About Community Initiatives
About
Mission
History
Staff
Board
Fiscally Sponsored Projects
Annual Report
Jobs at Community Initiatives

“Without Community Initiatives, California would not see the impact of hundreds of beneficial projects. They are an important part of our nonprofit landscape.”

Pamela H. David
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
WALTER AND ELISE HAAS FUND

Cheryl Polk, Chair
A noted leader in the child and family services field, Cheryl Polk has a wealth of experience as a clinical psychologist, academic, and civic volunteer. Dr. Polk was recently appointed executive director of the John and Lisa Pritzker Family Fund, before which she served as executive director of the Mimi and Peter Haas Fund for nine years. She serves as a director of many professional and community organizations, including Zero to Three, Jumpstart, and the W. Haywood Burns Institute. She recently completed eight years as an appointed member on the San Francisco Children and Families Commission. Dr. Polk has received many citations, recognitions, and awards, including the prestigious National Leadership Fellowship from the Kellogg Foundation, Salzburg Fellow for Early Childhood Development, San Francisco Outstanding Advocate for Children in 2003, and the Shining Star Award for Leadership and Dedication to the Children of San Francisco in 2000.

Back to top

Frances Phillips, Treasurer
Frances Phillips is program director for the arts and the Creative Work Fund at the Walter and Elise Haas Fund in San Francisco. The Creative Work Fund supports the development of new works by local artists. She co-edits the Grantmakers in the Arts’ READER and co-chaired the 2007 Grantmakers in the Arts conference, Taos Journey. She also chairs the board of the California Alliance for Arts Education. Prior to becoming a grantmaker, Ms. Phillips was executive director of Intersection for the Arts, a multidisciplinary arts organization that serves as a fiscal sponsor. During her tenure at Intersection, she advised a fiscal sponsorship discussion among arts organizations and funders that, in part, led to former CI board member Greg Colvin’s Fiscal Sponsorship: 6 Ways To Do It Right. Phillips is the author of three small-press books of poetry and co-author of The Nonprofit Kit for Dummies.

Back to top

Gene Takagi, Secretary
Gene Takagi is a San Francisco-based attorney for nonprofit organizations. Before opening his independent office in 2005, he practiced in the corporate group of the AmLaw 100 firm Sheppard, Mullin, Richter & Hampton, LLP, during which time he was awarded Outstanding Barrister of the Year from the Bar Association of San Francisco. Mr. Takagi holds a law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a graduate degree in nonprofit administration from the University of San Francisco. He is a member of the Bar Association of San Francisco’s Pro Bono Committee, and is committed to both providing and promoting pro bono services. A former chair of the Pro Bono Issues Committee of the Barristers’ Club, Mr. Takagi is a two-time recipient of the Outstanding Volunteer in Public Service award by the Volunteer Legal Services Program of the Bar Association of San Francisco. He is the author and publisher of the Nonprofit Law Blog and has been featured in Equal Justice Magazine, The Recorder, and Law.com.

Back to top

Alison Fong
In her role as airport debt manager in the Business and Finance Division of San Francisco International, Alison Fong was responsible for managing the Airport’s $4.1 billion debt portfolio.  Additionally, she maintained relationships with credit rating agencies to help uphold the Airport’s strong credit rating and worked closely with the Capital Planning Division to identify and prioritize the Airport’s capital project needs. Prior to her work at SFO, Ms. Fong did quantitative and qualitative analysis of proposed bond issues for municipalities and nonprofit organizations when she served as vice-president, Public Finance group of MBIA. At GlobalNetXchange (now Agentrics), Ms. Fong was director of strategic planning and business development; in that role she identified and negotiated partnerships with key investors, software providers and strategic alliances.  She also developed a business plan for the company’s branch in Japan.  Ms. Fong earned a Master’s degree in Public Policy at the University of Texas at Austin and also holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of California at Irvine.

Back to top

Janine Guillot
Janine Guillot is chief operating investment officer for the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS).  Previously she held the position of chief operating officer for the Global Fixed Income business at Barclays Global Investors (BGI), one of the world’s largest asset managers with $1.5 trillion under management.  Her previous roles at BGI included global head of change management, chief operating officer for BGI Europe, and chief financial officer and director of strategy for European business.  Prior to joining BGI, Ms. Guillot was at Bank of America, San Francisco, for 12 years.  She held a variety of positions there, including chief planning and administrative officer for consumer business and chief financial officer for wealth management, middle-market banking, and commercial real estate groups.  In addition she was director of brand development and created an internet-based consumer lending venture for the bank. Ms. Guillot’s financial career began in public accounting with Ernst & Young.  She holds a BBA degree in accounting and English from Southern Methodist University, Dallas, Texas; and she is a CPA.

Back to top

Rick Mariano
A longtime Bay Area resident, Rick Mariano is sole proprietor of a regional real estate brokerage and development firm.  Projects include the acquisition and development of 30 acres of land in Oakland in partnership with Holliday Development, acquisition/asset management of industrial properties in Signal Hill and Santa Fe Springs, and renovation and operation of several hotels in San Francisco.   He also co-founded Carbone, Mariano and Co., a commercial real estate brokerage firm, and has worked with other real estate investment groups including Richard C. Blum & Associates, L.P. and Iliff Thorn & Company.  His nonprofit experience is wide ranging, including service for many years as vice-president and exclusive pro bono real estate broker and facilities developer for the Delancey Street Foundation.  Currently Mr. Mariano is a member of the board of directors of Edgewood Center for Children and Families and also serves on the advisory board of the John Burton Foundation for Homeless Children, a project of Community Initiatives.

Back to top

Jenny Pearlman
Ms. Pearlman is a civil-rights attorney with significant experience advocating for educational justice and equity on behalf of low-income communities and communities of color. She was a senior staff attorney with Public Advocates, Inc., a civil-rights firm working to promote equity and systemic change through policy advocacy, multicultural coalition building, community development, and litigation. She also spent several years in New York practicing general civil litigation with the firms of Kaye, Scholer, Fierman, Hays & Handler, LLP and Lankler, Siffert & Wohl, LLP, and is a member of the California (2003) and New York (1994) Bar Associations. Ms. Pearlman graduated cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center and holds an undergraduate degree in International Politics from Georgetown. Following her graduation, she taught high school students and trained teachers in Namibia and South Africa.  Before moving to California, she and her husband completed a 10,000-mile journey across the Pacific Ocean aboard their 40-foot sailboat. An active member of the community, Ms. Pearlman serves as a trustee of The Little School and is a member of the grant committee of Hedge Funds Care.

Back to top

Ruth Williams
As a program officer at ZeroDivide, Ruth Williams oversees a multi-million dollar foundation grant portfolio which promotes social justice through the use of information technology. Her extensive nonprofit experience includes work as deputy director of a large nonprofit focusing on community development issues such as affordable housing, job training, and job placement for low to middle income San Francisco residents. Ms. Williams also served as a consultant to design the start-up of a new real estate and investment portfolio management company. Her city government expertise includes service as senior project manager and budget/finance director for the Department of Elections and as director of operations for the Mayor’s Office.  She gained her arts expertise working in administration and development at the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco and at the San Francisco Opera.  Ms. Williams has also served on the advisory panel for San Francisco Grants for the Arts/Hotel Tax Fund. 

Back to top