OAKLAND, CA – James Head, longtime executive and leader at The San Francisco Foundation, was named today as the new President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The East Bay Community Foundation.
The announcement was made by Sherry Hirota, President of The East Bay Community Foundation Board of Directors, following a nationwide search for a new chief executive.
“The East Bay Community Foundation is at an exciting inflection point,” said Hirota, who is also the CEO of Asian Health Services in Oakland. “There is a huge amount of momentum behind James’ appointment. He comes to us with the passionate backing of our entire Board of Directors, the heartfelt endorsement of a multitude of community and civic leaders from all segments of the Bay Area and beyond, and a legion of loyal and trusted partners and colleagues from the philanthropic and nonprofit realms. We are thrilled.”
Head will take the helm at The East Bay Community Foundation December 8.
The Foundation is one of the largest sources of philanthropic support for the East Bay. During its 2013-14 fiscal year, the Foundation awarded more than $49 million in grants to worthy causes. It has more than $395 million in charitable assets under its management.
In addition to assisting individuals, families, corporations and other organizations with their philanthropy, the Foundation focuses on helping those on the economic margins acquire job skills and get jobs and on ensuring very young children acquire literacy skills so they are successful in the education system.
“The East Bay is my beloved home,” said Head. “Each and every day I experience the power and the beauty of the East Bay’s people, culture, and environment. We have many inherent assets, and many challenges as well. I am honored and humbled to have the opportunity to work arm in arm with the Foundation’s stellar Board of Directors, the dedicated and talented staff, our generous donors and corporate contributors, and our tireless nonprofit partners, to make these diverse East Bay communities the best they can be.”
The appointment of Head, a prominent civic leader, champion of civil rights, and a legal scholar, is seen as a critical step in continuing to elevate the Foundation’s growth, stature, and impact in East Bay communities.
As CEO of the 25-person East Bay Community Foundation staff, Head will maintain overall responsibility for all of the Foundation’s activities, including grant-making, development, communications and marketing, finance, and administration.
Head has been a commissioner at the Port of Oakland since 2009. He has served as Vice President for Programs at The San Francisco Foundation since 2004, where he led a staff of 28, and spearheaded innovative and wide-reaching initiatives on race, equity, poverty, housing, economic development, and youth development. He has more than 30 years of experience in philanthropy and grant making; nonprofit management and technical assistance; community and economic development; and public interest law.
Prior to joining The San Francisco Foundation, Head was president of the National Economic Development and Law Center for 18 years. Additionally, he served as legal counsel of the California Community Economic Development Association and has been a member of numerous foundation advisory boards, including the Open Society Foundation of New York and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation of Michigan.
Head received his juris doctorate from the University of Georgia School of Law and has bar memberships in Georgia, Florida, and California. He is an adjunct professor at University of California at Berkeley’s Boalt School of Law, University of California at San Francisco’s Hastings School of Law, and University of Santa Clara’s School of Law.
He has lived in Oakland with his wife, Bernida Reagan, for more than 25 years. Their son, Chris, attended Oakland and Berkeley schools and recently graduated from Hampton University in Virginia with a degree in Business Administration.
Head will take over from Janet Y. Spears, Chief Operating Officer, who has served as Interim CEO since March 2014. In July of 2013, previous CEO Nicole Taylor stepped down to lead The Thrive Foundation for Youth in Menlo Park. Former Board of Directors member Deborah Alvarez-Rodriguez served as Interim CEO from July 2013 until March 2014.
East Bay Community Foundation (www.ebcf.org) transforms lives by harnessing financial capital, leadership and philanthropic expertise through the power of many: partnerships with individual donors, business, government, and private foundations. We are especially dedicated to advancing economic opportunity for those in need and the education that leads to it. As a leading resource on charitable giving and community needs, we manage more than 500 charitable funds and endowments.
