Our Board members are leaders in their communities and their organizations. They provide high-level strategy and direction that guides our work. They steward our resources. And they help ensure that everything we do serves our mission and the diverse Californians touched by our work.

Board Members

Officers

 

Charlotte Kerber, MS

  • Chair, Nourish California Board of Directors
  • Doctoral Student, Department of Public Health Sciences, University of California, Davis

Myisha Hogan

  • Vice Chair, Nourish California Board of Directors
  • Digital Director, CA Department of Financial Protection and Innovation

Valerie Ruelas, MSW

  • Secretary, Nourish California Board of Directors
  • Chair, Audit Committee of the Nourish California Board of Directors
  • Director of Community Advocacy for the Diabetes Obesity Program, Children's Hospital Los Angeles
  • Director of the Community Diabetes Initiative, University of Southern California, Keck School of Medicine

Raymond Perry-Moore, MD

  • Treasurer, Nourish California Board of Directors
  • Chief Medical Officer, Eisner Health
Directors

 

Baraka Floyd, MD, MSc

  • Clinical Assistant Professor, Stanford University School of Medicine

Lisa Kessler, DrPH, RD

  • Professor Emeritus, Faculty Associate to the Center for the Advancement of Faculty Excellence at Cal Poly Pomona

Blanca Melendrez

  • Executive Director, UC San Diego, ACTRI Center for Community Health

Tabashir Nobari, PhD, MPH

  • Assistant Professor, Department of Public Health, California State University, Fullerton

 

Note: Affiliations are for identification purposes only.

Emeritus Council

Michael Flood, MBA

  • President/CEO, Los Angeles Regional Food Bank

Dena Herman, PhD, MPH, RD

  • Adjunct Associate Professor, UCLA Fielding School of Public Health

Dennis Kao, PhD, MSW

  • Professor of Social Work

Jasmine Marrow, MPP

  • Partnerships Director, Donors Choose

Hilary Seligman, MD, MAS

  • Professor, UCSF Department of Medicine

Emma Steinberg, MD

  • Pediatric Hospitalist, Kaiser Permanente

Ali Taghavi, MPA, MA

  • Communications and Sustainability Management Analyst

Board Service

Interested in board service?

As a nonprofit organization, we rely on the time and talents of our Board of Directors to guide and advance our mission. We’re looking to expand our board membership in order to:

  • Bring new expertise and experience to the organization.  While we may add members with connections to food policy, we’re most interested in harnessing skills and expertise from candidates with backgrounds in nonprofit management, finance, outreach and networking, and fund development.
  • Put our values into action. We value lived experience. We understand that lived experiences with hunger, poverty, and injustice can provide powerful insights to our organization and to broader movements. With this in mind, applicants have the option to share their lived experiences that are relevant to our mission and work.
  • Build a board that reflects the diversity of California. We’re looking to strengthen the board by increasing geographic representation, especially of inland communities and communities experiencing persistent poverty. Given harmful inequities that exist across race/ethnicity, economic status, gender, sexual orientation, ability, age, and other social identities, we commit to building a board that’s inclusive of the diverse individuals who call California home.

Basic Expectations

Our Board Member Job Description captures all expectations of board members. Here are a few basics:

  • Participate in quarterly board meetings. We hold four meetings a year: three by video conference and one in person.
  • Give what you can. We expect that all board members donate to the organization—with no minimum amount required.
  • Share your time and talents. We hope that members share their expertise by serving on one of our board committees.

Have questions about what’s expected? Please email boardinquiry@nourishca.org.

Next Steps for Service

If you’re interested in serving, please complete the online application and include the following:

  • Cover Letter. Send us a few paragraphs describing why you’re interested in board service with Nourish California.
  • A Resume/CV. Tell us about your skills, experience, and interests.

A board committee will review your materials prior to recommending candidates for consideration by the full board. We’ll keep you posted during this review.