Four Outstanding Leaders Deepen Their Commitment to the East Bay
Oakland, Calif., February 10, 2026 — East Bay Community Foundation (EBCF) is pleased to announce exciting changes to its board of directors. Shilpa Andalkar, Shirley McLaughlin, and Katherine Ritchey join the board at a pivotal time for EBCF and the East Bay, and Xavier Morales assumes a new leadership role as EBCF’s board chair.
“These extraordinary leaders share my vision of a future where every East Bay resident has the economic freedom to dream, heal, and belong,” said Brandi Howard, President and CEO of EBCF. “I’m so grateful that they are bringing their expertise and lived experiences to the work of building a better East Bay for all. With these additions, our board has never been stronger.”
Xavier has served on EBCF’s board since 2023 and takes over as board chair from Iara Peng, who recently completed her term on the board. As the Executive Director of the Praxis Project, Xavier has deep experience as a leader within community organizations and on nonprofit boards, offering a unique perspective on what it takes to lead healthy organizations and the critical fiduciary and governance role of the board of directors.
“Stepping into the role of Board Chair at this moment is both an honor and a profound responsibility,” said Xavier. “Our communities are navigating uncertainty on many fronts, and community foundations like EBCF play a vital role in helping chart a path toward stability, equity, and shared possibility.”
He went on to say, “I am deeply grateful to Iara Peng for her leadership and steady stewardship of the board. I look forward to working closely with my fellow board members, our CEO Brandi Howard, EBCF’s dedicated staff, donors, and our community partners as we continue our deep commitment to improve the conditions every East Bay resident needs to thrive.”
Join us in welcoming EBCF’s new board chair and members:
Xavier Morales, Ph.D., MRP, is the Executive Director of The Praxis Project, where he leads national strategies that center equity as a core operating principle for community power‑building, fiscal sponsorship, and systems change. His work is grounded in the belief that durable health and racial equity outcomes require strong community leadership supported by accountable governance and disciplined stewardship of philanthropic resources. Morales serves on the boards of the East Bay Community Foundation, Saba Grocer’s Initiative, and the Vital Village Network, and advises UC Berkeley’s Latinx in the Environment initiative; he also serves on the City of Berkeley’s Sugar‑Sweetened Beverage Panel of Experts. Originally from Sanger, California, he is a former Peace Corps volunteer in Hungary and holds a B.A. in Environmental Sciences from UC Berkeley and a Ph.D. and Master of Regional Planning from Cornell University.
Katherine S. Ritchey is the Vice President & Regional Counsel for Northern California at Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals. In this role, Katherine is a member of Kaiser’s Northern California regional executive team and the lead attorney on legal matters impacting Northern California. Katherine is a Certified Information Privacy Professional/U.S. with the International Association of Privacy Professionals. She has degrees in Economics and Political Science from UC Berkeley and a J.D. from UC Law, San Francisco, and she attended Executive Leadership and Disruptive Strategy programs through the Harvard Business School Executive Education Program.
Shilpa Andalkar is a Wealth Advisor in the San Francisco office of Corient Private Wealth. She focuses on building financial plans and portfolios with purpose to support the missions of individuals, families, and philanthropic entities. Shilpa holds a B.S. in Management Science with honors from the University of California, San Diego and is a CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® practitioner and a Certified Divorce Financial Analyst® professional. In the past, she’s held roles with an emphasis in the social sector, including analyzing investments for environmental and social outcomes. Shilpa joins the board from the EBCF Professional Advisory Leadership Council, where she has participated since 2021. She also currently serves on the URI Foundation Board Investment Committee, a global interfaith grassroots organization.
Shirley J. McLaughlin is a principal at Adler & Colvin, a law firm specializing in the law of nonprofit organizations. She specializes in working with community foundations, private foundations, and family offices, and on the issues they face, including grantmaking and social investing, social enterprise, nonprofits structures, relationships and affiliates, fundraising and endowment management, and corporate governance. Prior to joining Adler & Colvin, Shirley was the Director of Grants Administration for The San Francisco Foundation and Silicon Valley Community Foundation. She received her law degree from University of San Francisco in 2013 and an undergraduate degree from Mills College in 2006.
EBCF’s nine-person board includes:
- Shilpa Andalkar, Corient Private Wealth
- Bernard Boudreaux, Be Beneficent Consulting
- Joe Dougherty, Dalberg Advisors
- John Govea, retired foundation professional
- Brandi Howard, East Bay Community Foundation
- Shirley McLaughlin, Adler & Colvin
- Xavier Morales, Praxis Project
- Katherine Ritchey, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc. and Kaiser Foundation Hospitals
- Mona Williams, Bivium Westfuller
Learn more about how EBCF’s new board members will help advance inclusion, fairness, and justice for all at our website.
