Girls Inc. of the Island City announces the addition of seven new members to its Board of Directors. Claudia Page, President of the Board of Directors said, “This is an amazing slate of new and returning board members, representing a wide range of experience and talent. We enthusiastically welcome them and know they will add valuable strength to our board and our mission to provide girls and young women the support to be strong, smart, and bold.” GIIC CEO, Christine Chilcott added, “We are very fortunate to have a great group of intelligent and thoughtful women and men, new and returning members, joining our board this year. They all bring with them a variety of wonderful skills that will allow the organization to grow and flourish as we recover from a difficult year due to the impacts of Covid-19.”
The new members of the Board of Directors are:
Mathew Bliven – Mathew is a career maritime professional who previously served 30 years in the U.S. Coast Guard, attaining the rank of Captain. His military assignments included engineering and operational leadership positions across the U.S., highlighted by command of an Alameda-based cutter and leading the Coast Guard’s role in the 34th America’s Cup on San Francisco Bay. He recently completed board service with the San Francisco Bay Marine Exchange, a non-profit maritime service organization. Matt is a returning GIIC board member, having previously served from 2014 through 2020.
Michael Chae – Michael is Chief Operating Officer of Playworks, a nonprofit that helps kids stay active and build valuable life skills through play. His professional career has been primarily in the nonprofit sector across a range of issues: mental health, addressing the digital divide, HIV/AIDS, cancer, diabetes, and supporting children’s well-being.
Nanette Hunter – Nanette is President/CEO of D-Unique Tools, a tool company based in Oakland. Her past experience includes working in the banking industry, coordinating special events, and developing youth programs. She has also been a participant in the Entrepreneur Mentoring Program, an Inc. Magazine and William J. Clinton Foundation Partnership.
Carolyn Lantz – Carolyn is a retired financial professional who has worked as a Senior Accountant with Kemper-Cymrot and as a Principal at Barclay Global Investors. She holds a master’s degree in International Management with an emphasis on Finance. In addition, Carolyn has served in multiple roles with local PTAs and Alameda Boy Scout Troop 11. She is a long-time supporter of GIIC and returning Board member who served from 2012 to 2018.
Jennyfer Lindsey – Jennyfer is an Executive Assistant at Productboard. She has 10 years of administrative support and logistics and event coordination experience for both small startups and large companies with a background in media/film and e-commerce. Jennyfer grew up in Alameda and earned her degree in Human Development specializing in Women’s Studies. She is passionate about empowering girls and women to cultivate their most authentic self.
Christopher Moody – Christopher is Chief Health Compliance Officer at Google. He is an attorney who has been a member of the bar since 2004. Chris has held legal and compliance roles in the healthcare industry since 2005. For the past nine years, he has led compliance teams in Fortune 100 companies where he honed his leadership, management, and planning skills. Chris was a member of the Board of CASA of Lake County, Illinois and is a long-time supporter of GIIC. He and his family have recently moved back to Alameda.
Lauren Silverstein – Lauren is a marketing strategist and graphic designer with skills in developing engaging experiences for brands. She has worked with small start-up brands as well as large legacy brands and has shared her skills while volunteering for Junior Achievement’s Biz Town, an experiential program that teaches kids economic concepts, how to vote, how to run a business, and more. Lauren has lived in the Bay Area for 10 years and has recently moved to Alameda.