CEN's Building Representative Boards
Pilot Cohort
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Tia AbnerAbout Tia Abner:
Tia Abner has over 10 years of experience establishing and implementing effective partnerships between corporations and nonprofits as a development executive. Tia currently leads fundraising in the National Capital Region and Baltimore markets at Per Scholas and her experience represents an array of sectors and industries, including charities, nonprofits, start-ups, and corporations. Prior to Per Scholas, she served as a key member of the leadership team at STEMconnector, an organization that aims to increase the number of STEM-ready workers in the global talent pool. Tia currently sits on the Advisory Council of the George Washington University School of Business Customer Experience Program. She has a Master’s Degree from Georgetown University in Global Hospitality Leadership with a focus on Strategic Brand & Experience and is a graduate of Trinity-Washington University’s Strategic Communications Program. Why BRB? I’ve spent most of my career managing leadership giving and behind the wheel of various board governance teams in the nonprofit space. I am now interested in meaningfully contributing to an organization and its mission—particularly in the Edtech space that I’m deeply passionate about. Being able to play a key role in strategic operations, affect change from a different seat, and bring value from a diverse point of view are all top reasons for serving on a nonprofit board. |
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Kesha BrownAbout Kesha Brown:
I am a lifetime Social Justice Advocate. I grew up in Nairobi Village incorporated as East Palo Alto. As a teen and throughout my undergraduate program, I enjoyed volunteering for Non Profit Organizations. I have a Bachelors in Sociology. I’m currently attending University of San Francisco in pursuit of a Master’s degree in Urban and Public Affairs. Why BRB? I applied to BRB Program to increase my knowledge and understanding of the functions of NonProfit boards. Furthermore, I am interested in increasing representation of people who share commonalities with my background. |
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Lee ClarkAbout Lee:
My name is Lee Clark I'm a case manager with PATH people assisting the homeless, a community I was apart of for a long time. I've turned my life around, I now have a desire to help those who are where I once was. Why BRB? I want to be apart of BRB because I want to learn all I can about being on a board and I want to one day have my own nonprofit, helping those in need of help. I was out there without hope, resigned to a life on the streets, somebody came along and threw me a lifeline, I want to be that lifeline for others. |
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Emily DavilaAbout Emily:
Emily Davila is the Head of Research at Mission Talent, an executive search firm for global nonprofit and social impact organizations. She joined the company in 2010, and is proud to have been part of its growth and global expansion. She has led searches for clients like Oxfam, Greenpeace, Hewlett Foundation, WWF, World Resources Institute, and Amnesty International, and worked across regional markets in Europe, Africa, Asia and Latin America. She began her career as a youth activist and went on to lead advocacy efforts for women’s rights, working with NGOs at the United Nations in New York. Emily has also consulted on strategic communications for the United Nations, and she has a special interest in new models of social mobilization. She holds a Master’s Degree in Strategic Communications from Columbia University and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Development & Creative Writing from the University of Redlands. Emily recently returned to the United States after living in Germany for nearly a decade and is based in Seattle, Washington. Why BRB? Helping social impact organizations become more diverse and representative is one of the driving motivations of my day-to-day work. We can make the social impact sector more powerful and more representative of the communities they serve, but we have to use strategies like this CEN BRB program to increase our access to diverse leadership. I am excited to be an ally in this work, and I would have a lot to offer a nonprofit looking for Board expertise based on my work with dozens of organizations around the world. No matter where an organization is based, the themes of leadership, strategy, team motivation, and governance are similar, and I think my experience and perspective would make me a strong asset and thought partner. |
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Aladrian HillmonAbout Aladrian:
Aladrian worked her way from a front line airline employee to trainer, committee member, and finally Vice President of her local Flight Attendant Union. During the pandemic, she jumped into local politics, working as communications representative for a successful School Board campaign. This had a huge impact on her. Why BRB? Hearing about the Building Representative Boards gave her the exciting opportunity to help empower people by not only using the strength of their voice, but also strengthen the community as a whole. The BRB program helps to level the playing field and explain how people of color can have a seat at the table and help induct meaningful change to a community that all people can benefit from. |
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Chris MartinezAbout Chris:
Chris (they/them) who identifies as non-binary genderqueer, is a Bay Area native who recently relocated to the South Side of Chicago with their husband and two cats for new adventures in wild weather and eventual home ownership. A graduate of San Jose State University’s Global Studies program and recovering sports journalist, Chris now works in the software as a service (SaaS) space as the Head of Content for Nightfall AI. Their background in marketing spans roles in healthcare, non-profit, financial technology, AI/machine learning, and government. Why BRB? Chris worked for a financial services nonprofit for several years and has always wanted to serve on a non-profit board to help diversify the points of view allowed in the room. Non-profit boards often lack intersectional representation: not just in race and gender, but also important factors like socioeconomic background. As someone who worked on the front lines of non-profit marketing, Chris knows what really goes on at a non-profit and joined the BRB program to learn the skills necessary to join a board and bring their hands-on experience to build better and more representative boards. |
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Keisha MillerAbout Keisha:
Born and raised in Hayward, CA, Keisha grew up with the desire to make a difference in the lives of others. Growing up in the Bay Area, Keisha always enjoyed being active in her community. A graduate of Azusa Pacific University, Keisha received her B.A. in Business Administration in 2006. Throughout her career, Keisha has worked with several underserved populations including at-risk youth, mental health, substance abuse, incarceration, and unhoused/homeless. Keisha is currently the Program Manager of Client Services at Sunnyvale Community Services where her team provides Emergency Financial Assistance and other resources to those in need. She is a member of Saint Mark AME Zion Church in East Palo Alto, California where she uses her experience and skills to serve as Lay Council President and assist the church with its community outreach programs. Keisha enjoys serving the community and models the idea of Mahatma Ghandi – “You must be the change you wish to see in the world.” Why BRB? Keisha is participating in the BRB program in order to increase her knowledge and understanding of what it is to be on a Non-Profit Board of Directors. With around 17 years of experience and skills, Keisha looks forward to the possibility of becoming a board member at a non-profit agency in order to bring fresh ideas, diversity, vision for a more inclusive future for those in human services. |
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Ruby MoppinAbout Ruby:
Ruby Moppin has over 20 years as a phenomenal sales leader in Corporate America. Her ability to build authentic relationships among different constituency groups – from the private sector to local parent groups to the nonprofit sector – and bring them together toward a single cause, allows her to make positive community impact. As a first-generation college graduate and avid sports fan, she advocates and promotes sports youth programs as an avenue for youth to gain personal, leadership, and life skills. As a result, Ruby uses both her sales and relationship-building skills to fundraise thousands of dollars for youth programs – allowing more children, specifically those from lower socio-economic backgrounds, to participate in organized sports without having to worry about registration, travel, and/or uniform costs. When she’s not at her ‘9-5’ job, you can find Ruby on the sports field with her two boys or hosting an event to raise funds for her local elementary school or sports program. She holds a B.A. in Sociology from San Jose State University. Why BRB? I’m excited to be a part of the BRB program so I can learn insight and best practices for being an effective board member. I think this will only help me bring more value to a nonprofit board. |
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Ysrael QuezonAbout Ysrael:
Ysrael Quezon (He/Siya) currently resides in Alameda, CA | Chochenyo Muwekma Ohlone land. Ysrael is 22 years young. He is a 1.75 Filipino-American immigrant, who's born and raised in the Philippines, and moved to the US when he was 17. He is a 2nd year transfer - senior - at UC Berkeley, studying Political Science and Public Policy. He serves as the Racial Justice Project Coordinator at Filipino Advocates for Justice -- his political home. In the future, Ysrael hopes to do cross-sector work with movement-building organizations, philanthropic institutions, schools, and governments -- centering the needs of youth, communities of color, and immigrants. Why BRB? I'm excited for the BRB Program and serving on a nonprofit board because I believe that youth are the future and the future is now. As someone who comes from a background of people who are often furthest away from decision-making tables, I look forward to serve, represent, and uplift my community. |
