Golden Gate Chapter New Leadership for 2025

The AFP Golden Gate Chapter performed its annual leadership changes at its holiday member party on December 5, 2024, which was held at the offices of The Arc in San Francisco.
The event included an appreciation for outgoing President Lucy Porras for her one-year of service and deep commitment to the Chapter.
The new chapter officers for 2025 were announced, all of which serve on the Board:
- Chapter President: Dena Vongchanh (Director of Development, Students Rising Above)
- President-Elect: Matthew Easterwood (Founder & CEO, Queer for Hire)
- Immediate Past President: Lucy Porras (Sr. Director of Development and Communications, Common Counsel Foundation)
- Secretary: Michaela Hayes (Strategic Fundraising Consultant, Hayes Impact)
- Treasurer: Mark Ruffo (Chief Advancement Officer, California Academy of Sciences)
Chapter officers are elected for a one-year term and always include the Immediate Past President and a President-Elect who will assume the role of Chapter President next year.
Incoming Chapter President Dena Vongchanh is no stranger to the Golden Gate Chapter, having been a member for five years, a Board member for the past three years, Dena has also played an active role in the Marketing and Communications, Programs, and IDEA committees.
Dena shared these thoughts recently on LinkedIn: “I’m excited for what lies ahead and grateful to have the guidance of my mentor Lucy and the support of our president-elect, Matt. Together, we’re geared up to foster deeper ties and drive greater impact in our community. During my presidency, I’d like to harness our collaborative energy to bolster our community’s resilience and resourcefulness. By deepening our commitment to sharing knowledge, providing robust training, and reimagining networking opportunities, we can empower each other to better serve our nonprofit organizations—and through them, our broader community. This chapter is about building relationships, sharing our victories, discussing our challenges, and brainstorming solutions together. It’s this spirit of collaboration and mutual support that will guide my chapter presidency.”
The AFP Golden Gate Chapter also announced five new Board Members in 2025:
- Huong Cheng (Donor Relations Manager, Yu Ming Charter School)
- Patricia Dalao (Institutional Giving Manager, Students Rising Above)
- Justin Evans (Development Associate, Kitchen Table Advisors)
- Sari McConnell (Founder/Strategic Fundraising Consultant, Donor Boom)
- Marisa Melo (Executive Director, at Meals on Wheels of Alameda County)
These five individuals join these seven other current Board members:
- Andrea Lloyd (Development Director, Enriching Lives through Music)
- Eliane Fersan (Vice President of Philanthropy, East Bay Community Foundation)
- Elissa Roy (Principal, Capitalizing Change)
- Jarae Clarke (Executive Director, City of Dreams)
- Jocelyn Wicker (Director of Major Gifts, Electronic Frontier Foundation)
- Kelley Coe (Associate Director of Philanthropic Partnerships, Search for Common Ground)
- Marisol Terrazas (Regional Philanthropy Officer, American Red Cross)