Board of Directors

Members of the Board of Directors of the California Association of Nonprofits serve as volunteers and represent a diversity of nonprofit leadership across our state. Two-thirds of board members are elected by CalNonprofits members, with the others appointed by the board. As policy leaders themselves, board members are instrumental as partners in strategic decisions for CalNonprofits and in advocating for California's nonprofit community.

Maricela Morales, Chair, Board of Directors
Executive Director, CAUSE (Central Coast Alliance for a Sustainable Economy), Ventura

Maricela Morales' career began as a teenager, volunteering to translate public health education materials to farmworker communities and ever since she has worked on social, economic, and environmental justice issues at nonprofits and as an elected official. Grateful to her Mexican immigrant parents, she attended Stanford University (Human Biology) and Pacific Graduate Institute (Psychology). She started with CAUSE as a volunteer in the Ventura County Living Coalition. She was the first Latina to be elected to the Port Hueneme City Council in 2002, and in 2007, she became the city’s first Latina Mayor.

Maricela's boldness of thinking and action was recognized with the 2019 Visionary Leader Award by the Santa Barbara Foundation. She co-founded the 805Undocufund in the aftermath of the Thomas Fire and 1/9 Debris Flow and is a co-founder of the Climate Justice Network.

"California is now ranked the 5th largest economy in the world, and a healthy economy is not possible without nonprofits."

Jose Rodriguez, Vice-Chair, Board of Directors
President and CEO, El Concilio of Stockton

Jose Rodriguez is a long-time and celebrated community activist deeply grounded in Stockton. He began at El Concilio of Stockton as a program director and became the president/CEO in 1996. With annual revenue of $13 million, 12 sites and 300 staff in four counties, El Concilio is an anchor provider and a leader for Latino and other communities and for the Central Valley. El Concilio has been recognized by the National Council of La Raza (now UnidosUS) as Affiliate of the Year, as one of the top 25 Latino nonprofits nationally by the Hispanic Business Magazine, and by the California legislature as California Nonprofit of Year in their district.

A graduate of the University of the Pacific and Humphrey's Law School, Jose also serves on the boards of Visionary Home Builders, San Joaquin A+, and the national board of UnidosUS.

"Growing up in Olivehurst, California the son of immigrant farmworkers, the promise of the American Dream meant so much, as it still does to so many. It is through those life experiences that I understand the importance of a strong family, an appreciation of education, and a values system that recognizes the responsibility to take action."

Geoff Green, Treasurer, Board of Directors
CEO, Santa Barbara City College Foundation

Geoff Green is Chief Executive Officer of the Santa Barbara City College (SBCCF) Foundation, where he was an early national leader in the College Promise movement, providing funds to ensure that all high school graduates in the Santa Barbara Community College District attend SBCC. Geoff's career has encompassed serving as a National Park Service ranger, public radio programmer, campaign field organizer, board chair of the Chamber of Commerce of Santa Barbara Region, consultant to nonprofits, and before his current position, as the long-time and celebrated executive director of the Fund for Santa Barbara. Geoff is known for his warmth, his willingness to roll up his sleeves, and his insights, for which he is frequently sought out by the press. Geoff is a former board chair for CalNonprofits, and as a volunteer auctioneer for nonprofits, Geoff has raised more than $4 million for more than 50 nonprofits.

"The inequalities that have long challenged our state’s communities are being exacerbated in new ways. The nonprofit sector has long been at the leading edge of advocating for justice, equity, health, opportunity, and sustainability. Having worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years, I have great appreciation for the work of CalNonprofits."

Crystal Crawford, Executive Director, Western Center on Law and Poverty, Los Angeles

A seasoned leader in the legal, philanthropic and nonprofit sectors, Crawford has played a pivotal role in advancing the health and economic security of low-income Californians, women of color and communities of color. Crawford previously was a program director at The California Wellness Foundation, where she developed and led the organization’s groundbreaking Women’s Initiatives, a multi-million dollar program that amplified the voices of women of color and provided philanthropy and policymakers with a vision for how to advance the health and economic security of women of color.

She has also served as CEO of the California Black Women’s Health Project, the only statewide organization devoted to improving the health of California’s Black women and girls through policy, advocacy, education and outreach. She began her post-collegiate career as a public school teacher in Harlem. She currently sits on the board of the California Budget and Policy Center, Health Access California, Grand Performances, the Black Alumni of Dartmouth Association and other organizations.

Susan Gomez, CEO, Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC), San Bernardino

Susan Gomez is founding President/CEO of the Inland Empire Community Collaborative (IECC), an organization that is the result of nine years and 83 nonprofits working together to strengthen its organizations throughout San Bernardino & Riverside County and improve outcomes for individuals and communities. In the last five years, the IECC has collectively raised more than 19.2 million dollars.

A resident of Riverside, Susan has co-chaired the Funder’s Alliance “Inland Empire Capacity Building Network,” is a partner of the Inland Empire 2020 Census Complete Count Committee, and chairs the Nonprofit Equity Committee at IE Rise.

“Nonprofit advocacy helps give citizens a voice. Nonprofits serve as the great equalizer, where individuals come together so their voices are amplified."

Le Ondra Clark Harvey, CEO, California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA), Sacramento

Dr. Clark Harvey is a psychologist and the Chief Executive Officer of the California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies (CBHA). CBHA is a statewide advocacy organization representing mental health and substance use disorder non-profit agencies that collectively serve approximately 1 million Californians. She has maintained an impressive record of leadership including serving on national and local boards including the National Council of Mental Wellbeing, American Psychological Association, Association of Black Psychologists, Sacramento County Public Health Advisory Board and the Sacramento County Children’s Coalition.

She was appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to his Master Plan on Aging Advisory Committee and Behavioral Health Task Force, by California Lieutenant Governor, Eleni Kounalakis, to the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine Board and by the federal Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s Advisory Committee for Women’s Services.

Chet P. Hewitt, President and CEO, Sierra Health Foundation, Sacramento

Chet Hewitt has served as a frontline group home worker, youth development counselor, community organizer, juvenile justice project director, Director of Alameda County Social Services Agency, Senior Manager at the Rockefeller Foundation, and currently as president of the influential Sierra Health Foundation (based in Sacramento). He was named Administrator of the Year by Black Administrators in Child Welfare; other national honors include the Annie E. Casey Foundation Child Welfare Administrator of the Year, and the Grantland Johnson Intergovernmental Cooperation Award. He is a board member of the Public Policy Institute of California.

Chet exemplifies the role of activist foundation leader. In addition to grantmaking, the Sierra Health Foundation brings city, business, nonprofit, and community leaders together to address controversial issues. He established the Center at the Sierra Health Foundation, and co-founded Equity on the Mall, a march for equity typically drawing more than 2,000 marchers.

"As someone who has spent a considerable amount of my professional life thinking about the development of public policy and the implications of policy proposals, I understand how work in this area can either constrain or support the efficacy and impact of nonprofits. CalNonprofits is one of the most effective California based organizations engaged in this important work."

Karthick Ramakrishnan is a Professor of public policy and political science at the University of California, Riverside, and serves as the executive director of California 100. He also founded the Center for Social Innovation at UC Riverside. He has published many articles and books, including most recently Citizenship Reimagined (Cambridge, 2020) and Framing Immigrants (Russell Sage, 2016).

In addition to the CalNonprofits board, Karthick serves on the board of The California Endowment, chairs the California Commission on APIA Affairs, and serves as director of the Inland Empire Census Complete Count Committee. He directs the National Asian American Survey and founded AAPIData.com, which publishes demographic data and policy research on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.

Joel John Roberts, CEO, PATH and PATH Ventures, Los Angeles

Joel John Roberts is the CEO of PATH (People Assisting The Homeless) and its housing development agency PATH Ventures. PATH currently operates in 140 cities across California and serves a remarkable 20% of California’s homeless population. PATH Ventures has 20 permanent supportive housing communities completed or in development.

Joel is also a Board Member of Destination: Home, a public-private partnership in Silicon Valley, San Diego 211, San Diego’s New Market Tax Credit Advisory Board, and Santa Clara County’s Continuum of Care. Joel is also the author of numerous opinion pieces on homelessness, as well as the book, How to Increase Homelessness. He is a columnist on housing and homelessness for San Jose Spotlight and Invisible People.

"California needs to treat homelessness like the disaster it is. Let’s provide housing first."

Surina Khan, CEO, Women's Foundation California 

Surina oversees the foundation’s strategic direction, which is focused on building community-based power through investing in effective community-based organizations, training community leaders in policy advocacy, connecting key partners, and mobilizing significant financial resources. She has served the social justice and philanthropic sector in a variety of ways, including previous positions at the Ford Foundation, OutRight Action International, and Political Research Associates.

Surina serves on several boards in addition to CalNonprofits’, including Funders for Reproductive Equity, Voices for Progress, and the American LGBTQ+ Museum. She is a recognized expert on gender, racial, and economic justice issues and is a frequent commentator on the power of women’s philanthropy. Surina enjoys cooking, swimming, photography and resides in Irvine, Sea Ranch, and San Francisco with her partner.

Malcolm Yeung, Executive Director, Chinatown Community Development Corporation (Chinatown CDC), San Francisco

Chinatown CDC is a comprehensive community development organization with a mission to build community through bricks and mortar strategies (developing, acquiring and operating over 3,500 units of affordable housing) and people strategies (tenant organizing, community planning and advocacy, youth leadership development, and residents services).

Malcolm first practiced in venture finance and in I.P. litigation at Perkins Coie LLP and then O'Melveny and Meyers LLP before joining the Asian Law Caucus in 2003. In 2009, Malcolm joined Chinatown CDC where he has been ever since, except for a brief sabbatical serving as Senior Housing Advisor to San Francisco's First Asian American Mayor, the Honorable Edwin M. Lee. In 2019, Mayor London Breed appointed Malcolm to the San Francisco Airport Commission. Malcolm graduated from Duke University (B.S. Chemistry), University of Colorado at Boulder (M.A. History), and Berkeley Law (J.D.).