YNPNsfba Advisory Board
Get to Know Us
Nicole Howell, Advisory Board Co-Chair
My day Job: Volunteer Coordinator, Ombudsman Services of San Mateo County
My goals for YNPN: I am looking forward to moving the Advisory Board into its second strategic plan while reaching a wider and greater audience of non-profit professionals.
Fun fact about me: I am an avid crafter addicted to fabric, ribbons and colorful paper.
Brianna Swartz, Advisory Board Co-Chair
My day job: Membership Director, California Charter Schools Association
My goal for YNPN: Ours is the founding chapter of the YNPN movement with our 15th anniversary on
the horizon. I’m excited about working with the YNPNsfba board, volunteers and community to make sure ours is the largest, premier chapter in the nation.
Fun fact about me: I’m an East Bay native and hope to grow YNPN’s community on my side of the Bay.
Grace Boone, Membership Chair
My day job: Events and Communications Manager, Girls Incorporated of Alameda County
My goals for YNPN: I am excited about making sure that the reboot of our membership program supports the needs of emerging nonprofit leaders.
Fun fact about me: I am a social innovation wonk and a StartingBloc Fellow.
Randi Ervin, Development & Partnerships Chair
My day job: Office and Project Manager, Children’s Hospital & Research Center Foundation
My goals for YNPN: To create and develop thoughtful, long-term partnerships with key organizations in
our community. YNPNsfba has so much support from our sector and I am so thankful for that. I want to see this grow into something more and something more consistent.
Fun fact about me: I am a reality TV junkie! It serves as a nice mental break from the day.
Ben Felsing, Tech Chair
My day job: Information Systems Assistant, CompassPoint Nonprofit Services
My goals for YNPN: I want to make it easier for anyone to join our organization by improving the accessibility of our webpage and registration system. After someone joins, I’d like to make them feel as welcome as possible.
Fun fact about me: In the 7th grade, I popped out of a closet dressed as Elvis to surprise my teacher for her birthday (she is a huge Elvis fan).
Brenda Kahler, Treasurer
My day job: Assurance Supervisor, Nonprofit Industry Group at Burr Pilger Mayer, Inc.
My goals for YNPN: To implement and oversee prudent fiscal policies and procedures in order to ensure that YNPN is able to put on as many programs as possible to serve our community’s needs.
Fun Fact about me: I grew up in New England, but I have never been skiing or ice skating.
Karen Kwok, At Large Member (Strategic Plan Focus) and YNPN National Liaison
My day job: Family Nurse Practitioner, San Francisco Department of Public Health; Independent Consultant, Program Evaluation & Strategic Planning
My goals for YNPN: To promote the ethnically and professionally diverse representation of the Bay Area nonprofit community and foster nonprofit professionalism and leadership advocacy at the local and national levels.
Fun fact about me: Life is short. One must try a little of everything. Still on my short list: bungee jumping and a trip to the South Pole.
TehShan Lee, Operations Chair
My day job: Human Resources Consultant
My goal for YNPN: To improve the back-end services that will support YNPNsfba’s growth now and in the future.
Fun fact about me: I love to go to fairs and festivals!
Bruce Marcus, Workshops Chair
My day job: Independent Nonprofit Consultant/Trainer, Third Sector Solutions
My goals for YNPN: Engage the YNPN constituents in cutting edge skill building on nonprofit workshop topics that they determine are meaningful to their work.
Fun fact about me: I am an avid supporter of the local community theater scene.
Sarah Noyes, Socials Chair
My day job: Social Entrepreneurship Consultant with a focus on Economic Justice and Leadership Development
My goals for YNPN: To organize fun networking events that provide opportunity to make meaningful connections.
Fun fact about me: I’ve been crazy about Casino de Rueda, Argentine Tango, and Blues Dancing for 10+ years.
Amanda Pape Lenaghan, Constituency Chair
My day job: Senior Manager, Development & Strategic Initiatives, Taproot Foundation
My goals for YNPN: To ensure all of YNPN’s activities and strategies are aligned to better serve young nonprofit professionals in the Bay Area..
Fun fact about me: I was a varsity track and cross country athlete in college and on warm days in San Francisco you can find me running through Golden Gate Park.
Laura Phenix, Book Club Co-Chair
My day job: Homeless Prevention Case Manager, First Avenues: Hamilton Family Center
My goals for YNPN: I am looking forward to continuing to provide a discussion space in the non profit sector centered around books and to have those discussions exist beyond our events..
Fun fact about me: I have never had a full can of soda in my life.
Rose Roll, Community Chair
My day job: Director of Membership, The Bay Citizen
My goals for YNPN: I want to grow the YNPNsfba community because it is such a great resource for
nonprofit professionals! Whether it’s by coming to a workshop or Thirsty Thursday, signing up for the listserv, or becoming a Facebook fan, I’d love it if all nonprofit professionals in the Bay Area find it useful to be part of YNPN.
Fun fact about me: I made the leap from being a management consultant to starting a nonprofit journalism organization that produces original reporting about the Bay Area.
Lora Silver, Programs Chair
My day job: Project Manager, Social Solutions
My goals for YNPN: Programmatic experimentation – breathing life into the kinds of events we wish are/ were available to us when we need them in our careers. And of course to increase the network and reach so that our programming is driven by maximum input and is meaningful for more professionals!
Fun fact about me: I rarely make the same thing for dinner twice. No really.
Ellie Tumbuan, Career Development Committee Co-Chair
My day job: Foundation Administrator & Machiah Fellowship Program Manager, Jewish Community Federation
My goals for YNPN: To produce the most relevant, informative and affordable professional development and networking events for the local nonprofit community and to develop a sustainable mentoring program for the YNPNsfba chapter.
Fun fact about me: I sometimes dream of spending a year on a sailboat by myself.
Katherine Zavala, Volunteer Chair
My day job: Program Officer, International Development Exchange
My goals: I am looking forward to ensuring that every YNPNsfba volunteer experience is fruitful and significant for their professional and personal growth.
Fun fact about me: I played the March Hare in an Alice in Wonderland play when I was 12.
