Leadership,
Board of Directors, and Advisory Council

Leadership

The right organization. The right people. The right time.

Leadership Council SMC is solely dedicated to building cross-sector, diverse leadership capacity in San Mateo County. Co-Founders Kaarin Hardy and Margi Power lead the organization with their years of cross-sector experience in community leadership development and public service.

Kaarin Hardy
Co-Founder, Co-President
Margi Power
Co-Founder, Co-President

Our Leaders, Across All Sectors, Want and Need

A trusted network of leaders in their industry, their issue area, and at their level within San Mateo County to collaborate with and learn from, to help solve complex problems.

A better understanding of the connectivity of the issues facing our county, and the resources available to solve problems and develop innovative solutions across sectors and organizations.

Continuous learning opportunities to grow their leadership skills and learn from thought leaders.

Board of Directors

Our Board of Directors and Advisory Council are an impressive and diverse group of business, nonprofit, and government leaders who are committed to Leadership Council SMC’s vision and mission.They give their time and expertise to ensure Leadership Council SMC’s impact on our communities, and are deeply involved in setting goals, guiding the strategic direction, and holding the organization accountable to our purpose.

Noemi Avram
President
Gumbinger Avram Architects
Nirmala Bandrapalli
President, Commission on the Status of Women
San Mateo County
Aisha Baro
Executive Director
Life Science Cares
Emily Beach
Councilmember
City of Burlingame
Tish Busselle
Assistant Superintendent (Retired)
San Mateo-Foster City School District
Marie Chuang
Council Member
Town of Hillsborough
Drew Combs
Council Member,
City of Menlo Park
Gayl Pero
Sales Director
Mary Kay Cosmetics
John Delaney
Managing Director
Private Banking, SVB Private
Georgia Farooq
Executive Director
Thrive Alliance for Nonprofits
Linda Fitzpatrick
Chief People and Communications Officer
Sutro Biopharma, Inc.
Eddie Flores
Councilmember
City of South San Francisco
Lisa Goldman
City Manager
City of Burlingame
Carole Groom
San Mateo County Supervisor (Retired)
San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Joseph Ibe
Chiropractor
True Health Centers
Kate Korsh
Fundraising Professional
Rita Mancera
Executive Director
Puente de la Costa Sur
David Mendell
Owner
Kern’s Fine Jewelry
Laurel Miranda
Board Chair
CuriOdyssey
Bryan Neider
CEO
AbilityPath
Kletra Newton
Founder and CEO,
Urban Culture Agency
Tim Russell
Program Director
Renaissance Entrepreneurship Center
Jack Tang
President and Co-Founder
The Pixelmakers
Jason Ting
Wealth Management Advisor
Ting & Associates at Merrill Lynch
Gilbert Wai
Trustee
Hillsborough City School District

Advisory Council

Michael Brownrigg
Councilmember, Burlingame City Council
Michael Claire
Chancellor, San Mateo County Community College District
Rachel Del Monte
District Vice President, YMCA
Quita Highsmith
Vice President and Chief Diversity Officer, Genentech
Tiffany Hong
Chief Administrative Officer, Franklin Templeton
Jennifer M. Johnson
President and CEO, Franklin Templeton
Sarah Lucas
General Partner, Lucas Venture Group
Dave Pine
Supervisor, San Mateo County Board of Supervisors
Jackie Speier
U.S. Congresswoman
Kate Wilson
Senior Director, Public Affairs, Gilead Sciences