College, a Master’s degree from Columbia University, two Master’s degrees from Stanford University, and an Executive Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership from Harvard University. Adam actively volunteers at Stanford and previously completed a term as a member of the board of directors of the Stanford Alumni Association.

Keona Blanks

Portrait photo of Keona Blanks, who stands in a Stanford archway wearing a light blue button-down shirt.

Keona Blanks, ’24, is a senior from Hawai'i majoring in Earth Systems and minoring in creative writing at Stanford. She is a writer whose work is rooted in the principles of climate and environmental justice, especially those pertaining to her home community of Hawai'i. Through Stanford's Honors in the Arts program, she is writing a book about belonging and settler-colonial positionality through the lens of decolonial studies and geomorphology. In her summers, she has interned in Hawai’i with the Institute for Climate and Peace, the William S. Richardson Environmental Law Program through a Cardinal Quarter fellowship, and Honolulu Civil Beat to contribute to the climate justice space in her local community. At Stanford, Keona has served as a co-director of Students for a Sustainable Stanford, coordinator of the 2021-22 Frosh Service Liaison cohort, resident assistant of the Public Service and Civic Engagement Theme House, and CELC of two EJ Cardinal Courses. Upon graduation, Keona hopes to pursue an MFA in creative writing to continue to write pieces rooted in environmental justice and settler-climate accountability.

Henry J. Brandon, III

Henry Brandon, III, ’78 (Parent ’17 and ’19), has nearly 30 years of experience in the private equity industry. He is Chief Operating Officer and Partner at Nile Capital Group, a Los Angeles based private equity firm specializing in making investments in the asset management industry. As an investor, advisor and financier to growth companies, Henry has an extensive track record of success partnering with exceptional executives and entrepreneurs to create companies of enduring value. Henry serves or has served on several nonprofit boards, including vice president and founding board member of the Advocates Foundation and the APGA Tour, The Riordan Programs, Sound Body Sound Mind, The Friends of Expo Center, World Golf Foundation Diversity Task Force, Arthur Ashe Safe Passage, the Inglewood Baseball Fund and is Treasurer of USA Triathlon. He currently serves as President of the Stanford National Black Alumni Association and is a Board Member of the Southern California Stanford Black Alumni Club, is a Stanford Admissions Volunteer and is a past member of the Stanford Athletic Board. Mr. Brandon earned a BA in economics from Stanford, where he was a member of two NCAA Championship tennis teams, and an MBA from the UCLA Anderson School.

Valerie Brown

Valerie Brown smiles for the photo wearing a bright yellow dress and blue statement necklace.

Valerie L. Brown, MPH, ‘98, a native of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, graduated from Stanford University with a dual undergraduate degree in human biology and political science.  She also completed an honors thesis on the disparity between drug treatment and incarceration amongst drug-addicted residents of East Palo Alto, California. Valerie brings a long standing commitment to service with strong ties to the Haas Center, having participated in its mentoring and tutoring program during her freshman year, as well as being named the inaugural recipient of the Amy Biehl Fellowship. Her dedicated efforts led to her first overseas experience creating community service programs in Cape Town, South Africa.  Valerie also earned a master's degree in public health at Emory University, focusing on health policy and management.  She began her career at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she worked as a health communications writer for a variety of projects including The Strategic National Stockpile.  A career change to the pharmaceutical/biotech industry brought her to Long Beach, California in 2006, where she currently resides with her husband and two children.  Valerie is the current president of the Stanford National Black Alumni Association and has held roles of secretary, vice president and president of the Stanford Black Alumni Association of Southern California.  She’s participated and held leadership positions in several fundraising projects as a Stanford alum, including one that raised over $250,000 for the Black Community Services Center.  Valerie also serves as a mentor and speaker for the undergraduate program in human biology and is a long time contributor to the Stanford Admissions Office as both a volunteer and a part-time employee.

Stuart C. Burden

Stuart Burden smiles, wearing a suit and tie in front of a grey backdrop.

Stuart Burden, ’84, received his undergraduate degree from Stanford and his MHS in public health from Johns Hopkins University. His career has blended philanthropy, corporate social responsibility, strategy consulting, and global health. He is currently the vice president of corporate and foundation relations for Silicon Valley Community Foundation. Stuart previously served as a consultant with Monitor Institute (now Monitor Deloitte) and the director of the Community Affairs Department of Levi Strauss & Co. and the Levi Strauss Foundation. Prior to Levi Strauss, Stuart worked for the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation in Chicago, as well as the Ford Foundation, New York Foundation, and Citibank in New York. From April 2000 to January 2003, Stuart served on the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS in both the Clinton and Bush administrations. Presently, Stuart serves on the Board of Directors of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and the International Women’s Health Coalition in New York. Stuart has participated in many service endeavors for Stanford, including Stanford Alumni Association’s Board of Directors from 2005to 2014, (serving as chair from 2011-2013). He has also been involved with Stanford Connects and the Leading Matters Steering Committee. He has also served as a visiting mentor for the Haas Center, where he was involved as an undergraduate.

Dianne Calvi

Dianne Calvi poses for a portrait photo in front of a green foliage backdrop, wearing a black shirt and bold circular necklace.

Dianne Calvi is President and CEO of Village Enterprise, a non-profit working in rural Africa to end extreme poverty. Since Dianne joined as CEO in 2010, she has led the organization’s expansion across seven countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, successfully implemented the first development impact bond for poverty alleviation, and completed two randomized control trials with positive results. During her tenure, the organization has been recognized for excellence by Charity Navigator, Guidestar, The Rockefeller Foundation, The Life You Can Save, Founders Pledge, The Drucker Institute, Million Lives Club, and Fast Company (World Changing Idea Award). In June 2023, Dianne was awarded the Stanford President’s Award for the Advancement of the Common Good.

Dianne is also a member of the board of directors of InterAction and has served on several other nonprofit boards. She has written articles  for Fortune, The Hill, Huffington Post, Center for Effective Philanthropy, Next Billion, World Bank, and has been featured in the New York Times, NPR, and in other international publications.

Prior to joining Village Enterprise, Dianne served as the President of Bring Me A Book Foundation, an early literacy nonprofit and held marketing and consulting positions in the private sector for Microsoft and other technology companies. She graduated with a BA from Stanford University and an MBA from Bocconi University (Milan, Italy) on a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship. 

Tanner Christensen

Tanner Christensen poses in front of a white background with arms crossed confidently, wearing a black polo shirt.

Tanner Christensen, BA, MA ’24, is a senior/co-term from Utah. For his undergraduate degree, he majored in psychology with a minor in human rights, and he is currently pursuing a master's in communication (media studies). He is extremely passionate about human rights issues, especially those involving discrimination and systemic oppression. Through the Haas Center’s Community Service Work Study (CSWS) program, Tanner worked at Root & Rebound – an Oakland based nonprofit focused on helping communities most harmed by mass incarceration. The following summer, Tanner was a Cardinal Quarter Fellow working at the New York City Commission on Human Rights as a legal intern, contributing to their mission to prevent discrimination in NYC. Most recently, he worked at Asibey Consulting to advise nonprofits, foundations, and other mission-driven organizations on how to best leverage their voice and communication efforts. At Stanford, Tanner is a member of the Stanford Cheer Team, works as the Lead Cardinal Service Peer Advisor, advises first-generation, low-income high school students through Matriculate, serves as the BOSP Stanford in New York Ambassador, and staffs Duan Family Hall.

Angela Filo

Angela Filo smiles in front of a dark backdrop, wearing a purple shirt with a white cardigan over it.

Angela Filo, ’93, co-founded and leads Yellow Chair Foundation, a family foundation established in 2000 that gives grants in the areas of educational equity, climate change, civil liberties, investigative journalism and U.S. maternal health. Angela serves on the Board of Trustees of Stanford University and on the Stanford Graduate School of Education Advisory Board as well as the Undergraduate Cabinet. She has been involved with nonprofits, in both staff and board roles, since her undergraduate days spent volunteering and working at the Haas Center. For almost a decade she taught journalism and photography at Eastside College Preparatory School, in East Palo Alto, California. Angela serves as a board member for ProPublica and is an advisory board member of the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism, where she is an alum. She currently co-chairs the American Civil Liberties Union’s national centennial campaign.

Katherine Flores

Ulo Freitas

Ulo Freitas smiles for the picture with trees and foliage in the background. He wears a light blue dress shirt.

Ulo Freitas, '24, is a senior from Evanston, Illinois studying Computer Science specializing in Systems. Ulo is interested in the intersection between science, technology, arts, engineering, and mathematics (STEAM), increasing representation of underrepresented minorities, and social good impact. During his time at Stanford, he has been a part of various programs and opportunities that have empowered him to explore this intersection which include: being a scholar in the Stanford Summer Engineering Academy (SSEA), President of the Society of Black Scientists and Engineers (SBSE), a course helper for Stanford's Black in Computer Science (BiCS), and a fellow in the CS + Social Good Studio. Ulo's family is from Angola, and Ulo sees the values instilled in him from this background as integral to his dedication to equity and social impact. After Stanford, Ulo plans on continuing engineering while engaging in social good initiatives both in and outside of engineering.

Jose Gordon

Jose Gordon smiles in front of a white backdrop, wearing a dress shirt and black jacket.

Jose Gordon, '99, graduated from Stanford University with degrees in Economics and American Studies. He received the school's James W. Lyons Award for Service and a Stanford in Government Fellowship with the Center for Community Change in Washington, DC. Jose currently leads social impact for Amazon Web Services (AWS), building and overseeing a corporate social responsibility and community engagement strategy for the company. Jose joined AWS from Meta, where he led Planning and Operations for Global Affairs. Previously, he was Head of Global Communications at eBay and served as President of the eBay Foundation, leading the company's philanthropy in support of inclusive entrepreneurship. Jose joined eBay from the Golden State Warriors Community Foundation, where as Executive Director he built the NBA's leading team foundation, targeting educational equity and youth development in Alameda and San Francisco Counties. Prior to this, he served as Senior Director of Communications for the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children’s Health in Palo Alto. Committed to equity and mentorship, Jose has served as advisor to the Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Northern California Grantmakers, Good Tidings Foundation, Playworks, and Learn Fresh.

Mimi Haas

Mimi Haas smiles in front of a group of trees, wearing a coral pink top and a white cardigan.

Mimi and her late husband, Peter Haas, were early significant supporters of the Public Service Center at Stanford, which was renamed in 1989 in honor of the Haas family of San Francisco in recognition of major endowment gifts that secured the future of the center. In 2004, the Haas family reaffirmed their support of public service education at the university by endowing the Peter E. Haas Directorship (held by the center’s faculty director) and creating a new endowment to advance service learning at Stanford. Mimi has served on the NAB since its founding. Peter served on Stanford’s board of trustees with founding Haas Center board member John W. Gardner, whom Peter and Mimi admired greatly. Gardner was the first incumbent of the Miriam and Peter Haas Centennial Professorship in Public Service (established 1989). Until his death in 2005, Peter was a major leader in the Bay Area corporate and civic community, known for his socially responsible business ethics and practices. Mrs. Haas is president of the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund, a position she has held since August 1981. As president, Mrs. Haas has been deeply committed to ensuring that low-income young children and their families receive access to high-quality early care and education as well as health services in San Francisco. With the overwhelming evidence of the importance of early development and education, Mrs. Haas has been steadfast in supporting programs that lay the emotional, physical, and intellectual foundation for every child to enter kindergarten ready to learn. She is the vice chair of the Board of Trustees and chair of the Compensation Committee and chair of the Governance Committee of the New York Museum of Modern Art, vice chair of the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and serves on the Board of Directors of Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts and Martha’s Vineyard Youth.  She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the Global Philanthropists Circle. She previously served on the board of Levi Strauss & Co for two separate terms: 2004-2006, 2014-2018; The Terry Sanford Institute for Public Policy at Duke University; the San Francisco Symphony; San Francisco University High School; Summerbridge National; and Children Now.

Jake Harriman

Jake Harriman stands in front of a dark brown backdrop, wearing a black suit with a red tie.

Jake graduated with distinction from the United States Naval Academy in 1998 and served seven and a half years in the U.S. Marine Corps as a Platoon Commander in both the Infantry and Force Recon. During his military service, Jake led four operational deployments, including two combat tours in Iraq. Following his service, Jake attended Stanford Graduate School of Business. While at Stanford, he founded Nuru International to eradicate extreme poverty in the world’s most unstable, vulnerable regions to help end violent extremism. He graduated in 2008 with his MBA. From 2017 to 2019, Jake helped draft, introduce, and work to pass groundbreaking new legislation called the Global Fragility Act of 2019 that equips America with new authorities and resources to prevent conflict and stabilize some of the most fragile regions of the world. Now he has turned his attention to helping protect the American Democratic experiment as the Founder and CEO of More Perfect Union, a 10-year plan to heal the divide in the nation and make our government work for the American people by building a viable center in American politics and a nationwide movement for unity and reform, as well as passing new legislation to reform the electoral system and structural rules and norms of Congress. Jake has received several honors and been interviewed on ABC, Al Jazeera America, BBC World Service, CNN, Fox Business and MSNBC’s Morning Joe and received coverage in the Christian Science Monitor, Devex, Forbes, Huffington Post, The New York Times, Stanford Magazine, Fox News, and others.

DeAndre Johnson

DeAndre Johnson smiles in front of a building wall wearing a suit and dress shirt.

DeAndre Johnson, ‘24, is a senior studying public policy with a concentration in discrimination, crime, and poverty. Having grown up low-income in the South (including Georgia, Tennessee, and Texas), he is interested broadly in understanding the causes and consequences of growing income inequality and developing solutions to address it. To this end, he has become involved in service endeavors in and outside of the Haas Center centered on empowering historically marginalized communities. At the Haas Center, he has tutor-mentored with the High School Support Initiative (HSSI) and worked as an education partnerships fellow supporting the East Palo Alto Stanford Academy and HSSI. DeAndre has also been involved in research in labor economics and policy, trying to understand barriers to employment and upward career mobility. He was a resident assistant in Otero, the public service and civic engagement theme dorm. Outside of service and the classroom, DeAndre sings baritone in the Stanford Fleet Street Singers, the university’s only all-original comedy acappella group. After Stanford, DeAndre hopes to pursue a research career in economics to improve policy outcomes at the state and national levels.

Liana Keesing

Liana Keesing smiles, standing in the Stanford Main Quad under archways.

Liana Keesing, '23, studies electrical engineering with a minor in physics and honors in ethics in society. Passionate about the intersection of democracy and emerging technology, she's worked on everything from blockchain-based voting machines to VR tools for gerrymandering education to the ethical design of smart home surveillance systems. She has an impressive collection of voting-themed jewelry and socks, stockpiled from her time as the co-director of StanfordVotes (2020 election cycle), as a national co-chair of the SLSV Resources & Support Subcommittee, and as the chief of staff for Stanford's Democracy Day 2022. She is also in her third year as a captain for the Division I fencing program, where she established a public service requirement for the team, and serves as one of Stanford's representatives to the PAC-12 Student-Athlete Leadership Team. Liana co-founded and now leads research efforts for her startup, developing low-cost, machine-learning-enabled integrated sensor systems to increase sustainable practices in small farms across California. On campus, when she's not soldering PCBs in lab64, you can find her practicing cello, working as a section leader for CS107E, and planning her next backpacking trip. With the support of the Haas Center, Liana was named a 2022 Truman Scholar.

Lexi Kupor

Lexi Kupor smiles, standing in front of Stanford archways in the Main Quad.

Lexi Kupor '25 is a born-and-raised Californian studying history with a concentration in politics and memory and pursuing a minor in digital humanities. A strong advocate for voting rights expansion and civic engagement on campus, she is currently serving as Director of Legislative Advocacy on the national student board of Every Vote Counts and co-Chair of StanfordVotes - where she was part of the team that won the CA Secretary of State's Ballot Bowl competition last year. She also holds the role of Chief of Staff for the Jewish Student Association and was recently awarded the Tanette Goldberg Memorial Scholarship for Social Justice on behalf of the National Council of Jewish Women for her work in the voter registration sphere. After spending Fall 2023 in Paris through Stanford's study abroad program, she looks forward to returning to campus to perform with Innovative Styles - a contemporary and jazz dance group - and channel her interdisciplinary interests as a section leader in the introductory computer science series. She ultimately hopes to attend law school and work in the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice.

Jocelyn Lee

Jocelyn Lee smiles in front of a backdrop of foliage.

Jocelyn Lee, ’93, MA ’94, has been an educator for more than 25 years and is a graduate of Stanford with a bachelor’s degree in American studies and a master’s degree in education; she holds additional post-graduate teaching credentials. Jocelyn began her teaching career as a high school student teacher in the Stanford Teacher Education Program, working to support the achievement of high school students from East Palo Alto. She has served as a school leader from the preschool level through high school for 20+ years, providing leadership, guidance, and support to teaching staff and developing practices to help bring about educational equity. Jocelyn focused on educational improvements that were responsive to the unique needs of each school community, including increasing access to technology, designing programs to give girls more access to STEM, and partnering with community organizations to provide enrichment opportunities. These interventions improved achievement for historically underserved students at each school she led. Jocelyn has a deep commitment to giving children a positive experience in their educational journeys with a focus on community engagement and family/school bonds.  Most recently, Jocelyn has focused on supporting organizations with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) efforts and works at Reach University as the director of special projects.  Reach's mission is to help schools grow their own highly effective teachers and leaders, pursuing equity in underserved urban and rural communities. Reach also seeks to advance the efficacy and adoption in higher education of inquiry-based instructional methods and job-embedded degree pathways. 

Lindy Eichenbaum Lent

Lindy Eichenbaum Lent smiles in front of a background of foliage, wearing a black shirt with a blue striped scarf.

Lindy Eichenbaum Lent, ’97, is the president and CEO of Rose Community Foundation, a Colorado place-based funder advancing inclusive, engaged and equitable Greater Denver communities through strategic grantmaking, policy and advocacy, mission-aligned investing, donor engagement and values-driven philanthropy.  After graduating Stanford with a BA in political science and earning a master’s degree from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, Lindy served as communications director to U.S. Representative Lloyd Doggett (TX) and then-Denver Mayor (now U.S. Senator) John Hickenlooper, the latter role included managing the City of Denver’s communications and media relations as host of the 2008 Democratic National Convention.  Lindy subsequently led an urban placemaking nonprofit, the Civic Center Conservancy, building public-private partnerships to revitalize downtown Denver’s Civic Center Park, a National Historic Landmark between the Colorado State Capitol and Denver’s City Hall, through programming, advocacy, capital improvements and fundraising.  A veteran of mayoral and gubernatorial transition committees and task forces and a current member of the EDUCATE Denver coalition of civic and business leaders aiming to hold Denver Public Schools’ leadership accountable for student outcomes, she served 10 years on the recently sunset Lowry Redevelopment Authority board of directors which oversaw the mixed-use infill redevelopment of Denver’s decommissioned Lowry Air Force Base.  Lindy is a member of the Stanford Associates and remains an engaged Stanford in Government alum.

Polly Liu

Polly Liu, '95, MBA '00, holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and psychology from Stanford University and an MBA from Stanford Business School. In 2001, she founded Beau-coup, an e-commerce company in the party supplies space. She is an active community volunteer and enjoys working with local organizations such as East Palo Alto Academy Foundation, Peninsula Bridge, and Second Harvest Food Bank. At Stanford, she currently serves on the Stanford LEAD Council and is a 25th reunion campaign committee member. As a Stanford student, she was involved in the Haas Center, including holding a summer philanthropy fellowship. Polly was featured in Bay Area Parent in March 2020 for organizing Free Laundry Friends, a fundraising effort that helped pay for laundry services in underserved communities impacted by the pandemic, including for many El Camino Hospital staff members. She is also currently a board member of the East Palo Alto Academy Foundation.

Parag Patel

Parag Patel smiles in front of a grey background. He wears a black suit with a white dress shirt.

Parag Patel,  BS ‘89, graduated from Stanford University with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, and a minor in History.  He later obtained an MBA from the Harvard Business School.  His lifelong experiences have combined a career in Silicon Valley with public service.  As an undergraduate, he worked through the Haas Center on volunteer activities such as the Ravenswood Tutoring Program, then in its infancy.  He also served as an United States Peace Corps Volunteer in Mali, West Africa, organizing farm cooperatives to enable subsistence farmers to expand their production and develop sources of income (Parag attributes his joining the Peace Corps to the ethos of the Haas Center).  Parag has served as a senior executive at several high technology companies, most notably 15 years at VMware which was founded by a Stanford professor and grew to become a Fortune 500 company.  Most recently, he has been Senior Vice-President of Global Sales at Forcepoint, a billion-dollar cybersecurity company.  Presently, he is Co-Chair of the Board of Directors of Environmental Volunteers, a non-profit dedicated to Nature & climate education in elementary schools.  He also sits on the Advisory Board of the Harvard Business School Global Research Center.  Parag is a past Term Member of the US Council on Foreign Relations and Asia21 Fellow of the Asia Society. 

Catherine Payer

Catherine Payer is a 1986 graduate of Stanford and has remained an active volunteer, serving on the Parents and Family Advisory Board and co-chairing several undergraduate reunion campaigns. Having retired from full-time legal practice, she spends her time on various nonprofit boards including Planned Parenthood South Texas (Executive Committee and Treasurer) and The San Antonio Library Foundation.

George Peinado

George Peinado, ’92, has been investing in both large and small consumer-facing businesses for most of his 30-year private equity career. For the last ten years, he has been investing in companies and entrepreneurs in the consumer space through his company, GAP Investments. Prior to forming GAP, George served as a managing director for Chicago-based Madison Dearborn Partners (MDP) and as a principal of DLJ Merchant Banking Partners (DLJMB) in New York. George currently serves and has served on over a dozen corporate boards, including CDW, Yankee Candle, Bolthouse Farms, and Simple Mills. Prior to relocating to Dallas a year ago, he was on the Board of the Chicago Botanic Garden and was active in his community youth soccer and hockey programs, both as a board member and coach. George received his BA in international relations and economics from Stanford in 1992 and MBA from The Tuck School at Dartmouth in 1997.

Bella Raja 

Bella Raja smiles for a photo taken in a Stanford hallway with archways to her left.

Bella Raja ‘24 is a senior majoring in Science, Technology, and Society with minors in Archaeology and Global Studies. At the Haas Center for Public Service, she can share her passion for tech and environmental ethics and public service. While serving as a freshman and sophomore service liaison, she learned about the principles of ethical and effective service, how to get involved in the many service opportunities through Stanford and share these experiences with others. During her freshman year, she served on the Committee for Partnerships for Climate Justice in the Bay to pursue environmental justice initiatives in a collaborative place-based setting.

Bella worked with Cardinal Careers Public Interest Tech (PIT) initiative under the New America PIT-UN grant where she wrote a weekly newsletter with PIT job, research, and engagement opportunities on and off-campus. This role helped her better understand the PIT job landscape to connect students with tech careers with their values and public service in mind. She also organized several career and vocational fairs. As the Issue Area Coordinator (IAC) for Public Interest Tech, Bella strengthened her leadership and community-building skills. This role was about finding common ground between clubs with similar goals and interests for Public Interest Tech and connecting them with Stanford and community resources and projects. Bella organized events and helped curate the Guide to Public Interest Tech at Stanford website to strengthen the presence and visibility of PIT opportunities and voices.

During her junior year, Bella led an Alternative Spring Break Trip for peers interested in the topics at the intersection of technology, violence, and morality. The course culminated in a service-learning trip to Washington, D.C. where students engaged with stakeholders from the White House Office of Science and Tech Policy, Congress, Brookings Institution, civil rights activists, and more.

Candace Ryu

Jennifer Satre

Jennifer Satre, ’71 (Parent ’01, ’07, ’10), grew up in Madera, California. After graduating from Stanford, she earned her teaching credential from the University of California, Berkeley. She taught elementary school for many years in both California and Nevada before earning her master’s in education from the University of Nevada, Reno in 1980. A veteran teacher, Jennifer has been a community leader in Reno for decades and serves on many boards in the state, including as an officer for the Stanford Club of Northern Nevada and the Sierra and a board member of the Nevada chapter of The Nature Conservancy. She is an advisory board member and past board chair of the Community Foundation of Western Nevada. Jennifer and her husband Phil, ’71, are longtime volunteers and supporters of various Stanford efforts, including as former members and chairs of the Parents Advisory Board. They are both recipients of The Stanford Medal: Phil in 2013 and Jennifer in 2019.

Nicole J. Sheehan

Nicole J. Sheehan, ’89, graduated from Stanford with a degree in economics, and received an MBA from Harvard Business School in 1994. Following a successful career in investment banking with Donaldson, Lufkin, and Jenrette and investment management with Symphony Asset Management, she has dedicated herself to helping educational and environmental nonprofit organizations pursue meaningful causes. Nicole currently serves on the National Board of Directors of NatureBridge, the Board of Trustees of Menlo School, and the DNC National Finance Committee, and volunteers as a member of the Open Space Council of the Jackson Hole Land Trust. Nicole is a past board member of the Bay Area Discovery Museum and Lick-Wilmerding High School and served on the Woodside School Foundation Board. An active volunteer for Stanford, Nicole most recently was  a member of the 25th reunion  committee, and has also held various volunteer  roles for Harvard University and for Sidwell Friends School. Nicole feels that assisting in the growth and development of transformative organizations, and working with people who are making a difference in the world, is deeply gratifying. 

Dorothy Shubin

The Honorable Dorothy Shubin, ’81 (Parent '24), serves as a judge on the Los Angeles Superior Court, presiding over felony criminal cases and is a member of the court community outreach committee. Prior to her appointment to the bench in 2001, Dorothy prosecuted criminal cases as an assistant United States attorney for the Central District of California and was deputy chief of the Major Frauds Unit. Dorothy earned a BA from Stanford in history and a JD from the UCLA School of Law. Dorothy has served on various nonprofit boards, including the boards of Polytechnic School and The Children’s Center at Caltech and served as board chair of the Western Justice Center, a nonprofit dedicated to building a more civil, peaceful society. Dorothy is on the board of the Stanford Club of Pasadena and has served as co-chair of the board.

Janna Smith Lang

Janna Smith Lang, PhD’69, P’91, practiced audiology with a special emphasis in pediatric audiology. Her work with deaf and hard of hearing children began with a parent/infant program and continued later in a medical setting and a private practice. While at Stanford, Janna saw the first electrical stimulation of the auditory nerve in a deaf ear which led to the development of the cochlear implant.  Over her career, Janna was able to watch the cochlear implant develop to become a routine clinical tool for bringing “hearing” to deaf ears.  In the late ‘90s, when universal newborn hearing screening (NHS) became a standard, Janna served on the panel for the development of the NHS program for California.  She then developed the NHS program for Santa Clara Valley Medical Center and became a consultant for NHS programs across California.  Janna has made numerous professional presentations and has several publications.   In addition to her professional work, Janna was an appointee to and later chair of the Speech Pathology and Audiology Examining of the California Board of Medical Quality Assurance and Editorial Board Member of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology.  She also serviced on numerous committees and was president of  California Speech-Language-Hearing Association, served on committees and was president of the California Association of Speech Pathologists and Audiologists in Private Practice, member of the Board of Directors of Project IDEA (Infant Deafness Educational Assistance), member of the Advisory Board for Jean Weingarten Peninsula Oral School for the Deaf, member of Advisory Board for Phoenix Education Center, Board of Trustees and Board president for Hillbrook School,  Board of Trustees for Council of State Speech-Language-Hearing Association Presidents, various committees and Legislative Councilor for American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, member of Audiology Technical Advisory Committee and Advisory Panel for Newborn Hearing Screening for California Children’s Services, and member of Utilization Review Committee for Santa Clara Family Health Plan. 

Jennifer Soh

Jennifer Soh poses for the photo wearing a white dress and her Stanford graduation stole as she stands in a campus hallway surrounded by archways.

Jennifer Soh '23, is a master's student studying Community Health and Prevention research at Stanford Medicine. She graduated from the bioengineering program as an undergraduate student. As an aspiring physician, she is interested in reaching underserved communities to provide equitable, preventative care.  Jennifer was involved at the Haas Center through the Cardinal Quarter program during her time at Stanford as a Spirituality, Service, and Social Change Fellow '20 and a Roland Longevity Fellow '23. She worked as a peer advisor for the Cardinal Quarter program for three years and returns as a Graduate Fellow where she hopes to continue to inspire students to pursue service-related opportunities. 

Bill Somerville

President and CEO of Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF) and a founding member of the NAB, Bill has decades of experience in the nonprofit sector. He is a nationally recognized expert on creative grantmaking, having spent more than 50 years developing innovative programs to help the neediest among us. In 1991, after 17 years as the executive director of the Peninsula Community Foundation (now known as the Silicon Valley Community Foundation), Somerville founded Philanthropic Ventures Foundation (PVF), which specializes in creative giving programs customized to donor’s interests. Bill has consulted with over 400 community and family foundations in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. He is a recipient of the 2004 Gerbode Fellowship Award in recognition of outstanding achievement as a nonprofit executive. He serves on the advisory boards of the Peery Family Foundation, the UC Berkeley School of Social Welfare, and the Junior League of Palo Alto. Bill has worked with the Haas Center for Public Service to establish the Tom Ford and Sand Hill Fellowships, to introduce more young people to philanthropy and foundation work. He authored Grassroots Philanthropy: Field Notes of a Maverick Grantmaker with Fred Setterberg, which is a guide to decisive, hands-on grantmaking.

Julia Spiegel

Julia Spiegel smiles in front of a blue background wearing a light grey blazer and dark blouse.

Julia Spiegel is an impact litigator and human rights advocate with experience in the highest levels of federal, state, and local government.  She currently serves as Senior Advisor on Reproductive Rights and Deputy Legal Affairs Secretary to California Governor Gavin Newsom, where she advises the Governor, directs litigation, and helps oversee and drive the state’s work on reproductive rights, immigration, and health and human services, among other issues.  She also teaches graduate courses on foreign affairs and the U.S. Constitution at Stanford University. Julia has a B.A. from Stanford University, a M.P.P from the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs, a J.D. from Yale Law School, and two cute little kids (her biggest accomplishment).

Molly Tapias

Molly Tapias, '94, is the director of business development at EM Marketing. She is a marketing and sales strategy professional who helps B2B and B2C tech companies differentiate and win in new markets, with new buyers and selling motions. She draws from her unique background of market validation, positioning, customer insights, and social psychology. Molly completed her dissertation in social-personality psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, with a focus on close relationships and stigmatized group members' prejudice expectations. Prior to earning her doctoral degree, she conducted consumer research for the Pharmacy Access Partnership and health policy research for the Kaiser Family Foundation. She completed a bachelor’s degree in Human Biology and Latin American Studies with Honors at Stanford University.

Katherine Toy

Katherine Toy, ’91, MA ’95 made history when Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her as the first-ever Deputy Secretary for Access to the California Natural Resources Agency in January 2022. As Deputy Secretary for Access, she leads the agency’s efforts to expand equitable access to the public lands, museums and historic spaces operated and managed by the Natural Resources Agency for all Californians. Katherine also serves as the agency’s key point of contact with the Department of Parks and Recreation to support the department as it responds to emerging challenges and opportunities.  Katherine’s deep belief in the ability of “everyday people to make history every day” has shaped her career. She has spent the last 30 years working to increase access, belonging, and participation in public and civic spaces and institutions -- from teaching history to championing volunteer engagement, and, most recently, as Deputy CEO of the Golden Gate National Parks Conservancy. Katherine’s knowledge and experience with parks, history, and untold stories began when she became the first Executive Director of the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, championing the restoration and interpretation of the historic U.S. Immigration Station at Angel Island State Park. Katherine has served on a number of boards, committees, and commissions, including for the Stanford Historical Society, the Angel Island Immigration Station Foundation, Girl Scouts of Northern California, and the California State Parks and Recreation Commission.

Alison Upton Lopez

Alison Upton Lopez, '02, MA '09, is a senior director at Ktisis Capital, a philanthropic consulting firm. At Ktisis, she serves as donor advisor, working with individuals and families on a wide range of issues including environmental & racial justice. Prior to Ktisis, she was the founding executive director for the Julian Grace Foundation, an entrepreneurial family foundation in Chicagoland. Before working in philanthropy, Alison spent the majority of her career in various leadership roles in nonprofits in Illinois and California. She started her career as a Tom Ford Fellow at the Chicago Community Trust and has since been a Peace Corps volunteer in El Salvador, the executive director of Building Futures Now and I Have a Dream - East Palo Alto, and the development and communications director at NewRoot, among other roles. Alison holds an M.A in policy, organization and leadership studies from the Stanford Graduate School of Education, as well as a B.A. in psychology from Stanford. As an undergraduate, she was awarded the Sandhill Fellowship and the Ford Fellowship in Philanthropy through the Haas Center. Alison currently lives in Chicagoland and also serves on the boards for the Chicago Center for Arts and Technology and Forefront.

Karsen Wahal

Karsen Wahal smiles for the camera, seated at a casual outdoor restaurant. He wears a navy blue long sleeve shirt.

Karsen is a junior at Stanford pursuing a B.A. in Economics, B.S. in Computer Science (Artificial Intelligence), and coterminal M.S. in statistics. He's interested in leveraging economics and data science to alleviate poverty and improve policy. Karsen has previously held positions at Propel (a public interest technology startup), the U.S. Department of the Treasury, End Poverty in California, the Millennium Challenge Corporation, and the U.S. Senate. On campus, he has served in leadership positions with Stanford in Government, Otero (Public Service and Civic Engagement Theme House), the Haas Center (as a Peer Advisor), the Stanford Economic Review, and the Stanford Daily, and held research positions in Stanford's Department of Political Science and Graduate School of Business. In his free time, Karsen enjoys hiking and climbing, reading blogs, and playing with his dog.

Anita Yu Westly

Anita Yu Westly is the co-founder of the Westly Foundation. As an immigrant from Hong Kong, she believes strongly in helping to make sure that every child in California has an opportunity to be successful. The Westly Foundation believes that investing in our children paves the way for success in the future. The Foundation invests in nonprofit organizations that improve the quality of health care and education for children from historically marginalized communities in California, enhances opportunities and skills for youth, and supports organizations that make our communities and our state better for our families. The foundation firmly believes in providing an even playing field for under-served children in California. Prior to her philanthropy work, Anita was an executive with Portal Software and worked for Accenture, providing professional service consulting to companies such as American Express and Pacific Bell, helping these companies build large operational systems. In addition to her professional work, Anita serves on the advisory board of CARE (Stanford Center for Asian Health Care Research and Education) to help improve knowledge, education, and clinical care to reduce healthcare disparities among Asian communities and population. She was also a member of the board of directors for The Role Model Program. Anita holds a BS in business administration, information systems, from San Diego State University.

Renee Duarte White

Renee Duarte White sits on a hill with foliage behind her. She wears a dark blue, floral patterned top.

Renee White, ‘25, is a junior from Mercer Island, Washington studying Computer Science with a focus on Artificial Intelligence. Renee is interested in using technology and artificial intelligence to increase STEM education accessibility to underrepresented minorities, especially young Latinas. During her time at Stanford, she has participated in various clubs including the Society of Latinx Engineers (SOLE) as an active member and a course helper for SOLE’s computer science homework help program and a mentor for the Society of Women Engineers’ OASES program which teaches high school girls about STEM fields and careers. Additionally, she serves as a tutor-mentor for the Haas Center’s High School Support Initiative throughout the school year, as well as serving as an Education Partnership Fellow supporting HSSI. Outside of her clubs and service work, Renee enjoys doing research with the Wearipedia team, focusing on making information about wearable device use in clinical trials accessible to clinical research coordinators using artificial intelligence techniques. After Stanford, Renee hopes to pursue a career using computer science and artificial intelligence to support young women pursuing STEM careers or a similar practical application. 

University Liaisons